075) The Foundations Are Never Basic: November 2010

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[Marc Abrams]

Posture, walking, extending ki, getting rid of unnecessary tensions,….  are critical aspects to the foundations of Aikido.  The beginning student sincerely wants to learn the foundational  material.  The intermediate student believes that they know the foundational material and want to learn some cool, advanced techniques.  The advanced student recognizes that they just have a cursory understanding of the basics and begin to really explore the depths of foundational material and suddenly discover that they can start doing some higher level stuff.
This month is going to focus intensely upon foundational material so that we can develop a deeper understanding of the critical underpinnings of effective Aikido.  I am typing with one hand (my right and I am a lefty) one day after my shoulder surgery.  This experience makes me focus deeper on the basics as my body heals over these next 8 – 12 weeks.  This focus will help me get rehabilitated quicker, teach safely, and improve my own Aikido abilities.  This focus will also help the advance students get ready for advanced classes in 2011, where deficits in the basics will become glaringly obvious quickly.
Marc Abrams Sensei


(Original blog post may be found here (http://aasbk.com/blog).)

[Janet Rosen]

Posture, walking, extending ki, getting rid of unnecessary tensions,…. are critical aspects to the foundations of Aikido. The beginning student sincerely wants to learn the foundational material. (Original blog post may be found here (http://aasbk.com/blog).)

Interesting timing...we have just started offering one class a week for older beginners or those w/ mobility concerns who will be slower learners of falls and rolls, etc...led by your's truly, and these( + intent and connection) exercises are exactly what I focus on w/ them.

Best of luck w/ your postop recovery and rehab!!!