My best memory is from the first time I ever got on the mat.
I was never really interested in martial arts before, but I got to talking to my friend in college, and he started telling me about aikido... He had done a little, and there was a big club at our school, so I agreed to go check it out.
I think I was really confused watching the first class, but the second time I went, I trained a little, and finally got to work with a shodan. We were doing iriminage, but I had no clue what I was in for. I punched, pretty hard, and he moved right into me, and took my head to his chest, like hugging a brother... and I was on the floor. I couldn't believe it. I felt like his brother, because he had accepted me in the midst of my attack. Anything else was gone...
wow.