<![CDATA[All entries from: http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/blogs]]> en Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:16:50 GMT Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:55:49 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss vBlogetin aw_forums@aikiweb.com aw_forums@aikiweb.com <![CDATA[My students passed their 6th Kyu Grading]]> Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:55:49 GMT The wheel turns..
I went with three of my students to Oxford for their first ever grading for 6th kyu.. back in the Philippines I have graded students myself but this would be the first time my students here would be graded by an external grading panel.
I wouldn't say things went very smoothly, but in the end, all three of them passed.
Now to get back to training..]]> CitoMaramba <![CDATA[Hard Day, Fun Weapons Class (day 14 of 16)]]> Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:04:31 GMT Day 14 of 16. Today at work was harsh. Plowed through work all day long, and then an hour before I had to leave, I realized there was a huge chunk more that had to be done. If my day were randori, I'd let myself end up in the middle, and all the attackers were on me. I haven't been out walking for 2 days, and my legs felt like achy blocks of concrete. My left shoulder has been bugging me, so I was icing it at my desk. I wouldn't have gone to class, except that I said I was going to. I didn't figure my brain could absorb a lot more today. I was tired and overwhelmed, and really feeling the need for rest.

That all vanished after a minute or two on the mat. Everyone was in a wonderful mood. I had plenty of time to warm up. My front and back rolls were better tonight. I got most of the techniques at least halfway correct. I felt focused and centered, and had a very pleasant time in class. Yay!

Tonight was a weapons class with Sensei. We did tanto, which I think I've only worked with once or twice before. Even techniques that sometimes turn my mind into a pretzel seemed easier.

I was gonna go to class anyway, because I said I would, but now I'm really glad I did.

Off to dinner and a quiet evening, with more energy that I'm going to need for another intense day at the office tomorrow.]]> Linda Eskin <![CDATA[Better Day Today (13 of 16)]]> Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:25:48 GMT A much better day today (day 13 of 16). Not great, but better. And a lot of fun, in any case. There were two classes this evening, one with Sensei, and one with one of the yudansha. I managed to do some of the techniques reasonably well, but on the whole it was one of those days when I can't tell front from back, in from out, or left from right. I got a few techniques inside out, upside down, or just plain screwy. Back falls weren't happening so well, and I don't know why. Sigh...

On the positive side, I was happier with my front rolls tonight. A little rounder, a little quieter. We did a short jiyuwaza in the second class, which was fun, and I did much better than I have done recently. And kokyu dosa really seemed to come together at the end of the second class. A nice way to end the evening.

Tomorrow night is a weapons class, with Sensei. I've only done one with him before - the first weapons class I ever did (I found myself in it by accident) - so I'm really looking forward to tomorrow's class.]]> Linda Eskin <![CDATA[How Not To Do It (Day 12 of 16)]]> Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:02:48 GMT One of the woes of having the privilege to train under a teacher with an unflinching commitment to his students growth as Aikidoists is that the feedback sometimes stings.

Last night, in spite of my intention to go to class tonight, I stayed up to the wee hours to watch a meteor shower. That was stupid. Tonight, not having had enough sleep, I went to class anyway. That was arrogant and selfish.

I actually felt pretty good, and thought I was doing well for most of the class. But particularly toward the end my rolls got sloppy, and I wasn’t really focused. And I failed to notice that.

Sensei, being a perceptive and experienced teacher, noticed. He stopped class early, with a few words about how injuries are more likely when people are too tired to roll correctly, and how he doesn’t like injuries happening at his dojo.

Thank you, Sensei. It won’t happen again. My apologies to you and to my training partners.

In the words of Mark Rashid, horse trainer and aikidoka, “now I know how not to do it.”

Off to get a good night’s sleep…]]> Linda Eskin <![CDATA[A new experience for me]]> Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:19:27 GMT This weekend was a LONG weekend for me. Friday night I helped with a seminar hosted by SCAI (I am a board member). My duty was to assist with photography (which I love doing!) Shozo Sato Sensei gave an interesting talk about "Active Empty Space" and how it is utilized in art (shodo and sumi-e). Saturday I got up at 7:15 a.m. in order to go to iaido and aikido class. Iaido went well. For aikido we worked on: uchikaiten sankyo, iriminage, kotegaeshi and a variation of sumiotoshi all from tsuki. Aikido was an abbreviated class because we had to transform the dojo into a place that would hold the shodo and sumi-e workshop that SCAI was hosting.

As soon as class was over, we pulled out a tarp and covered up the mats. Sensei then had 3 of us walk to this church a couple blocks away to pick up these heavy metal tables so we could carry them back to the dojo. Let me tell you…. those tables were abnormally heavy! It didn't help that I am shorter then the other people who were carrying the tables, so I had to lift the table up more then they did so it wouldn't drag on the ground. By the time we got those tables back to the dojo my poor arms were tired. We then set the tables up on bean bags to prevent them from damaging the mats and then placed thick mats around for the chairs to be set upon. We then brought in all the chairs. At this point I was able to take a break and I hurried up and chowed down my Olive Garden salad that I had brought with me (knowing I wouldn't be leaving the dojo till after 5 and I ate breakfast at 7:30 a.m.)

By this time Shozo Sato had arrived and I began to help finish setting up the dojo (put felt down on all the tables, set out paper towels on each table, put a bucket in the back of the room for inky water. My sensei took me downstairs and gave me some of his personal sumi-e brushes, ink well and dishes to use and then had me set up my spot right next to him. It wasn't long after that, that people began to arrive. The next four hours were a blur as we all worked diligently on the formal style of calligraphy (we had 5 characters we were each writing). I found out that I really enjoy doing calligraphy, but discovered that I am horrid at it. Shozo Sato walked around the room and helped each student. He would put his hand on top of yours and help you write the character(s) that you were working on. It was great to get the feel of the stroke. He kept saying writing calligraphy is like dancing, but this dance just kept eluding me! Practice, practice, practice…..

Sunday I arrived at the dojo at 8:30 to help prepare for the second day of the seminar. There wasn't really too much to do though, which was good because I was still half asleep. Today we were going to work on the semi-formal style of writing and we would be doing the same characters that we had been working on the day before. It is basically the equivalent of writing partly in print and partly in cursive. I had a bit of trouble at first, but by the end of the day I was really starting to get the feeling of it. I had begun to flow and my strokes began to have varying widths to them. After trying both styles of writing, I have decided that I like the semi-formal method of writing better then the traditional form. I am seriously considering taking up shodo as a hobby. The only problem is it is expensive to start out. A good quality brush is about $50 and then you have to get ink, an inkwell, paper, books, a paper weight, felt, etc. Maybe I will put a few things on my Christmas list.

Once the seminar came to an end, the clean-up process began. I went around and collected everyone's trash and put it in the recycling bin. I went around and picked up all the felt, took down the tables, picked up the bean bags and began stacking up the chairs. Thankfully, sensei said we would be taking the tables to the church in his minivan, because my arms and shoulders were sore from lifting the day before. I ended up running to the church though because he had to pick someone else up first. Running two blocks doesn't seem like much, but I was huffing and puffing a bit by the time I got there (partly because I was determined to beat them there). I despise running. I am always congested due to my allergies and when I run, my nose gets runny and my mouth and throat get all yucky from the drainage. Kind of hard to breathe with all of that in your nose and throat! I tried to be all nonchalant about it as I helped unload the tables and carry them into the churches storage area though. I thought I was going to have to run back (oh dread…) but the other guy said he would walk since it was so nice out.

Once we got back to the dojo, I helped load up all the chairs into the minivan. I asked sensei if he needed help unloading them, but he declined saying that I had done enough. The truth is, I would have gladly done more. The price of this two day seminar was around $300 and he let me attend for free. I had shown interest in it, but with the recent move, my husband and I just don't have the cash. Sensei, out of the kindness of his heart invited me to attend anyway and offered me a full scholarship. My husband says that sensei is fond of me. That may be true, but it certainly isn't because of my aikido skills. I know that I am not a great student, but I am a dedicated student and I think that plays a part. After everyone left I took some photos of the dojo. I couldn't help but look around and notice the "active empty" space that I had learned about this weekend.

I finally got home around 2:30 and then proceeded to finish up two loads of laundry that my husband wasn't able to get to. At one point I heard the washer sounding like it was unbalanced so I walked upstairs. I discovered that the leveler thingy came out from under the washer. There wasn't much I could do about it, so I watched the washer until it was done. I then went to go back downstairs…. only I didn't get there the way I planned. Somehow my foot slipped out from under me (I was in the process of stepping down and had one foot on the step and the other was in the air). Next thing I know I fall on my butt and bump and slam my way down about eight steps before I manage to stop myself. I sat there on the landing grabbing my butt as my faithful shih tzu (who witnessed the entire ordeal as she was going down the steps next to me) looks at me like "What the hell is your problem?" HAHA. Now, you may be asking "Why didn't you grab the banister?" Well, it isn't up at the moment because we had to take it down when we moved in because the furniture wouldn't make it up the stairs with it up. Putting it up to take it back down to move out and then putting it back up again will most likely make the holes in the wall big, so we have decided to keep it down. Anyway, I am fine. I had a sore butt, but other then that I was alright. I just relaxed and went with it. It could have been a lot worse (could have smacked my head or tumbled down the stairs), so I am not really complaining about it.

To close this entry, I learned a few things this weekend: the first is that backwards ukemi is quite useful when falling down stairs (I have now tested my ukemi being thrown at about 25 mph, slipping on ice, falling off of a roof and falling down stairs). I have discovered that falling really isn't that big of a deal anymore provided you stay relaxed and don't panic. Those are easier said then done, but I have managed to do both of those each time I have fallen. The second thing I learned is that shodo has great similarities with aikido and iaido. All are a beautiful dance and require perfect technique and timing. Like the sword, you must not hold the brush too tightly or too loosely. The brush is a bird that you must hold firmly enough so as to not allow it to fly away, but loose enough so that it isn't being crushed by your hands. It requires a firm, yet relaxed hand and the utmost concentration. Like aikido, shodo requires the ability to maintain constant fluidity. The brush needs to be able to move freely in all directions. The brush is constantly going up and down, left and right, and it's frequently moving towards and away from the paper in an attempt to add more or less pressure as necessary.

Like both arts, shodo requires a proper stance and breathing is of utmost importance. These are just a few of the similarities between them. I am not saying that practicing shodo will necessarily improve my martial arts abilities, but I am saying that there are a lot of concepts that are similar. Take the time to look around you and see the similarities that exist between aikido and your daily life. If you can learn to recognize or carry a concept you learned from aikido over to another area of your life, then you will be constantly enriching yourself. Before you know it, you will be practicing aikido in all aspects of your life without even being cognizant of it. That is what makes aikido so beautiful. In the end, don't we all want to be able to effortlessly dance our way through life; adapt at a moments notice and modify our steps to accommodate the change in music that life so often throws at us?]]> ninjaqutie <![CDATA[Two Classes, Plus a Meteor Shower]]> Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:26:50 GMT Tonight’s post is being pre-empted by a meteor shower. The quick version: Two awesome classes tonight, the first with Sensei, the second with Cyril. Both flew by. It’s great to have Sensei back. More later. Heading out to the back yard to stare at flying rocks.]]> Linda Eskin <![CDATA[update]]> Tue, 17 Nov 2009 06:23:47 GMT so I will be testing the frist week in December. For the frist test ever 7th que and still having truble with the name. I also go to write Akido in Japaniz. Thats cool.]]> trademark8806 <![CDATA[Day 9 of 16: End of a Great Week]]> Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:23:12 GMT Today, Saturday, wrapped up the first week of my 16 day Personal Aikido Intensive. I'm delighted and relieved to be able to say I've been having an awesome time, and am excited about having another full week ahead.

Next week I'll be in classes Monday through Saturday. M, W, & Sat. are two-class days. That's 9 classes, 5 of which will be with Sensei. This past week (M-Sat) he was away, and the yudansha (meet most of the teaching staff at Aikido of San Diego) taught all the classes. I really could not have picked a better time to do this, because for the past week there has been a tremendous variety to the classes, and for the next I'll have 5 days in a row of classes with Sensei.

The whole 16-day thing kicked off with a killer Friday night class with Sensei. I think he was trying to tire us out so we wouldn't be too hard on the yudansha during the week. It was an absolute blast. Sensei taught again on Saturday morning, and we did several really interesting exercises, including a walking-pace randori practice that looked like "Night of the Living Aikidoka" as 6 uke wandered, zombie-like in the general direction of each nage. Then Terry, Bill, and Doug had their exams, and there was the dojo party and potluck with the Sumo suits. (If you haven't seen the video yet, you can find it on my YouTube channel.)

The classes during the week were all as different as they could be, and offered many opportunities to try completely new things, hear familiar things explained in new ways, focus on different details, and so on. If I'm remembering correctly, I got to train with Megan, Jay, Cyril, Andy, and Karen. Classes were really well attended all week, too, and ran like clockwork, as usual.

This morning was a pretty fast-paced, interesting weapons class with Jay. We worked with the jo, doing still more techniques I hadn't yet seen. (I just tried to run through them all with my barn jo after feeding the critters this evening. Ah, the joys of long, dark nights and open outdoor space.) It sounds like there may be more opportunities to train with weapons, which would be great.

Next was an open-hand class with Mike. Lots of complicated (for me... sigh...) techniques. Some I got, and some I was befuddled by. The really annoying ones were a couple that I nailed on the first attempt, and then couldn't get right again. I've been finding lately that I'm much less frustrated with myself when that happens. I just keep trying, and don't go into panicky brain cramps. The class was a lot of fun, and thankfully I ended on a good note by getting the last technique right.

After class we cleaned the dojo and headed off to our respective weekends. Next up: Two 1-hour classes on Monday, with Sensei, and Cyril. But first, chores, resting, playing with the critters, and dinner with a friend.]]> Linda Eskin <![CDATA[It's a Lot Like Line Dancing (day 8 of 16)]]> Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:01:31 GMT I'm going to keep the brief, because come hell or high water I am going to get 8 hours' sleep tonight.

Have you read the two diaries that make their way around the Internet every so often? One is by a cat, and one is by a dog. The cat reports the horrors of his captivity, while the dog is excited about everything that happens, all day long:
8:00 am - Dog food! My favorite thing!
9:30 am - A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am - A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
(From http://www.wanderings.net/notebook/M...iaryVsCatDiary)

My experience of Aikido all this week has been reminding me of the dog's diary: "Woohoo! My favorite teacher. Yay! My favorite kind of class. Awesome! My favorite people to train with. Oh, good! My favorite techniques."

---

The teacher tonight asked me (since I've been to a lot of classes this week) what techniques we had been working on in the classes. Or at least what kind of work we had been doing. I could only come up with a very short list. I really should start being more conscious of that, I suppose. So I'll try to post a very brief summary of at least a few memorable points from each class, mostly to use for my own review.

Tonight we did a lot of bokken work:
  • Cutting, one direction, and then with irimi
  • 8-directions cut (happo giri)
  • Front rolls, and back slap-falls (?) with bokken
We also did a bit of open-hand jiyuwaza.

A fairly large class, with a broad range of levels, learning happo giri looks a heck of lot like a big group of folks trying to learn a line dance. It went very smoothly, and none of us whacked each other. I couldn't help but think of The Electric Slide (video on YouTube), though, as we all stepped and turned at the right angles, all together. A music video would be hilarious.

---

The most recent exams at the dojo were last week. Exams come around every few months, with the next date being February 6th, 2010. I don't know if I'll be testing then (for 5th kyu), and I don't care. But I am setting it as a personal goal for myself to be on track to test then. That means paying even more careful attention to the techniques that are on the test, training thoughtfully, etc.

We each work with a senior student when preparing for an exam. It's our responsibility to find a mentor, so I've been doing some watching and thinking about who I might want to work with some day. At least if my name does appear on the Dreaded Dojo Whiteboard, I'll have an idea of who to ask.

To be clear, my goal is not to test on February 6th. I am not even hoping to test then. That's up to Sensei, of course, and I'm not in any hurry to "get there" anyway. The goal is to train as if I will be testing, regardless.

OK... Off to bed. Two classes first thing in the morning. Right after my 8 hours of sleep.]]> Linda Eskin <![CDATA[Weapons Class (Day 7 of 16)]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2009 07:58:04 GMT Tonight's class was weapons. We usually focus on one weapon per class, and tonight it was jo (my favorite!). We did the first 12 jo suburi, and a combination of several at the end. I think I've only done 1 through 5 or 6 before tonight. I definitely had not seen the bigger swirling-the-jo-around techniques - those were fun!

I really like weapons classes, for the opportunity to work independently and slowly. It's possible to focus on the mechanics, alignment, center/base, staying relaxed, breath, posture, and so on, without the rush of doing partner practice. I wouldn't want to train like that exclusively, but it's nice to be able to break things down and work on what you need to work on.

I also like that once I get something basically down, I can practice it at home on my own. (I keep a spare jo in the barn for that.)

Tonight I was really happy about most of what I did (not really lost at any point). I felt much more solid and settled than usual during the techniques. Between techniques, however, I caught myself being a bit busy and unfocused in the way I was moving. I've seen what that looks like in videos (it looks ridiculous and goofy ), and have been trying to be more conscious of it. So tonight I tried my "being someone else" approach (see that blog post). Sort of "how might this look and feel if I were...?" It worked beautifully. No "trying" just doing. And then feeling what it felt like to be doing things that way.

There was a second class tonight, normally for 2nd kyu and up, but tonight anyone could stay for it. I was very tempted, but also very tired. I would've been the only one below 4th kyu. I decided to stay if by doing so I would make an even number of students (6), but as luck would have it the number came out odd with me (7), so I passed on participating. Probably for the best, as I was really wiped out from little sleep and a very fast-paced day at work. It wasn't until I was on the way home I remembered that I also had to get the barn ready for a feed delivery in the morning, so it's a good thing I didn't stay later.]]> Linda Eskin <![CDATA[Taking it up a notch]]> Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:24:12 GMT Well, now that the test is behind me, I feel as if a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders. I feel more relaxed, yet still focused. It is weird though, because it is a different kind of focus. I can’t really describe what the difference between the two is, but they are definitely different. I guess maybe the added pressure changed things. Either way, I am now ready to face new challenges and to push myself even further. Contentment is the gateway to laziness, which can lead to dormancy, which often ends with a training plateau. So, to prevent anything like this from happening, I have been making short term goals that will help me attain my long term goals. I can’t quite go into details as to what my goals are at the moment though, because I am still in the process of defining them. At some point though, they will be posted in a blog because I find that seeing them helps me put them into action easier then just thinking about them. Well, that is enough about that, let me get back to class.

Tuesday’s class started off a little laid back. We did our usual warm-ups, then sensei had us work on rocking back (backwards ukemi from sitting) and then had us rock side to side so we would end up slapping with our hand and foot like we just landed from a breakfall. Sensei was explaining how important this was incase you are thrown into a breakfall and he then explained that if nage holds you up off the mat as you land, this will force you to take a breakfall. He then looked at me and held out his right wrist. I had no idea what he wanted me to do, (all I knew was that I was going to end up in a breakfall) so I just grabbed with my left hand. I see him begin to turn and I follow him. Next thing I know, I am flipping in the air and land in a breakfall. I’m not really sure how I got there; all I know is that he held me up off the floor. One thing I do know is that I landed rather nicely, which is always nice when he is using me to make a point or demonstrate something. I’m guessing this mini-session was geared towards the current 2nd kyu’s; as the yudansha should know this and us 5th kyu’s don’t really take breakfalls. After this, class began to raise in difficulty.

The 2nd kyu’s are going to test for 1st kyu soon (either around Thanksgiving or around Christmas), so now sensei has begun gearing classes more towards them. He told us point black on Tuesday night that this class was for those testing for 1st kyu. Most of the people in class were okay with the techniques because they were either 2nd kyu or yudansha; however there were three 5th kyu’s in class. Because of that, the class was definitely challenging for us lower rankers. The techniques themselves weren’t really that hard, but instead of being stagnant, we were told to be dynamic and to keep uke on the move constantly via the use of circles or figure eights. Though the class was a bit over my head, I found myself having fun. Instead of hurrying along, I tried to go slow, yet maintain the fluidity that was being asked of me. I’m not so sure I was successful, as I found myself stopping at times, but I wasn’t breaking the technique down as much I do sometimes. Some of the techniques we did were: Kaitenage, ikkyo, nikyo, kokyuho and perhaps a few other things.

There was also a potential new student who was also there watching class. At the end of class, while we were doing suwariwaza kokyuho, sensei went over and talked to her. I overheard him tell her (we were right next to them on the mat) that if she were to join class, the class wouldn’t be this advanced. He explained that there were no beginner’s in the class at this moment and that the typical beginner’s classes aren’t usually like this. I’m not really sure if she is going to come back or not. It would be interesting having another female around. I’m the only female student that comes on a regular basis. Truth be told though, it is kind of nice being the only female. Working with guys is a lot of fun!

Last night was an interesting evening. I was the only student who showed up for the first hour of class. Sensei asked me if it would be okay if we only trained for a half hour and then cleaned the dojo the rest of class (we have a seminar/workshop this weekend). I told him it wouldn’t be a problem. He had me grab a bokken and we worked on conditioning, cutting, as well as draws. He gave me a few things that I need to watch and told me of a few things I could do at home or in the dojo in front of the mirror. It was really nice to have his undivided attention. He watched me carefully and told me when my angles were a little off, or that I needed to turn my hips a bit more or a bit less. The rest of the class I was downstairs washing dishes and cleaning up the kitchen area. I don’t really see a problem with that either. As a student, I should be more then willing to help with the upkeep of the dojo. As a board member, it is also my responsibility to help prepare for things such as this workshop with Shozo Sato Sensei on Saturday. So, the way I see it, I have double the responsibility and am more then willing to do my fair share of things around the dojo. Over the years, I have come to realize that you not only have to show respect towards your sensei and your fellow students, but you also have to have respect for the dojo. Luckily for me, I have understood this concept from the time I was a white belt in aikijitsu, so I don’t have problems with it like some other people do.

For the second hour of class, one other student showed up (yudansha). After our warm-ups, sensei had us do katadori ikkyo (omote & ura), nikyo (omote & ura) and sankyo (omote & ura) from suwariwaza. About ten minutes into class, sensei told us that unfortunately he had to go home to elevate and ice his knee as it was spasming very badly. Sensei asked us to stay and work on nikyo and sankyo (ura & omote) from various attacks. So, we worked on both from standing from katadori, shomenuchi and yokomenuchi attacks for the remainder of the class. I haven’t really done nikyo and sankyo too often in class, as we tend to do ikkyo, iriminage, kokyuho and shihonage the most, so it was nice to work on techniques that I am absolutely atrocious with. I don’t think it is a coincidence that he has me working on nikyo and sankyo all of the sudden as they are on the 4th kyu test. I have no clue when he wants me, my husband and possibly the two other 5th kyu’s (who tested in March) to test for 4th kyu, but I am hoping it isn’t anytime soon. I would really like to get a better grasp of the things on the 4th kyu test and I would like to improve upon the techniques I was just tested on last week. I’m hoping that it isn’t until sometime next year, but I guess you never really know what is going through a sensei’s mind…….]]> ninjaqutie <![CDATA[A Much Better Day (Day 6 of 16)]]> Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:42:11 GMT I sure didn't get everything perfect today, but I did a lot better. 5-1/2 hours of sleep instead of 4, and actual meals (big, hearty salads), meant more energy. Last night's bath, plus a few sessions with ice packs, had everything feeling better today. More water, less coffee, more focused.

Not perfect... Still not enough sleep. I didn't eat or drink enough this afternoon. Having a good dinner now, with ice packs scattered about as needed, and heading for bed ASAP. I'm glad I seem to be able to get things going in the right direction, instead of getting more sore, and more tired.

Tonight (day 6 of 16) there were two classes, so I did them both - 2 hours, total. It's the first time I've trained on a Wednesday, because I usually have another commitment in the evening. So these classes were new ones for me.

The first class (open to all students) was the biggest class I've done, aside from the Nadeau seminar in July. The second class is "only" open to 6 kyu and above. (I'm 6th kyu - that's the level where you've proven some very basic competence at simple things - graduated from kindergarten, essentially.) There really is no set pattern to how classes are run, aside from warm-ups, but this week in particular, with a variety of yudansha teaching while Sensei is on vacation, they are even more variable. It's great to hear things explained in different ways, do new exercises and techniques, and experience a little different temperament to each class.

I finally learned something that has been driving me nuts for months. I've seen the ukemi for tai no henko done two ways - staying rooted where you are, basically, or sort of spinning to face Nage (and keep your own alignment). I failed to see the pattern to when it was done one way versus the other. It seemed capricious. I'd almost accepted it as a koan of sorts - someday it would become clear to me why each way was randomly wrong half the time. (I suppose I should have, um... asked?) At any rate, someone (and I've very sorry that I can't remember who) pointed out that the difference is static practice (kihon waza?) versus doing the whole thing in-motion. Oh!

Something I was especially aware of this evening, although it's always the case, was the attention to detail, kindness, patience, and generosity of spirit of everyone I have the privilege of working with. Everyone is careful with their partners, thoughtful in giving perceptive, helpful feedback, and really warm and caring about each other. (And I'm not just saying that because I know some them read my blog. Really.) It's a wonderful environment to practice and play in.

I found out today that yet another student will be signing up for the Aikido Bridge seminar. So that makes at least 4 of us from Aikido of San Diego who are going. Yay!

For the last couple of days the muscles under my left shoulder blade have been in spasm. Patient trigger point work last night and this morning helped, but even so, by the time I got to the dojo it was the sort of thing that made me not want to even take a deep breath. I considered not going to class, but I'm too stubborn to wimp out. Fortunately, like last Friday, a good workout with a lot of rolling got it feeling nearly perfect. Much, much better. By some great stroke of luck, I was also able to schedule a massage today for Saturday afternoon. Really looking forward to that!

In the second class we did a simple, short jiyuwaza (freestyle series of attacks). By that time I was pretty tired, and really did a rather pathetic job of it. One thing I am proud of, however, is that I was able to mostly stay connected visually and energetically with my partner, in both roles (Uke/Nage). I was focusing on them, not the attack. As Nage I think I managed to mostly keep coming in and offering, not backing down. But then I couldn't seem to manage a single coherent technique. Oh well...

We had the opportunity to try a two-uke jiyuwaza (randori?) at the end of the second class. I would have loved to done it (in either role), but I was just too exhausted and dehydrated (in spite of drinking water all through class) to do anything else. I hope we have the chance again, when I'm not wiped out.

All in all, a tremendously fun evening. I left the dojo already looking forward to tomorrow night. But for now, a hot shower and sleep.]]> Linda Eskin <![CDATA[Training for Training]]> Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:27:15 GMT Before I got horses, I got chickens as "practice livestock," to see if I was up for the whole feeding-and-cleaning-every-day-and-night thing. I made some mistakes, and learned a lot. After a year, and still enthusiastic, I tore out trees, got the yard graded, put in a barn and fencing, and dove into horse ownership better prepared for having had that experience with the chickens.

In addition to being fun and worthwhile on its own merits, this two-week period of training at every opportunity (now at only day 5 of 16) serves a similar purpose. This time it's to help me be more prepared for the Aikido Bridge seminar in January. And true to form I've made some mistakes and am learning a lot. A few lessons so far:
  • Do not take on any other projects. Like grocery shopping, laundry, or cooking food. Get that stuff out of the way well beforehand.
  • Do not make commitments that keep you up into the wee hours. Aikido on 4 hours' sleep and 10 cups of coffee is way less fun that you might imagine.
  • Get plenty of sleep for at least the week before. Going into a more-intense-than-usual training period coming off a week of sleep deprivation is stupid.
  • Don't plan anything at all in the evenings. Feed the critters, take a hot bath, go to bed with ice packs on anything ouchy.
  • Eat as well as possible. Living on snacks (healthy ones though they may be) is not a good strategy for having lots of energy and endurance.
  • Warm up and stretch in the mornings. Being tight and achy before class usually leads to guarded rolls and falls, which leads to more tightness and discomfort.
  • Remember what trigger points are, and how to use them.
  • Do not try to sneak in a few hours of extra work "in your spare time." There isn't any.
I'm sure there are more, but I'm too tired to think of them. Time for some stretching, a hot bath, and, well, 6 hours sleep. Sigh.]]> Linda Eskin <![CDATA[Radomness]]> Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:08:33 GMT I have not writen fo a while, havent had time. I will be testing for 7th que in december. I predy much know all the terms when I hear them I jsut cant say them. I also recently recovered form a knee injory wich still sometimes gives me truble. Lattly thow I been also when I rool hurting middly my sholder mostly my left but both of them, the sisay dose not seem to think that I am doing the rollls wrong. spicly backward ones, but still I wonder it should not be causing me pain should it? I also am still looking to see if there are any dojos near Humbolt area since I will be at HSU in the fall. No luck so far , but then it is a small place, so porhaps not. I trying to get back into going 3 times a week , I had to cut back to once a week due to my injory. I also am atteing a small dojo and I still feel like an outsider... I try to help and stuff but they seem to be on a diffrent page then me. Oh , well I don't fit in most places , thow I still feel somehow concted middly to this dojo. Well that is enoff rambaling for today.]]> trademark8806 <![CDATA[Change ukemi!]]> Tue, 10 Nov 2009 01:49:55 GMT So the instructor calls out, "Change ukemi!" I've already taken ukemi for the person closest to me so I get up and sprint down the mat for the other person. I arrive there and I can feel this feeling on the left hand side of my face. I look over and Sensei had jumped up from the grading panel to take ukemi.

So I stared him down.

Got complimented on my ukemi, apparenly it's "excellent." ]]> Ketsan