1. what was the last (or most significant) belief that you've had in your aikido training that you've changed your mind on?
A. My body does not automatically do what I envision it doing. Now I know that muscle memory is very important.
B. Self-Defense and Martial Arts are not as linked as I once thought.
C. Violence is not always bad as I was led to believe.
1. What brought on this change of mind?
A. Two years of struggling with basic foot work, I've gotten it "right" once.
B. Thinking about the age old question of "does Aikido work" led me to crime statistics, which further led me to the belief that ukemi practice is going to "defend me" (i.e. keep me from getting hurt) more redily than any technique.
C. The joy I feel as I'm thrown through the air, or the connection I have when someone allows me to throw them, are unlike any other feelings I've had before. These feelings come from a noticably violent behavior (throwing someone is violent in my opinion).
3.What implications did this change have on your overall aikido training?
A. I no longer get frustrated with doing things over and over and over again. I try to concentrate more when doing things slowly, and free my mind (relax) more when doing them fast.
B. From the Aikido side, I try to concentrate on ukemi as much as possible. I want more than anything to be great at taking falls. Also, I'm less hung up on the question "will this work on martial artist x?" I think it is a valid question, but a more problematic question for me is "can I take proper ukemi after being hit by a ford? What about a buick?"
C. I get this sneaking suspision that those high school wrestlers I never understood, were on to something. Maybe the ju-jitsu guys aren't as primitive and brutal as I once thought. And I always always always thank the person I've been practicing with, because they allow me to continue to train.
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