training at home

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[mdsmith1979]

hi. i was wondering what kind of exercises/training you guys do at home without the use of an uke

[Larry Cuvin]

I do regular stretching exercises, Ki and aiki taiso, meditation, ki breathing, Jo and Bokken katas and last but not the least, "shadow box" learned techniques. Awhile back, I was also doing forward and backward ukemi on the carpet but since I still have some corners on my roll, it gets too taxing on my aging body. So...there's a lot you can do. The thing you want to watch out for is the proper execution of any technique. A technique done once right is a lot better that a wrong technique done a hundred times. Good luck on your training.

Plus Ki

[me32dc]

What sort of Aikido do you study?

[Eric Webber]

Rowing while vaccumming the carpet, ki grip when open the refridgerator, ki grip while opening a beer, kokyo-ho while drinking said beverage.

[mdsmith1979]

LOL,Nice Eric. I study Aikikai> I've been out for about 6 months and should be starting back in late November, but wanted to get a "jump start". Thank you for all of the advise.

[SeiserL]

Cardio (run & skip rope) and footwork (Tenkan).

[DonMagee]

pushups, situps, running, position drills my wife (not really aikido, more bjj stuff). Work the heavy bag, go for walks, etc.

[Aristeia]

weapons. Bokken cuts for focus, jo waza for foot movements, both for bringing your centre down.

[Mark Uttech]

Practicing mindfulness makes everything aikido.

In gassho,
Mark

[Carol Shifflett]

hi. i was wondering what kind of exercises/training you guys do at home without the use of an uke"Aikido Exercises for Teaching and Training" (ahem!) has sections on "Weapons, Tools, and Toys," "Practicing Alone," "Off the Mat, In Real Life," etc. Many of these ideas came from members of the Aikido-L (Mother of Aikiweb).

No real uke? How about Uke on a Hanger. Turning tenkan in the kitchen is fine -- but try it with a balloon, or with the Fluid Dynamic Jo. Sword exercises on the railroad tracks, jo practice with the rope-swing, etc. LOTS of possibilities! If you don't practice outside the dojo, you're not practicing! :-)

Cheers!
Carol Shifflett

[mdsmith1979]

Thanks to everyone for all of the ideas. Sounds like I have plenty to keep me busy

[grondahl]

ken and jo suburi +jo kata +occasional running/jogging, sit ups and other ab/core-exercises, push ups, stretching and of course: resting.

With regards to bukiwaza: better to do 10 focused and correct cuts then a 100 sloppy ones..

[markwalsh]

some other threads on this - search

But as Mark says -its all aikido if you're awake!

[fatebass21]

Practice your tenkans and do whatever stretches you do in class as a warmup. I find it easy to apply Aikido to everyday life outside of the dojo, just by taking my time in whatever I am doing.

[jeff.]

my routine at the moment goes something like this:

*5-10 minutes breathing / kototama
*20-25 minutes yoga (i do a pretty dynamic sort that includes lots of sun salutations)
*30-35 minutes aiki taiso and jo & bokken kata (for the latter i prefer a diamondwood jo and a suburi bokken for weight... tho i am sans suburi bokken at the moment)
*5-10 minutes breathing-relaxing

in all of this i try to stay focused on the ki development stuff i've learned, as scanty as it is. not easy, but worth it, methinks!

fun!