Pairing Up-April 20th, 2008

Sunday night we were put into our pairs and practiced for Tokyo. There was some reshuffling of the partners and and now I am working with a rather new fellow. He has only been in our dojo for about 2 or months, but he practiced elsewhere for about a year. His ukemi is coming along nicely and he was fun to throw around that night.

My plan is to stick to the first routine of techniques that my former partner chose. We will do ryotedori (両手取り） in Tokyo. That gives us quite a few choices of wazas. I'll give you a list later. Now, I want to show you a few photos from that evening. It has been a long time since I posted pictures. Sorry about that, folks.




Nice shot of the first stage of kohkyuunage. Aite approaches and...



Gets thrown on his ass!




And more time, just for good measure!

These next pics are of the shihan tossing his partner like an old sack of rice. With sabaki and omoiyari, of course!



This last one is pretty funny. The shihan looks puzzled about something. "Did I do that right?" or maybe, "Why isn't she moving?"




I'm not sure what is going through his head, but I know it is unwise to question a master. Just leave well enough alone. And with that, I will say "Sayonara" until next time.

She Takes Her First Step-April 19th, 2008

Saturday night we had two people take their black belt tests. My girlfriend and another fellow. I was chosen to be his partner. I'm glad sensei didn't ask me to work with my girlfriend, would've been a tad embarrassed.

The four of us bowed to the sword, to each other and the test began. Sensei called out the names of techniques in a rapid-fire style, making it difficult for me to hear what he was saying. Bear in mind, I was being thrown to the mats as he announced the next waza. As long as I caught the first word, I was ok. I knew my line, as it were.

My partner did quite well. He forgot a couple of techniques and so we had to start over a few times. When he froze, I tried to give him a hint with my fingers. That is, if I remembered the technique myself. Must admit, my hiatus of several months emptied my repertoire. We went through a general run of the waza list. Starting with the seated (座儀) forms, on to aihanmi, gyakuhanmi and finishing with the hanmihandachi techniques. A few ushirodori and koshinage stuff thrown in as well. No tanto or katana, I noticed.

I am hardly fit to teach or critique others at aikido. Readers will notice that I generally criticize myself and my own mistakes. Having said that, my partner showed the same error I often do myself. Perhaps out of nervousness, he went through each waza very quickly. Even when he clearly didn't completely remember it. I mentioned to him afterwards that if we go a bit slower, more methodically, the technique often looks better. Beyond mere beauty of display, the waza is also much more effective, as the tori can perform each step of the waza with more control and poise. Last thing, if you go slowly, it gives the confues student a chance to feel the flow of the technique and realize what he/she needs to do next.

All in all, the double shodan test went really well. We are very proud of the two of them. I am particularly proud of my girlfriend for her achievement. Now the real test is to see if my fragile male ego can handle the fact that my girlfriend and I are now at the same level.

Soft Landings and Happy Endings-April 6th, 2008

Last Sunday we were back at the Obata dojo. New, soft mats. It was a small group, so the sensei didn't teach in the usual fashion. Instead, we got into pairs and were told to practice what we wanted. I think sensei was slightly upset that so few people came that night, but the free choice lesson gave me and my girlfriend the chance to work on some techniques we have been messing up lately.

She and I went through the list of yokumen and ushirodori techniques. She is getting ready for her shodan test, so I was uke most of the evening. Again, the soft mats were noted and appreciated. Both yokumen and ushirodori involve using both hands and we have to grab the correct hand or the waza doesn't work. My girlfriend and I were confused about whether to grab the aite's upper or lower hand. Sensei pointed out the differences and I think we generally got the idea.

Besides all my errors, stamina seems to be one of my biggest weak points. I went full-throttle for a solid hour. Getting thrown, bouncing up and getting thrown again. Then I reached a point where I had trouble getting back up fast enough. This causes problems for the tori, as they have to wait for this old man to get on his feet. I really need to focus on building my own strength. Come to think of it, today is a beautiful spring day. Great day for a long bike ride. Think of it as cross-training.

Couple of quick notes. I brought my camera, but was practicing too much to take any pictures. My apologies. Also, we are getting ready for Tokyo next month. I haven't been told who my partner will be, but I will let you know right after I find out.