I have been wanting to post this thread for ages, and have finally got round to it. I moved to Italy from England last year and my first priority was to find a good dojo.
I found a great one, sympathetic sensei, sprung floor, skillful and inspiring black belts, it's even next to a bar, which made my old aikido mateys back in the UK really
with envy!
New country, new language, new customs, new dojo. Everything is strange and new. In my old organisation, we all wore coloured belts and you have to be a black belt to wear the hakama. IMHO the coloured belts are a good idea, if only as a safety precaution, you know if someone can break fall or not for example. In my new dojo, I was told to wear a white belt (I am graded at 4th kyu in England). I have noticed when attending international courses that some other organisations have all kyu grades wearing white belts, and wear the hakama at lower grades.
I have also noticed in some foreign dojos, you can sit anywhere on the tatami when lining up at the beginning and end of the class. I am not happy with this, I feel very uncomfortable at the right hand side of a black belt. In my new dojo, I asked why they didn't wear coloured belts and was told that it was in order not to show off. When I asked how they knew who was which grade, the answer I got was that they all knew each other, but how does this work on courses?
I am in a quandry every class, as my new dojo keep the usual etiquette of the higher the grade, the higher up the mat. Unless I put myself right at the bottom, I am in danger of making a gaffe. Almost everyone in my new dojo has had the utmost patience with this foreign newbie who hasn't even mastered their language properly. However, although I am familiar with most of the techniques practised, I have learned other methods of doing them for the most part, and am having to relearn everything. It's frustrating and hard work, also an excellent lesson in humility, but I do feel such a fool. I am sure some of them think I am a complete novice, as was evidenced last night when a fellow aikidoka asked me to sit below her on the mat, saying "No, you sit lower down than me" adding "I think". I'd had a particularly tough session and stupidly let this get to me.
I would love to hear other aikidoka's opinions, coloured belts or not, hakama at black belt, position on the tatami. What happens in your organisation and why?
Oh, and I miss you guys at D.A.N soooo much!