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<blogEntries>
<blogEntry id="3241">
	<title><![CDATA[Protecting your attacker]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[There's likely a handful of techniques that could be used to highlight the nonviolent philosophy of Aikido.  In my opinion, shihonage is one of the best examples.  Since Aikido is a derivative of the samurai tradition, it's really appropriate to talk about the use of the sword in shiho nage and how to use the attacker's sword to protect you *and* the attacker.

At the moment of the strike, entering in and grabbing the sword is where the transfer of control begins.  It's not a complete transfer, when you raise the sword you are still sharing it with the attacker.  It's at this point that the attack itself has become neutralized and you both are now in position to defend against any other attack that might present itself.  And so that's the physical aspect of protecting your attacker.  What else is there?

OK.  A coworker just came screaming into your office and needs to know why you just sent that "flea brained memo" to the entire department.  And right on queue, your boss comes in.  She thanks you for sending out the memo on her behalf but rubs it in your face that you missed the last two meetings with a long standing client.

So your boss is essentially attacking you but at the same time giving you a way to deal with your coworker.  You are now in the position to defend your boss.  Cool!  Your boss was angry with you but at the same time has presented you with an opportunity to protect her.  This will make it easier for you to defend yourself about missing the meetings (you do have a good reason, right?).  The ability to navigate through a situation like this requires simply observing the subtleties of interacting with people.  It's not an easy skill but is incredibly beneficial.]]></body>
	<date>06-20-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3234">
	<title><![CDATA[Mind in motion]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[There is a benefit to practicing Aikido from static positions.  For people just starting this serves as a way to simply learn how to use their body in ways they aren't yet comfortable with.  It also gives them the opportunity to work with other people accordingly.  This lets beginner's know what the limits are of other people and explore - and even push - their own limits.

The dynamic practice of Aikido is really where I learn most.  It seems that with dynamic attacks you don't get stuck as much.  You simply *have* to keep moving and doing something in order to "manage" an attack.  Having said that, it finally makes sense when Sensei says it doesn't matter if you get the technique.  In the heat of a transaction, if you intention is to control your attacker, you are basically giving them a way to control you.  When you blend with your attacker, you essentially remove the effectiveness of the attack.]]></body>
	<date>06-16-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3229">
	<title><![CDATA[You are not any good at this.  Yes, *you*]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[I don't really know if anyone has ever told you that you aren't any good straight to your face.  Well, I could have made the title of this post even more dramatic but the real purpose of the title of this post was to capture your physical response when you read the title.

Did you change your body posture?  Did you notice any kind of shift?  It's likely that if you felt any sense of threat, you probably moved to some degree.

You moved.

Your body communicated something very specific.  Freeze, fight, or flight seem to be the three options people think about in dramatic situations.  These three options essentially translate into your body language.  Through repetition we learn to react to situations with specific responses.  Your body simply becomes comfortable "saying" certain things, sometimes even despite what you think you're saying.

It would be valuable to sit and reflect on how you reacted to this and see how to apply this in the dojo. I don't really know you so please don't misunderstand the title of this post as something literal.  Enjoy your next class!]]></body>
	<date>06-13-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3218">
	<title><![CDATA[Negative energy -&gt; Positive result]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[I've got this wicked bad habit of trying to blog after enduring the increasingly mind numbing, ego eradicating, bone bending class, but hey, maybe that's just my way of enjoying what Sensei teaches.  Coherent sentences will begin in the next paragraph.

I liked Sensei's message tonite.  Emphasis was placed on absorbing versus deflecting an attack.  This really clicked with me on an intellectual level but I still don't know how to implement it.  I recall reading how O Sensei would emphasize becoming part of the attack and with tonite's lesson that makes even more sense.  

Sensei talked tonite about fear and courage and the roles they have.  I really appreciate when he gives practical aspects for applying Aikido.  He alluded to how the principles can be used outside the dojo in everyday life.  For example when your boss (uke) comes flying in to your workspace and screams at you (nage) for not putting the cover sheet on the TPS report (watch the movie Office Space for that reference), you can turn the situation around so that not only is your boss complimenting you, but possibly even promoting you!  I've literally seen that happen.  I watched a coworker go from getting fired to being promoted to department head.  Was he an Aikido student? Nope.  Did he exemplify the most amazing Aikido skill in the world?  Yep.  He accepted the idea of getting fired and was still able to elaborate on why he was such an asset to the company.  There is never a shortage of things to learn!]]></body>
	<date>06-04-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3215">
	<title><![CDATA[I am Christopher Columbus]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Tonites class was amazing.  I found out how injured my shoulder is and also learned how to injure my ankle.  Both on the left side, so maybe I also now have experience in protecting my right side.  I have yet to figure out why that matters, but anyway...

At the end of class Sensei said tonites class was one of discovery - how to discover your Aikido and discover your technique.  He explained this by saying with each person the attack is different, stressing dynamic attacks but at the same time implying you have to relearn with every new partner.  You have to discover.

Somehow when he described tonite's lesson as a discovery, my mind went back to 1492, back when Christopher Columbus sailed his "pinata" (I know, that wasn't the real name but I bet it was built like one).  This was back when if your ukemi wasn't tight enough, Columbus Sensei would throw you off the boat so that the sharks could "discover" how many ways to devour you!

Wow - did I just rant without making a single bit of sense?  Well, apologies.  Tonite's discoveries will no doubt leave a mental mark.  Awesome class!!]]></body>
	<date>05-27-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3203">
	<title><![CDATA[FAIL!!]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Class last night was incredible.  A handful of people got hit with swords, one person on multiple occasions (that was me).  At the end of class sensei made the point that it is important to fail.  I think that statement is often undervalued.  He underlined that point by saying there is value in not focusing only on getting things right.  It seems like what he was trying to convey is how much can be learned by not letting yourself stop when you get something wrong.  When you move the wrong way, keep going.  Commitment to the path will eventually show you the right way.

Do the technique wrong.  Get up and do it again.  Do the technique right.  Get up and do it again.

It's difficult to let go of the desire to be right.  Children could teach us a lot in that regard.  Fearlessly, children do things not yet knowing what is right, but rather out of curiousity to find out what is right.  They are "beginner humans" and effortlessly maintain the beginner's mind that is so often coveted.  Last night's class is over but the learning hasn't stopped yet.]]></body>
	<date>05-06-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3199">
	<title><![CDATA[Aikido does *not* work (neither does kung fu)]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[With the title of this post, it would seem there isn't much else to say.  But there seems to be a constant debate in the forums about this so apparently there really is quite a bit to discuss.

Let's start with a good question and this is a question you should ask anyone that might attack you:

Do you know Aikido (or Kung Fu)?

If your attacker responds that they do in fact know Aikido and Kung Fu, then you are good to go.  Aikido will definitely work in these scenarios because your attacker is obviously trained in the correct way to attack you according to these styles, providing you with the ability to react to that specific attack.

If your attacker does not know Aikido or Kung fu but they are very skilled in Cardio Kick Boxing, then allow them to attack you.  When they are through, enroll in a Cardio Kick Boxing class at your local fitness center.]]></body>
	<date>05-01-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3193">
	<title><![CDATA[When attacking sensei...]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Sensei asks everyone to sit down but you.  Now you have been volunteered to attack sensei.  Humbled by his request, you offer what you think is your best attack while at the same time realizing if you aren't conservative enough in your attack, sensei will put five feet of air between you and the ground.  Obligated to respond quickly, you muster up an attack to which sensei offers nothing more than the facial response of "Are you kidding???"  He doesn't have to ask you twice before you realize he really needs you to try again - with more energy.  He even does you the favor of taking a few more steps back - subtly telling you precisely how much energy is required this time.  As you begin your attack, sensei quickly educates you on what around 25 years of training feels like.  Planet Earth suddenly feels miles a way and within seconds you suddenly feel like you are part of the Earth's core.  This concludes my summary of what it feels like when attacking sensei.]]></body>
	<date>04-26-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3189">
	<title><![CDATA[Fishing for fists]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[I was finally able to connect the dots yesterday in class.  I showed the class ushiro ryotedori kokyu nage and it really made sense what sensei says in regards to kamae.  You have to offer uke something to attack in order for the technique to work.  I would actually futher that by saying you have to make it easy for uke to attack you.

In the case of ushiro kokyu nage, if nage just stands and waits for uke to grab both wrists from behind, then uke will likely have the advantage of being able to pull nage down from behind.  If nage does tenkan while uke is still attacking, this lets uke grab the other wrist faster and puts nage in a better position to complete the technique.

The key:  everyone must be moving]]></body>
	<date>04-20-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3181">
	<title><![CDATA[Competing for points vs competing for life]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[I had an interesting discussion the other day about different styles and how aikido, specifically my level of aikido, compare with each other.  At some point in the conversation it was brought to my attention that it doesn't matter what the style is.  What is important is the level of commitment the individual has.  The difference in commitment is readily noticed between practicing martial arts for competition versus practicing for self-defense (self mastery, self improvement, self realization, etc).

There is a definite amount of respect I have for those people who commit to training their mind and bodies to the point of being able to compete.  Not being extremely competitive myself, I can only imagine that there is a certain amount of precision involved in competitive training, i.e., knowing the rules about where you are allowed to strike, knowing which strike zones are worth more points, etc.
There is a definite amount of respect I have for those people who commit to training their mind and bodies to handle being attacked on the street by multiple assailants.  Someone who sets out to attack you has definitely committed themselves to your demise and your ability to handle that will be demonstrated by which person is able to walk away from that situation voluntarily.

So maybe it's worthwhile to find some similarities between these two scenarios.  Doing this might help find out what the real differences are.

Similarities:
l.  They both invoke an enormous amount of adrenalin
2. They both carry a level of emotional intensity
3. There is something at stake in both situations

Now for the differences, I'll take those similarities and get much more specific

1.  Competition produces adrenalin but it's likely used by your body in a completely different way then if a sharp knife were to find itself inches away from your stomach.
2.  I've never had my life threatened but I would guess that surviving that kind of incident would produce very different emotions than being part of an awards ceremony.
3.  In a competition, your pride is at stake.  When you are accosted, your life might be at stake.  Dramatic difference.

Again, this post isn't to say what's right or wrong, who's better or not.  It's just an attempt to examine the difference.]]></body>
	<date>04-06-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3149">
	<title><![CDATA[Onegai shimasu]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[It should be acceptable to bow and offer gratitude to your attacker.  They are providing you with an opportunity to improve yourself.]]></body>
	<date>03-01-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3136">
	<title><![CDATA[Mental Misogi]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[I've been watching videos of my sensei doing Misogi.  We did Misogi no Jo last Friday in class.  So naturally I've had Misogi on the brains lately.  This has lead me to think that maybe my mind is really where Misogi needs to stay for a while!

You might be thinking that I'm speaking metaphorically about Misogi, but on the contrary, the mind can benefit from Misogi.  For me, being able to clear out all the obstacles in my mind, like work, [URL="http://www.aikiweb.com/blogs/shinkikan-11627/fear-3128/"]fear[/URL], daily distractions, is what mental Misogi means to me.

In the meditation that I have studied, it's often encouraged to simply let  thoughts simply happen without any intention of repressing the thoughts.  It's almost as if to say "Sensei is chasing me around the dojo and aims to strike me with a sword - OK" Notice the lack of the period.  It was replaced with OK.  A period would have signified an attempt to stop that thought.  So instead, the period is replaced with OK and the next thought comes and goes in the same manner.  Practiced like this, Misogi becomes a way of letting go of the clutter and riding the "train of thought" versus controlling it

OK]]></body>
	<date>01-28-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3121">
	<title><![CDATA[In 30 years I'll know this much about Aikido]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[nothing at all]]></body>
	<date>01-05-2008</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3118">
	<title><![CDATA[Character]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[It's awesome to have an instructor that inspires your thought process.  At the end of class Sensei gave a short discussion about values and building character, with a focus on the value of honesty.

On the way home from training I thought to myself it takes just as much knowledge to be a thief as it does to get what you want honestly.]]></body>
	<date>12-28-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3077">
	<title><![CDATA[Unintended lessons]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[One of my earliest memories of training at Shinkikan was seeing how Sensei never seemed to keep the back of his feet on the ground.  At least most of the time that I saw, he always had his heels elevated when he was in kamae.  Seems that doing this also keeps your alertness elevated.  Maybe this represents a crossroad of physical and mental posture...]]></body>
	<date>09-27-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3055">
	<title><![CDATA[What hit me?]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Sensei did!  I started back at the dojo a few days ago after about a two month break to let my wrist heal at least a little bit.  Last night was the first night back that I got to train with Sensei.  One of the techniques we did was tsuki kotegaeshi with a tanto.  When he attacked me, it was comparable to a large cargo truck running over a bug!  It was AWESOME!!!  I hope to train with the intensity and energy level that he trains with some day.

In addition to getting knocked on my arse and enjoying it, I did manage to learn something while training with him.  I noticed when he attacked me it seemed like I was trying to push the attack away rather than bring it into my center.  I'm going to focus on that so that I can make my techniques tighter.]]></body>
	<date>08-16-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3048">
	<title><![CDATA[Good advice]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[It's good when your teacher gives you really good advice about how to train.  I am constantly reminding myself about a particular piece of advice my Sensei often gives about the importance of a committed attack.

For the past month and a half I've been applying that advice to the sole purpose of healing my wrist.  Simply nothing else matters other than letting my wrist get better.  

A good teacher gives advice that can be used in more than one way.  Domo arigato Sensei!

[URL="http://www.shinkikan.com"]www.shinkikan.com[/URL]]]></body>
	<date>08-02-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3032">
	<title><![CDATA[Attack!!]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Attack your opponent
Attack them so that they feel injured even before contact
Leave no doubt that they will be hit

Sincerity of attack is important in the learning process.  It offers lessons equally important for nage and uke.  With a sincere attack, nage learns the value of moving their entire body.  Techniques can't be forced, and so just using your arms is very self-defeating.  Someone will be stronger than you.

Uke also learns by giving a sincere attack.  This might dive a bit more into the yin/yang of everything, however.  Nage's lesson was very physical in nature, learning how to move the entire body, becoming part of the attack instead of resisting it, blending in the same direction, not relying on physical strength but rather the momentum of the attack.  The counter side of that lesson is the philosophical aspect, this is what uke learns.  The more sincere uke's attack, the better the technique will be.  Ultimately, this will send uke flying courtesy of Aiki Airlines.  So, if you isolate the act of attacking someone, this is creating imbalance.  Uke really just needs to learn to calm down and stop attacking people!!!]]></body>
	<date>07-07-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="3027">
	<title><![CDATA[From the sidelines]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[This two month forced break from Aikido already has me wondering about what technique I will do when I get back on the mat.  Since it was sankyo and kotegaeshi that likely took me off the mat, I will probably avoid those techniques with the same enthusiasm that I avoid running barefoot over a bed of nails with scissors in both hands.

It's been about two weeks already but I think this break will be good.  It's really forcing me to think about the way I practice and what got me into this spot in the first place.

Sensei is constantly reminding everyone to give sincere attacks and to be honest when attacking nage.  At the same time, he admonishes the idea of using brute force against a technique.  I'm going to explore the difference in my next few posts.  Stay tuned...]]></body>
	<date>07-03-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="2990">
	<title><![CDATA[The subtlety of Aikido]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Tonight was a very interesting class.  Just like on Monday,. the training was fast and furious.  Sensei has graced us all by letting someone else teach while he trains with us which is cool because trainging with Sensei is totally different then watching him teach.

There was a new guy that I also saw on Monday.  He said tonight was his 3rd class.  Towards the end of the class the instructor let us do randori and I volunteered to work with the new guy.  He wasn't familiar with randori so I told him we would go slow and then I pulled back to start attacking him.  Right when I was about to attack he looked at me and very calmly said "I can't defend myself."

That one simple statement stopped me dead in my tracks.  I definitely should have let him attack me first.  But the profound effect it had on me is really related to the nature of violence and attacking someone in general.

He stopped me just by saying that.  It was so incredible that I didn't know what to do.  I know the way I'm describing this sounds very dramatic, admittedly I am trying to paint the picture that way because this incident really made me think.  

It made me think about the non-physical Aikido that is just as important as any physical technique.  He very much tried to appeal to my rational side by saying this.  In translating, what he really said was "Why would you attack someone who can't defend themselves?".

I was simply amazed by what he had taught me.  After 5 years of studying, in one single moment he summed up everything I want to learn.]]></body>
	<date>05-23-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="2971">
	<title><![CDATA[A very good question]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[I didn't train today, but I did go to the dojo to drop something off and decided to stay for a bit and watch the kids class.  Sensei asked a very interesting question which I believe I've heard before but not sure if I ever heard the answer.  The question he asked is when does a technique begin.  There were various answers, one kid said it begins when you start defending your self.  Another said something to the effect that it begins when you are attacked.  Sensei's answer was that the technique never ends.]]></body>
	<date>05-05-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="2956">
	<title><![CDATA[Kokyu and yonkyo]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Today I went out to the YMCA where a fellow student is starting to teach.  He showed me something so simple but I immediately noticed the enormous effect that it had.  Up until now I had always struggled with yonkyo because I couldn't figure out how to place my wrists in the right position in order to effectively do the technique.  Typically this leads to struggling with the technique and that turns into trying to throw uke versus doing the technique.  Today I learned that if I grab uke's wrist at an angle and hold his wrist the same way I hold a sword, then I don't have to throw uke, the technique will do that naturally.  Can't wait to get back to the dojo to try this out some more.

[URL="http://nihonbunkacenter.com"]nihon bunka center[/URL]
[URL="http://shinkikan.com"]shinkikan[/URL]]]></body>
	<date>04-07-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="2949">
	<title><![CDATA[Clocked - Irimi at 100 mph]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[For the last two weeks or so I've been carrying around this thought that as someone who practices Aikido, I not only have the responsibility of preventing my attacker from injury, but also from preventing myself from injury when I *am* the attacker.  This is probably very much due to the fact that every major joint on the left side of my body has been injured for the last 6 or 7 months.  Simply put, I'm an unavoidable accident.

Friday's training presented me with another accident.  I was training with a very eager student and so I very eagerly attacked.  The result was an instant reality check.  The past two weeks of being totally obsessive about protection seemed to be totally wasted and yet I bet this experience will end up being one of the best lessons I've learned.  The lesson is that there is a difference between a committed attack and letting someone be able to shove your nose into their forearm.  With a committed attack, you should still be able to react to the technique.  This requires balance.  You have to be able to extend your attack but not so far that it is out of your own range.  I suppose lessons like this really can't be taught.

[URL="http://shinkikan.com"]Shinkikan[/URL]
[URL="http://nihonbunkacenter.com"]Nihon Bunka Center[/URL]]]></body>
	<date>03-24-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="2940">
	<title><![CDATA[Tenkan]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[Wow, a full hour of nothing but tenkan.  I love it when sensei trains us really hard by focusing on one technique for the entire class.  To make the training even more rigorous, there were only three of us last night.  I'm still recovering from the kokyu seminar over the weekend.  The temperature is getting hotter, the training is getting harder - and better!

[URL="http://nihonbunkacenter.com"]www.nihonbunkacenter.com[/URL]]]></body>
	<date>03-15-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="2939">
	<title><![CDATA[Where is the center?]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[If you have taken ukemi for any of the higher ranking black belts, you have hopefully noticed how difficult it is to take their center.  Why?  Warning:  I am about to go off on a tangent.

According to the big bang theory, the universe was created as the result of an explosion but not the same kind of explosion that is commonly thought of.  This explosion did not originate from a single point and scientists have observed that the universe is expanding in the same way from any given point in the universe.  

So how does this apply to Aikido?  We have to keep our center while doing the techniques.  Techniques have to come from the center(hara).  We have to keep our center, and the center is everywhere!

[URL="http://nihonbunkacenter.com"]www.nihonbunkacenter.com[/URL]]]></body>
	<date>03-15-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="2938">
	<title><![CDATA[Compassion]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[A while back I wrote about breathing being an automatic routine.  I just recently had the chance to think about something else that I think is important to put into the routine of practice:  compassion.  It was during a 2 person attack in which Mike and Angiel were attacking me and eventually Mike was able to get to me and put me into a submission hold.  It became more difficult to breath and I was literally reduced to doing nothing more but staying still.  I was trapped.  Arms were locked to my sides.  This feeling lasted a few seconds until Mike realized I had no way out.  So he let go.  It was precisely in that moment I realized that one should train not to destroy but rather train with the kind of compassion that leads to mutual victory.

[URL="http://nihonbunkacenter.com"]www.nihonbunkacenter.com[/URL]]]></body>
	<date>03-15-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="2937">
	<title><![CDATA[Right vs. wrong]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[I was thinking the other day about how promotions occur in Aikido according to how many days you train versus whether or not you know the technique.  I was wondering if this something specific to Aikido or if is this a common approach in Japan or other martial arts.

It got me thinking that when you stress the importance of training as much as possible, even everyday, then that places value on commitment to ongoing learning versus commitment to getting something right or wrong.  I think that's important.  Everyone is on their own path and the person who commits to ongoing learning is going to do things right and wrong.  The person who commits to trying to do things right will likely fail to commit to ongoing learning.

[URL="http://nihonbunkacenter.com"]www.nihonbunkacenter.com[/URL]]]></body>
	<date>03-15-2007</date>
</blogEntry>

<blogEntry id="2936">
	<title><![CDATA[Becoming a better person]]></title>
	<body><![CDATA[A few days ago Sensei asked me what I thought about the speech he gave in class.  The speech he was referring to was when he was talking about studying Aikido to become a better person.  I emailed him back with the following response:

In the 5 years I've been at Shinkikan, the past week or two have been the best.  Honestly, I've gotten to the point where I don't even think I'm studying Aikido, but rather people.  Of course Aikido is important, but I think I could go anywhere to study Aikido.  I could read a book even.  But there is a value that is implied at Shinkikan that can't be bottled!  I used to study Aikido when I started at Shinkikan, but the long term effect of staying at Shinkikan has led me to really ask what Aikido is.  I'm fortunate enough to understand the answer is always changing.  It's like asking a fish to describe water.  The water is everywhere around it and none of it is the same.  I suppose it's the same as saying Ikkyo is different every time, even if it's with the same person.  It's good to have a place like Shinkikan where instructors really care about the effect they have on their students.

[URL="http://nihonbunkacenter.com"]www.nihonbunkacenter.com[/URL]]]></body>
	<date>03-15-2007</date>
</blogEntry>


</blogEntries>