I Used to Believe...

I used to believe teachers knew how to teach and it was my fault not understanding certain things.

Its hard to find a good teacher.

My teacher taught me by not teaching me!

One day I told him that I was afraid that I would stop progressing when I returned to America, and that if he ever came to visit me, he would become angry at me because my aikido had become worse. So he stopped coming to practice.

I didn't see him for a month. He taught one class and I didn't see him for another month.

Because I was his uke during public demonstrations, I knew that sooner or later there would be hell to pay if I backslid. So I decided to practice with my partners with the same amount of attention to detail as I did with my teacher. Since I was his uke, I continuously worked on perfecting my attacks and ukemi.

After three months, my teacher returned. He commented to another teacher that he was surprised at how much I had improved. The other teacher just looked at me and smiled and said, "Yes, he has."

They had trained me by not teaching me. Now I know how to train myself, and I'm always improving my skill because I don't depend on my teacher, but he's always in my heart.

[quote="Dennis Hooker"]dislocated and my left forearm split from the wrist to the elbow.a student opened up my eyebrow. a sword slipped into my left arm my right knee dislocated when a wayward rolled As my ribs snapped the hamstring n my left leg gave way and turned it into Jell-O

DUDE YOU ROCK

[quote="kerry taylor (scarry one)"]

Dennis Hooker wrote: dislocated and my left forearm split from the wrist to the elbow.a student opened up my eyebrow. a sword slipped into my left arm my right knee dislocated when a wayward rolled As my ribs snapped the hamstring n my left leg gave way and turned it into Jell-O DUDE YOU ROCK

Do this stuff for 35 or 40 years with some passion and things happen. Hell I didn't even mention the broken back, rebuilt shoulder and knees.

Dennis

Gosh Dennis, maybe you should just be more careful.

See you Friday.

I am a skier and I had three big skiing illusions.

I believed that I know where my centre is, that I can concentrate on it and that I can use it easily and feel it all the time. The very first tenkan (not to mention more complicated things) proved it was an illusion.

I believed I am not affraid of falling. I am.

I believed I can't hit my back harder than I did when my fastenings didn't endure the pressure and got unfastened. The very first mae-ukemi suwari-waza (from seiza, not even from the knee) proved that I can. And I don't need any speed or height for it.

There is one good thing. I believed I will feel awful not being able to do the things others can do. I am happy about it. Because when sometimes, really seldom I do something really right, I feel great and I enjoy every moment of learning.

...I used to believe that to be a Shihan in aikido, you needed to be a master of Aikido.

...I used to believe that when you practiced aikido, that only Morihei Ueshiba was O-Sensei.

...I used to believe that O'Sensei was an Irishman.

…I used to believe that the title of Sensei came after the teacher's name.

...I used to believe that you didn't spend 10 years practicing an art, rather you spent 10 years seeking a true master.

...I used to believe that a Master accepted you as a student, not the other way around.

...I used to believe that Aikido had something to do with Omoto-Kyo. Then I found out it is the the other way around.

...I used to think that Misogi had something to do with Aikido. See above note about Omoto-Kyo.

…I used to believe that Daito-Ryu was a powerful martial art, and that Aikido came from it.

...I used to believe O-Sensei knew what he was talking about, but somehow everyone keeps changing it to make it better, I guess.

...I used to believe that Aikido was a Japanese Martial art.

...I used to believe in "KI". Then I believed in "Kokyu". Then I didn't believe that they were the same thing, especially when people who talk about KI are really referring to Kokyu. Then Abe Sensei explained the relationship between these two things to me. Now I can't figure out which comes first the KI or the Kokyu... Anyone?

...I used to believe that I would live in Japan, speak fluent Japanese, have a Japanese family, wear kimono and getta all day and run my own dojo. One out of five aint bad, right?

...I used to believe that mastering Aikido was important. Now I believe that practicing it is.

...I used to believe that throwing a person without touching them was going to take a lifetime to understand. Now that I can do it, I still don't understand it.

Shaun Ravens (Misogi-no-Gyo) wrote: ...I used to believe O-Sensei knew what he was talking about, but somehow everyone keeps changing it to make it better, I guess.

This was supposed to read:

...I used to believe O-Sensei knew what he was talking about, but since everyone keeps on changing it, I guess Aikido must be getting better.

~~Then: Aikido can teach me magic

~~Now: Aikido constantly reminds me that the magic's in me

~~Then: Aikidoka are 'probably' more spiritually developed

~~Now: Surprise! Folks are folks, but it's helping ME toward greater developement

~~Then: Much of Aikido techniques/application are 'not as good' as those of other MA

~~Now: On one level true--on many, many levels FALSE

~~Then: Aikido will augment my 'real training'

~~Now: Aikido IS my real training