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So, since my last entry, I had officially tested in my own dojo and invited many friends to come and watch. I had never really needed to "show-off" Aikido.
To respond to the comments, thanks for the acknowledgements, I've since gained a commanding presence with confidence in what it is I know. I'm now responsible for what I know in Aikido and I'm loving it, because it just feels good to know, especially that people trust me to know what I know. Also the first experience was not videotaped, by the time someone realized we should be videotaping, it was already over.. oh well.
That was more nerve racking than the my experience with the senior examiner and many yudansha I've only met for the first time. Anyway, the space I'm in was much smaller and this time was videotaped, yet to be put digitally.
I do have my black belt officially now. I don't see it as anything but a decorative article of clothing to still hold my gi together. It's simple now, 2 colors instead of 3. From this point on, is just replacing pieces of my dogi and/or hakama. Only thing that really has changed is that I'm being referred to as Sensei now, instead of Sempai, which I'm still getting used to. I'm so informal with the students, I don't mind if they call me by my first name.
Right now, as part of my training, and a key point to achieving Nidan(in Ki Aikido, Nidan is representative to someone dedicated to teaching students, and Sandan is a rank dedicated for teaching "teachers"), is to help guide the 2 next senior students to achieve their Shodan ranks, and helping others gain the ranks.
Being in the midwest, being a yudansha is uncommon. It's not like many dojos in the west coast, where there's a surplus of shodan thru sandan. So many people coming to me for reference constantly is a new experience, and so I'm talking a lot more, and more than that, taking charge of what it is I know, always ready for corrections and improvements from my sensei.
I'm now implementing the Ki principles of my training more actively in my dance instruction, because it makes it easier. Plus it keeps my training present in my life. I'd love to continue sharing what I know, but at this point I feel like I'm going to repeat myself.
11-06-2008 04:21 PM 
