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erikmenzel's Blog Blog Tools Rate This Blog
Creation Date: 05-11-2004 09:52 AM
erikmenzel
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Blog Info
Status: Public
Entries: 48
Comments: 13
Views: 246,408

In General Too many men Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #38 New 08-23-2016 10:10 AM
4 new women turned up for class last night. For the strong men this is a challenge and I always am amazed who enjoys training with as many partners as possible and who just try to stick with their small circle of clunky men.

One of my earliest encounters with technique vs. force was in my second or third year of training. There was a small Japanese (although nationality is completely irrelevant here) lady (small meaning about 140 cm and compared to my 193 cm that is very small). She trained about as long as I did. Of course she didn't use brute force on me, how could she. When we were up to speed I noticed how fast I found the floor every single time. There was a very important lesson I learned that day. I decided that I wanted to study Aikido like she did, small girl's Aikido instead of big strong guy's Aikido.

Looking back I am grateful I had so many different partners to train with in my early years. All the different partners opened my eyes to what I am searching for.

I hope enough of the women will stay to have the same impact on the clunky men I now train with.
Views: 2707 | Comments: 1


In General Breathing Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #37 New 08-03-2016 01:12 PM
Breath in
Breath out









Erik does not matter.
Views: 2633


In General Relax Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #36 New 07-08-2016 02:22 PM
Last week I had a nice experience. Knowing there were exams at our dojo and I was asked to be uke. Now normally people are paired during the exam so that there isn't a big difference in experience. This was different as there was a huge gap. The person doing the exam is ex-military, unfortunately burdened with PTS which manifests itself in a disruptive fear of hurting someone. Aikido has a very strong impact on his well-being and he has progressed a lot already in trusting himself during aikido. Up till now however, doing exams has been one bridge to far for him.
So here I was, being uke at the exams and the one really important task I had was to make him feel safe. No matter what happened, he had to feel safe. Soft, compliant, happy and friendly. Smiling moving along with whatever he did, and he did well. Halfway through he realized he was doing well, a smile came on his face and he loosened up even more.

Erik doesn't matter
Views: 1816


In General No, not monkey! Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #35 New 06-16-2016 12:27 PM
In my brain there is a clever little monkey. It is a nice monkey, a smart monkey. He is very good at solving problems, that is, he is very good at coming up with different technical solutions to problems. This monkey thinks he is the best, he can solve everything and even if he couldn't solve the problem he still has a dozen of other solutions he wants to try.

I am a mathematician and this monkey is very useful.

He used to come with me during training as well, but he no longer is allowed to come. He wants to and if I let my attention slip he joins me during training instantly.

In my brain there is also an observer. My monkey thinks he is a boring annoying fellow. Doesn't do much it seems and certainly isn't working on solutions to problems like the monkey is. Monkey wants the attention and will at any moment try to push the observer away.

The monkey does stuff. Monkey does this to uke and does that to uke, cause once you have done this to uke you can do that other thing that the monkey came up with do to uke.

The observer observes. He sees what is going on. He has no fancy tricks, no quick solutions. He watches and can direct me to move with what he sees/feels. The observer wants to move with the intention, to move with the flow, to move with the union. He watches to see how ma doesn't change. He simply watches to see what begun end.

I know this. My observer is replacing my monkey ever more often. I know it is true, but if I read it it sounds ...More Read More
Views: 1243


In General Yin and Yang Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #34 New 06-04-2016 11:12 AM
In my aikido life I have seen and felt many teachers. Some had more of an impact than others, which of course is the natural way things go in life.
With some teachers the things you learn are just another training methode for the same thing, but with others there is something more.

One of the teachers that influenced my aikido was Henry Kono sensei. He talked about balance, not about taking balance of uke, but of maintaining balance. This was very hard to understand, and obviously also something very hard to explain. Henry Kono sensei tried. He had all kind of gadgets to help explain the idea of maintaining balance. Sticks, wheels and even balloons. And he tried to explain it with words. He tried so hard. He even voiced his hopes: even if you don't get it now, I hope that some of you will get it in 5, 10 or 20 years.

O'Sensei why cannot we do what you do? Because I know about Yin and Yang.
So, I am this simple academic who thinks he knows about knowing stuff. I studied Yin and Yang, it's dynamics, it's meanings. It didn't help.

I was doing it wrong, or I didn't understand what Henry Kono sensei was trying to say.

I was lucky enough to overhear Henry Kono sensei speaking with a Japanese lady in our dojo. They were talking about the same thing: how you had to understand Yin and Yang to understand Aikido. (This is what was explained to me later, because I don't speak Japanese). But one of the things that I found amazing, is that when he was speaking with this Ja ...More Read More
Views: 1545 | Comments: 1


In General to grab or not to grab Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #33 New 05-18-2016 04:20 PM
Why do so many people have an addiction to grabbing their partner.

I give an attack, they grab me, rearrange me and then they start their technique.
I try to play the nice uke, I try not to block what they are doing while trying to adjust my ukemi in such a manner that it doesn't halt, that energy and intent keep on flowing.

What is this obsession with grabbing and rearranging your partner? Is it the idée-fixe that you have to actively do something to your partner to be able to do a good technique?

I am starting to understand a bit of the frustration of my own teachers. How is it possible to practice the things you find worth while practicing when those surrounding you have no clue what you are doing and have no clue that they aren't doing the same things.

The universe moves through your feet
Views: 1151


In General Why don't people get it? Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #32 New 05-09-2016 01:53 PM
Today during class I was asked to explain something I was doing before class started. Something very basic, something so fundamental. Something my teachers taught me, not once but again and again and again. Probably one of those secrets you only get after several decades of training.

Now I know a lot of people are wondering what this big secret aikido technique might be, and I will try to explain it.

It is so basic so profound that I have difficulty understanding how people cannot get this, yet when I look around me or feel my partners then this is missing.

Are you ready for this revelation?

You move with your feet
Views: 1872


In General And everything goes on Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #31 New 04-22-2016 12:15 PM
Woow, just noticed it has been several years since my last entry. Well, I never stopped training. Whether I learned something or no remains to be seen.

So much has changed.
My knees are still rotten and doing suwari waza is not going to happen. I know that now, I understand it and believe me that is a big change.
Having moved to another part of the Netherlands I now train with different people. That which is fun at times, but at some times also a bit frustrating. Everyone has his own pace in training and that is fine.

Those whom I considered to be important teachers for me are now dead, which makes training sometimes feel as a burden. How am I to keep the spark alive when half the time I don't know what I am doing. How am I to honor the time and effort they put into making their knowledge and experience sink into my thick skull?

One thing I have learned is that nothing can take the place of persistence.
Views: 3302 | Comments: 2


In Training Seminar with Anno Sensei 2 Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #30 New 05-23-2009 11:19 AM
Today again training. Lovely place to meet a lot of new people. Somehow this seminar benefits from having the good portion of the aikidoka, aka the crunchers and other nasties were absent.

My knee is a bit sore so I have to be carefull not to overdo it. Suwariwaza is a big no-no still...even though I want to do it but I guess being thickheaded and doing suwariwaza anyway is bad. Luckily I am surrounded with friends that take care of me (aka they remind me I am an idiot and shouldnt do suwariwaza)
Views: 3094 | Comments: 1


In Training Seminar with Anno Sensei Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #29 New 05-23-2009 05:10 AM
Already had the first day of the 3 day seminar with Anno Sensei.
Had great fun training with people from different countries: Finland, Spain, Switserland, Netherlands and of course Japan.

It is quite interesting to see that it is very difficult to let go of the form you trained all the time and focus on the connection and Ma.

Of course it doesnt help if your partner thinks this technique can only be one way and all the other ways are wrong. Luckily those people seem to be a very small minority at this seminar.

Btw, Anno Sensei feels like a very sturdy pile of rocks that isnt there
Views: 2296



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