Re: Aikido Demo Advice
There's the aikido piece, then there's the presentation piece, which should not be overlooked. Some basic rules of presentation:
- Plan, then rehearse, then rehearse again. And again. And again. Know your stuff cold before you stand up in front of an audience.
- Get someone to watch your performance and offer commentary. No chitchat, run through it like it was the real thing, then discuss afterwards.
- I can't advise you on music, but -- unless you normally play music while training in your dojo -- I can advise you to use the music in all rehearsals if you intend to use it for the demo. As with anything else, never introduce an element into the performance that you haven't rehearsed.
- If your demo will not be narrated, make sure it can stand on its own, without explanation. If it will be narrated by someone other than you, make sure that person rehearses with you. If you will be narrating, keep your narration brief, to the point, and well-timed.
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