"solo" training?

Hi there,

Today it´s a national Holiday in Brasil (Carnaval) and everything is closed until further notice, so I was wondering if you have some exercises that can be done when you are alone.
For me it´s probably too soon for trying to do something on my own besides ukemi (and I have a small living room, so that is out as well), but is it possible to train the techniques by yourself?

Cheers,
Messias.

Samba... for the hips.

eheheheh...

Demetrio Cereijo wrote: Samba... for the hips.

tango for the ladies

Phi Truong wrote: tango for the ladies

A friend of mine would advise bachata for that!

Solo aikido training is difficult, especially if you're pretty new to it. Here's an idea for something you can try, that might be both fun and educational:

Part 1: practice tai sabaki (footwork). Start with the basics. Every step you make, check and correct, check and correct. Are your feet where they should be, lined up as they should be? Is your weight where it should be? Are your hips oriented correctly? Check and correct. Do that until you are doing the basic tai sabaki correctly, then start to combine them. Irimi tenkan. Irimi kaiten. Et cetera. Again, check and correct, check and correct.

Part 2: go to youtube and find some aikido videos of techniques that you know. Watch the videos and identify the footwork being used. Is this how you're used to seeing it done? If not, how is it different? Could it be done another way?

Footwork is one of the most fundamental skills in aikido, and I think that for most of us, the ability to observe is another. Trying to practice waza without a partner is probably a waste of time, but perhaps you can get some good practice of some of the skills that are the foundation of waza.

Hi there,

Thank you, lbb. That´s exactly what I meant! Something that could be done "solo" and would somehow benefit the learnings on the matt.
I´ll have a look into what you said.

And thank you to all the dancing suggestions, but I guess my wife won´t be too happy with me dancing the Samba/Lambada, especially in this time of the year...

Cheers,
Messias.

Messias, training solo really is a large part of effective training, even after people have been on the mat for years. In fact, after awhile, the training can become part of everyday life - even in the way we sit, stand, walk, move, open doors, put the dishes away. There's always places to study and play around. It actually becomes a sort of mindfulness - an attention, an opening in consciousness that can help keep us more awake.

I think if more people would train solo before they ever even stepped on the mat, they'd be more prepared to really learn. A lot of people who come into aikido have to actually be deprogrammed, and rewired. The main thing we run into, especially in the West, is the idea that large muscle groups and their use are our source of strength. We can move into an entirely different level of strength by disengaging the large muscle groups and tapping into the intrinsic strength in the body's natural design.

I'm actually working on developing something especially for people like you, who are remote and may not have access at times to training places. And even for people who do train, as something supplemental on aspects that might not be so readily apparent.

Have a look at this video, in which I explain that your skin is what makes the structure of your body.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybVBN2qUFFA

Felipe, you might consider doing the aiki taiso exercises that Tohei sensei propounded. Fune kogi undo and so forth are excellent exercises for developing aikido movement and I believe all of our techniques can be found in those movements. You Tube has plenty of example videos. We do them at the start of every class. I learn something each and every time that translates to what we do later that same class. I do them at home frequently and find they help.

Given your small space you could practice knee walking techniques. I often do weapons when training by myself. If possible I would recommend asking your teacher or senior to allow you to video tape any solo exercises such as kata, suburi, aiki taiso, tai sabaki or whatever similar things are taught in your dojo. That way you can use it as a reference for training when the dojo is closed or you are traveling. I would keep it simple though, you don't want to overburden yourself!