Setting personal goals

Do you set personal goals for yourself in Aikido?

If so, what are you working on and more importantly, how do you go about working on said aspect in a general dojo environment.

To give an example, I was knocked down by colds and flu a couple of weeks ago and in the past two weeks I have upped my training schedule by trying (with limited success) to attend more classes per week. My goal being to get back into the swing of things faster.

I have a few aspects and technicalities earmarked to work on when I am fully back in the saddle which should be next week. But to work on these things, I either need to con a fellow student into staying after class with me or I have to practice on my own.

Also I am dying to get a bit of play time in with someone from another art, but as soon as I do anything they are not familiar with they back off, its quite frustrating, where can I find a kickboxer who is not afraid of falling? And how do you handle these urges for a bit of martial rough-housing?

Of course.

Like you, I was out for a while and set a goal of attending classes more regularly. I've also recently set goals to work on my tenkan movement and to modify my ukemi during pinning techniques.

Regards,

-Drew

After a little over a year in Aikido, I find myself with an erratic schedule, but still have the desire to pursue the art.

I've learned a great deal, but there is so much to learn. At this time, my goal is to fine tune the skills I have now and improve my ukemi which needs a lot of work.

Overall, my goal is to stick specifically with Aikido. I have no intention of cross training with others until well after attaining black belt rank in Aikido. Any change up in what I'm doing I believe would only hinder my ability and skill in what I do now.

Working in the dojo during normal hours is sufficent to me. There are many things that can be practiced on my own outside of class if I so desire: Jo work, Tenkan/Tenkai, basic hand movements... just walking and concentrating on body position and hand postition gives me plenty to think about. Using a Kokyu Ho hand postition to push a grocery cart might look odd, but I'm amazed at what I've learned from it.

That's my 2 cents.

Good luck in your training!

Just Keep going, you have the rest of you life. Thats the discipline. We all have crazy times in our life. Times when we can spend alot of time and times when we can't spend any time. I depends on your path.

I set goals too, small ones and big ones. The small ones are food to fuel my initiative for the bigger ones.

Small ones, like, "I want to focus on improving my cuts" or "Focus on moving more from one-point".

Then the big ones, like "In randori, a technique picks you, you don't pick it. How does that apply to my job?" or something like exercising patience and making "one cut with the sword instead of many little nicks" at work.

*Phil

My short (and maybe moderate) term goal in learning aikido is I want to be able to control people without causing pain. In long term, well, I just want to be a better man through learning aikido, not only phisically but also mentally and in character as well.

Wynand, don't worry about your frustrated feeling. just remember that ours and their philosophy is completely different, its natural that people tend to deny something that against their beliefs.

Great topic! It's great because I've taken a bit of time to reflect on my own personal goals. Since I've only been studying for six months, I've had some goals that were unrealistic because of my lack of understanding, knowledge, and physical ability. Aikido has been much, much more than I anticipated.

I chose aikido to help bridge my body, mind, and spirit. I had a major health issue six years ago that left a few physical problems as well as anxiety, and panic attacks. My long term goal was to control and overcome these problems. It did not take long. No panic attacks in three months, no depression in four, and I'm more relaxed than I have been in years. Medications did not do in six years what aikido did in a few months. Wow!

My goal is to continue to grow and develop within our art. I'm striving to be an example to cancer patients and other cancer survivors that life after disease is possible, and rewarding.

Joseph Huebner

My short term goals:

- Remember to have fun each practice session

- Allways give what I got. Sincere effort

Long term goals:

- That coverted black belt

- Help spread Aikido by opening a new dojo

Really long term goal:

- Experience the peace and tranquility that follows from having obtained the harmony that signifies a master.

I expect to get at least to the middle level

Also I am dying to get a bit of play time in with someone from another art, but as soon as I do anything they are not familiar with they back off, its quite frustrating, where can I find a kickboxer who is not afraid of falling

Muay thai allows some throws from the clinch. San shou/San Da allows a much wider range of throws. Not sure if there are any schools in the area.

You may want to try Cape Town Street Tough, a , Straight Blast Gym Affliate

Regards,

Paul

My prsonal goal was to just keep showing up. There were some implied long term goals and some short term objectives to work towards it. In the end, it was just about showing up.

Yeah, what Lynn said.

Bronson

Lynn Seiser (SeiserL) wrote: My prsonal goal was to just keep showing up. There were some implied long term goals and some short term objectives to work towards it. In the end, it was just about showing up.

I am scared of taking this attitude, its too easy to fall into a mindset where going through the motions to know you have done a class becomes more important than learning from and enjoying EVERY class.

Wynand van Dyk (drDalek) wrote: ... its too easy to fall into a mindset where going through the motions to know you have done a class becomes more important than learning from and enjoying EVERY class.

In all humility, some days I don't know that I learned anything and certainly didn't enjoy myself, but the discipline got me to show up and I certainly hope that training is accumulative.

Of course goals are important. As a grad student who was going to be involved with my dojo for only a few years before I move on, I set the goal of earning Shodan before I left. Had I not set this goal, and shared the goal with my Sensei, I might not have achieved it. There are many compitent aikidoka in the dojo who have studied longer than I who have not as yet earned Shodan. The main thing that is stopping them is that they have not set their mind to doing this.

Maybe their goal is to be a competent aikidoka that train regularly, and in this they are totally successful. Maybe they aren't stopped or slowed in any sense.

Jesse Lee wrote: Maybe their goal is to be a competent aikidoka that train regularly, and in this they are totally successful. Maybe they aren't stopped or slowed in any sense.

I have talked with them several times and the issue is priorities. They are certainly becoming compitent aikidokas but they don't train regularly, which is why they have lagged behind in grade. I think that their goals are related to finishing school and moving on, not improving their aikido.