Isn't the blogsphere great?

I found this while i was wandering around the Aikido oriented websphere and i wanted to share it. The whole blog at Aikithoughts is pretty insightful. Somethimg else i wanted to bring to someone's attention is this article at Martial Views. I think the second most difficult thing someone taking aikido faces, after falling, is the idea that it doesn't have to be perfect to be effective. That, in fact, the search for perfection might actually get in the way of achieving functional, comfortable aikido. This is only my thinking btw, and only applies to my experience. I'm going to try and collect my thoughts on that and make a post about it later.

Just an update to keep things current and to invite discussion.

I just wanted to link to these two things from Pat's blog. His post about Rhadi Ferguson is pretty interesting and i wanted to keep track of the discussion on forward rolls since it's something i struggle with. I doubt i'm the hub of anyone's blog perusal, but if so check them out.

Way of the Warrior - Aikido and Kendo Pt4

Way of the Warrior - Aikido and Kendo Pt3

Way of the Warrior - Aikido and Kendo Pt2

Major point of interest in this one is his ideas on "cultural movement". I really enjoyed the insight of it. It's not something one thinks of often but it's so true. His insight on the difference in breathing is another good thing to listen to, i thought.

Way of the Warrior - Aikido and Kendo Pt1

Aikido on thursdays

I made it to class last night, and we went through the usual tegatana and hanasu. Pat is turning those into general warm-up practices instead of actively working on them in class. We worked on oshi taoshi, kote gaeshi and kote hineri by first breaking down the initial off balance and getting the feel for how uke is balanced and which direction he could be leading the technique. It also helped illuminate how timing effects both tori's and uke's positioning.

For anyone curious as to how these techniques begin (if anyone's reading) all of the moves in this kata (where oshi taoshi, kote gaeshi and kote hineri can be found) begin by checking mai and uke moving in with a shomenate. As uke moves in, tori responds by making a small forward step, his hands raised to guide uke's shomenate off his line of attack facing into the gap created between his feet.

One of the two main ways this will end up (if i'm not mistaken) is either uke's off balance will leave him "idling" on the balls of his feet with his mass leaning in some direction or he'll get his footing right after the "push" and that will leave him flat footed and stable.

Anyhoo, we worked with those three techniques for quite a bit...how they work and interact with each other. This all ended up in some cool sensitivity drills akin to the tai chi push hands exercises. All in all another good class.

What's going on.

You know the story: i haven't been to class. A preveously held job was keeping me busy but i freed up my schedule (unemployed). Now that Pat's got class 3 times a week i'm looking forward to going back and much more often. I haven't gotten to practice that much, but i have gotten into an email chat with some aikikai guys in town that want to start a small club. Getting to chat about aikido has been nice, and if their club ever gets off the ground i may stop by between McComb class.

Apparently all that conservative talk radio i listen to is going to waste.

I've been called a lot of things.. but liberal has never been one of them. I do agree with the ascertation that i have a strong sense of right and wrong and believe in economic fairness, but i feel icky being in the same group as Hillary Clinton and Bono.

You are a Social Liberal (63% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (18% permissive) You are best described as a: Socialist (18e/63s) Link: The Politics Test on OkCupid Free Online Dating Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

I also find it humorous that i'm Pat's diametric opposite.

Another training weekend.

Ah, it's been a while since i've been to class. I was able to go a couple of weeks ago to the saturday morning class but this weekend felt like i was actually coming to class (regularly). John was back in town this week and the plan of going to judo and staying overnight for aikido was formed.

I'm glad i got to go to judo, everytime i do i realize how much i enjoy it but i rarely get to go. With recent events and a new job i hope to be able to attend once a week from now on. Both the class and john's and my randori session brought out the glaring fact of just how yellow my belt is. We filmed it, and upon several rewatchings i must say there is much work ahead. Things to work on: foot sweeping (period) and technical ground skills. Basically everything about judo.

On the aiki side of things we worked on hanasu and the "lost wrist releases". My brain quickly mired on these and it took a while to re understand what was happening (happens alot). When we moved on to knife randori i kicked myself a bit over just how many times i got stabbed. I realize that i'm going to get stabbed... but sheesh! In my defense though, i don think being attacked by a knife wielder trying to make me laugh will happen in too many times "on the street" or what have you. Still, compared to the bar set high in my head, a deplorable accounting. On the other side of the coin, though, i think i was acceptable at multi-opponent randori. Plus it's just fun to do.

My next rank test is on the horizon, and my fondest wish is to feel better capable at breakfalling. I know it's a reoccuring request of myself, but i wouldn't care if i ever ranked again if ukemi would simply cease to be a foriegn concept to me. Cheifly among these techniques... the ever evil forward rolls and the yet to be fully explored air falls (of which i can wait on a while). The hardest part of training is vs. yourself and this is definately the Great Wall of China in my thoughts where insecurity steadfastly patrols.

I should have some video and pics of the weekend as soon as i can figure out how to image capture them off the disc i have.

Just thinkin'

Pay no mind to any of this.

When i'm attacked, though it looks like they're punching at my head or kicking at my legs they are really aiming for my center. It's a pretty small target (figureatively speaking..just a little point under my gut), so all i have to do is move just a tad...it's out of the way...and i avoid the attack. Simple stuff. All the appendage waving is something to get distracted on. (Easier to brush aside that way)

maybe?

Kids Aikido

I came across this and thought i'd post it. I figured John would be interested in it in particular.

Armed vs. unarmed attacks: another pebble on the beach of discussion.

For saturday's class we took an extra minute to work on forward rolls. I hear what Sensei Pat is saying about that "point of no return" and then it goes in to the roll but i'm still not totally feeling it. I just can't quite discern that one missing piece that'll make everything fit together yet, it's still a step away at this point.

At the end of class Chops (whom is down from starkville for a while) and i did some knife randori where uke makes one dedicated attack (easy enough to avoid) and subsequent attacks (not so easy). We also did nijusan with a knife where we picked the response ahead of time but uke keeps attacking. Defense against a knife attack is a strange animal. I didn't care for using shomenate at all, i'd much rather move to the outside of the arm instead of the inside where it's easier for uke to slice and dice.

It will take getting used to the idea that i'll only be able to take my chances down from a "100% chance of getting stabbed to a 90% chance of getting stabbed". It's not quite defeatist, but it definately has an overtown of some kind of defeat. Maybe that's the point? I mean, i understand.. i'll get stabbed most likely, but i don't want to accept it as finality. I'm no sure... there's a lot about the concept i'm a novice to. Something to mull over.

During randori I got the impression (not saying it's correct) that the first attack is easy to avoid, the second one is considerably worse, but the third swing seemed to be a tad easier to discern. That doesn't mean i still didn't get the shiv but that bit floated in my mind on the drive home. Conclusion = i want to do more knife randori.

John and i got into a chat about being tackled or speared, part of a discussion that he had with Bryce. I don't recollect the entirety, but i believe he seemed to think it was much more difficult to avoid than i did (is that right John?). Since Chops and i had some time to piddle around with aikido at the end of class i asked his thoughts and if he wouldn't mind lunging at me and a side step and a shomenate seemed to be all it took to keep a Goldberg type off of you. He, Pat and i discussed a couple of different variations of lunging takedowns for a moment or two then it was off to pick blackberries for morning breakfast.

"Is this post leading anywhere?!"

Some philosophize that martial art training is supposed to chip away at the junk surrounding our core selves, or remodeling us into someone who is "better". The mental training aspect of aikido has been attributed to emphasize relaxation of mind and body even under stressful situations, as i understand it to better handle being attacked but to also make daily life simpler and more enjoyable .

Ueshiba is quoted as saying that one "must be willing to receive 99% of an opponent's attack and stare death in the face". Staring death in the face is one thing, all bravery and calmness focused on one extreme idea, but i think it's a lot harder for those ideas to challenge the everyday things we face. Everyone can tell a story about how something has made them lose their cool, it's just human nature. Sooner or later something will come along that will bother the hell out of even the most stoic person.

I am by no means one of those stoic people. Insecurity is one of the things that reoccurs in my mind as i train. I am my own worst critic and i often berate myself over a misplaced step, a technique done wrong or "poorly", or as in the case of seeing video with me in it: the way i look while moving around and especially falling. There are several things i could list off as to why i beat myself up but the fact remains that it's really not a good thing to do whether necessary or not. As i sit around and sorta meditate on aikido i often try to tackle what i can do to improve my ability. Practice and patience seem to be the top two keys and not necessarily in that order. Something that has seemed to be more important lately is how i perceive myself in aikido, what am i bringing with me into the dojo and what am i trying to sorta leave behind me on the way out. More important than both of those is what i'm carrying around day to day?

Something i think helps, and i think a lot of people have trouble with this, is what kind of goal you've place in front of yourself. Is it realistic? Are you expecting it to occur much faster than it should? Are you trying to be good for your level or someone else's? There's nothing wrong with wanting to improve, but sometimes things just "are as they are". Looking at where i am in relation to others that i see as better could make anyone in the same shoes feel discouraged. I have to remind myself that sure, someone else at my rank may be way ahead of the curve but what's important is am i refining "me"? "Am i moving from my center instead of trying to reach out to something that will throw me off balance," so to speak.

Just some thoughts. Next lesson, practicing what i preach. Haha

Anyone have any thoughts?

"With the blast shield down, i can't see a thing..."

I was able to make it to class yesterday...and as usual, it was great. The walking kata tegatana still has some bumps and kinks i need to work out (as many reps as i do i would thing i'd have the thing perfect).
Pat threw in some blind ninja training into hanasu and we repped through it with our eyes closed. I liked the way it worked out. Later on in class we went through the two versions of kotegaeshi and koteheneri (tenkai) and added some blackout to those too at one point. I like the way it feels to give uke total control of the attack and move around that (lol, that's the whole point isn't it?). I wish i could develop that level of relaxed sensitivity while my eyes are open. Im going to have to talk gary into doing some of these before he leaves so i can get some extra practice.
We did some "aiki brush off" drills. I still had some highs and lows with these.. either they felt like they worked or they felt way to forced. They seemed like a finesse element i don't have the ability to make work all the time, like the bumps and the ends of certain otoshi or garuma movements.

Starkville Aiki weekend

This weekend i had the opportunity to travel to Starkville, MS (home of MSU and tha Bulldogs) and go to a clinic headed by Henry Copeland (9th dan). The focus of the clinic was go kata (sp?) which starts off with several two handed grabs (i.e. two wrists grabbed) and goes into some...well..other throws.

I really enjoyed the clinic. It was cool getting to see the Starkville bunch again and getting to do aikido with Henry. I got thrown by him and slamed pretty hard once and i got to do randori with him and didn't notice anything but me falling. I was amazed at just how simple and relaxed his aikido was. I was wowed by it, but some might not be.

Some of the things i came away with this weekend?

1) My ukemi is "functional" but definatley needs improvment.
2) This weekend was brought by the letter L. (As in straightent the hands straight out with thumbs out to the side - thanks Porkchop).
3) Attach yourself to uke with the ring and pinky fingers, NOT the index and middle (this one seems the most daunting to adapt to).

Those are the ones that have been at the front of my mind. Hopefully the pics of this weekend will be up sometime this week, maybe video too. If so i'll try and link it.

I'll be thinking on this weekend for a while. I may post again on it later.

I really enjoy aikido.

Catching up on "The Walk"

I really enjoyed last night's class. We practiced tegatana, both the regular version and Pat's new "tooth brushing" version where all the turns are done in one spot instead off all over the mat (easier to do in the bathroom while brushing Pat says). The single spot turns helped in hanasu, especially in turn 5-8 because it exemplifies the "under a barb wire fence" motion of the techniques. That's, in numerical order; Hon Uchi Hanasu, Hon Uchi Ude Heneri, Gyaku Uchi Hanasu and Gyaku Uchi Ude Heneri for those keeping track.

Ukemi was a big part of lcass last night and i did really well. I felt confident about my aikido last night which was an awesome feeling. Ukemi was this major hurdle that just seemed insurmountable at times and it finnaly feels like i'm "there". Appropriately enough there's a seminar this weekend that should get rid of all that. Haha

Also.... Pat had an acident.

It may not be art, but....

Aikido + food = enjoyment

Last night was my first class back in quite some time. I feel sore again and it's awesome. The focuses put into tegatana last night were gripping forward with our toes (kinda like cat walking from Pat's post on the msg board) and making sure we end up on the balls of our feet. A new one that was throw into the mix was snapping our center under us and the end of the movement. I noticed all three cause an accentuation of the up and down motion generated by our walking. I still think it's neat that by having your toes lead you to where you're going there's very little chance of ending up off balanced at the end.

I think i did a lot better at rolling last night, much less flat tire flapping. I think having less clutter in my head when doing it helps. I still need to work on rolling out of hiki taoishi.

We worked on chain number 7. I think that hand switches go along with the changes in garumas and otoshis as we move from gyaku uchi hanasu to ude heneri (?) to hiki taoishi. If i got the names right.

One of Pat's old students is coming to class now. Seems like an alright guy. The crawfish we had after class was fantastic, haven't had any in a while so i got double the goodness out of the return trip to class.

Bits and pieces.

I haven't been to class in a WHILE, life has gotten in the way lately. I've still been "practicing" if you could call it that. I do tegatana frequently, posture (i.e. balance) and the drop vs step idea my two main concerns. My ideal place would be getting it so hardwired in my brain that i won't even STEP out of the way or whatnot but fall. (there's got to be a better thing to call that.) I'm playing with the unbendable arm too. One armed wall pushing, two armed wall pushing. We have a swinging double door at work and i check the different strengths of the one armed or two armed unbenadable arm push. A few other things here and there. I haven't given up!