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The following entry is a piece I created after our grading in October, 2010, thought I'd bring this up to date before our grading this coming Saturday!
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Currently I'm pondering how to emotionally tenkan a conflict around. I've found that it's much easier to find my center in the whirlwind of life if I can keep in mind what I learn in class as a life metaphor, and there are alot of them. It's a cross between dancing, wrestling and a passionate embrace for me. It sharpens focus, it reveales the barest of intentions. All conflict can be resolved, I'm learning, and hurting others is only one way, not the only way, to do so. Also, because it's impossible to advocate peace without knowing the depth of violence, it's becoming a way for me to express and redirect this blazing fire I have inside of me in a healthy, beautiful way.
I'm slowly building up a video library of great clips of specific techniques, let me know if you'd like input.
People inspiring me heaps right now on Youtube are:
Paul Sinkinson is amazing! He's our dojo-cho, it's aikikai but also independant. And so are JC and Ray, they're our other main senseis. I am so blessed to belong to my dojo at the beautiful Terry Hills, the relationships there are worth their weight in gold many times over. I have such a deep respect for the honesty and integrity (and patience!) everyone shows every day there, and there is no issue with politics but a warmth I've rarely found elsewhere.
In the news, Rosso Sensei came over from his dojo in Auckland at the end of this October (2010)! We had a really great day training, then capped it off with a couple hours of grading. Something like that really does a number on your headspace, you start figuring out who you really are, what you really value and where you need focus on. Yours truly passed with the others to become Rokkyu (6th level before black belt), and JC [not in photo] and Ray [front and center, checked shirt] got Sandan (3rd degree black belt)! So now it's like I'm allowed to tie my own shoes. Maybe belt by fifth?
Everyone was incredible, in both the lead-up and the day, and Scott [backround on the right] is like a hero to me, showed incredible strength of character when grading through considerable pain. Kudos also to Michael for being like a mentor to me, he's the Smiling Assassin, second from the left in the photo below.