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Old 01-12-2014, 08:26 AM   #2
Dave Sampson
Location: Devon
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 14
United Kingdom
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Re: Some Advice on Starting Out

Quote:
Gordon Young wrote: View Post
Although this article specifically talks about the author's experience in a BJJ gym, the points she makes are very applicable to aikido as well

http://breakingmuscle.com/martial-ar...r-phase-of-bjj
I can only speak of my experience when i first started aikido and it differs completely to the lady who wrote the article. I have never seen a more friendly environment being offered to an outsider than when i first stepped into the dojo and i have been in lots of clubs, associations in my life. These were warm hands being extended that were sincere unlike the, which i perceived to be superficially, ones being offered at the authors first dojo. Although i have to agree that you can't force a "relationship" or butt your way in as mentioned in the article.

Nor am i there to offer advice on how to teach us better. I am there to absorb and do in the beginning. How i learn is up to me but i am sure as hell not going to lecture sensei on how they can teach me. These techniques have been done for a long time prior to my arrival and i trust that they work.

If, however, there are things that our teachers need to be aware of that could effect our progression then they do need to be made aware of these potential issues that could impact our learning. This has nothing to do with being disrespectful at all. Somebody that has bee through trauma could have PTSD and react in unexpected ways to being "handled" with force. That needs to be addressed. The last thing a practitioner of aikido needs is mental disassociation at the moment an atemi comes in as that could lead to injury.
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