Saturday night-aikido time! We practiced a series of wazas, but one really stuck out in my mind. It's one of those irminage technques but instead of dropping of the opponent, we guide them onto our knee. It looks a bit like pro-wrestling and is great fun.
I was practicing with a young woman who is new to aikido and a bit unsure of herself. She had difficulty maintaining a straight posture. My 90 kilos didn't help, I might add. She dropped me repeatedly, usually onto herself. Particpants and observers enjoyed the comedic value of the situation.
As I tried the waza with her I had two points to consider. Can I do the waza correctly without injuring this person who is not quite ready to be thrown/dropped? Apparently, yes I can. Going slowly allowed me to focus and improve my own posture while making sure I didn't injure her. The grandmothers present complimented me on my kindness.
Nietzsche said that kindness was a warrior's greatest virtue as it represented his ability to control, even conquer, himself. I could have jumped into the waza gungho and potentially injured my partner (or myself). Instead I went slowly, concentrating on my form and my partner's safety. That was a win-win situation for both of us. Lots of fun, too.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Following the Current-November 3, 2007
Another gap in posting, sorry folks. Long story short, my job for the past four years or so has gone straight into the toilet. Shady stock deals, delayed wages, eminent bankruptcy. Good times indeed. I was reminded of a book on stock investing which said that one can not control the market, only how we react to the market. True indeed. Do we panic when attacked in the dojo? No, we perform a waza and throw the attacker. Same thing here.
Back to aikido. Friday morning. Sensei was working with us two new black belts on katatedori nikkyo and sankyo. We spent just over an hour going over every little detail of two basic wazas. Shed a new light on techniques I have been practicing for years.
The key here is to follow the contours and movements of the opponent. If we fight the m, we lose control. One of my mistakes is that I twist the aite's wrist too much when doing sankyo. It hurts them and they move out of my path and it becomes more difficult to complete the waza. Like overreacting to a minor fluctuation in the stock market, I try too hard and focus on the wrong thing. Instead of twisting their wrist, thus forcing them to spin out of range, we should tenkan and control them as we bring them down to the mat. Matching our knee to their shoulder, we gain total control over them.
Another issue was how we treat other students. With less experienced partners we should do the waza properly, but also keep in mind that a new student is not accustomed to being twisted like that. Second key point was varying our reaction to different body types. I have found that some people's arms are difficult to twist in nikkyo. Some will twist harder, but that is a sloppy technique. Painful and dangerous for the aite. Instead we can simply raise their arm away from their shoulder to achieve the same result.
Again there is no need to fight. We simply need to control and vary our reactions. This latest practice came at a turbulent time in my life outside of the dojo. Perfect timing.
Back to aikido. Friday morning. Sensei was working with us two new black belts on katatedori nikkyo and sankyo. We spent just over an hour going over every little detail of two basic wazas. Shed a new light on techniques I have been practicing for years.
The key here is to follow the contours and movements of the opponent. If we fight the m, we lose control. One of my mistakes is that I twist the aite's wrist too much when doing sankyo. It hurts them and they move out of my path and it becomes more difficult to complete the waza. Like overreacting to a minor fluctuation in the stock market, I try too hard and focus on the wrong thing. Instead of twisting their wrist, thus forcing them to spin out of range, we should tenkan and control them as we bring them down to the mat. Matching our knee to their shoulder, we gain total control over them.
Another issue was how we treat other students. With less experienced partners we should do the waza properly, but also keep in mind that a new student is not accustomed to being twisted like that. Second key point was varying our reaction to different body types. I have found that some people's arms are difficult to twist in nikkyo. Some will twist harder, but that is a sloppy technique. Painful and dangerous for the aite. Instead we can simply raise their arm away from their shoulder to achieve the same result.
Again there is no need to fight. We simply need to control and vary our reactions. This latest practice came at a turbulent time in my life outside of the dojo. Perfect timing.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Let's Fly A Kite-October 5, 2007
Quick one hour practice this morning. Just two students, I like the small groups. The teacher today focused on two-handed techniques, the ryotedori wazas. We went through kohkyuuage, ikkyo and others.
The key point today was control. Even when using one hand (katetedori), we must follow the movements with our other hand. If we don't, our body won't move with the waza and we lose a lot of control over the aite. If we only move the one hand, our body remains behind with the remaining hand. If we move them in tandem, our body will move into the opponent's space and cause them to become unbalanced.
This point became especially clear when practing ikkyo. When we twist the aite's wrist with the leading hand, we must also hook their elbow with our second hand to spin/twist their arm. Their body to follow. If we focus only on their wrist, their body is quite relaxed. When the two hands work together, we gain control over their whole body. Their head and shoulders are turned down.
We practiced this idea for awhile, then our teacher demonstrated the incorrect technique using only one hand. The difference is quite striking. I felt my whole upper body being forced to the mat from having only wrist and elbow manipulated. The teacher laughed and said it was like controlling an old-fashioned kite. It takes two hands to control the kite and keep it in the air. Use one hand and it flips around ungracefully before crashing to the ground.
The key point today was control. Even when using one hand (katetedori), we must follow the movements with our other hand. If we don't, our body won't move with the waza and we lose a lot of control over the aite. If we only move the one hand, our body remains behind with the remaining hand. If we move them in tandem, our body will move into the opponent's space and cause them to become unbalanced.
This point became especially clear when practing ikkyo. When we twist the aite's wrist with the leading hand, we must also hook their elbow with our second hand to spin/twist their arm. Their body to follow. If we focus only on their wrist, their body is quite relaxed. When the two hands work together, we gain control over their whole body. Their head and shoulders are turned down.
We practiced this idea for awhile, then our teacher demonstrated the incorrect technique using only one hand. The difference is quite striking. I felt my whole upper body being forced to the mat from having only wrist and elbow manipulated. The teacher laughed and said it was like controlling an old-fashioned kite. It takes two hands to control the kite and keep it in the air. Use one hand and it flips around ungracefully before crashing to the ground.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
September 2nd, 2007-Stabbing Forward
Hey folks, big apologies. I haven't been at the dojo in awhile. Life, stuff, summer. Anyway, we went last Sunday. It has been cooling down, but not much. The dojo was hot. Oh well.
We focused on stab defense techniques. The opponent attacked with a tsuki (突き）and we tried several different wazas throughout the night. We ran through ikkyo and nikkyo to get warm up. I was a bit out of practice, but it came back to me quickly.
We spent a long time working on kotogaeshi. Our first move is to touch the attacker's fist and then spin into the waza. The opponent is pushed into an awkward position and thus becomes easier to throw.
We tried a variation of kotogaeshi that involves using irmintenkan then spinning with our backs to the opponent. We grab their wrist with our hind hand from behind our backs. It is a great technique when done smoothly. I didn't. Or rather, I could with my left hand but not with my right. Bit strange for a right-handed man.
Honestly Sensei seemed a little grumpy that night. He didn't correct us much, just sat there watching. A lot of us were stopping to rest frequently throughout the session. Myself included.
To wrap up, it was hot and I made a lot of mistakes. Banged up my wrists a bit. But it was great to practice. I really want to include aikido in my life again.
We focused on stab defense techniques. The opponent attacked with a tsuki (突き）and we tried several different wazas throughout the night. We ran through ikkyo and nikkyo to get warm up. I was a bit out of practice, but it came back to me quickly.
We spent a long time working on kotogaeshi. Our first move is to touch the attacker's fist and then spin into the waza. The opponent is pushed into an awkward position and thus becomes easier to throw.
We tried a variation of kotogaeshi that involves using irmintenkan then spinning with our backs to the opponent. We grab their wrist with our hind hand from behind our backs. It is a great technique when done smoothly. I didn't. Or rather, I could with my left hand but not with my right. Bit strange for a right-handed man.
Honestly Sensei seemed a little grumpy that night. He didn't correct us much, just sat there watching. A lot of us were stopping to rest frequently throughout the session. Myself included.
To wrap up, it was hot and I made a lot of mistakes. Banged up my wrists a bit. But it was great to practice. I really want to include aikido in my life again.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
July 22nd, 2007-On the Edge
Last Sunday, practice was a nice departure from the usual. I brought my new katana to the dojo and by coincidence so did everybody else. So sensei spent the whole session presenting sword techniques.
We began with drawing our swords and doing tenkan pivot spins. I am still not too smooth in this department. I have to remember to guide the sword into the scabbard between my thumb and index finger. Getting better, slowly.
We then paired off and worked on various wazas which included the katana. The final step was to cut off our partner's heads. We did a couple of variations of nikkyo in which we use the handle to put pressure on the aite's hands to drop them. Typically, we would just use our hands, but the katana gave us more leverage.
One of the first techniques practice was using gyakuhanmi to grab the swordbearer's wrist and prevent them from drawing their blade. If they move their arm in response to our pressure, they are pushed into a very weak position. The solution is bring the sword to the hand and draw it using only the wrist. In this way, we can maintain our defensive posture and still deliver a lethal cut.
It was quite fun to swing my new birthday present around in the dojo. More importantly, wielding the katana helps us to visualize the angles and space involved in executing the techniques. It also puts aikido into a historical context. This was originally used by the samurai in conjunction with razor-sharp blades designed to sever heads in the blink of an eye.
We began with drawing our swords and doing tenkan pivot spins. I am still not too smooth in this department. I have to remember to guide the sword into the scabbard between my thumb and index finger. Getting better, slowly.
We then paired off and worked on various wazas which included the katana. The final step was to cut off our partner's heads. We did a couple of variations of nikkyo in which we use the handle to put pressure on the aite's hands to drop them. Typically, we would just use our hands, but the katana gave us more leverage.
One of the first techniques practice was using gyakuhanmi to grab the swordbearer's wrist and prevent them from drawing their blade. If they move their arm in response to our pressure, they are pushed into a very weak position. The solution is bring the sword to the hand and draw it using only the wrist. In this way, we can maintain our defensive posture and still deliver a lethal cut.
It was quite fun to swing my new birthday present around in the dojo. More importantly, wielding the katana helps us to visualize the angles and space involved in executing the techniques. It also puts aikido into a historical context. This was originally used by the samurai in conjunction with razor-sharp blades designed to sever heads in the blink of an eye.
Friday, July 13, 2007
July 13th-A Fallen Brother
One of the reasons I missed practice recently is that a fellow aikidoka and a good friend just had an operation stemming from an injury sustained in the dojo. I won't get into all the details here, but my girlfriend and I visited him the day after surgery. We brought him juice and wished him a speedy recovery. He's out and back at work. He may take a hiatus from aikido, but his ki is still strong.
July 13th, 2007-Book Review Time
Sorry folks, haven't posted much lately. Haven't been to the dojo in about two weeks. Long story. I am still thinking about aikido quite a bit from day to day. Just wanted to share a great book I read recently.
I found a used copy of "Ki: A Guide for Westerners" by William Reed on the American Amazon. This is a really useful, thought-inspiring book. Obviously people who practice aikido and other Japanese arts can appreciate the ideas inside, but it also functions as a guide to self-realization for people from all walks of life.
The author starts with a definition of ki as a "universal energy" and Part I focuses on developing ki. There are quite a few pages about breathing and meditation. Part II looks at finding ki in various Japanese arts including aikido, calligraphy and the tea ceremony.
The author, like Tohei sensei, really wants the reader to understand that ki definitely has a place in the modern (or Western) world. And in this book, he does a great job in explaining the value and benefit of ki as a "dynamic expression of the pulse of Universal Life".
When I started aikido, I made an subconscious decision not to read much on it. As far as learning the techniques, my sensei is far better than any book. But the philosophy still interests me. I miss a lot of sensei's lectures on ki. Must keep studying. Anyway, this book filled in a few gaps for me.
I found a used copy of "Ki: A Guide for Westerners" by William Reed on the American Amazon. This is a really useful, thought-inspiring book. Obviously people who practice aikido and other Japanese arts can appreciate the ideas inside, but it also functions as a guide to self-realization for people from all walks of life.
The author starts with a definition of ki as a "universal energy" and Part I focuses on developing ki. There are quite a few pages about breathing and meditation. Part II looks at finding ki in various Japanese arts including aikido, calligraphy and the tea ceremony.
The author, like Tohei sensei, really wants the reader to understand that ki definitely has a place in the modern (or Western) world. And in this book, he does a great job in explaining the value and benefit of ki as a "dynamic expression of the pulse of Universal Life".
When I started aikido, I made an subconscious decision not to read much on it. As far as learning the techniques, my sensei is far better than any book. But the philosophy still interests me. I miss a lot of sensei's lectures on ki. Must keep studying. Anyway, this book filled in a few gaps for me.
Monday, June 25, 2007
June 24th, 2007-Komaki
We went to Komaki in Aichi prefecture yesterday for the 7th annual meeting. It was a rainy day, but that kept the heat down. The session ran for two and a half hours, but flew by quite quickly.
Isoyama sensei taught a long series of wazas starting from ushiro-dori. These are some of my favorites. They involve running behind the opponent and grabbing their wrists and/or the backs of their necks. We use their momentum to bring them down.
Sensei went through a wide range of techniques: ikkyo-gokkyo, kotogaeshi, iriminage and shihonage. What confused me was that with some wazas we would turn into our partner's body, but others we would turn away. Once I sorted that out, the techniques went much more smoothly.
It is always a lot of fun practicing with such a variety of people. We don't know each other, don't know the other's levels. Fun, but it can also be a bit scary if you encounter aikidoka who want to be tough guys or don't have much control over their own bodies.
Oh yeah, funny story. While I was doing uke for somebody, the sensei was watching from behind me. I was prone, but my body was not completely flush with the mat. The sensei walks up behind me and stomped on my butt to force me down. I was startled to say the least. I looked up and he gave me some advice then smiled and stepped on me again.
After practice, the sensei came over and sat next to me and started asking me questions about my life in Japan, aikido, etc. Really nice, funny man.
Following that, we all went out to a restaurant for a banquet feast. My Aussie friend and I started mingling with the college kids from Chubu University. They were a lot of fun; we swapped stories about school and our aikido experiences. Another sensei whose name completely escapes me gave me a pin with the kanji for "aiki" printed on it. It is from the Aikikai in Tokyo. I was surprised and honored. Feel a bit rude as I can't remember where he is from. I'll check on that later.
And then we hopped on a bus, took a couple of trains and we all went home. And that was that.
Isoyama sensei taught a long series of wazas starting from ushiro-dori. These are some of my favorites. They involve running behind the opponent and grabbing their wrists and/or the backs of their necks. We use their momentum to bring them down.
Sensei went through a wide range of techniques: ikkyo-gokkyo, kotogaeshi, iriminage and shihonage. What confused me was that with some wazas we would turn into our partner's body, but others we would turn away. Once I sorted that out, the techniques went much more smoothly.
It is always a lot of fun practicing with such a variety of people. We don't know each other, don't know the other's levels. Fun, but it can also be a bit scary if you encounter aikidoka who want to be tough guys or don't have much control over their own bodies.
Oh yeah, funny story. While I was doing uke for somebody, the sensei was watching from behind me. I was prone, but my body was not completely flush with the mat. The sensei walks up behind me and stomped on my butt to force me down. I was startled to say the least. I looked up and he gave me some advice then smiled and stepped on me again.
After practice, the sensei came over and sat next to me and started asking me questions about my life in Japan, aikido, etc. Really nice, funny man.
Following that, we all went out to a restaurant for a banquet feast. My Aussie friend and I started mingling with the college kids from Chubu University. They were a lot of fun; we swapped stories about school and our aikido experiences. Another sensei whose name completely escapes me gave me a pin with the kanji for "aiki" printed on it. It is from the Aikikai in Tokyo. I was surprised and honored. Feel a bit rude as I can't remember where he is from. I'll check on that later.
And then we hopped on a bus, took a couple of trains and we all went home. And that was that.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
June 16th, 2007-Rocks in the Way
Tried on my new dogi last night. Still a bit baggy, need to wash it more.
Last night we did a whole series of techniques based on aihanmi as a starting point. We practiced ikkyo, nikkyo, sankyo and iriminage as I recall. With each waza, the sensei showed us two or three variations. This allows us to respond to different situations such as a very strong opponent or having our leading hand pushed down. Instead of pushing our "hand sword" (手刀）up against a strong force, it is much easier and more effective to step behind or away from the opponent. This causes them to lose their superior position and then we can gain control.
Writing now, this concepts seems so obvious. But in the dojo, and all aspects of my life, I waste so much time and energy banging my head on a rock. Walking around a boulder in my path would be far easier for me. The rock doesn't care.
Last night we did a whole series of techniques based on aihanmi as a starting point. We practiced ikkyo, nikkyo, sankyo and iriminage as I recall. With each waza, the sensei showed us two or three variations. This allows us to respond to different situations such as a very strong opponent or having our leading hand pushed down. Instead of pushing our "hand sword" (手刀）up against a strong force, it is much easier and more effective to step behind or away from the opponent. This causes them to lose their superior position and then we can gain control.
Writing now, this concepts seems so obvious. But in the dojo, and all aspects of my life, I waste so much time and energy banging my head on a rock. Walking around a boulder in my path would be far easier for me. The rock doesn't care.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
March 26&27, 2007-Tokyo!
Sorry folks, bit late. Yeah, we went to Tokyo to participate in the Enbukkai at the Nihon Budokan. That was a great weekend. All that practice paid off. Everyone did great.
We waited for almost three hours to perform aikido for two minutes. My partner and I marched out, bowed to each other then did 15 wazas in 90 seconds. Bowed again and marched away.
I did a quick series of shihonage, kotogaeshi, sumiotoshi and a few others. Finished off with nikkyo. I thinked I goofed on the first waza but my very kind partner covered for me and did a great tobiukemi.
Saturday night, we went to our usual place in Shinjuku and ate some fantastic Chinese food.
Sunday morning we went to the Hombu Dojo and partciapted in two back-to-back sessions. There were so many people, it was a bit difficult to do anything very well. Everyone was constantly banging heads. Still, I like the surprise factor in practicing with strangers. Don't know their rank, their ability. Its a good test of my own ability to react to the unknown.
That wraps up another Enbukkai. Can't wait for next year. I'm still dreaming of that Chinese food.
We waited for almost three hours to perform aikido for two minutes. My partner and I marched out, bowed to each other then did 15 wazas in 90 seconds. Bowed again and marched away.
I did a quick series of shihonage, kotogaeshi, sumiotoshi and a few others. Finished off with nikkyo. I thinked I goofed on the first waza but my very kind partner covered for me and did a great tobiukemi.
Saturday night, we went to our usual place in Shinjuku and ate some fantastic Chinese food.
Sunday morning we went to the Hombu Dojo and partciapted in two back-to-back sessions. There were so many people, it was a bit difficult to do anything very well. Everyone was constantly banging heads. Still, I like the surprise factor in practicing with strangers. Don't know their rank, their ability. Its a good test of my own ability to react to the unknown.
That wraps up another Enbukkai. Can't wait for next year. I'm still dreaming of that Chinese food.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
May 20th&21st, 2007-Learning to Walk
This weekend we practiced more for Tokyo. Everyone's bristling with excitement. I got a chance to try on a hakama and perform some. It felt really weird to have these long, baggy pants on. I have to be careful not to trip on the hems. I was walking like a baby taking my first steps. I suppose I will adjust in time. My girlfriend volunteered to be thrown in front of the camera. Nice gesture.
I practiced some throws with our newest yondan. Left me pretty winded, so I paused to take some pics of my girlfriend throwing her partner for Tokyo. Her form is getting better, very smooth.
Nice butt shot eh? That's all for now. See you in Tokyo!
I practiced some throws with our newest yondan. Left me pretty winded, so I paused to take some pics of my girlfriend throwing her partner for Tokyo. Her form is getting better, very smooth.
Nice butt shot eh? That's all for now. See you in Tokyo!
Friday, May 18, 2007
May 18th, 2007- Parts Make Up the Whole
Thought I'd throw a couple of new pics up for you to look at. After my test, I was pretty beat so I rested for a few minutes. Caught some great moments. These guys were throwing down pretty good eh?
My throws are still quite clumsy, but watching their examples has inspired me to improve my own techniques. I have a bad habit of focusing on each little piece of a waza. Details are important, but I am trying see the entire technique as one fluid motion. A musician must play every note, but it's only music worth listening to when all the notes come together.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
May 5th, 2007-The First Step
So it was my turn Saturday. Right after our warm-up, sensei looked at me and said OK. Time for my black belt test. My partner for the first part was a nidan Dutchman. Good guy, pretty intense. He just flew at me full force. Didn't have much time to think. Could barely hear the sensei calling out the techniques.
We went through a long list of wazas. Zagi, ushirodori, tanto (knife) attacks, etc. Oh yeah, he picked up a katana and tried to skewer me. I had to perform ten wazas like that. With a long sword coming straight at you, you have virtually no time to think. My hands were a flurry of motion. I think I did ok, mistakes notwithstanding. He didn't run the sword through my gut and make yakitori out of me, so that's a success in my book.
The last part was me doing kokyuunage with four opponents. I've done that before, can be quite a bit of fun. These guys were running at me randomly, grabbing me at every opportunity. Honestly at this point, I was a bit tired but kept going.
The whole thing was so quick, I didn't realize that 40 minutes flew by. My only conscious thoughts during the test were of focusing my energy in my stomach and breathing. Yup, breathing. As they approached me, I inhaled and moved towards them. Then I exhaled as I turned and threw them. Everything was a blur. Couldn't make out faces, I could only see clouds of white uniforms charging me.
Then the sensei said "Kekkoo desu" and I did zagi kokyuuhoo with another fellow and it was all over. Like a little child, I took my first step.
We went through a long list of wazas. Zagi, ushirodori, tanto (knife) attacks, etc. Oh yeah, he picked up a katana and tried to skewer me. I had to perform ten wazas like that. With a long sword coming straight at you, you have virtually no time to think. My hands were a flurry of motion. I think I did ok, mistakes notwithstanding. He didn't run the sword through my gut and make yakitori out of me, so that's a success in my book.
The last part was me doing kokyuunage with four opponents. I've done that before, can be quite a bit of fun. These guys were running at me randomly, grabbing me at every opportunity. Honestly at this point, I was a bit tired but kept going.
The whole thing was so quick, I didn't realize that 40 minutes flew by. My only conscious thoughts during the test were of focusing my energy in my stomach and breathing. Yup, breathing. As they approached me, I inhaled and moved towards them. Then I exhaled as I turned and threw them. Everything was a blur. Couldn't make out faces, I could only see clouds of white uniforms charging me.
Then the sensei said "Kekkoo desu" and I did zagi kokyuuhoo with another fellow and it was all over. Like a little child, I took my first step.
Monday, April 30, 2007
April 29th, 2007-Next Step
Sunday I watched a yondan test. That was impressive. The sensei had the fellow go through virtually every waza imaginable. Zagi, ushirodori-you name it.
When he was performing all the hanmihandachi wazas, the sensei called in four of us to attack the test-taker. That was fun, just flying at the guy randomly. He later went through the jo, tanto and katana techniques as well. He did quite well, in my opinion. Very fluid motions. Of course, he's being doing this for 10-12 years.
For me, there's no real hurry. I'd like to take my time and slowly work my way up. Still it's inspiring to see someone else make fourth-degree black belt.
When he was performing all the hanmihandachi wazas, the sensei called in four of us to attack the test-taker. That was fun, just flying at the guy randomly. He later went through the jo, tanto and katana techniques as well. He did quite well, in my opinion. Very fluid motions. Of course, he's being doing this for 10-12 years.
For me, there's no real hurry. I'd like to take my time and slowly work my way up. Still it's inspiring to see someone else make fourth-degree black belt.
April 28th, 2007-Control and Release
Saturday we practiced more for Tokyo. My partner and I spent 45 minutes trading off throwing each other. We have to decide soon what wazas we will do, got less than a month left.
Got some mixed news. Sensei wants me to be the tori in Tokyo. Wow, my first time to throw my partner. I was quite flattered until the sensei said it was because my uke is so bad. Still, I'm pretty happy.
Before that, all of us worked on a technique that starts with being grabbed. Then the tori drops and spins while raising our other arm. Essentially we guide the aite over our shoulder and onto the floor.
I was practicing with a rather tall nidan and we spent some time experimenting on how much we can control our partner's fall. If the tori releases us early, we can gently (relatively speaking) land on the mat. If the tori aims for below the mat and doesn't release us, then the uke gets slammed pretty hard.
My partner was rather merciless, so he was not releasing me at all. Instead he just whipped me full force. I felt like a cheap futon. Loosened me up real good for the rest of the night.
Friday, April 27, 2007
April 27th, 2007-Variety is the Spice eh?
Quick one hour practice today. Besides sensei, there were four of us this morning. We did a variety of techniques, let's see if I can remember them. Kotogaeshi, ikkyo, shihonage.
Actually, we spent quite a large part of the session practicing ushirodori. One of my favorites. It involves grabbing the tori's wrist while running behind them (hence the "ushiro" 後ろ）and trying to grab their other wrist. The tori has to tenkan and act as a pivot for the attacker to spin around. Their momentum, combined with the tori sliding back a bit, puts them into a disadvantegous, unbalanced position. This makes it quite easy to perform the technique.
The final segment consisted of me in the center doing kokyuunage with four people attacking. They were flying at me with no warning, not waiting their turn. It was pretty fun, but a bit confusing at first. Then I stopped thinking about everything and just did the waza. Over and over, from all angles. Just a smooth blur of tenkan.
After practice, sensei and I were chatting about the group today. We were a mixed group of different ability levels. Different nationalities, too. And I had to work with all of them and react to their movements without fear, panic or even much thought. To achieve this in the dojo would be impressive, to utilize this firm yet respective calm in my life outside the dojo would be amazing.
Actually, we spent quite a large part of the session practicing ushirodori. One of my favorites. It involves grabbing the tori's wrist while running behind them (hence the "ushiro" 後ろ）and trying to grab their other wrist. The tori has to tenkan and act as a pivot for the attacker to spin around. Their momentum, combined with the tori sliding back a bit, puts them into a disadvantegous, unbalanced position. This makes it quite easy to perform the technique.
The final segment consisted of me in the center doing kokyuunage with four people attacking. They were flying at me with no warning, not waiting their turn. It was pretty fun, but a bit confusing at first. Then I stopped thinking about everything and just did the waza. Over and over, from all angles. Just a smooth blur of tenkan.
After practice, sensei and I were chatting about the group today. We were a mixed group of different ability levels. Different nationalities, too. And I had to work with all of them and react to their movements without fear, panic or even much thought. To achieve this in the dojo would be impressive, to utilize this firm yet respective calm in my life outside the dojo would be amazing.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
April 22nd-Tokyo here we come!
So even though my wrist is still sore, I went to the dojo Sunday. We were practicing kokyunage some more. I was in a trio with my girlfriend and this oaktree of an Englishman. He throws pretty hard, bit daunting at times. It pushed me to work on my tobiukemi in this waza.
As with so many other situations in and out of the dojo, I just have to let go and let myself to do it. So I dropped my fear and ran full steam at my partner. He performed the throw very well and I went flying head over heels. Banged my butt pretty good, but it was a better uke performance. Speaking of which, it was rather amusing watching my girlfriend get thrown and seeing her spin 360 balanced on one buttcheek.
The differences in our weights becomes an issue with these momentum-based techniques. When a smaller person is throwing a larger person, the smaller person must be grounded and confident with their techniques or they get thrown by their attacker. In kokyunage, we should redirect their momentum to throw them. We goofed a few times and the result was that we basically threw ourselves along with our uke. Baby with the bathwater, as it were.
Towards the end of the night, we started our pairwork for Tokyo. I'm working with one of the teachers again. He's a funny, kind man. Always good to work with him. We practiced some of the koshinage techniques together. Speaking of momentum, its easy to bungle these. If your positioning is incorrect, the aite feels really heavy. I threw my partner and sometimes fell on top of him as a clumsy grand finale. We haven't finalized our routine for Tokyo yet, but I'm looking forward to hammering it all out.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
April 13, 2007-Entering the Other's Space
My wrist is still messed up, so I'm resting at home. To be honest, it's my fault so I feel a little stupid. Yeah, mistakes can be painful ne? So I will compensate by posting about our Friday morning practice.
We are still practicing the multiple opponent style. Sensei varies the wazas every week. This week we practiced sumiotoshi and sankyo quite a bit. Having sankyo performed on me was tough with my bum wrist, but I endured.
Much of sumiotoshi's final stage involves moving past or through the opponent in order to throw them. Actually many of the techniques utilize this psychological concept. It is natural to think of two bodies being completely separate, law of physics and all.
I always consider the other person's physical presence too much when doing a waza. Honestly, I tend to overthink everything. But we have to project ourselves past that idea, get ourselves to move into and beyond the other person. The word irimi (入り身）literally means to enter the opponent or their space. With sumiotoshi, entering their space disrupts their balance and weight distribution. This makes it quite easy to throw them. If the waza is done properly, the opponent is merely teetering on a cliff.
On a related note, I started teaching some new kids recently. The smallest girl in the class was terrified to be away from her mother. She was balling her eyes out, so the Japanese staff came in to calm her down. As soon as they left the room, she stared crying again. The little girl wouldn't respond to anything I did. So I took a chance and put her on my lap. Totally worked. She stopped crying and started helping me turn the pages to the storybook. I completely entered her space, breaking the ma-ai (間合い）and she calmed down. I went from being scary man to warm chair.
We are still practicing the multiple opponent style. Sensei varies the wazas every week. This week we practiced sumiotoshi and sankyo quite a bit. Having sankyo performed on me was tough with my bum wrist, but I endured.
Much of sumiotoshi's final stage involves moving past or through the opponent in order to throw them. Actually many of the techniques utilize this psychological concept. It is natural to think of two bodies being completely separate, law of physics and all.
I always consider the other person's physical presence too much when doing a waza. Honestly, I tend to overthink everything. But we have to project ourselves past that idea, get ourselves to move into and beyond the other person. The word irimi (入り身）literally means to enter the opponent or their space. With sumiotoshi, entering their space disrupts their balance and weight distribution. This makes it quite easy to throw them. If the waza is done properly, the opponent is merely teetering on a cliff.
On a related note, I started teaching some new kids recently. The smallest girl in the class was terrified to be away from her mother. She was balling her eyes out, so the Japanese staff came in to calm her down. As soon as they left the room, she stared crying again. The little girl wouldn't respond to anything I did. So I took a chance and put her on my lap. Totally worked. She stopped crying and started helping me turn the pages to the storybook. I completely entered her space, breaking the ma-ai (間合い）and she calmed down. I went from being scary man to warm chair.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Saturday April 7, 2007-Building Stamina
Sensei started off saying we need to build our stamina, so we didn't have our regular practice. Instead it was juppon all night long. Yup, everybody threw everybody ten times. We went through our usual list of techniques, then sensei wanted us to do kokyuunage (呼吸投げ) ten times to everyone. I'm still working on doing tobiukemi when thrown kokyuunage. The knee in my pants got seriously torn at this point.
See what I'm talking about! It's quite a fun waza to perform. One of my favorites. If you can do the tenkan properly, you can throw multiple partners quite easily.
I was the uke for a young guy who is steadily improving. His shihonage is getting dangerously good. My wrist is still pretty sore. This is mostly my fault. When my wrist was twisted, I should have moved my body towards my hand. Guess I was too slow, because I didn't jump properly. Two days later, my right wrist is a bit tender. Ah, live and learn.
Actually, it was a night of injuries. My girlfriend twisted her ankle on the third waza with the sensei. She banged up her hand real good.
Check that bad boy out! She was hobbling off the mat after practice. Next morning she had a sweet eggplant on her hand. Both of us were hurting, but we agreed that was a great session.
The juppon is a fantastic way to practice. Rather than doing the same waza repeatedly, we can learn to perform different techniques without thinking too much. Likewise for our partners. They have to be thrown without knowing what technique is coming next.
By the way, another member estimated that we were thrown over 200 times that night. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night.
See what I'm talking about! It's quite a fun waza to perform. One of my favorites. If you can do the tenkan properly, you can throw multiple partners quite easily.
I was the uke for a young guy who is steadily improving. His shihonage is getting dangerously good. My wrist is still pretty sore. This is mostly my fault. When my wrist was twisted, I should have moved my body towards my hand. Guess I was too slow, because I didn't jump properly. Two days later, my right wrist is a bit tender. Ah, live and learn.
Actually, it was a night of injuries. My girlfriend twisted her ankle on the third waza with the sensei. She banged up her hand real good.
Check that bad boy out! She was hobbling off the mat after practice. Next morning she had a sweet eggplant on her hand. Both of us were hurting, but we agreed that was a great session.
The juppon is a fantastic way to practice. Rather than doing the same waza repeatedly, we can learn to perform different techniques without thinking too much. Likewise for our partners. They have to be thrown without knowing what technique is coming next.
By the way, another member estimated that we were thrown over 200 times that night. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night.
Thursday, April 05, 2007
合気道サイト
合気道のいくつかのサイト！
まずは。。。財団法人合気会の公式サイト
http://www.aikikai.or.jp/
合気道をしてる人なら、誰でもこのサイトは知ってるでしょう。
本部道場のことも出てます。
次に。。。合気道ねっと
http://www.aikido.ne.jp/
一人での練習についてが面白い！！
街中で人をよけて歩くとか←入り身(笑）
私もよくよく日常生活の中で合気道の基本の動きを
試してみたりしてます（＾＾）
運転中に手刀でハンドル操作したり。
この二つのサイトは日本語と英語を選べます。
また見つけたら紹介していきますね。
まずは。。。財団法人合気会の公式サイト
http://www.aikikai.or.jp/
合気道をしてる人なら、誰でもこのサイトは知ってるでしょう。
本部道場のことも出てます。
次に。。。合気道ねっと
http://www.aikido.ne.jp/
一人での練習についてが面白い！！
街中で人をよけて歩くとか←入り身(笑）
私もよくよく日常生活の中で合気道の基本の動きを
試してみたりしてます（＾＾）
運転中に手刀でハンドル操作したり。
この二つのサイトは日本語と英語を選べます。
また見つけたら紹介していきますね。
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
April 1st, 2007-Little Things Mean a Lot
Sorry for the delay in posts. Went to the dojo last Sunday. Only practiced two techniques. First was Aihanmikatatedori Shihonage. Shihonage has been a weak point of mine for years. Small class, so the sensei spent a lot of time with each student. I was making a mistake by turning my hand and grabbing the aite's arm too soon. Instead he taught us that we should keep our palms up and rotate down against the aite's grasp and bring them towards us. This serves to upset their balance and prepares us to twist the arm and go under their arm.
My second error was bending my arms when I pivot under my partner's arm. If I bend my arms, their arm is very loose and relaxed. When the sensei demonstrated it on me, my arm was completely immobilized. And it was painful, of course. I tried it again, this time keeping my arms straight and more horizontal. My opponent was not relaxed and their arm was twisted and immobile. Their balance was disrupted and it was much easier to finish the waza.
The interesting thing is that the differences between a good, effective waza and an ineffective one are quite small. Usually a centimeter in the right direction will make a world of difference. Yup, little things mean a lot.
My second error was bending my arms when I pivot under my partner's arm. If I bend my arms, their arm is very loose and relaxed. When the sensei demonstrated it on me, my arm was completely immobilized. And it was painful, of course. I tried it again, this time keeping my arms straight and more horizontal. My opponent was not relaxed and their arm was twisted and immobile. Their balance was disrupted and it was much easier to finish the waza.
The interesting thing is that the differences between a good, effective waza and an ineffective one are quite small. Usually a centimeter in the right direction will make a world of difference. Yup, little things mean a lot.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
The Meaning of Black Belt
I was recently translating some waza lists. It's a slow process, but quite revealing. Some of the kanji are not too common in modern Japanese. Sensei always says that black belt is only the start of a much longer process. He noted that many people quit after making black belt and miss out on learning true aikido.
www.aikiweb.com
This site has a bunch of good articles covering a lot of different aspects. One that really caught my eye was about the meaning of the shodan rank. In his final paragraph, the author hits the nail on the head when he writes that shodan is just the beginning. If you would like to read the entire article:
www.aikiweb.com/spiritual/goldfield2.html
I am slowly getting to the point here. I found the kanji for shodan and, sure enough, sensei was right. 初 signifies beginner or first and is used in words like beginners' class (初級) and starting salary (初任給). The literal translation of shodan （初段）would be "beginning grade".
As for myself, I am staying in Japan for awhile. I have been here almost four years now and I still have so much to learn and experience. There so many things I want to do and accomplish here. Aikido and otherwise. Like being able to read a newspaper. Yup, this is just the beginning.
www.aikiweb.com
This site has a bunch of good articles covering a lot of different aspects. One that really caught my eye was about the meaning of the shodan rank. In his final paragraph, the author hits the nail on the head when he writes that shodan is just the beginning. If you would like to read the entire article:
www.aikiweb.com/spiritual/goldfield2.html
I am slowly getting to the point here. I found the kanji for shodan and, sure enough, sensei was right. 初 signifies beginner or first and is used in words like beginners' class (初級) and starting salary (初任給). The literal translation of shodan （初段）would be "beginning grade".
As for myself, I am staying in Japan for awhile. I have been here almost four years now and I still have so much to learn and experience. There so many things I want to do and accomplish here. Aikido and otherwise. Like being able to read a newspaper. Yup, this is just the beginning.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Friday March 23, 2007
Went to the dojo this morning. Short one hour practice. For the past month or so, sensei has been focusing on tenkan with multiple opponents trying to stabus. It can be quite bewildering at first, but it forces us to perform the movements fluidly without thinking.
This morning's practice consisted of three variations of iriminage. First we practiced the usual grab-by-the-neck form. Then we tried a couple new forms. I forget the name, but my favorite involved flipping the aite backwards, legs flying up and forward. As the aite tries to stab us, we would do iriminage and slide our arm up the partner's arm/torso. If you move your arm too quickly towards their face, they snap and react. When the time is right, we slide our arm up under their neck as we place our other hand in the small of their back. Took me a few tries,but the end result is the opponent being flipped/swept and slammed down to the mat.
Here's a weakness of mine. I am learning to do some wazas properly,but I don't have much control. This morning, when practicing with a fairly new gaijin, my timing was a bit too good. My partner is still working on his ukemi (falls); I could have caused him to bonk his head pretty good. Must admit, it was quite a bit of fun. He was chuckling too.
Great session today. We all had sore, red necks leaving the dojo. A few of us went to nurse our wounds over coffee and donuts.
Oh yeah, sensei gave me some dvds of our practices. I will try to review some of the key points in future posts.
This morning's practice consisted of three variations of iriminage. First we practiced the usual grab-by-the-neck form. Then we tried a couple new forms. I forget the name, but my favorite involved flipping the aite backwards, legs flying up and forward. As the aite tries to stab us, we would do iriminage and slide our arm up the partner's arm/torso. If you move your arm too quickly towards their face, they snap and react. When the time is right, we slide our arm up under their neck as we place our other hand in the small of their back. Took me a few tries,but the end result is the opponent being flipped/swept and slammed down to the mat.
Here's a weakness of mine. I am learning to do some wazas properly,but I don't have much control. This morning, when practicing with a fairly new gaijin, my timing was a bit too good. My partner is still working on his ukemi (falls); I could have caused him to bonk his head pretty good. Must admit, it was quite a bit of fun. He was chuckling too.
Great session today. We all had sore, red necks leaving the dojo. A few of us went to nurse our wounds over coffee and donuts.
Oh yeah, sensei gave me some dvds of our practices. I will try to review some of the key points in future posts.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Saturday March 17th
Last Saturday's practice was great. Everyone is getting excited about the upcoming Enbukkai, so we have been rather gung-ho lately. Sensei taught us a number of variations of morotedori techniques-including a shoulder throw that I'm not very good at. Oh at the beginning, Sensei was kind enough to focus on my tobiukemi. I'm still making mistakes on this basic foundational move. I am trying to coordinate all these little details into one fluid motion. Sensei had me do tobiukemi several times in rapid succession.
I was practicing a cool waza with our newest shodan. It's a nagewaza in which we sweep our partner's feet backwards, knocking them forwards. Kind of a reverse of most throws. It took me a few tries to get the rhythm, but it was quite a bit of fun flipping my partner. Head over heels as it were.
Towards the end of the evening, we got to try an original creation. A sensei special. The name is something like tennchi nage no kaeshi. We start doing the standard tennchi nage, but as our partner falls they throw us. It is a rather acrobatic waza, but when done properly looks pretty cool. Most wazas involve tori dropping/throwing the uke, but this one allows for a sudden change mid-waza. 誰が投げられるかわからなかったけどすごい楽しかった！
Monday, March 19, 2007
初めての投稿☆
管理者のtradersteveさんと一緒に、
私もこのブログに投稿していくことにしました～。
彼に触発されて、私も同じ道場に通い、
みんなと一緒に汗を流して
楽しいんでいます。
これから管理者のtradersteveさんと一緒に
日々、思ったこと、感じたことを
書き綴ってみたいと思います。
私もこのブログに投稿していくことにしました～。
彼に触発されて、私も同じ道場に通い、
みんなと一緒に汗を流して
楽しいんでいます。
これから管理者のtradersteveさんと一緒に
日々、思ったこと、感じたことを
書き綴ってみたいと思います。
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Let's get started!
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Here's a pic from the yearly exhibition in Tokyo last May. That was great fun, really looking forward to this year's exhibition.
So let's introduce ourselves. My girlfriend and I are members of the Obata Aikido Kai in the Mie prefecture. This blog will serve as a journal to document our experiences. We look forward to sharing with you and hope you enjoy, too.
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