Try this out:
While sitting at your desk, lift your right foot off the floor and make
clockwise circles.
Now, while doing this, draw the number "6" in the air with your right hand.
Your foot will change direction and there's nothing you can do about it.
A number of Aikidoka I know -- includine me -- says that it doesn't work on them. Why do you think that is? Centering? Softness?
Or because we've had our brains addled from all the ukemi?
Perhaps we should include this as part of all yudansha testing from now on?
-jon