【Aikido × Travel】Enjoying an Aikido Seminar and Dojo Visits in Prague, Czech Republic – 09
The seminar venue and the restaurant for the social gathering were close enough to walk.
Following Google Maps, we were surprised when the route suddenly led into the forest. Unsure whether this could really be correct, we walked back and forth for a while—until other participants appeared behind us and kindly assured us, “Yes, that’s the right way.”
Once we passed through the dim forest, a quiet lake appeared, and beside it stood a restaurant. We had arrived safely.
Many people were already gathered, so we first secured seats for the two of us.
The meal fee had been paid in advance, but drinks were separate. The invitation had said “cash only,” though when we asked the organizer beforehand, he told us, “Cards should be fine.” In reality, however, only cash was accepted.
I was relieved that I had brought some. My friend, who usually relies on cards, couldn’t pay—so I treated him to a beer to celebrate our reunion.
Dinner was served buffet-style in a separate room. Amid the crowd, I filled my plate with the dishes available, only to discover that there were no forks or spoons—only knives.
When I returned to my seat, the Italian group next to us was also eating with just a knife.
“I’ve discovered a new way of eating—using only a knife!”
Her cheerful comment made me smile and helped me reflect on how I had almost let myself get annoyed by the cramped seating and lack of utensils.
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After a while, Fujimaki Shihan and Mike arrived.
When I went to buy a beer for Mike, I couldn’t speak Czech, so I placed coins on my palm and gestured to the man in front of me to help with the order and payment. Instead, he took out his own wallet.
“It’s okay, please pay with this money,” I told him.
He then took one koruna from his wallet, added it to my coins, and paid the exact amount for me.
How kind he was.
When I said, “You are my angel,” the people in his group across from us also smiled warmly.
At the social gathering, everyone was in casual clothes, unlike in the dojo. It was a lovely opportunity to talk not only about Aikido but also about our lives and to introduce ourselves.
During this time, the shihan began signing the dan rank booklets for the black belt participants. My friend helped by opening the booklets and assisting beside him, but even so, signing nearly a hundred names was a huge task.
Instead of using a stamp, Shihan wrote each name carefully by hand. After finishing, he ate only a little and then walked around the room to greet everyone. His warm consideration deeply moved me.
Even after 9:30 p.m., the venue was still lively, but when the shihan decided to leave, we also headed back to our accommodation.
The next morning, I asked Mike about his elbow. He said he could train slowly, but wearing his hakama would be difficult, so he chose to observe the morning session.
The Lithuanian group took the same bus as the day before, while my friend and we walked to the venue.
We had been talking since yesterday, and our conversation never stopped. Walking under the beautiful autumn leaves, enjoying our reunion, I even forgot that I had a cold—and that I was carrying a backpack. Before we knew it, we had arrived at the dojo.
The organizer, T, told us that after driving the Shihan back, he returned to the venue and stayed until the party ended at 11 p.m.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“I’m fine—I got to sleep an extra hour.”
In fact, daylight saving time had ended the night before, and at 3 a.m., the clock went back to 2 a.m.
During the morning training, Fujimaki sensei called for a water break. The clock showed 11:55 a.m.
“A break? But there are only five minutes left.”
I wondered why, until I realized the clock hadn’t been adjusted and was still one hour behind. No wonder time felt so fast.
Training had been intense until then, but afterward it shifted to Osae techniques, allowing us to finish the unexpectedly extended hour without trouble.
The Italian group had a 12-hour drive ahead, so we said goodbye.
Yesterday we celebrated our reunion, and today we felt the sadness of parting.
It seems we will meet again next year, so for now, I simply wished them a safe journey home.
For lunch, we returned to the restaurant with the white herb soup that we had visited a few days earlier. We enjoyed the soup again and shared chicken cutlets and grilled vegetables.
“I’m sorry you got injured during my seminar.”
Perhaps Fujimaki Shihan had been waiting for a quiet moment to say this. He spoke gently to Mike. It wasn’t his fault at all, yet he felt responsible. His kindness surely eased Mike’s pain a little.
Mike planned to join the afternoon training. Although we worried about the wearing hakama, he managed to put it on.
My friend and I took turns practicing with him, and thanks to the sensei’s consideration, he was able to train without issues.
The final practice was in a group of five, and by coincidence, everyone in the group was someone who regularly visits Hombu Dojo. It felt almost like being back at Hombu, even though we were in the Czech Republic.
“It feels like Hombu,” the sensei said as he approached us. He gently reminded Mike—who had forgotten his elbow pain in the excitement of training—“Take care.”
The two days of training passed in the blink of an eye.
I was surrounded by wonderful participants, and many people showed kindness toward Mike—buying medicine for him, practicing gently, and watching out for him.
T, the organizer, supported the sensei tirelessly without showing fatigue. Seeing all of this filled me with gratitude for being able to participate.
In the evening, our Lithuanian friend took us to a Sochi restaurant near the hotel.
The food was delicious, but unfortunately, we ended the night with “overcharging incident.”
Fujimaki Shihan seminar in Prague, Czech Republic, will be held on October 3rd and 4th, 2026.
https://aikidotravel.com/seminar/2118/aikido-seminar-with-hiroshi-fujimaki-shihan-7th-dan-aikikai-hombu-dojo
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