AikiWeb: The Source for Aikido Information AikiWeb's principal purpose is to serve the Internet community as a repository and dissemination point for aikido information.
Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the
world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to
over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a
wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history,
humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.
If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced
features available, you will need to register first. Registration is
absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!
Yesterday was hot. It was ninety-four degrees at 6:30 p.m. while I was driving to class. Our philosophy regarding the climate is like that expressed by second doshu in The Spirit of Aikido -- we adapt our training to the climate, not the other way around. The upshot is that even though we have air conditioning, we seldom use it.
Heat, really heavy heat, affects me differently than what I normally feel when physically exerting myself in class. Normally, I'll get very hot and out of breath, but a short rest (as when we're watching our instructor demonstrate the next technique) is usually sufficient for me to recuperate. With the extreme heat, however, I get fatigued all out of proportion to the physical exertion I've done. I also quickly get a little nauseated.
My ego is soothed somewhat by the fact that everyone was affected one way or another by the heat last night. We dealt with it by taking small breaks (with our instructor's encouragement), drinking water, and working on techniques a bit more slowly. The whole tempo of class was slower last night, which is a good thing because I was having a hard time paying attention at times. I noticed a similar thing happening to one of the students when I was leading class this past Saturday. I took that as a cue to take a break and get some water. That seemed to do the trick.
07-09-2003 01:32 PM 