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<blogEntries>
<blogEntry id="3194">
	<title><![CDATA[It took a year, but it was worth it!]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Not long ago, about 1 year from today,
I entered the dojo, asking around for the name of the teacher that I talked to the day before.
I introduced my self, we talked, shook hands and walked on the Tatami for my first try in Aikido.

Since, a year has passed, which included/concluded with: Seminars, friends, new places, tests and ranks, pain and laughter.

I've trained my heart out, 3 days a week (Wish it could be more!), injuries came and went, I kept on fighting on, more techniques added to my brain list, more insights formed, my technique formed and reshaped thousand on times.

New techniques evolved and tried, some has failed some worked, oh boy Aikido is fun.

#151 is roughly the number of Aikido classed I took until today including seminars/different dojo practice (same teachers).

I've been participated in a few tests, 1 which I got my Kyu 5, and the last one, which was yesterday, earned me Kyu 4.

I now need to teach my self, the new ones, and help my teacher.
I became an Instructor, wearing Hakama.

It was a long journey, and I deserve it.
may it continue forever.

:ai: :ki: :do:]]></body>
	<date>04-29-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3129">
	<title><![CDATA[Congratz to me :)]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Almost a year passed since I began with Aikido,
I love it, everything about it, the people, the philosophy, the techniques, the quite, the love, just everything.

I remember my first few days when i was a beginner, i was in a test, (where the teacher would give kyus' to his students) , I was new and could do nothing but falling and taking the hits (I was paired with an advanced student - now a shodan and a teacher) and i still remember this day to date.

today the wheels has turned, it was a regular day, we trained, few news guys started and i and the other advanced students had to help them. after the session ended, the teacher called up students to pair up and be ready, (i didn't thought it was a test!) so i selected the new guy.

test began, names of techniques came up the air - the new guy new zip about them, and i had to tell him and show him how to attack, but the blending was not there, it was static - what can i expect ? when u don't know dynamic aikido u enjoy the static aikido which is hard and stiff and also can be more difficult!

my partner doesn't know how to fall, let alone the techniques or how to begin an attack - i knew my sensei was looking, i knew he knew its not what he expected from me to do but hey, the wheels has turned since I first started - i saw my self in my partner - hopefully it will be the same for him.

so, almost a year since i started, i received a Kyu level 5,
one more to go, and i'll be an instructor and wear hakama.

I'm excited, i guess you're too.
journey only begins with a step.]]></body>
	<date>01-10-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3065">
	<title><![CDATA[My First Aikido Test]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[This was a long day,

I just woke up, after 5 hours of sleep, body aches, and tired.

That was a long day, with 3 hours of Aikido seminar and 10-15minutes test. The seminar was great, actually I didn't even noticed the time and hop! it was finished. A lot of people came, from different places of the country, and I managed to speak to some of them and know them (Including teachers of other dojos).
The training was fun, we practiced basics and some relatively more advanced techniques, no wonder my body aches, a lot of falling, ad what not.

The seminar was done, and Test is not to begin, that was he first test I participate in :) .
My sensei, and 2 other teachers sat in front of us, and told us to select a partner. My partner didn't know most of the techniques and I had to tell him what to do, (or sometimes I've watched somebody doing a techniques which I didn't remember and done it).

The test began in swari-waza (Where 5minutes ago I stumbled upon my toe!!! and now swari-waza :grr: hehehe), my sensei called upon names of techniques, such: swari-waza sho-men-uchi ikkyo/nikkyo/shi-ho nage / irimi-na nage..etc, and basically the same in tachi-waza just a bit more extended with more techniques.
I took my personal (inner) test, whatever the senseis saw it or not, its not relevant, I began to practice Aikido around 5-6months ago, so no rank for me this day. As long as I know that I did my best, next time will come much easier.

2 Aikidokas have received Sho-Dan rank, one a 4th kyu, and some kid 7th kyu, I kinda fell a bit drowsy since no one called upon my name, I guess it's just a human nature to want something after a long work, but in the end I kept thinking that I'm doing it for my self and not for any rank, and that thoughts were long gone.

It was a long day, but in the end I'm happy For doing and participating in this seminar.
Next seminar, next month! let's get down to business!!]]></body>
	<date>09-01-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3064">
	<title><![CDATA[Today's Class, so much fun!!!]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Awesome!!!!! that's what I can say!!!!

This was a long weekend, and a long training today.
Let me begin that I trained Aikido for 3 days straight (total 4 times a week) last week, and that was just toot cool, I mean, you can always enter and find your self just learning all the time.
A lot of corrections, allot of new and old techniques, using weapons and putting it all together! just fantastic!!
I won't mention last week, because that was just a ot of training! hehe, but I'll note that we did a lot of Jo practicing.

Today's lesson was all about groups, groups and more groups, by groups I mean, randori alike simulations, both in [I]tai-jutsu[/I] (hands) and [I]bokken [/I](wooden sword).

First we began with a workout, around 10-15minutes to get our muscles stretched and warm, than we began doing some basic movements and a basic technique:[I] Ki No Nagare[/I],
at first I trained with someone, who was a bit toll, so it was not much useful in the beginning to try and blend to his movements, but later on I got to make it pretty cool when I trained with one of the instructors, and the movement was better. 

Once that was done, my Sensei called up 3 people for demonstration, and showed us about flow and movement when multiple attackers attacks (usually with [I]sho-men-uchi[/I], so we could practice the [I]ki no nagare[/I] technique, and of course other techniques we could remember & execute on such small period of time.

I felt so alive when I handled 3 persons, my heart was beating so fast when I finished... so cool. of course when we did the training, it was fast speed, it was decent speed where one would wait a bit for my [I]uke [/I]to fall..etc.
I executed [I]ki no nagare[/I], [I]shio-nage[/I], [I]sankyu grip[/I], [I]irimi-nage[/I] and basically it all looped, since I couldn't think other stuff at that time besides those.

I remember last time (when I first started) I had such, it was with 1 person (instructor) and I could barely do anything, if at all! nice improvement!!!

On we continues, this time with the bokken, [I]sho-men-uchi[/I] with the bokken, and than 3 techniques, since there were 3 attackers!

1 attacks me from the front, and the two of them attacks me from both sides! the first with [I]sho-men-uchi[/I], I trurn, makes an [I]Atemi[/I], grab the [I]tsuka[/I] (sword's handle) in the middle, and bend it and push the handle up 90 degrees, the attacker's hands breaks (body get cut in the processes) and I now have the sword, I block with attacker from the right, (slice his hands when our bokkens meet) and turn 180 degrees and slice the [I]hara[/I] (stomech) of the left attacker's before he can strike me.

We practiced more stuff, some asked questions, and basically it was such cool session today.
After class ended, I decided to attack one of the instructors hehehe (soon to get [I]sho-dan[/I]), I always attack him, since his a buddy of mine now, and I decided with other friend to do 2 on 1 fight (same as we did in class), we kicked some ass, (of course it always comes down that I pin him to the ground with some weird kind of freestyle attacks hehehehe), but that's just fun off-mat time!
next the 2 guys attacked me, I handled slowly with some techniques, and we attacked the 3rd guy too.

when that was off, me and the guy (not the instructor) went to practice on the Jo [I]Kata[/I] that we do all the time! total amount of off-mat practice was an hour.
total Aikido practice today: 2½ hours!!!

Long story short, this day's conclusions are that:

1. I can handle multiple attackers with more skill and better tool set (techniques) that my unconscious draws out.
2. I can still remember the Jo [I]Kata[/I] and keep improving it (over 15moves).
3. Off-mat time is such wonderful free style aikido that will sharpen your movements and skills if you just do it all the time after class.

Hope you enjoyed reading,
Shany.]]></body>
	<date>08-27-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3061">
	<title><![CDATA[Practice Day]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Hey all!
Another :ai: :ki: :do: practice day is over,

Oh boy, another great energizing exercise it was,
I was a little late, and i caught my Sensei still in the dressing room, dressing up. We discussed at bit about that I may go to Germany for some time, and off i went to class.

Today, Sensei's student (shodan) gave the lesson and my Sensei was practicing with us! Which means, if you practice with him, you need to be on full alert and keep up the practice (I guess he also stretches my limits & knowledge to re-fine them!).

After 10 minutes of warm up, we began by doing some basic techniques and than the entire was was a Jo Practice day.

I noticed today that my shomenuchi wasn't at it best since for some reason I kept thinking about my foot work instead of letting my unconscious do it for me, so it slowed me back for a while.

*Note, to whoever who wears glasses, be sure to tighten them up before beginning each technique because they sometimes tend to fall on the nose and u get a blurry image :dead: 

Than it came...
Sensei & me, doing the Komijo tsuki/shomenuchi (Sometimes I keep mixing up the names.. hehe, Time will fix that), we started practicing, and up the pace went, sometimes faster, sometimes slower, sometimes my teacher did other techniques, sometimes I tried to catch him off guard. sometimes he stopped me and corrected my Jo placement and hands.
overall, it was great and also tiring (speed/accuracy) session.

At the end of the practice, we've done some pairing massage for muscle stretching, which made me feel alive in the end!.

When class ended, I trained a Jo Kata with a friend (15moves, dunno the name...) and it goes like that:
tsuki -> guard -> tsuki -> gaurd -> shomenuchi -> shomenuchi (same hands, forgot the name) with 360 turn -> shomenuchi -> knee tsuki (from behind) -> turn 180 -> tsuki -> shomenuchi->shomenuchi -> gaten gaeshi -> gaten gaeshi -> knee tsuki.

:D fun fun fun

I asked some questions about the test next week, and it is overall, a 3 hour seminar with my teacher (his leaving to Germany for 5 years or so, so I guess I'll be seeing him back on important seminars during the years).
That is why he wanted to do a last seminar with test in the end!! yay! I need to come with a clear head and remember techniques and their names. Mabye I'll be up in Rank!? who knows.

October is near, and another seminar will take place, with Sensei Michael Levy Neumand (4th Dan). I can't wait for my second seminar with him, It was an amazing experience!.

overall, it was a great day! and i'm looking for even greater days.

P.S
One thing I sometimes forget, is to keep doing KI Breathing techniques as described in Koichi Tohei's book "KI in daily life". 
This indeed brings my Ki to good balance and helps practice more lightly with greater awareness.

Shany.]]></body>
	<date>08-20-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3058">
	<title><![CDATA[Today &amp; Yesterday's Aikido Class]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Oh boy what a great 2 days they were!

First I must say that I'm soar! every inch of my body is hurting hehehe, my legs soar from running (I began running lately to increase my heart indurence, and also to lose weight), and other muscles from AIkido :),

[B]Yesterday's Practice:[/B]
Yesterday we began training, like every practice, with a good 10min warm-up. Sometimes when the Sensei is either late, or has todo something else, he tells other Aikidoka to make the warm up.
usually we start with standing warm-up (hand,arms,upper body) and than follows a sitting warm-ups (legs. feet, toes and other lower body streches).

We first start with ikkyo undo and train basic moves and KI flow. main class was mainly about Jo practice.
towards the end we'v practice Komi-Jo 3... so much fun!
class ended, all went except me, the sensei, his close friend and 2 other.
me and another decided to practice the komi-jo 3 more.. and more.. untill we had it all going. we practiced parrarel to each other so we could see our selfs moving pretty much in the same pace. fun indeed!

One thing i must point, once the class is finished, the real fun begin, i have such a great rappor with the either aikidoka, which are now a good friends of mine. we practice freely, without any bounding. i ask alot of questions and put my friends (one is going to make a Dan test soon) in soo many different technique positions. hehe sometimes we test other stuff as well, (ju jutsu, ..etc)

the after practice, as i call it "Off Mat Practice" is just the best time !!!

[B]Today's summery:[/B]
today we didn't practiced with our Sensei, rather with his highest student, who's suppose to replace him when my Sensei is gone to germany for 5 years, leaving his student with his sensei's knowledge to pass on the new generation.

today was more about kokyo nage techniques. since there are alot of varieties for kokyo-nage techniques, we studied them the entire 1½ hours.
and again, this was another dojo, not my main one in my city so there are other students which I must blend my Ki with. I have been there several  times, so i know some of them. and some were new anyhow.

The Off Mat Practice again was just as great as yesterday, though a bit shorter. i practiced komi-jo 3 and komi-jo 1.

a great 2 non-stop days it were, (the first class for the week was at monday, and was great as well as these two.)

so, till monday, the next practice.
your more than welcome to write comments and questions!]]></body>
	<date>08-17-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3057">
	<title><![CDATA[My Introduction]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Hey all Aikidoka's,

My name is Shany, 24 from Israel.
I started Aikido 5 months ago, and I must say that it is fantastic, amazing, most energetic and what not!.
Since I started, I have been practicing 3 days a week, at least minimum twice a week to the least.
I enjoing every espect of :ai: :ki: :do: , from Ukemi, to using of Weapons, techniques and blending my Ki with the other aikidokas'.

My dojo is a branch of ISTA (International School of Traditional AIKIDO) who's founded in France and now has several dojos' around the world.
Learning traditional Aikido (which was founded by O-Sensei) is amazing! but I also love to learn more, therefore I use the Internet to check out other styles, so I can develope my self even more (such style are the KI-Aikido/Society which was founded by Koichi Tohei, also I love learning about the old masters and their path to their own Aikido personality).

I love every aspect of Aikido, when it comes to Techniques,  I keep trying to make them as clean as posibble as I can for my current development. When it comes to weapons, I love the boken, (Love for Katana!), though the Jo has more varieties and katas. generally its just pure fun, enjoyable and self developing art.

I'll keep learning Aikido whenever I can, I care not about the rank (currently Kyu-7 - beginner), but rather to make Aikido part of my life and use it in daily life as much as possible, (weather it is Self-Defense, Ki-Training, or spread the word about Aikido among the people I know).

So fellows Aikidokas', here I am, willing to learn from your knowledge, and read your writings.
:ai: :ki: :do:  is trully at heart to unite we all.]]></body>
	<date>08-17-2007</date>
</blogEntry>


</blogEntries>