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Old 09-10-2005, 07:37 PM   #68
samiagoudie
Location: byron bay
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 5
Australia
Offline
Re: Aikido survivors (Voices of Experience)

Thank you Rachel and everyone else in this interesting discussion,

I would like to add another aspect. I have traveled a lot in my life , especially when younger. I therefore trained with many many different Sensei , some for years , some for months , some weeks. I learnt something from all of them and could only do so because no matter what I would approach it as a beginner each time. I learn flexibility due to this and was able to mostly incorporate and ajust accordingly to the styles I was expose to and take something away each time that strengthened my technique and center. Some would say this is not a good way to train and each way has pros and cons.. I did have main influences and bias as to what was Best suited for me , but I also learnt to respect the strengths in each way and each teacher . SOME i found more difficult to adapt to and others felt familiar. For me this was a better option than only training where I felt most comfortable and was known. Sometimes as a black belt , people would try challenge me , try prove their way was better , but these incidents were not of concern for me and if anything simply became another learning. I was always told to pick partners who I found difficulties with and took this to heart , it is here we can learn the most , sometimes the joy of training with someone you just love to flow with is also fantastic and of course i loved those moments most , but the difficult ones taught me more for sure, about myself if nothing else.

I started teaching because when I returned to Australia , noone was teaching in the state I lived , SO with permission , I started and the dojo still xists 25 years later , with a wonderful SENSEI who took over after some years. I then traveled again and each place I lived started a dojo , so I COULD continue my own training where none was available. I loved it and learnt so much through this process , but often over time felt lonely and missed having regular teachers available ( as I had to travel to seminars or invite them to come to the DOJO and this was infrequent> . EVENTUALLY , after the landlord of the last place I taught didn't renew the lease , i decided to stop. I needed a break and to focus on other things and various other reasons as well played into this decision. WHEN i stopped I don't think I thought i would not formally train again , but I also felt i needed more just for myself and life was getting hectic and time was harder and harder to find. I never ever made money out of AIKIDO and never did it to get rank or money , just did it because I loved it , breathed it , dreamt it , lived it ... I still miss it and through this conversation find myself considering the challenge of returning ( there is a dojo near by ) this dojo is one of the styles i am least familiar with .... but then so what ... and I have also had severe injuries and my age ect ... all perhaps excuses , but yes , I do miss it , and yet i do feel that the spiritual teachings , the path , the way , is in my soul to stay ( as i wrote in the last post ) and have translated to other aspect of my life in new ways and new challenges .

I feel itis a mistake to think just because someone gets off the mat ... they are no longer training , the whole point is that the MAT is a practice place , yes a PRACTICE , for real life ... so , just cause you go onto other things , does not mean your not practicing... the Form is OUTER , the essence is inside ...

so , not totally sure if I am making any point specifically here , just some more thoughts and experiences from my life and my relationship with AIKIDO... each has their own way to journey. sometimes I feel i would love to have stayed in one place and built on my training with one school , imagining where this may have led me , but then who can know ? comparing mind will get you every time >>>LOL...

thanks , be well and may we all grow and learn and be open to the beauty around us.
samia
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