A demonstration proceeded in order of rank. Each student in turn blended with attacks from the next higher ranked student. Below at left, a student with a green belt trains with a blue belt. At right, a blue belt student trains with a brown belt …

… then the brown belt student trains with the black belt, and finally, the black belt student throws the instructor, Fujioka Sensei.

There are many fine qualities one could point out in the training of the young people in Shingu. I personally was struck by the great posture the students displayed. The importance of posture in Aikido is a quality often emphasized by Motomichi Anno Sensei, who was a personal student of O-Sensei and was the chief instructor of the Kumano Juku Dojo at the time of our visit. Anno Sensei said, “Good posture is like a mountain. A mountain does not lean over or lose its shape.” His influence could be seen radiating throughout the dojo in the classes.