Shawnigan Lake Aikikai
1786 McKernan Rd V0R 2W2 Shawnigan Lake, BC, Canada

Solstice blessings, merry Christmas, happy holidays and joy to this world!

The CAF Board has recently created the Kawahara Sensei Video Archive on the Canadian Aikido Federation Youtube Channel. A number of historical video recordings have already been uploaded and additional seminars are will be uploaded in future. Covid 19 has greatly impacted our training, and during this difficult time the CAF Board hopes that we all can watch, learn, reminisce and be inspired by Kawahara Sensei. ... https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCThD4b954ORz6KxMhsAlBTQ Please remember to subscribe and "Like" the footage, to keep Kawahara Sensei's fabulous instruction in rotation so many more people can discover our benefactor.

Another successful Shawnigan Lake Aikikai AGM! Thanks to everyone for making our club such a great place to learn and train and grow through aikido on and off the mats.

While our dojos are closed due to the current BC PHO, we are being encouraged to look online and learn from the many archived videos available from Senseis of the past and present, or to join in live zoom practices when available. And of course there is also spot the technique in Friday evenings with Mando!

Never know what new training innovation awaits in Saturday morning practice.

Albert Einstein is attributed with saying Adversity introduces a man to himself. Some aspects of Aikido practice could be described as training in adversity under intentional conditions designed to introduce us to ourselves and bump into our ego. Staying with uncomfortable conditionscontinuing to show up and get up when that is the last thing we feel like doingeventually changes us. Our capacities shift gradually on the mats as we become more clear in our intentions and ...more knowledgeable, skillful and fluid in our movements. These capacities can also show up off the mats in the world around us, if we keep practicing aikido principles, especially in times like this when there are no mats to practice on. As required by the latest BC Public Health Order, our dojo is temporarily closed as of Nov 24, 2020. We wish everyone good health and full access to all those aiki capacities we have been supporting one another to develop. Keep practicing off the mats and we look forward to re-opening the dojo and getting back on the mats as soon as circumstances allow.

Move like a beam of light: fly like lightening, strike like thunder, whirl in circles around a stable centre. Foster and polish the warrior spirit while serving in the world; illuminate your path according to your inner light. -Morihei Uesheba

Study how water flows into a valley stream, smoothly and freely between the rocks. Also, learn from holy books and wise people. Everything even mountains, rivers, plants, and trees should be your teacher. -Morihei Ueshiba

Keeping it real - saturday morning practice with the elements in the forest dojo.

Through the woods and over the bridge to O-Sensei’s spot we go... enjoying outside morning practice while the weather holds, and taking the opportunity to train on uneven and unfamiliar terrain.

Fall training during covid restrictions invites us deeper into physically-distanced basics of posture, form, movement and timing.