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<blogEntry id="1279">
	<title><![CDATA[Ice Maiden]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[December 7, 2004, Ice Maiden

During class last night we did more morote dori techniques…kokyunage, iriminage, udekime nage.

Sensei used me as uke for the first technique which was just doing the opening tenkan for the techniques with morote dori.  When I grabbed his arm he looked at me and said, “Your hands are like ice.  What’s that saying?  Cold hands, warm heart?  Your hands are freezing.”  Smiling, I rubbed my hands on my hakama, then rubbed them together and blew on them to warm them up, drawing a chuckle from the aikidoka.  

After class two of the senior students helped me with my test preparation.  We treated the practice as if it were the test.  My uke and I lined up in seiza and I was called to the front of the dojo, by the uchi deshi who was “Sensei” and then my uke was called.  We bowed to O’Sensei, “Sensei” then each other.  

The techniques were called out in no particular order.  There were a couple of 5th and 3rd kyu techniques among the 4th kyu testing requirements that I am covering.  At the end of my “test” we did the bowing in reverse and then some fine tuning suggestions were made.  It went by quickly.  And I have to say I feel fairly good about my readiness.  I was also told that if for some reason I start doing the wrong technique, don’t stop, finish it.

One of the aikidoka who was supposed to be testing for 1st kyu asked Sensei if he could take his test next year.  He felt he wasn’t ready.  He returned to the dojo six months ago after being away for many years.  Sensei gave him a three month reprieve.
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	<date>12-07-2004</date>
</blogEntry>
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