Green River Aikido celebrates 20 years with a seminar with Shihan Harold “Archie” Champion

Noah Hoffenberg, Green River Aikido

GREENFIELD, Mass. — When heavy weather rolls in, even before the lightning hits, you can feel electricity zigzagging through the air. 

The same occurred whenever T. Kazuo Chiba Shihan approached the mat. 

On May 17, a number of his direct students brought their own power to a special seminar celebrating the 20th anniversary of Green River Aikido, with guest instructor Shihan Harold “Archie” Champion.

An aikidoka for 47 years, Champion put nearly 30 aikido practitioners through their paces for over three hours, following an initial class with host sensei, shihan David Stier, a practitioner for more than 50 years himself. 

The two teachers brought their own heavy weather with them: 100% humidity and 76 degrees, which, when combined with a judo gi, felt like a steam room.

The beneficiaries of the pressure cooker: dozens of students, assistant teachers, teachers and master teachers, representing 20-somethings to septuagenarians. They received instruction on a blend of basics, like gyakuhanmi katatedori kokyunage and tai no henko, and more advanced techniques, such as futaridori, an attacker on each arm. 

In demonstrating encounters, Champion and Stier forced their ukes to confront their own fear and expectations. Fortunately, both men also pierced the tension with humor and laughs, which spread among attendees. 

One of Chiba Sensei’s early kenshusei, Champion apologized ahead of time for his colorful language. To begin his class, he gave a succinct: “Let’s rock.” 

Minimalist instructions dappled the training sessions: “Connect.” “Unbalance.” “Uchi kaiten.” “Move your feet.” “Don’t be lazy.” “Watch out!”

Champion and Stier each spoke of the importance of not coming preloaded into an interaction with an attacker.

“The first encounter is a real encounter. Don’t be running into it with your face exposed,” Champion said. “Don’t run in there like you know what is going to happen.”

The ukes who charged in, or who were uncommitted with their attacks, were lucky to avoid a swipe by Champion. They got a quick rebuke, then a joke and a smile.

“Just be genuine. Just be what you want to be. I’m OK with it,” Champion said to Green River student Brandon Shantie, interrupted amid an energy-filled two-handed grab. 

Champion’s advice to ukes not to enter with wildness came from personal experience. He told of how he earned a scar under his chin for charging in on Chiba Sensei during weapons training, even after being warned.

Conversely, Champion reminded those training that, when throwing an opponent to the rear, not to ignore them.

“You don’t want to throw someone behind you. They’re going to get up… upset,” he said, during a morotedori kokyunage variation. It’s not something you want happening at your back, he intoned.

Stier opened his class by calling up Aikido of Champlain Valley’s Heidi Albright Sensei, no stranger to Stier’s often electric personality. 

He offered her his wrist for tai no henko, which she accepted hesitantly.

“It’s not a timebomb,” Stier said.

“It feels like it is,” Albright replied, spurring nervous laughter from the lines of seated students.

Even with the anxiousness relieved for the moment, Stier reminded all: “There’s always tension,” and “You get one chance to execute an attack… you don’t get to regrab.” 

Aikido is an art of feeling, not thought, said Stier. “How many of you actually think you’re doing what I showed you? Don’t use this,” he said, pointing to his head, “as brilliant as your brains are.”

Stier also told students not to co-opt their falls, another form of resistance or preconception, recommending “give up your center and control.”

“Resist the temptation to go where you want to go,” Stier said.

A student of Senseis Lorraine DiAnne, Paul Sylvain and Kazuo Chiba, Stier likewise didn’t want to feel any “dead fish” grabs.

“I studied fish, alive and dead,” said the former fisheries science graduate. 

Four other New England senseis trained among the ranks, representing several decades of training and friendship: Green River Aikido’s Kathleen Stier; Valley Aikido’s Larry Levitt; Long Mountain Aikido’s Phil Traunstein; and Ben Pincus of Aikido of Champlain Valley.