Aikido Hawaii
In the chilly dark of 6:00 am, on the second Sunday of every month, Yoshioka Sensei used to meet a small devoted band of students at the Manoa Recreation Center. From there they would car pool a short distance to the entrance of the Manoa Waterfall Trail. Then they would hike about a mile, through the dark rainforest of Manoa valley, carefully stepping over the protruding Banyan Tree roots and carrying their bokkens.
On reaching the falls, three to four students would stand under the early morning chilly waters of the falls in their shorts and t-shirts. The remaining students would form a semi-circle around them and make three hundred strikes with their bokkens. Everyone would chant the misogi chant: "Toho kami emi tami."
After about 300 strikes, the students in the waterfall would rotate out with others taking their place and the process would be repeated until everyone had their turn under the cleansing waters of the falls. In all, everyone would swing their bokkens at least 1000 times.
And then, the cold hike out, spirits refreshed and eyes cleared!
Yoshioka Sensei (right) and Alex Tripp Sensei
Under the water is, left to right, Art May, Dave Johnson, Peter McNally, Stanley Akamine
Front: Yoshioka Sensei (left), Stanley Akamine
Rear (left to right): Randy Scoville Sensei, Kit Michaels, Glenn Hakama, unknown, unknown, (rear) Michael Heaton Sensei, (front) Vijaya Johnson, (rear) unknown, Art May, Hal Hammet, unknown, Peter McNally Sensei, unknown, Dave Johnson