AHHH! My first 'injury', and other concerns

[Please visit our sponsor:]

[actoman]

Hey all, call me nuts or something, but I am so pumped. First of all, I earned my Yellow Stripe this past week, or 6th KYU as most know it, and in the process hurt my foot! My first Aikido injury, and I love it even more!

Secondly, why is it I am afraid of being an agressive UKE? I tried to do a lapel grab from the front this past week, and found that I don't fully extend my attack? Anyone else have this problem? I am not a very violent person, but geez, I should at least have the balls to grab someone!

[John Boswell]

You're lack of agression probably stems from the fact that you know... you're about to have your butt slammed to the mat! :D LOL

Just remember: Commit to the attack. It actually helps the Nage that much better, its more realistic (of course) plus by giving a committed attack you'll be helping yourself by setting yourself up (along with the Nage) to be in proper position to TAKE the ukemi.

Make sense?

Stick with it! Everything comes along in due time. ;)

[actoman]

Yeah, thanks Josh I appreciate it. Any hints about relaxing into aggressive UKE positions?

[Robert Vaughn]

If i may add my 2cents just relax and try not

to anticipate the technique grab,breathe relax let nage perform the technique stay

connected and try to be fluid .

hope that helps

[akiy]

Hi Andy,

I think there's a pretty big difference in my mindset and bodyset between being "aggressive" and "intense" (as in "full of intent"). The former, to me, seems to attract more injuries than the latter. Also, it seems to me that the former also keeps one from being relaxed whereas the latter does contain the capacity of staying relaxed...

Do you try to be "aggressive" as nage? If not, why train in one way as nage then another as uke?

-- Jun

[Juho Karppinen]

You're lack of agression probably stems from the fact that you know... you're about to have your butt slammed to the mat! :D LOL
This reminds me of an incident which I recall so well it feels as if it had happened yesterday -- I suspect it has something to do with the fact that it DID happen yesterday...

At the end of our class our sensei talked about the importance of perseverance in aikido training, about how eventually we will progress from the 'stepped' or 'blocky' forms into smooth, flowing techniques, all that stuff. Then he decided to demonstrate his point with some technique variations. He also decided that I should be the one getting the punishment...

So there we are, in front of the rest of the class, and sensei asks me to throw a straight punch at his face. (Actually he asked for a men tsuki, which confused me a bit since, having trained aikido for less than two months, I hadn't a clue what that meant. :D) With full intent, without expecting the technique, I throw my fist at him, and a blurry second later I find myself on the mat wondering what had just happened. Whee!

Then another one. A blurry split-second later his hand is grasping my throat and pushing me to the ground. Another attempted-punch-in-the-face later I'm in some sort of an elbow lock, slapping my chest in submission...

For me it was quite an effective lesson on aikido's power. For the rest of the class seeing me fly around helplessly was probably better entertainment than anything seen on TV. ;)

[Nick Simpson]

Hehe, sounds like you've been doing some nifty goshin waza, I got almost the exact same thing done to me last night. I was very glad that the rest of the class enjoyed it so much :p