Musubi Dojo - Community

Community: Peru Aikido

Sensei Susan Perry writes,

Jerry Garcia (aka Brother Justin Michael) contacted me in early 2007 from Peru where he is a monk with a Catholic order doing good deeds with Peruvians that are struggling in life. Jerry started Aikido with us long ago when we still had the Claremont Colleges Aikido Club. He was sa Pomona College student and he helped us move into the Claremont Packing House when we began our first independent dojo (the packing was much different then!). Jerry was our first black belt student and earned his shodan the same year as he graduated from Pomona College. Ron and I saw him once after that and then he was onto his "life after college". He had made no mention of continuing Aikido and so it was with great suprise that we heard from him after all these years!

As Brother Justin Michael is helping the poor in an area with alot of domestic violence, he found himself using the tools from his Aikido experience to help them. It was in an effort to fill out his memory of Aikido names and forms that he sought to reconnect with his old sensei (Perry and Rubin). In February 2007 Brother Justin Michael traveled to Musubi Dojo.

We put together an event around the 1,000 crane project which came out of the Youth program's two classes. Sensei Perry says, "We had enjoyed the 1,000 cranes that the kids in the dojo put together for our Winter Solstice Celebration. The cranes had been hanging throughout January and the kids decided they would like others to enjoy them as well. Being beautiful and bringing such joy, it seemed natural to ask Jerry (Brother Justin Michael) to share them with the people he was helping in Peru. In a "Cranes Flying South" event, the kids came to the dojo to meet him and hand him the 1,000 cranes (vacumn packed) for their flight south!

Cranes at Musubi Dojo, December 2006

Cranes in Peru, March 2007

Dear Sue,
I was able to display the cranes during 2 of a series of four lenten talks that we gave in el Vallecito. [This photo] wasn't taken in el Vallecito, but nearby in a small art store where the owner was pleased to have them hang. I arranged with her to invite people after
the mass in Girasoles and I explained the story at annoucement time toward the end of the mass.
The people really enjoyed them and I think were touched that someone so far away wished them peace. They also enjoyed the idea of having been a
part of the project. They wanted to know how to make cranes and the woman whose camera I borrowed even said that her daughter wanted to make some and send them to us!
It was a great experience and I was glad to be a part of it too!
God Bless,
Br. Justin-Michael, FJH

July 6, 2008
Dear Ron & Sue,
Sorry I haven't written in a while. We have been in a move. We are still in Peru but now closer to the Bolivian and Brazilian borders in, basically, a city in the jungle. It is called Puerto Maldonado. It is one of the most biologically diverse places on earth according to the internet. ....Anyway, we didn't get internet until just about a month ago. It is so slow, by satellite, but another provider should be providing their service here for faster and cheaper within a month. I've been meaning to bring you up to date, but have been busy with all the moving, community meetings and classes, that I haven't had the chance. There is less internet time now because it is so slow.

Well, as for Aikido, when the rector here got wind that I knew Aikido, he asked if I could teach. I was overjoyed. Many said they'd like to learn it after I told them what it was about, but the only time I could do it (when the soccer field was available) was only on their one free day. Many visit their families that day. Anyway, the most that ever came were 5 students. Only one is always there.. I've had 2 or 3 classes with just this one student because others don't always come. It is great when this happens, I can really focus on him. Anyway, he got his front rolls down and is so surprised. I told him his body would learn what to do and to try to not think so much about how to do them. Things are going well. Aikido helps me de stress.

God bless,
Br. Justin-Michael, FJH