how to train solo

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[tobiasfelipe]

Hey people, a newbie question: aside ukemis, how you train solo?

Thanks in advance.

[Shany]

You can practice Jo/Bokken (Which will give you better coordination when it comes to practice with your partner and will also teach you how to perform various techniques more accurately)

[SeiserL]

IMHO, initially, tenkan, tenkan, tenkan.
Get the footwork down.
Pay attention to alignment and form.

[Mark Uttech]

When Bill Witt shihan first went to Japan, Morihiro Saito taught him the 7 bokken suburi. Bill Witt shihan then practiced them for 2 1/2 years and when he returned to Japan, he was more than ready for partner practice. It's a wonderful teaching story.

In gassho,

Mark

[Amir Krause]

Ask your sensei, different styes have different solutions.

Amir

[Stefan Stenudd]

Apart from the basics mentioned above, I would recommend also to make belly breathing and moving from your center part of your everyday life.
Musashi said about steps in the martial arts that they should be the same as in regular walking. Thereby, you practice your art all day, instead of just when you're in the dojo.
Try to adjust your normal behavior so that it encompasses as much as possible of what you try to refine in keiko, and maybe also try to modify keiko so that it approaches how you move and act in daily life :)

[Dathan Camacho]

A couple of thoughts -

1) shadow practice techniques you've learned, i.e. imagine a training partner making an attack in your mind's eye and then respond to the attack as you've learned in class. start by moving as slow as possible, focusing on every nuance of your biomechanics
2) purchase videos, or the Aikido 3D software, to supplement your shadow practice
3) visit a dojo as often as possible, explain your solo practice and invite critique to fix any bad habits you've picked up on your own
4) there are footwork drills in shodokan aikido that are great for solo practice. get a video of them or get someone to show you these drills
5) yoga - get some yoga videos and begin training on your own. the body mastery you learn in yoga is extremely beneficial in aikido
6) practice mindfullness, meditation, and breath control in everything

[Jon Shickel]

I read someplace about someone developing an Aikido solo kata. But I never heard any more about it.

[Takahama]

I read someplace about someone developing an Aikido solo kata. But I never heard any more about it.

There is a book and video by Paul C. N. Lee entitled (exact spelling):

The Kiuten-irimi-tenkan-jutsu of Aikido
(Elements of Chinese Kungfu in Aikido)

In it there are solo irimi-tenkan movements presented in a slow Tai Chi-style style. It might be similar to what you describe. However, I've never seen this material on general sale anywhere. I was fortunate to pick up my copies when Lee sensei was a guest at our dojo several years ago.

[James Edwards]

There's another book that discusses chinese martial arts like tai chi and kung fu and their relationships to aikido. They have taichi practitioners practicing their forms of tenkan and irimi nage and kung fu practitioners taking ukemi.

Back to the main question, I would say iaido (batto-ho), weapons training (suburi and katas), zazen, practicing irimi and tenkan, breathing exercises, stretching. Perhaps other martial arts as well to understand how your body moves or the characteristics of an attack though this may be a little bit controversial to some. You should always incorporate training to your daily lives anyway. At least always being aware of your body and your breath.

[Jon Shickel]

There is a book and video by Paul C. N. Lee entitled (exact spelling):

The Kiuten-irimi-tenkan-jutsu of Aikido
(Elements of Chinese Kungfu in Aikido)

In it there are solo irimi-tenkan movements presented in a slow Tai Chi-style style. It might be similar to what you describe. However, I've never seen this material on general sale anywhere. I was fortunate to pick up my copies when Lee sensei was a guest at our dojo several years ago.

I don't remember it having a Chinese flavor to it, but I may pick it up anyway if I can find it. Do you recommend it?

[Jon Shickel]

Ki Aikido has a number of Solo Exercises ( Hitori Waza ) that focus on specific movements that are part of techniques. I think some others work on more general principles of balance, agility, footwork or are maybe parts of techniques I haven't seen yet. Some include: Udeawashi waza, Udefuri waza, Sayu waza, Tenkan waza, Funakogi waza, Ushirotori Waza. I don't have experience with other styles, but would guess most Aikdo styles have these exercises to varying degrees.

One thing our Sensei focuses on lately is practicing keeping balance at all times, not just when we are in the dojo. Taking a second here and there throughout the day to see how well we have weight forward over the balls of the foot and are able to move in any direction without having to transfer weight forward/upward first.

[Takahama]

I don't remember it having a Chinese flavor to it, but I may pick it up anyway if I can find it. Do you recommend it?

The book is in Japanese. It contains material that was in the seminars he was teaching at the time. The accompanying video would therefore be essential I think.

[Nathan Wallace]

Live Aikido. Also you could practice rolling, falling, walking, striking, sword and jo(and any other weapon at your disposal), and visualizing.

[Takahama]

There is a book and video by Paul C. N. Lee entitled (exact spelling):

The Kiuten-irimi-tenkan-jutsu of Aikido
(Elements of Chinese Kungfu in Aikido)

In it there are solo irimi-tenkan movements presented in a slow Tai Chi-style style. It might be similar to what you describe. However, I've never seen this material on general sale anywhere. I was fortunate to pick up my copies when Lee sensei was a guest at our dojo several years ago.

Here is a youtube clip describing the above:

http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=pEUeP7hx8fs&feature=related