12-09-2011
03-20-2007
01-15-2007
Perfect posture
2> Blend completely with the Uke
3> Take balance
I found that I got it on one side of my body, but completely missed it on the other. Posture posture posture, sensei came over and kept me from moving at all by applying what seems like a couple of ounces of force to my hand during my turn because I was not based grounded and completely upright. It was amazing what was even cooler is that I normally fail these little figure out why this is happening, and fix it tests, but I got this one after three times. It was wonderful.
We worked after class Melissa and I, she is definitely getting Sankyo, and her Ukemi is getting better bit by bit, although I don’t think she sees it. She also seems to think that her ukemi should be getting better faster than it is. We are going to go Sundays after the first of the year and work on her ukemi and the techniques on her next test which she should have the days in rank to take well before the next test round.
It felt good working with her, and knowing that she is getting it, feeling that she can take my balance, and that the techniques are working their way into her body. It gives me more security in feeling that she can take care of herself if the situation calls for it. It also makes me feel good that she is going to be capable of being my training partner as we go cruising next time. I can see both of us as yudansha training on the beaches and in the dojos in other countries. This feels really good.
On another note I was speaking with a friend about life between classes, it was a deep conversation, one that he asked to have specifically to try and get some insight into an ongoing crisis that is central in his life. I tried my best to bring NVC and some patient wisdom into the conversation, well aware of my failing throughout the conversation, places that I should have listened more, talked less. And places that I should not have offered opinions and advice, instead having listened more and with more empathy. Apparently I didn’t fail completely, because at the end of the conversation he exclaimed that it was great to be able to talk with me this way, great to have someone to talk to, and thanked me for my guidance. I don’t think that I did that well, but at least I will probably get another chance to practice and do better. The part of the conversation that really shocked me in a way was that I was explaining to him that I used to have a really really bad temper, rage was a common emotion for me, and that I did not used to be the most easy person to get along with. He said that wasn’t true, and that there was no way that I had been like that….. He pointed out several incidents where I had been the opposite, and that I had been amazing patient, amazingly calm, and that I was always level headed…. It felt really good to hear this, although I know how far I still have to go, it felt really interesting to hear someone else’s viewpoint on how far I have come. It isn’t going to make my head gain a hat size for sure, but it still felt like a small win, kind of like a milepost on a very long path.
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I don’t need to hurry at all just keep turning to keep the uke where I want them, where I am at there back, they have to go in a wide circle to get around me. I just need to keep pivoting. 2> Dong grab the ukes hand, grab their arm and slide to their hand. 3> Third point focus on using the kote gaishi part of the technique to take uke’s balance. This means the wrist lock is secondary to the use of the wrist to control the ukes center. We worked on my doing it with my eyes closed. It was pretty cool! As Niki said; “You don’t need to see me, I am on the end of my arm!”
After class I spoke with Rick about taking my 3rd Kyu test this round. He said that he though I was close and could probably do it, and recommended that we work on it for two more weeks and see what we though then.
Sensei, Rick, and I stuck around after class for a while and talked. There were a lot of conversations, attitude, abilities, bell curves, division and style differences, and more that I can’t recall. It was really wonderful and I sucked up more knowledge about how the Aikido world works.
Another awesome class with lots and lots of learning going on for me. Some teaching with new people too. Perhaps teaching new people when I have so much to learn myself is my biggest challenge in aikido right now. I like to be an expert in the areas I teach in before I start teaching them. I feel a little out of my comfort zone teaching at the point my learning curve that I am at right now.
So much of my outlook on life has changed since starting Aikido, so much feels better, easier and more balanced. I can feel myself working on emotional issues which I cannot place into words yet. It has been a most excellent three days lately!
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11-10-2004
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Feeling with everyone, B> Feeling in Tai Jitsu also. However it involves getting out of my body and into the space, timing, and distance between Uke and I, and somehow paying attention to their body, and connection to me, (More than just their grip, or if they are really going for my center or not). While I know that it is supposed to be there, it feels a long way off. The glimpses of it that I get in weapons work with Noel are cool, and make me thirst for more of these moments, but they seem a long way away.
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a person, B>the head of the Aikido organization, and that C> we would be seeing and participating in a seminar with him. This did seem to be something that could be wonderful. So I printed out the forms, signed a check and sent it in. Seemed a bit spendy for two days, but then again someone has to pay for the convention hall, and all the logistics that go into making up a large seminar like this one.
I am looking forward to seeing a lot of people of different abilities from a lot of different dojo’s. Seems like I should be able to learn something in an intensive two day course.
This Japanese stuff is confusing. I hope that I don’t have too many of these strange, and potentially embarrassing mix ups in the future.
Total Expenses on Aikido so far: 170. Signing up at for lessons on Thursday, registration fees, uniform, monthly payment should more than double this. I thought that I would keep track of the easily tracked expenses here. Might be interesting for others….
A note about my journal. One of the things that I noticed is that there is a lot of information out here on www.aikiweb.com about the art, but little about what it feels like to practice the art. What the daily pitfalls, and joys of it are. There are a few entries here in the journal section that elude to it, but little that talks of them directly. So I thought that I would do my best to share what I do, what I go through, and my viewpoint with others. I am hoping that this might help me to learn faster, as I go through the process of recording me learning, those that go behind me to see the path a bit more clearer, and those that are ahead of me to remember what it was like for the beginner.
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