Thomas Osborn
06-18-2010, 12:30 PM
6/18/10 w&f [W 1s, 13v, F 0s, 6v] I Some Fridays attendance seems to be a bit low. I was told that a lot of guys have other commitments on Fridays, lab work, assessments and such. As long as my plan is to work with whomever shows up, I don’t get bummed out by attendance. In other words, it is what it is, it ain’t neither good or bad.
Did some techniques requiring more movement and control of uke’s movement. I wanted them to realize how important it was to focus on their self, on moving with their hips and center and not being so locked into what they were trying to do to their partner. Did some chairkido and drew in a couple of vets who had physical issues but who were watching closely. I do like that look when someone realizes that just because they are physically handicapped doesn’t mean they totally vulnerable and defenseless.
I often talk about how Aikido principles can be applied to everyday situations. I gave the example of “getting off the line” using Aikido principles, but not actual technique. I asked if they had had situations where Aikido principles could have helped them arrive at a better resolution. This led to some interesting discussions. Guys were a bit surprised at how differently aggression/stressful situations could be dealt with. And how much better win-win, peaceful resolutions leave them feeling, even if only in hypothetical situations.
I think this is something I will try occasionally.
(Original blog post may be found here (http://ptsd-veterans.blogspot.com/2010/06/getting-off-line.html).)