Just saw myself for the first time

I recently saw a tape of my Aikido a few weeks ago and I immediately noticed something I've been doing wrong. All of my teachers have mentioned my problem in class but I just didn't believe them, for some reason. Perhaps because they addressed the entire class I always assumed it was someone else. It felt right to do it that - the wrong - way.
I just wanted to let everyone here know that it's okay to pull someone aside and show them their mistakes if they just don't seem to get it in class. I'm more than a little embarrassed but it's really a minor setback to my training.
I'd rather not say what my mistake was but it was pretty obvious to me.

Yes- When I saw a tape of my 5th kyu test, I saw all the things that my teachers were trying to have me improve on.

I guess it took watching myself to have those concepts really internalize, instead of just "knowing" that I need to do something different.

Something we do in our dojo is to bring in a video camera once in a while, especially when people are training for testing and get a video of their techniques. Great teaching tool. We always look different than we think.
e ya later
Jill.

i love to see myself on tape now and then look back on it when i get my blackbelt and just rip it to shreds lol but seriously at some point i'd like to get it on film to see just what i look like when im doing aikido

Anonymous, why do you say it is a setback? It seems that whatever it is, since you acknowlege it, you can continue to move forward.

I agree with Asim, you shouldn't consider it a set back but an improvement now that you know you had a problem you can correct it.

When Sensei points out what the class (or an individual) is doing wrong I make sure to try and look for it. As I'm probably doing it incorrectly also. It leads to catching subtleties.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not depressed but I expected a better looking demonstration. Even though this post is coming out on the long side my "form" is not in the top 10 things on my mind in the dojo.
It's kind of like finding out you've had spinach on your teeth or an open fly or spinach on your fly.
The original point of my post was to encourage students and teachers to tactfully nudge their fellow Aikidoka. Some of us are not really clever at all, we're actually just as clueless as we appear to be and wouldn't mind some help. It may be best for sensei to pull the student aside after class in front of a mirror.
One of the reasons I'm writing this anonymously is just for that reason. This could be happening in any dojo right now. It could be happening to YOU!

I guess now is as good a time as any to express my gratitude to you all. Every person on this forum and every person who's ever transmitted their love for Aikido has earned my gratitude.
Some of you have made sacrifices. I hope to repay my debt to you and O Sensei.
Aikido, my sensei and dojo are the best things that ever happened to me. Mostly it's hard work but sometimes it's magic.

Perhaps because they addressed the entire class I always assumed it was someone else.

Whenever the instructors make a comment or correction to the entire class they are talking direclty to you....at least you should assume so

Bronson

I always asume I am the one doing it wrong, Okay, so I usually am. Humbly stay open to input. You'll progress faster.

Jill Nielsen wrote: Something we do in our dojo is to bring in a video camera once in a while, especially when people are training for testing and get a video of their techniques. Great teaching tool. We always look different than we think. e ya later Jill.

Good ego control too.
Just when I think I'm lookin' pretty good doing my stuff; Jill drags in her camcorder - and I get to see that I actually look like an ostrich with the quivering fits up there.

Video cameras really do help, but sometimes all the verbal instruction won't help until you see yourself. When I saw my 3rd kyu test, I noticed that whenever I went to stand in hanmi I'd do so kind of ballet/ dance thing with my hands, and my fingers had that ballet extension. It was like this little florish with my fingers. No one really said anything to me, but my dance/ baton twiling background was evident. I stopped doing that afterwards. I was also surprised at the lack of intensity in my aikido. It felt intense to me, but the "intensity" had more to do with being outshape than actually being intense. I had been told to work on my stamina but to do that I need to lose weight, and I did.

I recently passed my last examination and people who were there came up to me saying well done. But after I had watch it on video I thought to myself what were they watching, it could not be the same grading.

I shout at the T.V. my stance was terrible, I kept screaming at myself to get my hands up into some kind of guard and all the time I was shaking my head as if I had't a clue what i was doing.

If the people how go to my monday class had done the same I'd have made they life are at the very lest that class a living hell for them.

I do see the how video's can help but I hate watching myself its a really eye opener to see what other people see. So maybe thinking about it a tape every two months may not be a bad idea. Only every two months my voice will need to recover.

Sean