Shobu Aikido Testimonials

[Toby Bazarnick]

People want to know about Shobu Aikido - please write a note about your experience here.

( I can post a note for you if you prefer to remain anonymous - e-mail me: toby_at_shobu.org )

Read our Testimonials on Yelp!

Read our Testimonials on CitySearch!

[Toby Bazarnick]

"It is a rare thing in 2008 that a person might decide to pursue something as meaningful as aikido.

More than a martial art, & even far more than a way of life for centuries in feudal Japan, Bushido spirituality & mindfulness is essential in what Sensei William Gleason teaches in his classes. If you give yourself to the teaching & practice it's undeniable to have change in the way that you experience & interact with life, and on every level. I am forever in his debt.

There's something very special happening right here and right now in Somerville & that is Shobu Aikido. I would encourage anyone who seeks a higher (in regard to depth & meaning) experience of personal energy to come & observe a class with Sensei Gleason."

- A testimonial from a current Shobu Aikido of Boston student who preferred to remain anonymous

[Toby Bazarnick]

"Aikido. It has changed my life, and this is not an exaggeration. I feel calmer, more relaxed, I even became more flexible in my view, which allows me to approach problems with a more flexible mind open to possibilities.
I also learned to control my ego better. All this helps me to perform in unexpected situations and under stress, because I am open to different solutions and don't feel like I have to have the perfect answer right away.
Ironically, this sometimes helps to come up with a good solution to a problem quicker. Aikido helps me feel "taller", not be afraid in different situations, and when you are not afraid and are relaxed, things just work themselves out better."

- Lun

[Toby Bazarnick]

"I was younger and exercised regularly when I started doing aikido, but my body felt stagnant and stuck. Now, after 6 years of aikido, I move and roll fluidly - I can spring up from the ground with more youthful energy! I'm not alone either: I'm always surprised to learn the ages of our long-time students.

Its amazing! I think the regular exercise is key to keeping everyone thin, strong and flexible, but there has to be something about how Aikido strengthens and builds ki (life energy or 'Chi') that makes everyone look so young and healthy!"

- Gordon Fontaine

[Toby Bazarnick]

I have been a student at Shobu Aikido now for the last eight years. During that time I have learned a great deal from Gleason sensei. Through his teaching I have gained an improved awareness of myself both physically and mentally and as a human being. I would unhesitatingly recommend his inspiration Aikido to anyone looking to improve the quality of their lives.

- Robert Wilkins

[Toby Bazarnick]

"I have been training with Sensei Gleason for 5 years now and am happy to give you a testimonial you can use for the new webpage. I got a good one but only if it is to be submitted anonymously. If that's a problem then I will come up with something else. In terms of categories I guess it would be internal conflict resolution.

The thrust of Aikido is to create harmony. Physically the value of this becomes apparent when you train with Sensei Gleason but this training goes well beyond the dojo walls. We train to be able to deal with conflict without being trapped by it. This requires a much broader vision of what is going on around you as well as inside you. You can apply Aikido to your relationships with others as well as yourself. In fact I consider that the real value of this training.

I could write about a number of personal conflicts that I was able to deal with and move through using what I have learned from my experiences in Sensei Gleason's dojo. Not to negate the value of what I learned and how it helped me in those encounters, but for me the real test was when I was diagnosed with a rare type of lymphoma, at 32 years of age. I felt my world collapsing around me which was only reinforced by my former insurance company's refusal to pay for my treatment and leaving me with a very large medical bill. Right after leaving the doctor's office I came to the dojo, a couple hours before class and meditated on this turn of events. I realized that much like when someone is physically attacking you, if your mind is trapped by that attack, you have already lost. I accepted that my body needed help but I did not let my mind be trapped by any preconceived notions of what I was dealing with or even any attachment to a particular outcome. I continued to train throughout this episode of my life and besides the physical benefits and even the mental ones, it served as a constant reminder of the power of staying centered and being truly being here, now. Cancer came and I dealt with it, cancer went away and I let it go.

Even if I never have to physically rely on my Aikido training outside of the dojo (which is certainly my hope), I think in a very real way the training I have received under Sensei Gleason has helped save my life."

- Anonymous

[Toby Bazarnick]

"Of the many valuable life skills I have learned in my training at Shobu, the most life-changing has been the flexibility of mind and attitude provided by good Aikido training. I was fortunate enough to discover the dojo midway through High School and enjoyed training hard due to my past interest and study in the martial arts. I soon found, however, that Aikido's attitude of adaptability and a realistic (not stubborn) mindset was far removed from the attitude of many martial artists I had met--my own friends included.

When the time came for me to leave for college, I was reluctant to leave my training behind, but have found in the course of the last two years that nothing did more to prepare me for college life than my training at Shobu. Though the lessons I learned there were not academic, I found the openness of my mind and the flexibility with which I could think was incredibly conducive to the multidisciplinary nature of my College life.

I was able to pursue--with great academic success--a variety of disciplines both curricular and otherwise, and attain from them not only a great sense of self-accomplishment but one of balance and well roundedness. In years to come I juggled drastically opposing subjects like Organic Chemistry, Spanish History and Language, and Philosophy, often all within the same day, and found myself fully capable of not only flowing seemlessly from one subject to the next, but also drawing connections between what I'd learned in various classes to further enhance my learning.

Though academics have been a substantial part of my college career thus far, they have certainly not been my only pursuit. My passion for the martial arts was only increased and further inspired by the spirited training and high quality instruction at Shobu, and upon my arrival at school I quickly began to seek out and engage with martial artists in dialogue about our arts. It was not long before I was studying three or four different arts at once, practicing with fellow students and professional instructors alike, finding the flexibility of mind I'd learned in years prior yet again a precious commodity.

Studying arts as different as Korean Tang Soo Do, chinese Wushu, Western Boxing, and Chen style Tai Chi, I was once again able to transition easily from one "style" to another with little trouble or issue; I learned thoroughly and easily, my lessons came as easily as did the transitions between them. Even more useful, I was able to draw connections between these separate methods, their techniques and principles, and those I'd learned at Shobu. This not only enhanced my understanding to a deeper level but made the learning process as a whole by far simpler and more accessible. Now the president of the Martial Arts Club of Connecticut College, I've taken up a leadership role in the representation and practice of the various Martial Arts on campus, and through the flexible and adaptable attitude cultivated in my training at Shobu I've been able to negotiate and communicate effectively with a variety of martial artists, again both professional and students, to organize classes and workshops in a variety of arts in which the student body may participate and practice.

While the club averaged between eight and thirteen members in my first years at the college, starting this year it's membership has soared to over forty members and continues to grow today. To put it bluntly, it's my feeling that the most valuable skills and lessons I've learned thus far have come from the depth of training I recieved at Shobu Aikido and continue to receive today. Nothing has prepared me more for an independent lifestyle than the mental attitude cultivated by my teachers at Shobu, and I couldn't be more grateful."

- Charles Van Rees (Number of Years Training with Sensei Gleason: 4 1/2)

[Toby Bazarnick]

Training Aikido, I feel less stress at work and worry less in general. Sometimes I can feel life’s daily stresses build up inside me, as I drive on the highways (especially when I’m running late) or dealing with a difficult customer at work. After Aikido I’m calm and energized, often smiling in the face of what typically would have made my blood boil!

I’m not sure exactly how it works, however, when I practice Aikido, I learn to deal with physical conflict. Right here! Right now! Someone is trying to hold my arms down and pin me! Practicing Aikido in the dojo every week and I find I am better able to react with confidence to challenges in the real world.

- Anonymous Student of Shobu Aikido of Boston

[Larry Murray]

Shobu Aikido of Boston is a place of higher learning. Students that
attend Shobu Aikido are challenged to improve themselves. This
challenge is not one that is imposed on the student, rather, it is one
the student takes on willingly to improve his or her ability to deal
with all that life can bring.

William Gleason Sensei, founder of Shobu Aikido of Boston, presents
this challenge to all who enter his dojo doors. He is a man who has
great patience and an even greater ability to teach. He does not demand
perfection, instead demands an honest effort from each student to
train with an open mind. He asks that his students come to each class
and look for things of which they have not yet attained understanding.
Being a teacher of any subject requires more than just a "how to" approach.
Gleason Sensei has spent 40 years instucting his students that "how to"
is not a road to mastering anything. Understanding where the "how to"
comes from is a lesson better learned.

In my ten years being a student of Gleason Sensei, I have learned much.
I have learned that when I think I know something, I need to take the time
to have another look at it. Go back to the beginning and look for a change
I can make to understand a bit more about what I am doing. Not just in Aikido
but in anything I do.

Coming to class at Shobu Aikido of Boston is a pleasure. It is not just a building
with a lot of exercise mats on the floor. Rather, it is a place where a community
of people from all walks of life join in the celebration of learning. We practice
together hard. We teach each other. We learn from each other. And we leave
questioning what we can learn next.

This is the attitude that Gleason Sensei fosters in each of us.

[Toby Bazarnick]

More Testimonials from Yelp!

Posted by a student on 5/6/09

"I think the best thing about this Boston dojo (besides Sensei Gleason) is the incredibly supportive student community. I started training at Shobu Aikido in January after a ten year hiatus from martial arts because I was looking for a spiritual/martial practice that could take me beyond what I've learned in yoga and other sports.

Sensei Gleason is a wonderful teacher who pays close attention to his student's limitations, abilities and needs. His presence is very grounding and his teaching style is compassionate.

The majority of the students at Shobu Aikido..." [Read More...]

[Gordon Fontaine]

Mind-Blowing classes masterfully taught by Gleason Sensei combine Budo (original martial art training) with modern day wisdom, spirituality, yoga-like body conditioning and practical self-defense techniques.

Bill Gleason's Aikido is one of the finest examples of true Aikido - the kind of power and grace that works pretty much anytime on anyone that I've ever seen in over 13 years of martial arts training in countless dojo's.

I am awestruck that Gleason Sensei (a national treasure) lives and teachs in Boston and that I am lucky enough to have found this amazing art and am able to dedicate myself to understanding its lofty principals.

Gleason Sensei studied in Japan for 10 years and is the author of 2 books on Aikido and one of the only American scholars to study and contribute on the Japanese Kototama. His classes connect these spiritual old-world concepts to modern day Aikido.

He is one of very few Aikido teachers in the nation (world in fact) who truly studied O'Sensei's (Aikido's founder) 'esoteric' Kototama and actually translated it in a meaningful way. Understanding these 'hidden secrets' are the essence of every martial art - training yourself to create effortless power with Ki (your mental and physical intention) rather then relying on strength, power, timing or surprise.

If you are new and interested in martial arts, start here! Don't settle for something watered-down.

If you are already a martial artist, you should know that originally Aikido was only taught to black belts because it was seen as a higher form of budo training - an art you could do well into your old age - methods that would work regardless of size and power.

If you understand Budo then you owe it to yourself to see what Gleason Sensei is teaching....absolutely the real deal.

Gleason Sensei is the head instructor at Shobu Aikido. He teaches beginner classes, advanced classes, 4 days-a-week in Somerville. He also leads Aikido seminars and black-belt only classes at dojo's around the world.

Visitors are always welcome to Shobu Aikido for any class.