AikiWeb Poll for the week of December 14, 2003:

How intimidated were you by your instructor when you first started aikido?

• I don't do aikido
• Extremely intimidated
• Very intimidated
• Somewhat intimidated
• Not very intimidated
• Not at all intimidated

Here are the current results.

OOh; goody goody - I get to be first. :)

No; I wasn't intimidated; my first Sensei was Mike; a big hefty guy twenty years my senior. kinda looked like he could be mean; but was such a big-hearted, warm guy I relaxed with him immediately. :)

I was very intimidated by my Sensei the first day, but not because of anything he did -- it's just that he was so awesome. And he is very reserved and traditional in running the class.

I stopped feeling intimidated after that first class, when he very humbly checked to make sure I wasn't feeling frustrated from trying to learn so many new things. He sincerely wanted to make sure I felt good about his class, and seemed just as concerned about that as I was about hoping I wouldn't disappoint him.

I wasn't intimidated by the sensei when I started out; everyone was very kind and supportive and helpful. Falling and rolling, those scared me, but I quickly saw that the people around me were there to help.

On the other hand, I've gotten slightly more intimidated (not in a bad way) as I've developed the eye to see how good they are! I was sitting on the floor in front of Grigsby sensei while she practiced a jo taigi -- plenty far enough away for safety --and I found myself wanting to back up whenever she made a move in my direction. I am agnostic about how literally "project ki from the tip of your jo" is to be taken, but it certainly feels as though that's what's happening.

It's funny. She's never thrown me hard or hurt me, but my gut is convinced that she's Terribly Dangerous, and I have more butterflies in my stomach when she throws me than with the higher kyu-ranked students who occasionally do pound me into the ground.

In bodysurfing (the closest thing I can think of to aikido in terms of how it feels to me), when you're out beyond the zone where the waves are breaking, even a very large wave will just pick you up and put you down again quite safely. But you definitely feel that you're in the grasp of something much more powerful than yourself.

Mary Kaye

not intimidated. in awe.

if i'd been intimidated i don't think i would have gone back again.

my instructor was more inspiring than anything.

here was this weedy guy who you'd take for an accountant if you saw him on the street, but he was chucking guys twice his size around the room...making them contort their faces in discomfort as he demonstrated wrist locks. he never looked frustrated, annoyed by lack of progress or bored...just projected this strength...

Mary summed it up really well...
that's exactly it...

Intimidated, intrigued and fascinated in equal measure.

That's what turned me on to Aikido as a real martial art and still inspires me now.

Intimidated, no. Impressed, yes.

I wasn't intimidated at all. The first man to welcome me onto an Aikido mat was Ric Costigan Sensei. His invitation was "take your shoes off, come and have a go". A big bear of a man who has become one of my best friends, he now has his own affiliated club which he runs exactly the same way as he ran his classes, disciplined but good-natured. No-one is late onto his classes by design, but if you really cannot help it and you have made a genuine effort to make it, you are made really welcome.

(Is this alright Ric? See you Sunday)

Have fun