Ronin Shugyo
Every month we set aside a night for our visiting aikido buddies from other dojo(last Wednesday of the month). It helps us set aside a time in the dojo for a little less formal instruction and a bit more peer based learning through the uke-nage dynamic. For our regular dojo members its a night to play with the wider aikido community and for our regular visitors who we see maybe only once a month its an encouragement to help grow the dojo through a vibrant interaction, rather than jumping in half way through some minute of aiki that we are working on in the dojo.
Ronin, originally a term of derision is today something of a popularize term for wandering and sampling of the arts. Originally its meaning was a master less samurai, which might have meant one who deserted ones master, one who's clan was disbanded, or one of no social standing. Whatever - you are welcome at our dojo.
Shugyo is a Japanese term, variously meaning, ascetic training, sever training, seeking mastery or a deep mind-body training. Its seems to fit what are class is all about (or what we think its about) and occurs because of the confluence of senior aikido from various dojo coming together and freed from the shackles of teaching and syllabus for one night in the ope of interacting at a deeper level.