advice for those starting the journey...

hi all.
allow me to introduce myself. hope you remember my name.

i recently started aikido after years off any martial arts training. i am a canoe and mountain sport coach based in the UK and alps so i like to think that i am physically fit and active. i am training in a dojo in Leeds called Leeds aikiki.

i am finding aikido intriguing, at times frustrating and always really difficult! if you could offer 1 piece of advice (spiritual, technical or otherwise) for those of us starting out the aikido journey of exploration what would it be?

Sim

don't beat yourself up over things you can not do with training it will come, seen plenty of people take things to heart just turn up train hard and it will become easier, note i said easier not easy !

and most of all enjoy yourself.

all the best

Don't get too caught up in the philosophical portion of aikido when starting.
Go to class, enjoy it and have fun.

Relax and enjoy the journey.

I agree with Justin; enjoying yourself is the most important thing!

Go in with an open mind and plenty of love with no ego and no aggression.

Problems and frustrations will come and go; patience and perseverance.



Enjoy the journey!

Simon Brocklebank wrote: i am finding aikido intriguing, at times frustrating and always really difficult! if you could offer 1 piece of advice (spiritual, technical or otherwise) for those of us starting out the aikido journey of exploration what would it be?

Welcome to Aikido.

It was the same for most of us.

Relax, breathe, be patient, and enjoy yourself. You'll get there if you don't take yourself too seriously (humility is a big part of the art).

Simon Brocklebank wrote: hi all. allow me to introduce myself. hope you remember my name. i recently started aikido after years off any martial arts training. i am a canoe and mountain sport coach based in the UK and alps so i like to think that i am physically fit and active. i am training in a dojo in Leeds called Leeds aikiki. i am finding aikido intriguing, at times frustrating and always really difficult! if you could offer 1 piece of advice (spiritual, technical or otherwise) for those of us starting out the aikido journey of exploration what would it be? Sim

Don't listen to anyone on here...

Mike Grant wrote: Don't listen to anyone on here...

Don't listen to anyone on here...

meaning he shouldn't listen to you, and in theory, should listen to EVERYONE on here??

Constantly be open to change, from both within and out.

Grant Wagar wrote: meaning he shouldn't listen to you, and in theory, should listen to EVERYONE on here??

that's a lovely bit of blending and redirection there

Aikido=Frustration. This is something I have learnt in my 4 month training. It took me almost three weeks to understand something (now as simple as breathing) like moving with the center doing a technique. After that I felt the most powerful man in the world, I thought from now on Aikido will be easy...it lasted 2 days, till next class. Even now Sensei keeps stopping me on every technique finding things I do wrong that I don't even see.
Yesterday we tried a new technique that I had never done (I didn't catch the name of it). All the times we did it not only I have never had Uke tap, but he would stare at me like saying when you start??

Aikido is a continuing chasing. Everytime you think you placed a piece of the puzzle in the right spot here come the next one to figure out. Sensei always tells me that each technique is made of many single parts and it takes time to do them all right, then it takes time to do them with coordination, then it takes time to do them fluent, then it takes time to reach a good misubi (blending) and so on.

So I reached the point that I no longer become frustrated, but I take every class as it comes. I waited 35 years to start Aikido, I don't have to become a Master in 10 days nor never. I just try to sponge the more I can out of an Art that get to love...I am just sorry for my Sensei coz I am sure he must have lost patience not few times with me.

Simon, it's a long journey. The trick is to relax and enjoy the scenery along the way. Best of fortune...

Gianluigi Pizzuto, you learned this after 4 months!?!?!?!? I've been training for more than 10 years and everything you mentioned still happens to me.

Get ready for the long haul...

Best,
Ron

Bend your knees

Just like riding a rollercoaster, enjoy the highs, and ride out the lows, everything will change soon enough. Never a dull moment.

Persit! You cant learn anything if you don't show up to class!

Simon Brocklebank wrote: i am finding aikido intriguing, at times frustrating and always really difficult! if you could offer 1 piece of advice (spiritual, technical or otherwise) for those of us starting out the aikido journey of exploration what would it be?

Hi, I got two bits of advice that have been useful to me (although I approach it from another martial art).

-I'd be vary wary of anyone claiming a special strength, saying it is the basis for this or any martial art, and claiming different ways of moving is the purpose of the training rather than the result of training. But enough about them.

-I'd try to make aikido a large part of your life off the mat as possible too. Practice 'verbal' aikido, adopt the philosophy, understand the itricacies of mental and physical interactions, coach students younger (in practice years) than you in aikido if given permission, etc. Really understand the history and the community of what you practice. This way after doing aikido for 60+ years it won't just be a lot of rolling and throwing or another martial art, it will mean something.

Buy plenty of dogi, atleast 3. Rotate use between the 3, and your dogi will last longer. More importantly, you will have a clean Gi to train in. Good for you and better for your training partners.

Dont leave a wet Gi in your Gi bag to fester into new life form.

Dont leave your Gi in your car when its cold. Unless of course you enjoy a cold Gi misogi before you train.

Ask the question "what happens if I let go?" only after you have a fair degree of understanding of ukemi.

Enjoy,
Bill

Train with as many different people as possible.

Don't quit.

Remain humble and teachable.
And watch the feet.

How about just "play"?

When you play, you're relaxed, more focused, happy yet serious, and in the moment...

"naps are good" my sensei said

Begin and keep an aikido notebook. It can be very useful to look back and reflect on these notes and first impressions.

In gassho

Mark