|
|
Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the
world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to
over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a
wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history,
humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.
If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced
features available, you will need to register first. Registration is
absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!
|
02-25-2003, 12:05 PM
|
#1
|
Dojo: Shindai Dojo, Orlando Fl.
Location: Orlando Florida
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 456
Offline
|
Anyone else feel this way sometimes?
Ain't it nice to occasionally get the glitter back. To add fuel to the spark. Am I just a crazy old man (wait, don't answerer that part) or do other sometimes feel this way? When each of the forms of budo I have pursued over the last four decades was new to me they had sparkle and shine. Oh I remember the first time stepping into the Aikido school in the mid 1960's and the walls were white and the floor was white and the uniforms were white and man the art was something new. It surly did add sparkle to a very jaded man's life. Over the years the luster becomes more subdued with added thumping and grinding getting stuck and stitched. Oh hell, it sure is grand to step onto the mat and feel that newness again. It's like getting out of my old pickup truck I will never sell and into a new car. It feels great. Well we had Ellis Amdur at the dojo over the weekend and got to see some new stuff. Some real old battle field orientated kenjutsu work as opposed to the dueling style kenjutsu and iaijutsu I know. My Sunday shined because of it, not to mention the old dog ain't to bad of a fellow either. It was just a grand weekend.
|
|
|
|
02-25-2003, 04:57 PM
|
#2
|
Dojo: Atlanta School of Aikido
Location: Atlanta, GA
Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 387
Offline
|
I liked most of what he has written, sounds like he can walk the walk as well.
|
|
|
|
02-26-2003, 01:59 AM
|
#3
|
Dojo: Vestfyn Aikikai Denmark
Location: Vissenbjerg
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 803
Offline
|
I guess it's a bit like falling in love. Something new and exciting, and very appealing at first. In the long run however, I prefer the nice feeling of stability and confidence of a relationship growing stronger as time goes by. (This goes for aikido as well as in my marriage ). I have been in a couple of dojo's since 1985 where I first took up Karate, but I have never felt more 'at home' and welcome than in my current aikido-dojo.
|
- Jørgen Jakob Friis
Inspiration - Aspiration - Perspiration
|
|
|
02-26-2003, 04:44 AM
|
#4
|
Dojo: University of Ulster, Coleriane
Location: Northern Ireland
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,654
Offline
|
Well put Jorgen! Never thought of it like that - I've found that you feel like your plodding the same old path for years, and then suddenly something in you is brought out and you realise that all that plodding leads to a point where you are ready to gain a new understanding.
|
---understanding aikido is understanding the training method---
|
|
|
02-26-2003, 08:03 AM
|
#5
|
Dojo: Cedar River Aikikai
Location: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 142
Offline
|
Jorgen, I agree completely. My wife and I were just talking about this the other night, actually. There is, after a time, a new type of love that is hard to quantify and explain, but is much more powerful and subtle than what we felt nine years ago. This came in response to one of those "why do you love me?" tests that she gave me. Good job on relating that feeling to the mat, though. Excellenct analogy.
As far as the actual question, though. I haven't been at this long enough to have that subtle and deep love, even if I can see that's where I'm headed with Aikido. I'm still in the honey-moon phase of intense passion and interest. Thanks for the topic, though; it's good to think about these things once in a while
|
If the Nightingale doesn't sing-
wait
|
|
|
02-26-2003, 11:23 AM
|
#6
|
Dojo: Aikido of Birmingham
Location: Trussville Alabama
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 26
Offline
|
Hooker Sensei,
I think that it goes back to the ichi-go ichi-ye mindset. Finding a catalyst to jumpstart the ichi-go ichi-ye attitude, whether its a seminar, looking into my wifes eyes, being alone in the woods, or grabbing hold of the jumper cables. I recently met a fighter pilot who explained that feeling every time he went up.
I attended a seminar some time ago where this ichi-ye ichi-go mindset was explained, by some crazy person who teaches Aikido in Orlando. I forgot to thank him then... Thanks
|
|
|
|
02-26-2003, 12:44 PM
|
#7
|
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 346
Offline
|
at a totally different level Hooker Sensei, I got to share some of your feeling last night...
you see, I just lucked out; Rick sensei brought some of that weekend's lessons to play with (all the way to CA)!
Better yet, I went to class having read your post, wondering if I'd be lucky enough to catch some spillover from your shiny sunday (all I knew was that Rick had gone to FLA over the weekend and would be hanging out with you) , and lo and behold I get to spend the next couple of hours doing not only new (everything's new to me) but exciting stuff as well.
In Chile we have a saying
"a quien buen arbol se arrima , buena sombra le llega"
|
Alfonso Adriasola
|
|
|
02-26-2003, 02:05 PM
|
#8
|
Dojo: Messores Sensei (Largo, Fl.)
Location: Florida
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 1,267
Offline
|
Re: Anyone else feel this way sometimes?
Quote:
Dennis Hooker wrote:
Well we had Ellis Amdur at the dojo over the weekend and got to see some new stuff....My Sunday shined because of it, not to mention the old dog ain't to bad of a fellow either. It was just a grand weekend.
|
No argument here. The weekend did shine. I liked the way he lived some of his essays' concerns ( http://www.ellisamdur.com/OldSchool.htm) by breaking the usual aikido training paradigm and inviting people to warn partners of injuries, get water as needed, defend themselves against tricky techniques (mine being one he chose to defend against--AIKI AGE for those familiar with it.)
Also, reading his essays, one might take him for a little prickly. In person he's very warm and responsive and he regaled us with stories of training in Japan and of the sundry expats of his acquaintance there.
Excellent. Very glad I made it. Thank you, Dennis, for hosting him.
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 11:14 PM.
|
vBulletin Copyright © 2000-2024 Jelsoft Enterprises Limited
Copyright 1997-2024 AikiWeb and its Authors, All Rights Reserved.
For questions and comments about this website:
Send E-mail
|
|