Anyone else feel this way sometimes?

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[Dennis Hooker]

Ain't it nice to occasionally get the glitter back. To add fuel to the spark. Am I just a crazy old man (wait, don't answerer that part) or do other sometimes feel this way? When each of the forms of budo I have pursued over the last four decades was new to me they had sparkle and shine. Oh I remember the first time stepping into the Aikido school in the mid 1960's and the walls were white and the floor was white and the uniforms were white and man the art was something new. It surly did add sparkle to a very jaded man's life. Over the years the luster becomes more subdued with added thumping and grinding getting stuck and stitched. Oh hell, it sure is grand to step onto the mat and feel that newness again. It's like getting out of my old pickup truck I will never sell and into a new car. It feels great. Well we had Ellis Amdur at the dojo over the weekend and got to see some new stuff. Some real old battle field orientated kenjutsu work as opposed to the dueling style kenjutsu and iaijutsu I know. My Sunday shined because of it, not to mention the old dog ain't to bad of a fellow either. It was just a grand weekend.

[Larry Feldman]

I liked most of what he has written, sounds like he can walk the walk as well.

[JJF]

I guess it's a bit like falling in love. Something new and exciting, and very appealing at first. In the long run however, I prefer the nice feeling of stability and confidence of a relationship growing stronger as time goes by. (This goes for aikido as well as in my marriage :)). I have been in a couple of dojo's since 1985 where I first took up Karate, but I have never felt more 'at home' and welcome than in my current aikido-dojo.

[ian]

Well put Jorgen! Never thought of it like that - I've found that you feel like your plodding the same old path for years, and then suddenly something in you is brought out and you realise that all that plodding leads to a point where you are ready to gain a new understanding.

[Jeff Tibbetts]

Jorgen, I agree completely. My wife and I were just talking about this the other night, actually. There is, after a time, a new type of love that is hard to quantify and explain, but is much more powerful and subtle than what we felt nine years ago. This came in response to one of those "why do you love me?" tests that she gave me. Good job on relating that feeling to the mat, though. Excellenct analogy.

As far as the actual question, though. I haven't been at this long enough to have that subtle and deep love, even if I can see that's where I'm headed with Aikido. I'm still in the honey-moon phase of intense passion and interest. Thanks for the topic, though; it's good to think about these things once in a while

[Bryan Webb]

Hooker Sensei,

I think that it goes back to the ichi-go ichi-ye mindset. Finding a catalyst to jumpstart the ichi-go ichi-ye attitude, whether its a seminar, looking into my wifes eyes, being alone in the woods, or grabbing hold of the jumper cables. I recently met a fighter pilot who explained that feeling every time he went up.

I attended a seminar some time ago where this ichi-ye ichi-go mindset was explained, by some crazy person who teaches Aikido in Orlando. I forgot to thank him then... Thanks

[Alfonso]

:)

at a totally different level Hooker Sensei, I got to share some of your feeling last night...

you see, I just lucked out; Rick sensei brought some of that weekend's lessons to play with (all the way to CA)!

Better yet, I went to class having read your post, wondering if I'd be lucky enough to catch some spillover from your shiny sunday (all I knew was that Rick had gone to FLA over the weekend and would be hanging out with you) , and lo and behold I get to spend the next couple of hours doing not only new (everything's new to me) but exciting stuff as well.

In Chile we have a saying

"a quien buen arbol se arrima , buena sombra le llega"

[Don_Modesto]

Well we had Ellis Amdur at the dojo over the weekend and got to see some new stuff....My Sunday shined because of it, not to mention the old dog ain't to bad of a fellow either. It was just a grand weekend.
No argument here. The weekend did shine. I liked the way he lived some of his essays' concerns (http://www.ellisamdur.com/OldSchool.htm) by breaking the usual aikido training paradigm and inviting people to warn partners of injuries, get water as needed, defend themselves against tricky techniques (mine being one he chose to defend against--AIKI AGE for those familiar with it.)

Also, reading his essays, one might take him for a little prickly. In person he's very warm and responsive and he regaled us with stories of training in Japan and of the sundry expats of his acquaintance there.

Excellent. Very glad I made it. Thank you, Dennis, for hosting him.