Interview with Fran Turner Sensei
by Jonathan Marks

This is the conclusion of a two-part series begun in the last issue.

JM: Could you tell me more about your time in Japan?

Fran Turner Sensei

FT: I just visited for a month—I went on a tour organized by Yamada Sensei in 1991. We were based so that we trained almost daily in Hombu Dojo. That was a wonderful experience to take classes from Doshu and from Waka Sensei—the founder's son and grandson—and other wonderful inspired teachers. And to practice with a truly international group of people! There were students from France, Germany, Australia, Peru and Mexico, and people that I knew from San Diego! All of them there, practicing. It's a very humbling and wonderful thing to be involved in something that is so universal.

JM: Have you ever used your aikido in self-defense, or in other situations?

FT: I worked in psychiatric nursing for four years. Three years of it was in a very intense psychiatric setting—a crisis unit. It was good having aikido, not because I was necessarily involved in any altercations, but I became aware of where it was good to be placed with respect to someone who might act out. To stand beside yet out of the path of any strikes that they might make—that was a very practical kind of thing.

I entered irimi, put my hand right on his centre line right over his chest, and I said very quietly, "What's the matter?"

There was a situation outside the front of the Bloor Valley Club. It happened one day on my way to noon class. A fellow just near the steps was yelling out—I have no idea what was going on with him. He seemed in distress, and very agitated. I had to pass by him in order to get to the stairs. He yelled at me, and I turned to look at him. I guess he was just looking for a target—he was ready to hit me with his gym bag. I entered irimi, put my hand right on his centre line right over his chest, and I said very quietly "What's the matter?" In between his lifting his bag to hit me and my putting my hand on him, I was thinking "Oh my god! Here I am an aikido teacher—I teach a martial art. Am I going to be struck by this guy on my way to aikido class?" But it just seemed to happen very spontaneously that I entered in and put my hand on him, and just very quietly asked him "What's the matter?" It deflated him right away.

JM: What are your views on your own students trying out other martial arts for their own interest—to either confirm their training in aikido or just to see what's out there?

FT: I suppose I just don't understand why anybody would choose anything except aikido. That's part of my thinking.

JM: How do you know that unless you've tried other things?

FT: That's very true. I don't think it's possible for people to train seriously in two martial arts, and to do it well. And particularly, aikido has a non-competitive mindset and a particular way of moving that is very peaceable, and that doesn't create violence. I just think that it's really tough to reconcile those two things in a person. But, I know that there are a number of Japanese masters who have studied other martial arts very intensely, and are able to use certain elements like iaido—the art of drawing the sword—in their aikido practice. But one thing I think is really bad is for people to go shopping around, like you're looking for a commodity. I think it's unfair to aikido, and it's unfair to the other art that you chose. I think that it's valid to try different arts, but then don't split yourself up.

JM: What's your vision for Aikido Shugyo Dojo five or ten years from now?

FT: Well, my vision is that there will just be a lot more people practicing, and the people practicing now will be even more accomplished than they are now, and they'll want to be teaching others and maybe teaching in their own places.

It would be very gratifying for me to see more of my students get their black belt. That's something concrete, you can point your finger at and say, "OK, I have these students that have black belts"—and it's gratifying for students to have their black belts and to have that rank. I would also hope to be able to help more people get beyond shodan into nidan, and support them if they decide that they want to teach or want to promote aikido in some way. I just want to continue creating an atmosphere that enables people—when they come to try a class—to feel a sense of support, and to feel that this is a worthwhile endeavor, and that it's a good learning environment for them. I just want that to keep going.

Also, besides aikido, there are other ways that I hope that people have a chance to come forth—like our newsletter, and the music group. Those are really healthy things, and I'm just very happy that it's through aikido that that kind of interaction can happen. I'm happy that I'm some small part of that whole greater thing.


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