Still learning.

So it has been 6 months since my last update and a lot has been going on. First thing's first, i was ranked to Shodan this Saturday. I feel rather weird about it right now, i sure don't feel like one....whatever that's supposed to feel like. There's so much for me to work on and i'm just figuring things out. Along with all the congratulations i also received this link, which is some really great advice and gives me even more to look forward to in the years to come. I'm just understanding the basics and i'm being shown glimpses of all the stuff i have yet to understand. Optimistic to say the least! 

It's hard to explain to people who don't really understand what i'm talking about.

I owe it all to a fantastic Sensei: Pat Parker! I can't say enough to show my appreciation for his patience and willingness to help me through all the self-imposed obsticles i placed in my way along with all the regular setbacks someone encounters in learning an art like Aikido.

On other fronts the park class fell apart again. Students just stopped coming. But in my determination to keep something rolling in the teaching department; i've revamped my aims to getting a club or an actually class started at the local community college and things are looking up. I have faculty support and i'm building a case to present to the school president. With any luck, i'll be an actual member of PRCC's faculty as an Aikido teacher!

In non-aikido related news i'm doing great in school. I'll be on the Dean's list this semester and am being considered for the All-Academic Team and am in Phi Theta Kappa's who's who this year on top of being Executive Vice President of PTK as well as Vice President of History and Humanities Club along with being inducted in Sigma Kappa Delta. It has been an extremely busy semester!

Here's hoping that i can provide more news here in the near future.

How things are going so far.

It's been a while since I posted so here is what's been shaking lately:

Class is now three days a week, same time same place. The last class we had was a one on with one of my students. The focus of the class ended up being patience. Tori needs to wait for uke's movements using tori's arms as a "curb feeler". Uke will clue you into what he's planning to do far enough in advance to make the necessary counter movements. It was a pretty cool class and I hope to work on that some more with the others.

The unbendable arm position we use to block an attack makes the perfect "spring" between us and uke. It comes up alot in nijusan/junana and is a really important aspect of aikido (in my opinion). Maybe if i give the white belts more practice with it they'll turn into unstoppable aikidoka by the time they reach shodan.

Also, it's still a crazy foreign concept to think of anyone as MY student. Yet there it is i guess.

Week one 2.0

This Monday and Wednesday I taught aikido to a handful of friends at a local park as part of a continuing practice group. One successful week in the bag!

Monday I introduced them to tegatana, the first two moves of hanasu and shomen ate with emphasis on the initial brush off. The overall idea for this class was to be aware of ma'ai and to move as soon as uke crosses it.

Wednesday was more tegatana and additional work on hanasu 1 & 2. With tegatana the goal was smaller steps and trailing foot recovery. For hanasu I emphasized moving when ma'ai is crossed. Hanasu 1, the second step has tori stepping away from uke to face him at ma'ai distance. With Hanasu 2 I tried to explain the "open the door" movement tori can use to to redirect uke's strength.

Hopefully in the months to come I can get these guys ready to meet Pat!

A second go round.

Just an update that i'm trying to get another aikido class started at my local park. Nothing much to report at the moment, we're going to be rained out this week. Hopefully next week we can start training. We also have a facebook page!