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Old 11-24-2009, 09:50 PM   #1
mathewjgano
 
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Dojo: Tsubaki Kannagara Jinja Aikidojo; Himeji Shodokan Dojo
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What's your daily practice?

If you have a daily practice, what is it? What's your favorite or most useful part of it?

I'm still trying to be consistent enough to have a daily practice, but I usually pick up the bokken or jo and do a few cuts or awase movements. These days I'm trying to "rehab" my out of shape and often aching body so I do dynamic stretching most often along with calisthenics (squats and isometric exercises).
I don't practice more than 30 minutes or so usually, but it sure feels like a good way to start the day.

Gambarimashyo!
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Old 11-25-2009, 01:55 AM   #2
David Maidment
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Re: What's your daily practice?

I try to get a few swings in with a sword/bokken. But it's not very productive, as I don't really have enough room.

The one thing that I do every day without fail is to read something related to the art. Whilst, granted, you cannot learn from a book, some useful things are bound to sink in over time.
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Old 11-25-2009, 03:40 AM   #3
Abasan
Dojo: Aiki Shoshinkan, Aiki Kenkyukai
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Re: What's your daily practice?

Relax, breath gently, zanshin, moving with center, extend ki. You can do this all the time and it will help with your practice regardless what style you do.

Draw strength from stillness. Learn to act without acting. And never underestimate a samurai cat.
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Old 11-25-2009, 10:37 AM   #4
Janet Rosen
 
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Re: What's your daily practice?

Breathe, try to be kind, try to move and be mindfully; walk or get on exercise bike; try to do some weapons or do some core exercises.

Janet Rosen
http://www.zanshinart.com
"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
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Old 11-25-2009, 10:54 AM   #5
Victoria Pitt
Dojo: Shinjinkai, Chicago, IL
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Re: What's your daily practice?

Bokken because I am learning Aikido and Iaido and they are different to me so I try to make sure I remember the difference. Other than that, I will run on the treadmill or bike or do core exercises (I hurt my back when I first started Aikido pretty bad so now I am paranoid about my back).

I do look at a lot of videos online, seeing what I like, what I don't like, what looks right, what I know is very wrong. I do try to walk like a ninja (hahah) too. Not disturbing too much in my passing, but sometimes that's hard to do when I'm rocking f-me boots which I tend to like a little too much outside the dojo.

I will start practicing with jo next week too because I hate it.

~Do one thing each day that scares you...~
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Old 11-25-2009, 12:09 PM   #6
Mark Uttech
Dojo: Yoshin-ji Aikido of Marshall
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Re: What's your daily practice?

Onegaishimasu. Kokyu Ho is my basic daily practice, focusing on the outbreath. Also mindfulness. I do body turnings (tenkan ho) and stretches all day long...

In gassho,

Mark

- Right combination works wonders -
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Old 11-25-2009, 01:09 PM   #7
Chris Covington
 
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Re: What's your daily practice?

I have found swinging a furibo (see big clubs at the bottom: http://www.budovideos.com/shop/custo...roductid=25376) and doing sumo style shiko (leg lifts/stomps) are two great exercises if done right. I also enjoy doing some spear thrusts with a 7-10 foot length of black malleable 3/4" pipe. My father and girlfriend's father were both former plumbers so I have a bunch of that stuff at my finger tips. You can get it at Home Depot for $15 a length, too.

"most useful part of it?"

Do 100+ cuts with a furibo, 100+ shiko and as many tsuki with the pipe as you can 3X a week and you'll find out really quick what it is useful for If you do it right your bokken, jo and uke will feel like feathers next time you go to class and you'll be able to cut, swing and throw with your hara, not your arms, much better.

Chris Covington
Daito-ryu aikijujutsu
Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryu kenjutsu
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Old 12-19-2009, 05:03 PM   #8
RickMoynihan
Dojo: Tenchi Kai Aikido
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Re: What's your daily practice?

As part of my martial arts training in Dundee, Scotland I focus primarily on moving, by practicing the basic stances and turning movements.

I tend to place particular emphasis on my weight distribution and the feeling of being grounded (one with the ground) whilst retaining perfect balance.

After this I have found a number of ways to simulate having an Uke by practicing techniques such as Irimi nage, in a door frame.... i.e. by practicing irimi from various distances into the wall. Practicing in a door frame means that you can use the wall to simulate a strong opponent. You enter, extending your arm to the wall (as if it were around Uke's neck and upper body), squaring your hips off against the wall etc...

I have found performing this and a number other techniques against the wall invaluable in my daily practice, as few things are as unforgiving.... Practicing this frequently fosters a strong technique that works against otherwise immovable opponents.
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Old 12-21-2009, 06:54 PM   #9
RED
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Re: What's your daily practice?

I can roll anywhere.
Ukemi has been the most useful practice for improving my Aikido. My Nage is immensely effected by how much ukemi I take. People always think I'm doing them a favor when all I want to do is take ukemi for them at open mat. lol
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Old 12-21-2009, 10:42 PM   #10
Tinyboy344
 
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Re: What's your daily practice?

I eat and drink beer a lot. It's good for the hara.
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Old 12-21-2009, 11:36 PM   #11
James Edwards
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Re: What's your daily practice?

Depends on my mood but usually small exercises with bokken or jo. Maybe cuts on seiza since my ceilings are not high enough. Some shikko in the room maybe.

When I don't have weapons (or carpets) then I do other things like push ups, sit ups, balancing exercises, stretching and keeping a horse stance.
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Old 12-22-2009, 05:10 AM   #12
lbb
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Re: What's your daily practice?

I go to the dojo.

I should be doing regular suburi, but I'm not kidding myself: apart from the dojo, I don't have an indoor space where it's possible to swing a bokken, and while people might romanticize the idea of prancing around in the snow, I question whether it's all that practical or helpful as a daily practice (not that there's a plethora of outdoor spaces where it would be appropriate to swing a bokken around, either).
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Old 12-22-2009, 02:47 PM   #13
RED
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Re: What's your daily practice?

Quote:
Duy Trinh wrote: View Post
I eat and drink beer a lot. It's good for the hara.

MM
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Old 12-22-2009, 03:14 PM   #14
Ketsan
Dojo: Zanshin Kai
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Re: What's your daily practice?

My life is a huge exercise in zanshin.
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Old 12-24-2009, 12:27 AM   #15
Amassus
 
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Re: What's your daily practice?

I get up to our toddler...attend to her demands all day (when not at work)...go to bed.
I get to the dojo once a week these days. Oh how life has changed!

"flows like water, reflects like a mirror, and responds like an echo." Chaung-tse
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Old 12-24-2009, 10:58 PM   #16
mathewjgano
 
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Re: What's your daily practice?

Quote:
Dean Suter wrote: View Post
I get up to our toddler...attend to her demands all day (when not at work)...go to bed.
I get to the dojo once a week these days. Oh how life has changed!
Well you're ahead of me.
Not only is my mat time far less frequent, but I'm still working on my baby-fu. My 6 month old has some serious internal power though and I'm amazed at how much...er..."potency" he delivers for me to deal with. I'd go into more detail, but that would be a $#!^&* thing to do.

Gambarimashyo!
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Old 12-25-2009, 08:10 AM   #17
edgarhaliman
Dojo: Indonesia Aikido Federation
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Re: What's your daily practice?

I usually practice taijutsu, well sort of shadow training, because I do not have a partner to practice outside the dojo .. But the most exercise that I like is jo-kata .. That exercise makes me feel better..
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Old 12-25-2009, 09:14 AM   #18
lbb
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Re: What's your daily practice?

Quote:
Edgar Haliman wrote: View Post
I usually practice taijutsu, well sort of shadow training, because I do not have a partner to practice outside the dojo .. But the most exercise that I like is jo-kata .. That exercise makes me feel better..
Here's what I want to know: where do you get the space to practice jo kata? If I tried that in my house, I'd break every lamp in the place.
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Old 12-25-2009, 05:55 PM   #19
RED
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Re: What's your daily practice?

Quote:
Mary Malmros wrote: View Post
Here's what I want to know: where do you get the space to practice jo kata? If I tried that in my house, I'd break every lamp in the place.
Agreed! lol The ceiling fan is my enemy.
I've tried in the tennis court, but my neighbors stare and call apartment management.

MM
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Old 01-16-2010, 10:40 AM   #20
Eugene Leslie
 
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Re: What's your daily practice?

From experience and advice from teachers I make every physical thing I do a potential workout; and a great chance for concentrating on breathing. Another thing is to switch up your prominent hand or side when doing everyday activities to the other....quite awkward and uncomfortable but you will hit unused muscles, learn about your body and maybe become just a little more ambidextrous.
Running or a cardio substuitute...I'm guilty of not maintaining a regular regimen in this department but it's paramount for physical well being.

Bruce Lee stated that one should simulate an attack/defense at any time, anywhere, throughout the day <not a direct quote> : walking, doing the dishes, sitting...etc.. Ya you will get funny looks...but anyone can see the benefit of this in the light of reaction time/technique/imagination and the fact that thugs don't wait until you're ready.

Self-discipline is the chief element of self-esteem; and self-esteem the chief element of courage. Thucydides
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Old 01-16-2010, 06:16 PM   #21
Chuck Clark
 
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Re: What's your daily practice?

Quote:
Ahmad Abas wrote: View Post
Relax, breath gently, zanshin, moving with center, extend ki. You can do this all the time and it will help with your practice regardless what style you do.
As Ahmad said, and I would add the basic tenets of Jigoro Kano, the founder of Kodokan Judo, Seiryoku Zenyo (Best use of Energy) and Jita Kyoei (Mutual Benefit). If we do these things with strong, but relaxed zanshin, always trying to improve every day our practice will develop into maturity. This place, right now, is the dojo.

Best regards,

Chuck Clark
Jiyushinkai Aikibudo
www.jiyushinkai.org
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Old 01-16-2010, 08:51 PM   #22
Jorge Garcia
Dojo: Shudokan School of Aikido
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Re: What's your daily practice?

Every day for the last two and a half years, I have attended the dojo and I do whatever is being taught or whatever I am teaching.
Jorge

"It is the philosophy that gives meaning to the method of training."
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Old 01-18-2010, 03:21 PM   #23
tarik
 
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Re: What's your daily practice?

My daily practice should be a set of basic movement exercises and it sort of is, however, I don't always do all of them formally, although I do parts of them whenever I am standing and waiting.

I do spend much of my time when sitting, moving, and walking even when at work trying to put attention into my posture and the individual muscles I am using to do everything and to try to use fewer and fewer of those muscles to sustain my posture and movement.

I am constantly finding extra unnecessary tension in my structure, typically in the hips and shoulders, that is held habitually and when released, reduces the effort needed (and in some cases, pain) to achieve the same posture during movement or stillness and this also increases my freedom of movement and ability to affect my surroundings with significantly less effort.

Right now I'm working extra hard (soft) on relaxing my hips.

I guess you could sum this up as a process of learning zanshin and and correct posture and movement (ki ken tai icchi).

I also put the same type of efforts and practice into how I deal with my emotional state, particularly when under stress from work and family and look for better solutions. The process and internal emotional experiences seem similar.

I do see all of this as directly related to my practice in the dojo and have been having some eye opening experiences lately to validate that for myself.

Best,

Tarik Ghbeish
Jiyūshin-ryū AikiBudō - Iwae Dojo

MASAKATSU AGATSU -- "The true victory of self-mastery."
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Old 01-19-2010, 12:00 AM   #24
JW
 
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Re: What's your daily practice?

Hi Tarik, I have almost the same experience as you-
Quote:
Tarik Ghbeish wrote: View Post
My daily practice should be a set of basic movement exercises and it sort of is, however, I don't always do all of them formally, although I do parts of them whenever I am standing and waiting.
...
I am constantly finding extra unnecessary tension in my structure, typically in the hips and shoulders, that is held habitually and when released, reduces the effort needed (and in some cases, pain) to achieve the same posture during movement or stillness and this also increases my freedom of movement and ability to affect my surroundings with significantly less effort.
And, I think everyone can agree this (2nd part above) is desireable from an aikidoka's point of view. It just turns out (once you start really focusing on it) that relaxing unnecessary tension is really hard! It is a rewarding pursuit and a good way to practice during the day, every day.

Now, I really would love to hear what your eye-opening experiences were. Please share if you feel comfortable. Although it is probably right to make a new thread. Thanks!
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