Introduction

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[Lance Hancock]

Hello, My name is Lance. I have been lurking here for awhile, I have just been to busy to post anything. I do however finally have something(s) I hope the forum will find interesting to talk/debate/not flame me for.

A little bit about my self: I started training in Aikido in '95 as well as Shorin-Jin Ryu Ninjitsu. I was only 13 at the time. Ironically this dojo set the standard for my idea of everyone I have been in since. I did pretty well, I guess.
Until my second year where I was diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder, my attendance was shook up, and I severely(sic) injured my back during randori as an uke.

I spent the next 3 years in and out of hospitals, but my desire to train never stopped. As much as my disorder would let me I poured my self into my training. At 18, I felt it had paid off enough for me to begin formal instruction once again.

I went to a community education Aikido course, which I soon found out was taught by the first shodan of my sensei.
I would not meet her for another year.
It was difficult going from a hard AAA style where atemi was often used, and osae-waza ment sore wrists for a few days to Seidokan where everything has been light and happy... disapointing at times.

I have stuck with it for 3 years, dealing with a very eccentric sensei, who doesn't seem to understand my disorder. I even went to summer camp (Hi Bronson! Enki and Sayu were fun!), and upon returning I was given one of the greatest conflicts of my life, my nikyu.

Didn't mean to make that sound like a sob story but as much as I love Aikido, it has put me through tremendous stress, and mental anguish. I feel alot of the time I should leave my dojo, but the people I workout with are some of my only friends (We only have 6-7 people in the school at best).

I just need to be more like I was when I was twelve: excited, energetic, and posseing danshin. I suppose.

Thanks for reading this.

[Greg Jennings]

Maybe you'd benefit from a little dojo hopping on the side. That way you could keep you friends at your current dojo, but experience other aikido.

The last time I was in SLC, I trained with a group based out of the University that were a lot fun. You might give them a try.

Both times I trained, we did something fun after class. They're good folks.

I understand that it's a shame I wasn't there for a Friday class.

Regards,

[Bronson]

Hey Lance,

Glad you liked the class at camp :) Hope it wasn't too confusing and the transition from sayu nage to enkei nage made sense :confused:

Sorry to hear about your dissapointments in training. While I'm all for keeping you in a Seidokan dojo ;) if it's something that is really going against what you're looking for I don't think it's out of line to look around. I think the dojo search on this site lists 8 dojo in a 25 mile radius of Salt Lake.

I've always felt that the instructor is more important than the art. I love aikido, but if I moved and found that I couldn't learn from any of the local aikido instructors I'd investigate other arts (or start my own class :D). Every teacher is not meant for every student and vice versa. There's nothing wrong with that, it's just a fact of life.

This may sound condescending but I really don't mean it that way. Have you sat down with your instructor and explained your disorder in detail? What it means, does, how it affects you...all the details. I know I have no real clue as to how bi-polar disorder affects people...maybe she doesn't either, educate her.

You mention that you'd like your training to be like it was when you were 12...I don't think it can because you're not 12 anymore. You've changed, your training should change. That's not to say it can't be energetic, dynamic and what not, just not in the same way.

If you want to train in an energetic manner do so. It's your training make it what you need it to be. Since you're a nikyu now (congrats :) ) is it possible that you could maybe start teaching one class a week? You could maybe inject some of that youthfull energy you want into your own class.

I realize I'm probably not helping much but feel free to contact me privately (you can do it with one of the little icons on the top left of any of my posts). If you'd like to address your problems to a slightly larger group of people in Seidokan you can subscribe to the Yahoo Group by sending an email to seidokan_aikido-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Let me know how things work out.

Best,

Bronson

[jeda]

I'm in Salt Lake!

You're training with Veera Sensei, right? Morning class or evenings at East? I think someone from our dojo takes the morning class at the U, but I'm not for sure about that...

PM or e-mail me sometime.