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Guy's Aikido Journal Blog Tools Rating: Rate This Blog
Creation Date: 02-27-2005 12:33 AM
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This is a journal of Guys Aiki path
Blog Info
Status: Public
Entries: 217
Comments: 33
Views: 291,895

Entries for the Month of May 2004

In General 5th KYU WAHOOO Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #90 New 05-25-2004 10:14 PM
Had my test this morning, passed it, now I am a ranked Aikidoka. I have a little color in my outfit. The test was a bit stressful, but during most of it, the only people in existance were Rick and I, the rest of the world dissapeared. I think this is "being in the moment".

It went well, the only things were that I seemed to step on Ricks foot once, and my right Backroll was the worst that I have done in a long long time.

The test was a strange time warp. It feels good to have it over though. Several people have already started talking about having me test for 4th kyu next go around.... Seems early to start thinking about it for me, but the sempies do seem to give good advice.

Linda started working with me on stuff for 4th Kyu right after the first tests in the evening!

Candice tested this morning and made second kyu. Then tonight Don testesd for Second Kyu it was a lot of fun to watch.

So now that I have reaced 5th Kyu, I have logged the journey from starting to look for a Dojo through first belt. Something that I had found no information on when I went looking for it. Knowing that everyone's journey is different, has this journal helped anyone else? Feedback would be appriciated.
Views: 868 | Comments: 2


In General Where is the flow? Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #89 New 05-24-2004 09:31 AM
5/22/04
Practiced for the test with Rick, then with Pat and one other unranked person for quite a while. It was interesting, and really shed some light on the fact that this is an art, and not a complete science. Different people require different things in a technique not only because of physical differences, but because of emotional, and energetic differences as well.

When working with the other unranked people I am very gentle, and very slow. This is interesting, it points out to me the huge holes that are in my techniques. Also the lack of flow with people that are nervous about what is going to happen next is hard to overcome. Part of this is that I am not all that good at the techniques, even after practicing them for months and months, so there are places that I am "DOING" the technique to the person, instaead of flowing our energies together. As a matter of fact the times that I flow are really rare, and always catch me off guard, I have asked several of the sempies after one of these events have happened "Did you do that or did I?" They always smile back big, rarely say anything back.

Views: 941


In General Working with beginners like myself Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #88 New 05-24-2004 09:28 AM
5/20/04

Evening Class:

A bit distracted, but worked with a variety of people, including Pat who is also going for his 5th Kyu test. It was interesting. It is so much easier to work with the Sempies, they almost do the work of the Nage for you when they are your uke. The issue is of course that if it is to be an effective physical self defense practice, then we must have it be effective against people that are like the beginers, stiff, harder to lead in the technique, and requiring more precise timeing.
Views: 728


In General GIFTS: glimpses into what it should feel like but Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #87 New 05-24-2004 09:24 AM
5/20/04

Excellent training secession worked w/ Rick on my test stuff it went well.

Rick and I both worked on our off the line entry to shiho nage. We spoke w/ sensei about how this felt weird. Sensei told us that off the line drop back could be smaller than we were making it. Something more like 15 degrees than the 30 or so that Rick and I were doing.
Sensei and I had a wonderful discussion about politics and then about trying to do aikido w/o any force being detectable by the uke. The idea being that you direct the flow of energy so well and subtley that the uke does not feel that any force was applied to their body.

I had experiencied this twice w/ the hand part of ikkyo last week w/ Victor. I have been unable to do anything close since then to my frustration. I felt what it was really supposed to feel like now I can't get it! Sensei said that these would happen throughout my training and were there to give me glimpses of what to work for.

Beginers class was slower paced but equally rewarding w/ the exception of the fact that I sustained my first Aikido injury when I got stepped on by my nage and my big toenail bent back and ripped. Ouch!
Views: 637


In General Sensei Calls a practice test for me. Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #86 New 05-24-2004 09:22 AM
5/18/04
Worked with Rick. One of the things that we discovered was that I was pushing back on him right at the end of the blend, In Shino Nage when he pulled back, so that our energy together tipped him backward. This was a great way to take his balance, in fact it worked amazingly well. Sensei came over and we aked him about it. He said that it was either my Aikido personality comming out, and that it would work with me, or that I had gone down a Cul d sac and would soon be doing it different. He favored the Cul D Sac. So I worked on doing with a roll off instead of the way that I was doing it. It was an interesting thing though. Rick had never felt it before.

Did some Jua Wazza with Rick and Candice. It was fun.

Sensei ran me through an entire test with Rick and only mentioned that I as the testie was responsible for starting the walking and bowing in and out of everything. The mock test seemed to go well. It was shorter than I would have imagined it.

Too Tired to go to Evening Aikido. I will get in some more on Thursday, and again on Sunday.

Views: 768


In General Working with a BRAND new beginner! Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #85 New 05-24-2004 09:19 AM
5/16/04
The new person Matt was there, we all helped him, and explained to him that Sundays were different than Other days, as this was an open training day.

Rick and I trained together and went over the entire test. We also did a little demonstrating for Matt. Rick asked me to on serveral occasions. This felt really good, I was flattered...Is that a bad ego thing?

I got to work with Rick on some Morote Dori, which was a lot of fun.

I was noticing that my rolls are a lot better. My right side I have flying rolls! Much to my own surpirse. My left side is a little tighter, and not as smooth, but it is getting there. Back rolls are ok, still need to get the ending better and figure out how to get more energy into going backwards as I do them for a standing position. I kind of run out of steam when not being thrown to do them.

It was interesting working with Matt toinght. It reminded me where I was just a very short 4 monts ago, and what that felt like. I was thinking about this right before Rick and I did some demonstartions of the things that I was going to be doing on my test for him. Then I did some rolling while Rick was working with him. It was amazing to see how much being in the Dojo has done for my physical abilities in the short time that I have been there.

It was good to work with someone that does not know any of the right things to do as UKE it is a lot more realistic. You realize that until you become good at the blending and leading in a marshal ...More Read More
Views: 821


In General A good physical Workout with Don Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #84 New 05-24-2004 09:14 AM
5/14/04
Worked out with Don in Aikido. All 1.5 hours of it. Don is one of the most marshal of the people in our Dojo. He is a high ranking Tae Kwon Do teacher, and is crossingover into Aikido.

It was a good physical workout. He helped me a lot with my Irimi Nage.

There was something that was a bit off about his Nikyo from Shoman, we spoke about it, (I had to say something or I was afraid that my elbow was going to get broken, not that he was trying to hurt me, there was just something wrong/ very Marshal about it.) Don immidately appologised, and we worked on it slow until he saw what he was doing. Then it was a good Nikyo!

It was good working with him. A new person Matt was there tonight, and worked with Victor all night. I Think that he enjoyed himself.

It was very interesting working with Don I think that Don enjoyed working with me although I probably talked a little too much for him.

It was a high intensity work out for me.
Views: 542


In General But people are going to watch me testing!!!! Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #83 New 05-24-2004 09:09 AM
5/13/04
Evening Aikido: Worked on test materials. It was a good evening. Victor helped me with the blend and the energy flow for ikkyo, it was amazing feeling how easy and gracefull he is. He said that my mind is talking to my body but that my body is not talking back and giving my mind the feedback and information that it needs. He said I would get there.
At the end of class sensei came over to me and said "not half bad".

This is a high complement comming from him. I gues that means that I am ready for the test.

Brion sent me an e-mail w/ said that he thought my test was going to be more of a demonstration than a test.

Both of these compliments made me feel better about the whole thing.

Speaking with Sensei he spoke about why it was that the testing process was a lot tougher than most of the other tests that we had taken in life. His comments helped my understanding a lot and made good sence too. We are going to stand up in front of a community of people that we have entered into, and in most cases developed friendships and ties with. Everyone there knows how to do what we are being tested on better than we do, we know that each of them is more competent that we are in many ways. We have no role that we are playing like an actor to hide behind, what we are and who we are in Aikido is going to be visable to those that are watching. We as beginers are focused on the mistakes that we are going to make and not the sucesses, and the learning that we are going to ...More Read More
Views: 679


In General Again More test Practice Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #82 New 05-24-2004 09:01 AM
5/13/04

Worked on test prep in the morning w/ Rick. It seems to have gone really well. Practiced quite a bit after class w/ Julia & Krista. It was wonderfull!

Spoke w/ sensei about the past political issues w/ the dojo it was very interesting. It was interesting to see the influences that some of the past politics have made on the way the Dojo currently is functioning, and to see the way that things ebb and flow in ways that were not apparent to a beginer with only a short timeline of expereinces.
Views: 861


In General Tai no Henko and Shiho Nage changes. Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #81 New 05-12-2004 11:52 AM
5/11/04
Worked with Rick on test stuff. Sensei came by and helped me with Tai No Henko Kihno Nagare (IN Motion). He explained that where the uke grabs me determines how much force there is that builds up as I move in a circle toward the uke. Also important was where I made the middle of my circle. Closer to the point that the Uke connection was less toward the uke that I needed to move. There was a balance between taking the ukes balance a little and just letting them go by. Taking their balance in a marshal situation was necessary to make them think about the fact that you had done more than just get out of the way.

In Shiho Nage, Sensei changed the way that both Rick and I were stepping on the second step so that we were much more behind the Uke. This allowed us to have a safe arm angle for the uke without having to do a little slide step right before the throw. This was amazing! It felt so much better! It was also much safer as there was no way the Uke could even see you, let alone land a punch or kick.
Views: 945




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