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Old 07-15-2008, 04:56 PM   #83
rob_liberti
Dojo: Shobu Aikido of Connecticut
Location: East Haven, CT
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,402
United_States
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Re: Seiseki Abe Sensei video....whats going on here?

Well, I think I can relate a bit to something Shaun was talking about here.

I remember visiting a friend in a different dojo (under a different shihan who has/had more of a violent repuation than others).

I was just happily doing basic waza and I didn't do the exact perscribed ukemi. I was just really into what was going on, and I was so joyful about being there and doing that thing we call aikido together that the guy who typically would try to break you in half for challenging his waza by not going exactly where he wanted you to go, just kind of wispered (take another backstep before bailing out) - and it was one of those absolutely quiet training dojos.

So I adjusted and all was well in the universe. After class that guy - under ranked sandan at the time - told me that he was a bit suprised himself that things went that way. He had been working on really punishing anyone who didn't do the "safe" thing, and was a little suprised that we had such an interchange.

All I could think was - well that's because what *I* practice is overwhelming people with my joy of training - and it worked - yet again.

I remember training with Gleason sensei and really opening up my feeling to him so I would stop being so suprised by where I was going to be randomly thrown. After a while, I think he had been going through some dark time on the home front, I noticed that he could show up to teach and be obviously all pissed off. After about 3 ukemis - I would have concentrated my joy of aikido so much that he would start to laugh and smile. I was like - WOW this stuff is powerful - I'm a master. Oh my gosh, then later I realized that this worked both ways, that the uke could feel how the nage was feeling a bit too. Man THAT SUCKED. I had to face the fact that I could no longer be a teacher who outwardly was friendly to a student who I didn't like too much - because if they trained the way I wanted to train - they would absoultely know. I thought - WOW THIS SUCKS - I HAVE TO CHANGE. And I did. I made a lot more progress, and I got a lot less fake with people. So now I'm blunt and honest - and if people don't like it that's perfectly fine.

Anyway if this has nothing to do with what Shaun was talking about then sorry for the interruption.

Rob
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