The AikiPenguin

In memoriam

2010-10-03T23:20:00.001-04:00

Today was the Seiichi Sugano Sensei Memorial Seminar at the New York Aikikai with Yoshimitsu Yamada Sensei, Donovan Waite Sensei, and Jikou Sugano Sensei (Sugano sensei's son).

With relatively short notice, over 150 aikidoka came out to honor Sugano sensei in the best possible way -- the joyful practice of aikido.

During the seminar, I could almost feel the spirit of sensei in the dojo -- particularly during Jikou sensei's class. His teaching was very reminiscent of sensei, both in method and manner. Jikou is every bit the soft-spoken, modest gentleman his father was.

As I'm sure most of you reading this know, Sugano sensei died August 29 from complications of a long illness.

He was surrounded by his senior-most students from New York and Australia, as well as, of course his family, including his son, Jikou.

There was a very touching memorial service the following week, led by Tony Smibert, Sugano sensei's senior student and head of the Australia Aikikai.

Smibert sensei's eulogy was very heart-felt and touching, as were remarks by Harvey Konigsberg and Yamada sensei.

In the days and weeks following these events, it seemed everyone had a story or recollection of Sugano sensei. I was glad to realize sensei meant so much to so many people.


Aikido is a Way There is commitment and there is obligation Do not abuse or misuse the art of Aikido Study carefully, honestly and humbly Respect your seniors and look after your juniors -- Seichi Sugano Sensei

He meant more to me than I even realized when he was alive, but that's what always happens after a person dies, isn't it? We suddenly realize we loved the person we lost.

If even I, a relative new student, who was hardly on intimate terms with sensei, felt that way, I can only imagine how so many others must feel.

But that was Sugano sensei. He was able to make each student feel he cared. It is only natural that we should care back.

Sensei's ashes will be scattered on Mt. Banks in the Blue Mountains near Sydney during Australia’s Winter School in July.

Bringing on the heat

2010-08-11T07:41:00.000-04:00

As the summer heat drags on, time seems to stand still at the dojo, at least for this penguin.

In some strange way, the ability to deal with the heat seems to mirror a person's martial ability. It seems the very experienced just don't sweat that much! I on the other hand, will look like I've taken a shower on the mat on a humid day.

I've been thinking a lot lately about basic principles and really trying to apply them on the mat. Things like relaxation, keeping centered, keeping weight down, etc. Tohei sensei called this sort of thing "mind-body unification," or "energetic coherence," as my friend and tai chi instructor Rick Barrett would call it.

At an aikikai dojo, we don't talk much about Tohei sensei, yet I have to say his four principles are very handy to keep in mind. They are not any different than what all aikidoka teach, but they are clearly and concisely articulated.

They are:

Four Basic Principles of Mind and Body Unification

Keep One Point
Relax Completely
Keep Weight Underside
Extend Ki

An interesting point Tohei makes about these principles is that if you are really doing one of them, you are doing them all at the same time. Therefore if I can remember one at an appropriate moment, the mind and body should be coherent.

The question is, will it help me to stop sweating so much?

The art of falling

2010-05-20T14:12:00.000-04:00

OK, so I've never had the most graceful ukemi. Over the years, it's become functional, but not the smooth, noiseless variety a few of the (younger) folks have developed.

The other day, I was taking a sankyo, when Ruth told me to keep my center even when my balance is compromised. She took ukemi from me, first like I was doing. This seemed to be like the ukemi everyone else does at that moment when nage is unbalancing uke in a typical sankyo. Then she showed me how she can relax. Even though I still had control of her, I was suddenly connected to her center. She felt like a coiled spring, ready to unleash into a reversal if I tensed up. Her shoulder, her footwork, everything became unified. It was kind of amazing.

Among other things, this showed me the Aikido ideal. One should retain that relaxed awareness, even when being thrown around. A lot to play around with...

Same blog, new site

2009-11-01T07:19:00.003-05:00

I'm starting an experiment with Wordpress.

I've imported this blog to a new site at:
http://aikipenguin.wordpress.com/
to see how it goes.

I may maintain both sites for a time until we see which performs better. Any comments are welcome.

Just training

2009-10-19T05:25:00.005-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about what we do in aikido and why we do it.

When I first became interested in aikido, I went around to various dojo in NY to choose one. I spent over a month looking around. I finally choose the New York Aikikai because it was more martial looking than some others.

After three-plus years, things look decidedly different Not that it isn't martial, it is, but the concern I felt for that aspect of training has changed.

Aikido is a martial art, there is no question about that, but that is a loaded term these days, which requires some thought.

In many people's minds, one studies a martial art to become a proficient warrior -- a fighter if you will. Many people who think that way don't stick with aikido very long, however. The methods of aiki, blending with one's opponent, are devilishly difficult to pull off. If you want to just protect yourself, better study boxing something.

No, one studies aikido for something else. But what? Why do we train?

I suppose the answer can be different for each person, however, at its most basic, there really is only one answer that I can see. One trains to train.

There really isn't any other reason or any other reward. Sure there are many ancillary benefits to training. Better health, stamina, a sense of confidence, ability, a social activity. Whatever. The list is as varied as there are practitioners to answer it.

However, the training is the thing. If that weren't true, no one would do it.

It's a bit like the Soto Zen idea of Shikantaza (just sitting). The practice of zazan meditation is it's own "reward." As soon as one think in terms of getting something from the practice, one has lost. Aikido is like that.

Just practice, whatever your level, whatever your ability, without any thought of a goal. Even the hope for "improvement" is a step off the path, I think. Of course, when one practices, one will improve, which is as it should be. However, if that's the focus of our attention, then we're missing the best aikido has to offer.

Hard, soft aikido

2009-04-28T07:44:00.005-04:00

Ruth Peyser has always been one of my favorite instructors at the NY Aikikai. Her classes are dynamic, fun and instructive. A pretty good combination.

Ruth's aikido has a certain quality to it. It is generally very soft and clear, but there is a power there that can be sensed under the surface. Sort of like a muscle car cruising at 30mph. Though it isn't being utilized at that moment, one can feel the power under the accelerator.

Her ukemi is also first rate. She's not one for flashy break falls or even those super soft rolls that some others have, but she always keeps her center under her and keeps the connection to nage. Of all the things I try to emulate from her technique, her simple ukemi for, say, ikkyo is the biggest challenge.

It must be something with me, but I generally prefer ladies' aikido. I'm not sure exactly why, but I think it has something to do with understated elegance, as opposed to over-the-top force. Of course, this is a generalization which is not close to true in all cases. All the same, the few female instructors at the dojo never disappoint.

The other day, Noriko Oba taught a class. Though she is eminently qualified, she rarely teaches. Well, that was also a treat. I tried to take full advantage of the opportunity by asking a lot of questions, and I'm glad I did. Another class of grace and poise.

It's not that I don't like hard aikido, I do. But sometimes it's very helpful to ease things up a bit and really concentrate on the subtleties of aikido, instead of only "effective technique," which is a misnomer. It's those subtle qualities, refined to a high level, that make the techniques effective.

Simplicity of the "basics"

2009-04-20T07:12:00.008-04:00

Well, the aches and pains are easing, if not completely gone. I still am having some trouble with my elbows, but my shoulder/back pain has abated, thank God. I'll make any deal with any devil not to get that back again.

Things at the NY Aikikai are merrily moving along. For the past few months, there have been extra black belt classes held on a few Saturdays. The Aikipenguin couldn't attend those, but I did watch most of them, hoping to see some secret, high-level techniques.

Well, there weren't any. In fact, I can't say they have done anything we all haven't done many times before. I'm sure there is a point to it that I'm not getting.

This month, basic classes were also added to the schedule. This was great news! Yamada-sensei's basic classes are legendary. I eagerly anticipated the class.

Well, I wasn't disappointed! Sensei spent the hour almost totally on footwork and tai sabaki (body positioning.) It was all very simple, but I have to say I think I learned more in that one hour than I have ever learned before. He just has a way of demonstrating and explaining that is very clear.

What does he say that is so different? I don't know. I can't put my finger on anything. Maybe it's the authority he inherently possesses. When sensei says something, one needn't wonder if it's right or not (as sometimes happens...). Perhaps that makes the whole learning process more direct. Just a guess.

A lot of upper class men seem to also understand the value in these classes. I was surprised at the number of black belts who attended the "beginner class." I bet if these continue, there will be more and more of them.

This week, Steve Pimsler will teach another one. I'm very sad to say I won't be able to attend. I have a rare commitment on Saturday. Steve is also a fabulous teacher.

Aikido body armor?

2009-03-29T05:02:00.002-04:00

I've wondered before when did I get old, but it seems like the process is accelerating.

I remember when I started aikido, I noticed the older guys in the dojo had a series of taping, bracing and padding they would go through before any class. I remember thinking at the time, "Boy, if I'm a careful student, that won't happen to me." Of course, this can only be seen now as quaint sentiment.

It all started with some mild repetitive stress in my elbow, ironically, not aikido related (those computers will kill ya), and I applied an elbow brace to combat it. Unfortunately, I think I over used the brace for a few days because suddenly, I developed upper back pain in that arm's shoulder.

Unlike the elbow pain, this was completely debilitating. It felt like someone had inserted a knife in my shoulder blade. Those of you familiar with back pain will know how ever-present it is, but for me it was a new experience.

After a course of acupuncture, tui na, electrical stimulation of the meridians and -- most importantly -- rest, I've managed to subdue the pain, but it was tough going for a while.

I was able to return to the mat on Saturday, and the shoulder held up well, but I immediately tweaked my knee! Just poor footwork on my part. I'll plead the 2-week hiatus took me out of proper form.

So Sunday I found myself dressing for class, I put on a fairly heavy duty knee brace on my left knee, and a lesser on on my right. Elbow pad on one arm and tape for my bruised finger on my other. I suddenly realized I'd become one of the "old guys" I derided early in my aikido career.

The next step is total body armor -- maybe a kind of modern-samurai with a dash of medieval...

Kaiten nage

2009-03-09T04:38:00.004-04:00

I haven't hasn't been blogging for a while -- and that's to my detriment.

Blogging helps helps to solidify the concepts learned in the dojo. Giving them some sort of expression, or rather the process of giving them expression, seems to clarify and reinforce the lessons learned.

A lot has happened in the past few months, but I'm at a loss to list them now. Well, I passed my third kyu test. That's an easy one.

As usual, I was nervous and overanxious before the test. I was particularly worried about kaitennage ura (see above video) for some reason. I had prepared, but not as much as I would like and felt a bit overwhelmed. Even so, I decided to go for it and see what would happen.

For the test, I was partnered with a guy from Michael McNally's dojo in Hoboken. I was lucky to get partnered with someone who knew the techniques and ukemi! (The memory of one fellow's test about a year ago kept haunting me. He just didn't know the techniques and Sugano-sensei stopped the test to call him out on it.) I can't remember my partner's name now, but he did well.

One scary moment, though, was when I was thrown during kaitennage. I came within an inch of the table Sugano and Mike Abrams senseis sit at when conducting the test! I just saw it go by out of the corner of my eye. The next day, I ran into Mike. He said some nice things, to which I answered, "Well, the best thing I did was not hit the table!" He said he put his hand over the corner to offer some protection as I went by. Honestly, I hadn't seen it. Just thinking about it makes my temple hurt!

Anyway, getting past that, things seemed to have gone well for everyone. The second and first kyus looked pretty good. Soon-jun, in particular, impressed the Aikipenguin.

After the test, as I do after every test, I swore to myself I'll prepare better next time. Maybe this time I will.

A check of the calender tells me I can test in November if I go over 5 days per week. We'll see if I can make that happen!

A goalless goal

2009-01-02T01:32:00.004-05:00

All my life, I've always been driven to be the best at whatever I took seriously. Sometimes I even made it, or pretty close, but at least I always strove to work as hard as I could. When the Japanese are about to do something, they don't wish each other luck, they say rather, "Gambate!" which means to "Do your best!" I admire those who always strive for perfection.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with being driven and I don't plan on changing my ways any time soon. However, this sort of thinking can be over done and lead one into the trap of competitiveness.

I no longer care for being "the best" at something. I only care that I am doing my best. Which is a subtle but significant difference. One promotes the ego, the other may take it down a few pegs.

I know I should strive to not only do my best, but rejoice in the accomplishments of others. There is no need to prop myself up by putting others down.

Of course, I don't always succeed in this, but when I fail and catch myself with envious thoughts, I'm able to center my mind and bring myself back to a more quiescent state about the whole thing.

For a guy who has lived his life in unbridled desire to win, this is an improvement.

There is a peace and beauty in letting the other guy have his moment in the sun, too...

The famous motto of Osensei, "Masakatsu Agatsu", contains the essence of the spirit of Aikido: "True victory is victory over the self."

Forging the sword

2008-12-16T02:49:00.007-05:00

Iron is full of impurities that weaken it; through forging, it becomes steel and is transformed into a razor-sharp sword. Human beings develop in the same fashion.
-- Morihei Ueshiba

NY Aikikai Christmas seminar 2008

2008-12-07T02:12:00.007-05:00

A few folks have asked for a detailed schedule for the upcoming Christmas seminar at the NY Aikikai, which will take place on Saturday Dec. 20 and Sunday Dec. 21. One day, $50. Two days $80.

Time	Rank	Instructor
Saturday
10-11	Mixed	Steve P.
11-12	Kyu	Yamada
12-1	Dan	Yamada
1-2	Dan	Sugano
2-3	Mixed	Sugano
3-4	Mixed	Harvey
4:15	Dan Tests
7:30	Party
Sunday
10-11	Mixed	Yamada
11-12	Mixed	Yamada
12-1	Mixed	Sugano
1-2	Mixed	Sugano
2-3	Mixed	Donovan

Atemi

2008-12-02T03:59:00.013-05:00

The vast majority of aikido techniques have an atemi (strike) in them somewhere. (I've heard it said that there is always an atemi available somewhere.) Often we allow the atemi to be de-emphasized in the dojo. I think this is a serious mistake.

The raison d'être of atemi is usually given as a "covering" move for nage. Especially in irimi moments, nage may be open to attack. The atemi, then, gives uke something to deal with instead of having the opportunity to reinforce his attack. This may very well be true. However, I think it's less than half the story.

The compelling reason for an atemi is to disrupt uke at the moment nage will apply a technique. This is crucial against a skilled opponent.

Aikido is usually described as a "blending" with the opponent's attack. The matching of uke's direction, speed and timing is meant to unbalance uke and allow a technique to work. True as that may be in theory, this pollyannaish approach wouldn't hold up under all conditions. Even if an aikidoka executes a perfectly timed technique at speed, there is one other consideration not often dealt with in the dojo: What if the attacker has a stronger center, is much more firmly rooted and possesses a superior ki flow than the aikidoka? What if he is more relaxed, calm, and focused? In other words, the attacker is a high level martial artist.

Well then, without something to change the equation, blending with that punch and pulling off an effective kotegaeshi would then come down to which one has the most ki happening at that moment? (Of course, we are assuming the aikidoka can execute a perfect technique, with enough speed and perfect timing -- leaving the Aikipenguin out of the discussion entirely.)

I don't think this is an acceptable state of affairs. After all, if we are practicing a martial art is designed to peacefully end conflict, we should be able to do that with a degree of confidence.

The solution, ironically enough, is a bit of aggression! A well placed and timed atemi will disrupt the opponent's energy flow as well as his concentration and attention. This is very important as that will then allow the now more energetically coherent aikidoka to successfully apply the technique.

Note the difference between a skilled attacker and one who simply resists the technique. An opponent who resists is not all that unusual, even in an aikido dojo. It often takes years for uke to soften up, in the meantime, resistive partners offer plenty of opportunity for practice, even in the best dojo. By definition, a skilled aikidoka will have more energy at his disposal than a resistive attacker and should be able to handle him with relative ease.

Osensei has been quoted as saying "Atemi is 90 percent of aikido."
I think to many people, as it was to me, that seems to be just another one of Osensei's perplexing statements and is soon put aside without making much sense of it. I now am not so sure about that. I think a man with his martial experience and skill would know as a matter of course how vital it was to disrupt his attacker's flow and rhythm. (It is also said he had a devastating kiai.)

By the way, this discussion shouldn't presuppose a passive nage who just waits for the attack -- but that is a discussion for another day.

A link?

2008-11-28T08:02:00.003-05:00

Well, about a bazillion things to say, martial arts wise, this week. I'll spare you most of them.

Aikido gives me the framework to address taiji and taiji gives me lots and lots of new ways to think about aikido. It's a very cool kind of reciprocal relationship.

As posted earlier, I'm finding the hip joint (kua) to be more and more related to what's going on. I'm playing with it and testing it daily.

On the one hand, it seems to be a source of power. This makes sense for, among a number of reasons, it's pretty close to the Dan Tien. On the other hand, I'm also starting to feel the kua as merely a link between my center and the ground.

Briefly, during push hands the other night -- just a moment or two -- I felt absolutely rooted. Looking back on it now, I seem to sense that the center (Dan Tien/Kua area) was not the source of power but the conduit of it (if that makes any sense). In my mind's eye at least, the source of power seems to have been the earth. My center, which I had always thought as the "main thing," was just my main link in that chain.

That would mean we don't ever really own this ki, we just make use of it. Even if, on one level, we produce it or store it. On another, we are just manipulating the energy that is available in the universe. The better we are at doing that, the more ki we seem to "have," but in fact, we don't possess it at all. I guess we just make use of it for ever longer periods of time as we improve our skills.

In aikido, I am also feeling more in the flow of things. I think during these moments, mindfulness of the balls of my feet starts to take over from mindfulness of the center. It's sort of like the feet are at one end and the torso/head are at the other and the center connects the two and makes them come alive.

I'm not sure if this idea is correct or even really important, but it was a flash of something, anyway. I'll figure it out sometime.

Confluence

2008-11-23T06:46:00.000-05:00

Things are starting to come together.

I decided to start tai chi because I believed and hoped it would improve my aikido. The fact that I am starting to love it as a marvelous art in it's own right is a bonus.

Practically every day I'm gaining new insights into aikido from tai chi. Now that I'm starting to understand the kua (hip joint/region) a little and how to "energize" and "release" it, I am wasting no time putting this knowledge into aikido to the best of my ability.

This joint/area is not one we pay much attention to in the West. According to Rick Barrett, there are not many nerve receptors in this area so we may not be as aware of it as other joints. I also heard this area is not easily injured, making it even easier to ignore.

Releasing the kua occurs in the moments when one wants to send the ki/qi down. It's basically relaxing and closing the joint. Now that I'm looking for it, I'm finding lots of such moments in aikido -- and not just the obvious ones.

This is how the sempai are able to create that drawing power, I think. It's the kind of thing that, once you are caught in it, you can't get out. These moments are extremely brief and easy to miss, which is probably why I had missed them up until now. In tai chi, the time over these moves is expanded, which makes the subtle points easier to notice and focus on. (Note I didn't say easy.)

Energizing the kua is just the opposite. It is done in moments when the energy is activated (used, extended) in the body and technique. CC Chen says this starts from the toe. You know, it works in a kind of cool way? Thinking of a throw coming from the "center" certainly has helped me. But now, the energizing of the kua has begun to make it more powerful. It gives the throw a rotational quality that is pretty powerful. I think this is how guys like Luke Machado can throw with such explosive force with out much lateral movement, which had always stumped me. I'll be working with this more to find out for sure.

Speaking of CC Chen, he was explaining about switching the energy from the toe, energizing the kua at a point in the form, when he said, "Of course, this is how it looks in the form." Then he walked over to the wall. "On the street, it's like this," and he gave a vertical mat some pretty explosive punches -- fa jing, the explosive expression of energy. It would be impressive at any age, but I believe the man is 73. Wow.

Irimi

2008-11-19T07:14:00.005-05:00

We've had a string of very excellent classes at the Aikikai. In the past three days, I took classes with Keith, Sugano-sensei, Donovan Waite and Junya.

We did lots of weapons work over the weekend, which I'm coming to appreciate more and more. Whatever we do with our hands (taijutsu) has an innate heritage in weapons technique. So the practice reinforces basic aikido fundamentals with the added benefit of extending ki a bit farther out than one's hand. (Which should be done anyway!)

We did a henkawaza in Sugano-sensei's class which I hadn't done before -- reversing nikkyo into sankkyo. That was interesting. A technique can be reversed when it is not being applied properly, often with some degree of "muscle" or tension. I need to figure out when nikkyo can be reversed and when it can't so I can be sure to do it correctly. That case didn't seem to be about tension as much as clean technique. I have to work more with this.

Donovan's class was just fun. Surprisingly, he kept it pretty basic. The man is just amazing to watch. Great form and power! I wound up in a group with Indra, she's always a pleasure to work with. We did some good ukemi practice, too. At one point, I had misunderstood what we were to do and he grabbed my by my shoulder to manhandle me into the correct position. The man is strong.

I was partnered with a visiting student from Europe in Junya's class. We were doing lots of yokomenuchi-irimi. My partner had an odd sense of timing and distance for it. He just came in too close and too soon. It is interesting how these things have become part of my nature. When something isn't done properly, it just doesn't feel right and the counter just appears.

He was pretty new, so I tried to mention it to him, but he seemed rather enamored with his approach. I even showed him once or twice how I hadn't even begun the attack yet, so I was in no way committed to the yokomen. I even threw him when he came in yet again too soon. Nothing I did, though, made a dent in this guy's irimi, so I gave up. I tried to be helpful, but I'm not the instructor. In fact, I'm talking less and less these days. Someday, someone who he may listen to will show him and that's fine. I never had that attitude, though, and I think it has served me well in the dojo. Even if I initially disagree with something someone tells me, I will think twice about it. The thought process is usually "So-and-so has been here many years longer than me. There must be some reason he said that." So, I'll try to find it. If I can't, I'll ask someone I respect about it (like Mike Jones). I won't just ignore it when someone is trying to be helpful.

European guy was a nice enough, otherwise, and it was a good practice. I'm feeling pretty good these days.

I'm not the only one who has bad days...

2008-11-17T04:15:00.000-05:00

Aikijo and Iron

2008-11-15T20:26:00.006-05:00

I woke up late and came horribly late for Doug Firestone's class on Friday. I can't seem to get the knack of Fridays, never on time.

I hadn't seen Doug for a few weeks, so I was surprised to see he had a full beard. He said he grew it for Halloween. He should keep it.

We did some jo work, which was very good -- especially the shihonage. An excellent class, though it was too short for me!

Saturday began as a typical morning. I slid in next to Mike Jones to get a good practice. For the second time Chris came later and joined us, which was fine. Then Mike Abrams arrived and fetched me, the odd man out of the trio at that moment.

I really like practicing with Mike Abrams. He's always very helpful and a good sport, all around. However, sometimes I have to say, he just doesn't know his own strength.

Don't let me exaggerate too much. He's been around a very long time and would never hurt a fly. So there is no fear. However, the man is made of iron. And he can be a lot to handle. If he doesn't like what nage is doing -- say he feels some tension in his partner -- and decides not to move, nothing on this earth can move him.

I've been thinking a lot about rooting lately. Well, He just puts roots deep into the ground. On the other hand, if you have a hold of him, and he wants to put you somewhere, good luck trying to stop that. An irritable force. Like trying to pull a moving locomotive to a stop. Good luck with that.

Despite all of that, or perhaps because of it, it is always a treat to partner with him. He's invariably generous and helpful with his advice, though sometimes he'll make you work for it.

He had me in katatetori, and I just couldn't budge him. I tried several times, until I finally said, "Well, I tried relaxing, extending and turning... I'm out of options." Sure enough he showed me my error (hard to describe) and then I was able to do the technique. He's always great for that.

After a while, Luke came in, so we were three again, and that was also good. It was interesting alternating between the two partners: Iron Mike and a bit softer, but still tough (and fast) Luke. Had to make adjustments...

A good class all around.

Restoring balance to the universe

2008-11-13T07:16:00.009-05:00

I didn't bring my A-game to tai chi class yesterday.

Things started off OK. I woke up early and ate properly. Took my vitamins and hydrated myself. (I have a routine to prepare for aikido class everyday. Usually, lack of sleep or food will wear me down.) But when I got to class, I just couldn't start the engine. Oh well, someday it will be like flipping a switch, but not today...

Even so, it was a good class. Rick Barrett is one of those guys who was born to teach. He just loves it. He also has the ability to see the humor in life -- a very important and underrated skill, especially in the internal arts; it means he's on to something.

And it may be a strange set of coincidences, but the guy just seems to read my mind. I've noticed whenever I have some kind of realization or "significant" thought, he will invariably bring up the topic, with no prompting from me.

Over the past few days, I've been thinking a lot about yin and yang and how it applies to what I practice. In aikido, we're very good at teaching the yang aspects of the art: Lots of extensions, projections, flowing energy, movement, etc. But we're a bit less articulate on the yin side. I've noticed some higher-ranked sensei absorbing energy (not just moving around it), but it is rarely explicitly talked about.

I remember I asked Eran Vardi about something he was doing to lower his center while in seiza (where one doesn't have the option of bending the knees), and he showed me a kind of sinking thing he did with his center. I thought it was kind of cool, and I knew it was important! I tried to do it a few times, sitting and standing, but promptly forgot it until recently.

Now that sinking thing is something I'm trying to work into my tai chi form. I can see how that would be very applicable to aikido, too. Often we lower the center and I usually accomplish that (when I remember to do it) by bending my knees. That is fine. But I think if that's accompanied by this tai chi energy sink, it'll be a lot more effective.

I was also thinking about the yin side of every technique we do. Basically, I think most times when we take uke's balance, we are doing it with yin to counteract the yang of the attack. Once kuzushi (the principle of destroying one's partner's balance) is achieved, the aikidoka then goes yang and applies a technique or throw.

Think of a simple tenkan. Uke comes in. That's yang. Nage gets off line and pivots, that's yin, isn't it? It's a different dynamic, a different flow of energy. Once uke is off balance, he's now yin and the technique applied is yang.

A properly executed aikido technique, therefore, restores balance to the universe. :) I'm sure this is the same for push hands or tai chi applications, but I don't really know those yet.

So this is how my mind was ruminating over the past few days, when Rick made pretty much the same point in class last night (sans the balance-to-the-universe part). It's not the first time such a thing has happened.

Either Rick's picking up my wavelength, or I'm just making "obvious" conclusions as led by his instruction. I'm not sure which, maybe a bit of both. I'm just not going to be too surprised by it anymore.

2008-11-12T06:07:00.000-05:00

In the Zone

2008-11-10T06:42:00.008-05:00

A very busy weekend. Friday night, I attended a seminar by Rick Barrett entitled "From the Inside Out: Deepening Your Martial Arts' Practice" at the New York Open Center.

Rick is a popular tai chi instructor in New York and a renowned push hands champion. He has put all his years of experience into his very fine book, which was discussed earlier, "Taijiquan: Through the Western Gate." Rick's seminar went through much of that material, with practical demonstrations and lots of class participation.

Right off the bat, Rick told us how he liked to "give it all away," and not make a student suffer for many years before he'll share his insights.

He then went through several demonstrations on what he calls "energetic coherence," which is basically the aligning of the otherwise chaotic energy flows in the body/mind. This is easily demonstrated by various push tests, which are similar to the routines the Ki-Aikido folks use to demonstrate the power of ki. I forgot to show Rick aikido's "unbendable arm," which is right in line with his methods. I'll have to mention it to him sometime. I'm sure he'd appreciate it if he hasn't seen it already.

Participants learned how to use energetic coherence to increase their ability to hold their arm against opposing pressure. There was also much talk of rooting, with everyone learning how to use proper posture and energy flow to become much more stable. This is a sure way to be a hit at martial arts parties.

All in all, it was a very enjoyable and instructive evening. Everyone seemed pleased with it.

The next day, Ruth taught a nice class as usual. We focused on ushiro ryotedori attacks. I was able to use extra time needed going around nage to really stay focused.
Sunday's class was a real treat. Tobias taught in his clear, strong style, as always, and we again spent most of the time with ushiro ryotedori. I was partnered with a fellow who is a very good aikidoka, though he likes to practice a bit on the slow side.

I have to say, that was just what I needed. Slowing up allowed me to put all the principles I've been trying to work on into practice. I was able to make sure I was centered, relaxed, extending with connection. Most of all, I'm having a great time on the balls of my feet! It has made a world of difference (at least in my own mind).

Of course, I wouldn't want to practice that way all the time, but it's good to practice at varying speeds. The slower practices allows me to use my energy more in the way I'm supposed to (coherently, we might say), rather than being scattered when I am trying to control a maniac uke. Also, I am able to use my energy properly, rather than just trying to keep up the pace.

Though I hate to say it out loud, I find myself a bit more "in the zone" these days. I think the tai chi is helping, just as I hoped it would. I'm looking forward to the future!

Sick

2008-11-05T06:54:00.005-05:00

The Aikipenguin's not been himself. Since I took the sweaty class immediately followed by the drafty one I've been sick. I know, I'm a wimp. What can I tell you?

Actually, I had just recovered from a cold, so that wasn't going to help. I will probably not make it into the dojo until Thursday... See you guys then.

I know I'm hooked when even a few days away drives me nuts!

A busy day in the cold

2008-11-03T04:36:00.004-05:00

A hectic day at the dojo. It was a kyu testing day, and that means lots of people -- especially for the second class, which is immediately prior to the tests.

The Aikipenguin didn't get to test, though. With the time off I took for injury, I was just a few classes short. That was a bummer, let me tell you. Well, the next tests are on February. I'll be there with bells on.

Keith taught the first class. I had a great time in it. Jon was an excellent partner and we had a good time exploring the slightly unusual techniques together.

We spent most of the time with henka waza (changing from one technique into another). Mostly katatetori. Though we did drift into yokomenuchi and shomenuchi. As an exercise, we did yokomenuchi shihonage to kotaegaeshi with just one hand. Which was quite interesting and instructive. The idea was to keep the connection, of course, and nage and uke both certainly have to for that to work. It was very cool.

Lately, I've been reminding myself more to keep relaxed, centered, with good posture and just generally in the zone. I had some success during the class. Hopefully as time goes by, I won't have to remind myself so much and it will just happen naturally. That's the idea, isn't it?

I was going to call it a day, but then I saw that Sugano-sensei was ready to teach the second class. Of course, he would be there to conduct the testing. So I decided to stay.

Unfortunately, the mat was so crowded I spent most of my attention just trying to not smash into the people on every side of me.

In addition, at some point during the class, I guess because it was so crowded, the windows were opened and the fans turned on. Now, there may have been a lot of bodies warming up the mat, but it is still November. Of course, I was standing right under a fan, and I found the draft very cold! I was just getting over a mild cold and I already feel it coming back, so it's straight to bed for me later today.

After class, I caught a glimpse of the testing, but couldn't bring myself to stay for the third kyus. I knew I'd be green with envy. Whaddayagonnado? ;)

Actually, I would have stayed if I could, but I had to get going. I hadn't even planned to stay for the second class as I had a busy day ahead.

I guess I can't complain too much. At least I'm not like the poor guys in the video above doing aikido in the snow!

Osensei and Lao Tsu

2008-10-28T07:08:00.012-04:00

I've been having lots of fun recently interpreting my aikido practice in relationship to t'ai chi ch'üan (henceforth "tai chi") principles. The more I try it, the more I'm sure there is nothing unusual about this approach.

Aikido is littered with allusions to tai chi and Taoism. Both on the physical level of the waza and the philosophical level.

Osensei's commentaries makes a lot more sense when viewed from the viewpoint of the Tao. I've been reading Osensei's quotes for a few years, Taoist philosophy for a lot longer than that, yet I never made the connection until I tried tai chi.

Almost at random, I quote here from Osensei and from the Tao De Jing, written by Lao Tzu or the "Old Master."

Osensei:

"All things, material and spiritual, originate from one source and are related as if they were one family. The past, present, and future are all contained in the life force. The universe emerged and developed from one source, and we evolved through the optimal process of unification and harmonization."

Lao Tzu:

Empty the self completely;
Embrace perfect peace.
The world will rise and move;
Watch it return to rest.
All the flourishing things
Will return to their source.

Osensei:

Those who are possessed by nothing possess everything.

Lao Tzu:

The sage experiences without abstraction,
And accomplishes without action;
He accepts the ebb and flow of things,
Nurtures them, but does not own them,
And lives, but does not dwell.

Osensei:

All the principles of heaven and earth are living inside you. Life itself is the truth, and this will never change. Everything in heaven and earth breathes. Breath is the thread that ties creation together. When the myriad variations in the universal breath can be sensed, the individual techniques of the Art of Peace (aikido) are born.

Lao Tzu:

There was something undefined and complete, existing before Heaven and Earth. How still it was, how formless, standing alone and undergoing no change, reaching everywhere with no danger of being exhausted. It may be regarded as the mother of all things. Truthfully it has no name, but I call it Tao.

Osensei:

Consider the ebb and flow of the tide. When waves come to strike the shore, they crest and fall, creating a sound. your breath should follow the same pattern, absorbing the entire universe in your belly with each inhalation. Know that we all have access to four treasures: the energy of the sun and moon, the breath of heaven, the breath of earth, and the ebb and flow of the tide.

Lao Tzu:

The ancient Masters were profound and subtle.
Their wisdom was unfathomable.
There is no way to describe it;
all we can describe is their appearance.

Osensei:

Those who practice the Art of Peace must protect the domain of Mother Nature, the divine reflection of creation, and keep it lovely and fresh. Warriorship gives birth to natural beauty. The subtle techniques of a warrior arise as naturally as the appearence of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. Warriorship is none other than the vitality that sustains all life.

At first I tried to find quotes that can be directly compared with each other, but I realized that was trying to exert a force upon the process that wasn't necessary...

If I ever feel really industrious, there is a paper in here somewhere.

Osensei:

If you have not
Linked yourself
To true emptiness,
You will never understand
The Art of Peace.

The Tao of Budo

2008-10-23T03:23:00.009-04:00

It is interesting where the path will take you if you let it.

I'm always looking for ways to improve my budo practice. One way I do this is to always be on the lookout for good books or other information. Now I know, no one ever learned a martial art from a book, but sometimes one can find good ideas.

On this blog just last week, I had commented on ki cultivation and development and how I thought it was sometimes neglected in aikido practice. A few days later, I happened upon "Taijiquan: Through the Western Gate," written by Rick Barrett. Well, this book addressed all the things I had been thinking about recently and a lot more, too. Though I'm "familiar" with a lot of the basic tenants of tai chi/qigong, "Western Gate" presented them in a very practical, down to earth manner that I found very useful.

I usually look in these books to find some sort of "trick" I may be able to add to my repertoire. A new method of meditation, a phrase or two to get me thinking along new lines, etc. I was not prepared for Mr. Barrett's book, which was the kind of work that upends one's viewpoint and puts it down in an altogether new place.

I say it's a new place, but at the same time, it is also a familiar one. Time and time again, while reading the book, I found myself thinking, "I always thought so," "I suspected as much," or even better, "I never thought of that, but it completely fits!" It is a rare treat when a book resonates to such a degree.

Now here's where coincidence gives way to something else: Looking up Rick Barrett on the Net, I found that he teaches just a few minutes from my home. When things just come together like this, I suspect karmic forces are at work. I had to go to a class.

At the very beginning, Rick began talking about qi flow, relaxation, and body alignment and posture. Sound familiar? Readers of this blog will know I've been hammering away at these very points. But he didn't just say, "do this" or "not like that," but he took the time to demonstrate the whys and wherefores of all the points he was making. Although I was very aware that all these things are correct, I can't say I understood the reasoning behind them until a few light bulbs went off last night.

For example, I was amazed at the difference in my stability when I aligned my head properly; all the talk of posture lately, and I never even worried about my head. Also the dramatic difference in posture when standing on the balls of my feet -- and I thought I was standing on them already! We are always told the ball of the foot is the way to go in aikido.

But the really great moment was when we were working on the form a bit. We were transitioning the weight from one leg to the other, keeping grounded. Suddenly I realized I was in the middle of a perfect aikido throw. (You know, the thing which has been driving me crazy lately?) I've blogged about poor posture and not being grounded more than once during the past few weeks.

In the final analysis, aiki principles and tai chi principles are the same. I think this allied study will be very beneficial in a lot of different ways.

I am reminded of something I heard Henry Kono-sensei say once. He got the chance to ask Osensei, "Why can't we do what you do?" Osensei simply answered, "That's because you don't understand yin and yang."

Guest instructor

2008-10-22T04:18:00.007-04:00

We had an unplanned guest instructor from the Aikikai Hombu Dojo (Tokyo headquarters) at class last night.

I don't know the particulars which brought this about, but on Monday a sign suddenly appeared announcing Yoshiaki Yokota-shihan, 7th dan, would be teaching the next day. Word seems to have traveled quickly, however, and the dojo filled up -- much more than the usual weekday evening crowd.

This was the first time I got to see an instructor from hombu. I was very currious as I didn't know what to expect.

I found Yokota-sensei's class to be quite interesting and a bit different than any other instructor I've seen. He had elements of other Japanese shihan I've seen before, but everyone brings something different to the table.

His aikido was very fresh to me. It was clean, strong and very accurate. Very traditional, in fact. Yet, he had a fluidity and style that I liked a lot. He also had a way of explaining and looking at things that I hadn't thought of before. In fact, I'm still digesting it and I probably will be mulling over the things I saw for quite some time. I guess that's the best compliment one can give...

In addition, Yokota-sensei was quite pleasant and friendly. I could tell the dojo was on edge in the beginning of class. You know, trying to size up the guy and also hoping to give a good impression of the NY Aikikai. I'd say he broke the ice very quickly and led a very at ease and enjoyable class.

Afterward, I happened to be standing in the hallway when he was making his way out. He stopped by each one of us and shook our hands with a "thank you." I have to say, I was impressed. I hope he'll come again.

Keep it simple

2008-10-21T06:53:00.005-04:00

We did some complex stuff in class. Well, at least one complex technique. It started off as one off as a reverse nikkyo but then nage grabs the other hand and controls both shoulders. Uke is taken down without any arms (difficult ukemi if your partner doesn't know what he's doing) and the the double pin.

Hrumph. Let's just say, there were a lot of confused faces on the mat -- including mine -- except for Luke Machado. That guy can just see a technique, do a technique, perfectly, even the first time. He doesn't have to think about it. He's unconscious. He's like the Manny Ramirez of aikido.

It bugs me sometimes when we drift off into this complex stuff. I suppose I'll change my mind someday as a lot of the senior guys seem to love it. But it never strikes me as particularly realistic or very useful. I mean, there's so much to work on in the standard cannon of techniques, why improvise?

And how useful is it martially? I don't think, in the heat of the moment, such complex stuff is going to come to mind, and if it did, would it work?

On the other hand, "realism" is only one goal of training, and not the most important one, at that.

My main goal is to drill aiki principles, improve them and get them more and more integrated into my being. Things like relaxation, being centered, grounded, blending with the incoming attack, ki flow, extension, breathing, etc. For me, all this is still a challenge, even on techniques I've done a thousand times, so I don't need any added complexity to distract me further! I guess the more senior guys like the challenge. I can understand that.

I have heard Osensei called irimi nage the "20 year technique." Meaning, I think, that it is a perfect example of all aiki principals. Well, if Osensei says it takes 20 years to get it right, who are the rest of us to gum up the works with complexity?

Yamada-sensei ventures into variations from time to time, but I never felt overwhelmed by complexity by anything he did on the mat. I think that's something to think about.

Cat aikido

2008-10-16T07:45:00.000-04:00

To ki or not to ki...

2008-10-15T06:36:00.002-04:00

All the talk these days about "ki" it deserves a closer look.

"Qi" (pronounced chi) is s a very old and well utilized concept in Chinese medicine and martial arts. Tai chi (not that chi) and Qigong (yes, that qi) make implicit and explicit use of it. It is moved, scooped up, directed, and sent to various places in the body's energy field. Almost all qigong practitioners will tell you of the reality of qi and their very positive and interesting experiences with it.

Yet Japanese aikido masters seem reluctant to talk about it. It's more like something you'll have to intuit for yourself after many years of practice. This may be true. However, ki can be directed by the mind. In fact, one definition of ki may be "where the mind leads."

So to not talk of it or instruct students to keep it in mind has always struck me as a bit odd. Part of it may just be the old-style Japanese way of teaching where the instructor didn't verbalize very much. The student just had to "steal" what he wanted to know.

This silence has become almost encysted within Aikikai pedagogy. Students are told to "extend," without being told exactly what they are extending, or to "use their center," without being told just what the center is or does. This makes aikido seem like a purely physical endeavor, when it is so much more.

I always try to envision my ki flowing when I do a technique. Lately, I've even started envisioning my partners ki flowing, trying to catch it up for my own use. I've also had great success at drawing ki from the ground, especially in a relaxed stance. When I take ukemi, I try to pull some ki up with me when I get up off the ground. I find the better I'm able to keep these ideas in mind, the more relaxed and flowing my movements become. Who knows if I'm really doing all that or not, but just imagining I am has a very positive effect.

Yet, I'm sure some master practitioners actually do those things and probably a lot more. Wouldn't it be nice if we were taught to do it, rather than having to figure it all out? I've only scratched the surface of what can and needs to be done with ki. I wish I had someone to guide me through it. I just feel like I'm missing something.

Anyway, I'm a believer.

Little things

2008-10-13T08:01:00.003-04:00

I've been paying attention to all the "little things" while I practice. I put "little things" in quotes, but I'm beginning to realize they are not so little after all.

As I've mentioned before, Doug Firestone has been bringing attention to my form during a typical throw, and I've been careful to pay attention to it more and more. The funniest part of it is, now that it's in my mind, it seems (almost) everyone I watch has some sort of deficiency in their posture. Little things I never noticed, like the foot placement, or which foot bears most of the weight and when, are suddenly starting to stick out when I watch myself or others. Not that I'm necessarily improving all that much, but at least I'm aware of it a bit. Certainly, that's better than before.

I'm also trying to do more weapons work, and this dovetails very nicely with my new focus on form. Since, for the most part, one doesn't have to throw an uke in weapons work, there is little to distract me from the form -- it's pretty much all form.

Weapons work, at least the way we do it in aikido, mirrors the form we should have during taijutsu. So, this is a particularly good practice for me right now. :)

By the way, it's a lot harder than it looks...

A matter on inches

2008-10-05T03:39:00.004-04:00

Well, a week has gone by for the Aikipenguin, and I've been remiss with this blog.

It's sometimes hard to keep up every day. Lots of days are imperceptibly different from the last... Though things are always happening, if only unconsciously.

I've been working on my posture, especially at the end of a throw. Yesterday, I had a kind of revelation about shihonage. I always knew I wasn't exactly throwing straight in front of me for this throw, but I never knew why. I think I've been unconsciously being "too kind" to my ukes, as Doug pointed out in the past, though I didn't get it at the time.

When it comes time to cut down and throw, unless uke is positioned perfectly, there is going to be some natural resistance from uke's arm angle. Fearful of hurting uke, I would turn my body in his direction to reduce the angle a bit. This might be fine for an inexperienced uke, but at a certain point, I have to learn to just trust uke will take care of himself and do it.

I was partnered with deshi Mariusz, who was a pleasure, and I suddenly realized where the throw should be. One reason was because there was little space on the mat, so we were working on carefully throwing along the line in the space carved out. I noticed that I was turning my body off the line for the throw, and simply stopped doing it. Of course, Mariusz had no problem with it, and suddenly I realized that this was the was it was supposed to be and I'd not been doing it all along! My body posture and connection to the ground immediately got better. Wow.

Now I'm thinking that is the same problem I have with iriminage. In particular, I've been working on my posture with that one. I think I'm doing the same thing -- turning my body slightly to make it easier on ukes who don't keep up. I can't wait to try it out.

It all makes sense, too. I know that some guys who can throw very effectively, regardless of how slow we are going. I think that has to do, at least to some degree, with this very point. If nage allows uke to dictate his body position, then unless the ukemi is perfect, nage will not do the technique in proper alignment. So the trick is to let uke follow, but make sure to place him in the right position and not let him drag me into an improper one.

It's funny how I've been trying to fix one throw, but I find the solution in a completely different one. It's just a matter of inches, but it changes the whole feeling! :)

Posture

2008-09-26T23:36:00.004-04:00

The last few times I took Doug's class he's drawn my attention to my posture at the end of a throw.

This is something I've been working on, but I haven't been making much progress. I'm sure it's something that will either get better slowly, or else it will improve when I make some dramatic discovery. Either way is fine with me as long as I can improve it.

Posture is something that some people have naturally right. The rest of us just have to work at it. It would certainly take some pressure off my knees, which is also badly needed.

I particularly have a problem with keeping my feet aligned with my knees and keeping my weight on my back foot in the throw.

Oh, well. At least I'm aware of the problem. The first step, right?

Last year, my mantra was "relax and get lower." I think this year I'm going to modify that to "relax and get lower with good posture." I can see this lengthening more and more as the years go by...

Eran Vardi

2008-09-25T04:51:00.003-04:00

It was Eran Vardi's turn to teach the Wednesday class. Eran alternated with Jerry on Wednesdays at 12:15.

Eran classes are certainly different than the norm. In fact, the whole dojo takes on a different feel to it on the days that he teaches. Lots of his students come, so the class is usually made up of people I don't know. His different approach and the different people make a nice change of pace.

As is usual for Eran, we did lots of suwari waza. I'd say about half the class. It's still hard for me to keep that up for so long, but it's definitely getting better. I even felt a little centered and relaxed during a few techniques before fatigue set in.

When I do suwari waza for that length of time, I can gauge how well I'm doing by the state of my knees afterward. I used to skin them to shreds, making them a bloody pulp. Of course, this shows that I am not centered and putting too much weight on my knees, but this tends to happen when fatigue sets in. Have to just keep plugging away at it!

Yesterday, I just wound up with just one lightly skinned knee. Although that's still far from good, it's a definite improvement! :)

It's very hard to describe the techniques we do in Eran's classes. They are usually a combination of at least two. I used to hate that, but these days, I'm learning to appreciate the different ways to approach the same positions and techniques. I don't know if I'd ever use them myself, as they are complex, but learning to "get there from here" is valuable practice.

Taking your lumps

2008-09-23T00:01:00.002-04:00

I managed to make the 12:15 class, which is often hard for me on Mondays. This is particularly good as Claire Keller, one of my favorite instructors, teaches that class.

I bumped into Claire on the street before class. I was coming from the gym. She surprised me very much with her opening comment: "What are you working out or something?"

"What. Can you tell?" I was kind of shocked.

Claire, never one to overindulge in complements, said, "I can see a little something."

Ha! I think that was the first time someone's noticed. It's been about six weeks, so maybe it's time, but that was a nice surprise all the same. It certainly made my day! :)

In class, we focused on shomenuchi attacks. Before long, we were doing ikkyo and my partner was unusually timid. I was trying to get him to attack and extend but he just didn't want to enter my space.

Claire came over and I thought she was going to address the situation. She had me attack her. Now, since I was just being a bit heavy with my partner to make the point, I did the same to her without thinking. I somehow misread the situation because she suddenly turned to me and said, "That's not helpful." I could see she wasn't too happy. I was actually aghast that she thought I was being unhelpful to my partner. I always try hard to help those newer folks and be a good uke to everyone (at least the best I can).

Then I tried to explain and dug myself in deeper. "Oh, no. I was just trying to get him to extend."

"Why don't you just worry about yourself and try to take good ukemi." Slam. That went down hard, let me tell you. Of course, there was nothing I could say to that, so I just said, "Hai."

Now I tend to over analyze and think too much at the best of times, so I really mulled this over. At first I was a bit upset about it, but I tried to take my ego out of it and look at it from an external viewpoint.

As soon as I did that, I realized that she was absolutely right. Yes, I may have had some other sempai do the same sorts of things to me to make a point, but is that the most constructive way of doing things? How about letting nage execute the technique and figuring it out? A lot of guys at the dojo are a bit pedantic and I don't particularly like it, either. Why emulate them?

Not only that, but I particularly admire Claire's aikido. She has a flowing style and grace that I hope to be able to do someday. So it's no surprise that she would be the one to tell me this. She didn't get that way by being heavy, that's for sure.

This was a very small and seemingly unimportant exchange on the mat. However, the more I think about it and its implications, the more I am realizing the right and wrong way to do things.

I think I have to try to be free of all preconceived ideas. It's all about opening oneself to the subtlety of the moment. I just realized how poorly I've been doing that up til now, so that's a new element to try to put into my practice. This was a valuable lesson.

One reason I like taking Claire's classes so much is that I know she'll never hesitate to tell me what she really thinks. Well, I got that today and I have to appreciate it -- even if I had to take some lumps at the same time. ;)

Freaked out

2008-09-21T05:07:00.000-04:00

Yamada-sensei taught the Saturday morning class.

I'm always amazed at his ability to so quickly and efficiently teach aikido. I had another new partner and I had to give her some advice. She was quick and getting it, but Sensei just walked over, grabbed her hand and said, "like this" and walked away, perfectly handling the situation.

He came over several more times and even demonstrated on me . It was the first time I took ukemi for him and I was pretty freaked out about it -- at least afterward. I didn't really have any time to think about it beforehand.

"I hope I followed well enough. Did I maintain the connection?" etc. It's really kind of silly because it was the quickest and most minor of ukemi possible. Not even the full technique. I have no doubt that he has no memory of it whatsoever.

Anyway, it was a great class, focusing similar openings with katatetori, omote, ura and different hand levels to allow for different techniques. Cool stuff.

Body mechanics

2008-09-20T16:19:00.001-04:00

Friday's effort at the aikikai had all the typical elements of one of Doug's classes: Uchi/soto variations, partner changes, some projection throws and a liberal dash of aikido humor.

There was a new girl I practiced with in a group. I think I had seen a few times, but I never talked to her. When I grabbed her wrist, I felt quite a bit of kokyu power, so it was obvious she had some experience at another dojo. I figured at least a year or more, probably fifth or fourth kyu.

I got a chance to speak to her after class and asked her where she was from. She misunderstood my question and told me her hometown. When I made it clear I was asking which dojo she had trained at before she looked at me kind of blankly. "I just started two weeks ago here."

It was my turn to stare blankly. It always amazes me how some people can just pick up what most of us try so hard to get. Her form was a little on the inexperienced side, but still not bad at all. It was her relaxation and focus that was quite impressive.

As it turns out, she's an ex-dancer with expertise in body mechanics. I quickly asked to help me with all the problems I have with my posture in and out of aikido. She said she'll give me exercises to strengthen certain muscles, their weakness causing poor body alignment. :)

I also told her about my quest to become more flexible. I remember even 10 years ago, when I wanted to loosen up, even a few weeks of stretching had noticeable results. The past few years, however, all the stretching I do doesn't seem to have any effect at all. I told her this too, and she seemed unperturbed. She really sounds like she knows what she's doing, so I'm looking forward to that. It's just the thing I've been thinking about lately. In fact, I was looking at Pilates or Yoga as a possible solution and this is right in line with that idea.

Yet more evidence that really cool people find the dojo...

Welcome to New York

2008-09-19T07:17:00.005-04:00

I haven't been to one of Alberto's aiki-aerobics classes in a while. It was good to push myself a bit.

As I've commented before on this blog, Alberto's classes tend to be vigorous, with lots of fast moving techniques and partner changes.

We started with katatetori kokyu ho, as usual. I do believe he starts every class with that one. One thing about kokyu ho, it helps a lot, perhaps too much, if uke really sticks to nage. My partner was leaving a lot of space, making the technique difficult, and I was frustrated with myself for not being able to compensate well enough. I knew I should draw her in with my hips, but I kept forgetting to do it. Sometimes good ukemi allows me to be lulled into complacency, I find.

For most of the rest of the class we switched to ai hanmi katatetori, with mostly normal techniques.

Oh! We did the "45-degree" koshinage again, but from this approach, I didn't have as much of a problem with it as last time. One weird thing was I got the ukemi mixed up on the first throw, holding on with the wrong hand! It hurt, but I was more embarrassed than anything. I didn't know how I could do that until I realized my mind was still expecting the throw from the other direction (like it would be for the "90-degree" version) and my mind didn't change gears fast enough. DOH!

We went to shomenuchi for the last few, with kotegaeshi and irimi nage (of course) followed by any attack. We finished off with the Alberto favorite: "Anybody attack anybody." Just in case you were not yet tired.

Finishing off with bunny hops, sit-ups and push-ups, it was a good mini-boot camp.

We had a visitor from somewhere in Europe. After class, he asked me, "Do you guys practice like this all the time?!?" I just smiled and said, "That's Alberto."

He was pretty spent, kind of regrouping his energies. He just looked down and replied, "I don't like it."

I resisted the temptation to answer, "Welcome to New York."

The long and short of it

2008-09-17T15:58:00.003-04:00

Jerry couldn't make his Wednesday, 12:15 class, so the ever-ready Mike Jones stepped up.

It was an interesting class. Mike alternated techniques between omote and ura, all with a shomenuchi attack. We did kokyu ho (kaiten), ikkyo omote, kotegaeshi ura, nikkyo omote and finally good ol' irimi nage.

Mike helped me with the kaiten, which didn't feel natural for some reason, and very good advice in the nikkyo on how and when to go for the grip. I was kinda doing it the hard way.

I was partnered with a fairly new aikidoka. I had to laugh at myself a few times. I still don't really feel competent to give anyone any advice, but I did find the opportunity to inject a few words. The interesting thing is, I only told him stuff I've heard a thousand times.

I can remember very well when all those words were meaningless and confusing to me. (Now they are only slightly less confusing...)

Extend? Um, OK (push).

Relax? Why, aren't I relaxed? (while not even breathing...)

Seems like only yesterday... Gee, I hope it really wasn't yesterday!

I finally resorted to telling my partner, "don't worry I won't hurt you. Just stay loose." The dirty secret I didn't tell him is that there are levels upon levels of relaxation and I've just scratched the surface. I heard Harvey Konegsburg-sensei say within the past year or so that he was becoming satisfied with the level of relaxation in his shoulders. How many decades has he been at it? My god. I didn't mention all this though and we got through it all right.;)

Oh! After class, another new aikidoka, who I hadn't yet had the pleasure to meet, came up to me and said, "I like your blog." I don't think she knows how surprised and happy I was. Even though I put this stuff up here for people to read, I am always surprised when I find they actually do it. :)

Angles

2008-09-13T23:27:00.006-04:00

We had fun with katatetori today. And I had a good partner, which makes a good class!

I had a hard time doing shihonage with him. I asked him why and I found a basic point I had been missing. The angle I'd been arriving at when I did the throw was off and it diminished the effectiveness of the throw. A small change made a big difference in the technique's effectiveness. Cool!

I have found that Saturday at 11 a.m. is becoming my favorite class. I think that's because of all the good sempai that show up.

Connection

2008-09-12T22:42:00.000-04:00

Hal didn't teach on Friday, but we still had a good class taught by Sharon.

We focused on connection -- a very important point in aikido.

At first it may seem odd that a martial art requires the "good guy" and the "bad guy" to connect, but in fact, aikido teaches that there is no good or bad guy (resistive partners excluded). When viewed that way, it starts to make sense.

In theory, there is no winner and no loser in aikido (explaining why the art does not lend itself to competition), so uke and nage need not balk at connecting with each other. This is different from "cooperative" if by that is meant uke just gives it up. Uke is supposed to give a sincere attack. But if the connection is made, the experience is transformed to a more mutual and "healing" encounter. Not to sound to New-Agey or anything.

I had a hard time with this concept for a long time. I mean, it's a martial art, right? Don't I try to take the guy out? And doesn't he try to do something to me?

Well, yes and no. The "attacker" has to give a sincere attack. But nage is supposed to absorb, redirect and otherwise neutralize the force in such a way as to "respect uke's ki." Which means really not to try to block or go against it, but use it to resolve the conflict.

All this may sound a bit hokey. But there are levels within levels with this. I may have glimpsed the first few myself, and seen a few more in others, but I get the feeling there's a lot more to it than I can even imagine.

Koshinage

2008-09-11T06:57:00.003-04:00

I slept didn't make the 12:15 class yesterday, but I managed to get to the dojo for the 5:30. OK, it was 5:40.

Mike Jones taught the class and we focused on suki techniques. It was all fairly straight forward, but I had a hard time with some of it. The opening threw me a bit until I got the hang of it.

Things went OK until we got to koshinage. In my mind, koshinage falls into two broad categories. This is probably an artificial distinction, but in my mind it is there.

There's the 90-degree koshinage, where nage's feet wind up perpendicular to uke's before the throw. This is the nice, happy comfortable one for me. ;)

Then there's the 45-degree koshinage, which isn't really 45 degrees, but uke is behind nage and nage sticks his hip in front of uke and uke goes over. It's almost 45 degrees. This is the unhappy, uncomfortable one, for me. :(

Well, of course, we did the latter. I really need to take a sempai aside and work on this, because I'm just not doing it right. Uke winds up almost behind my shoulder and that makes the throw hard and dangerous. Fortunately, I didn't kill anyone.

One woman in our group was taken out, though. Another guy I hadn't seen threw her on her shoulder. Ouch. She was taken off the mat and iced up. I felt sorry for her, but honestly, I was also so glad I wasn't the one to have done that. She was a fairly inexperienced uke and my poor throw could have hurt her, too. I had already thrown her, and I was very careful, but It could have easily been me.

Above is a fairly close version of this technique. That nage is a little hesitant as well.

Aikijo

2008-09-10T06:52:00.002-04:00

Michael McNally taught yesterday afternoon's class. In a surprise move, we did weapons. I can't recall Mike teaching much weapons, but he explained the reason after class: "Well, now that I teach in my own dojo, I have to keep sharp. So I might as well practice on you guys." Haha.

I enjoy weapons work, especially when taught in the fashion that shows how the taijutsu (empty hand techniques) emanate from weapons techniques.

Pretty much all of aikido comes from weapons in some way or other. Throws from sword cuts, pins from disarming techniques, etc. It is fascinating.

We worked only with the the jo, no boken. Which is fine by me. It's my favorite weapon... ;) In fact, one of my near term goals is to start learning some jo kata. Mostly so I have something cool to do before class starts... ;) And we worked with the jo as both uke and nage. Very cool stuff.

I also picked up my bike from the shop and tried to take Grimes Hill. Well, I found out that an 11 percent grade over a mile is just not doable by me. I'd like to meet someone who can climb that hill. It may be possible, but it's a rare athlete who can do it, I think.

"I want to ride my bicycle..."

2008-09-09T07:00:00.006-04:00

The next step in Operation Fitness is to ride to the dojo daily. It's about 5 miles on the road.

To that end, I brought the bike to a shop in Chelsea on Friday. These guys aren't cheap, but hopefully they'll get the bike in tip-top shape. I'm also adding some useful items like a drink holder and a rear bracket. And the most important one: A bell. People in Manhattan just ignore cyclists completely! They'll just step out in front of you. Where exactly do they expect me to go? I don't think they're thinking about it, though.

By coincidence, I was speaking to Michael McNally the other day and he recommended bike riding as good for aikido as "we use our legs a lot." Let's hope it works half as well for me as it did him.

Anyway, I'm enjoying this whole process, even the diet!

Weekend aikido

2008-09-08T07:04:00.003-04:00

Well, it was a nice weekend. Doing what? Aikido, of course!

Saturday was brutally humid before Hurricane Hanna arrived. Certainly the most humid day of the year in New York, I think. What happened to the calm before the storm? Well, it was calm, but hot!

But it didn't rain in the morning, so Ruth's class was filled up. We did lots of morotetori, with tenkan -- lots of leading. It was just the right thing for a sultry Saturday morning.

Sunday was much cooler and less humid. The storm had done it's work and took away the heat. That might have been the last hot day of the year. We can only hope.

Chuck taught again. He had been away for a while. It's nice to have him back. The class was filled with usual Chuchness: Tenkan, ikkyo, koshinage, etc. All good fun.

Hal Lehrman

2008-09-05T18:43:00.003-04:00

Friday afternoons at 12:15 at the Aikikai are usually taught by Hal Lehrman. Hal has his own dojo in Brooklyn, Aikido of Park Slope.

There's something very special about Hal's aikido, though I can't really describe how that is so...

He's extraordinarily relaxed, for one thing. When I watch him, I realize just how relaxed one can be.

He's also extremely powerful. Sometimes even dangerously so. He's demonstrated for me/on me a few times and I learned quickly that I'd better expect a hurricane, though to look at it, his movements seem utterly smooth and quick. Hardly anything at all, it seems.

He has a way of putting his center in the action without being overly obvious about it. Subtle, that's the word. It may be moving a quarter of an inch, but some how that motion generates a huge amount of power. I just don't know how he does that.

So, I keep going and hoping it'll rub off someday... Since his class is filled with yudansha, I guess I'm not the only one who feels so. A lot of heavy hitters don't miss it. Even Kjartan Clausen of the great Aikido FAQ fame practices with Hal in Brooklyn, so at least I'm in good company.

UPDATE: Kjartan read the above post and commented: "BTW, Hal is generating that immense power by not using any power when he throws. He just moves in a way that's natural for both him and you. Soft techniques can feel incredibly hard and powerful if done right."

Though I agree completely with the above statement (in fact, those were the words I was looking for), I still say he's very powerful. The natural moving stuff is more in the opening, I think, where Hal is a master.

We are told always to blend with the attack and to redirect an opponent's ki, etc. But how often do we try to force the issue, if only accidentally or unconsciously? Well, Hal's the master at blending. However, after that, when it comes to the actually throw, there's a ton of power. Like grabbing a moving train. I felt that, anyway.

The Return of the Aikipenguin

2008-09-05T07:23:00.004-04:00

OK, I know I've been neglecting this blog lately. Very bad penguin.

Things have been going well in the dojo, I just had gotten out of the habit of blogging it.

I've been trying to become more fit lately. I just got tired of getting tired during class...

To that end, I joined a gym near the dojo so I could work out before or after class. I know what you are thinking: "Another guy joins a gym who will never use it..." Surprisingly, it hasn't been like that. I've been going diligently before class, almost every day. I have even surprised myself.

I've also been eating leaner and healthier, drinking lots of water and taking good supplements. I'm a couple of weeks into this program and I have to say, it's working.

My main motivation for starting all this was to increase my stamina at the dojo. I've noticed I don't get as tired as much or as quickly as I used to. I've still got a ways to go, but at least I can notice an improvement!

I'm also ridding my bicycle more. I'm planning to even try to commute to the dojo/gym on it! It's only 5 miles (not including the trip on the Staten Island Ferry), but I happen to live on one of the tallest points on the Eastern seaboard of the United States: Grimes Hill. I'm a bit nerve wracked at the idea of going down that 11 percent grade on the very busy Staten Island road. But I'm sure I'll give it a shot soon.

More aikido news tomorrow!

Getting a clue?

2008-04-01T03:39:00.004-04:00

I managed to make the 4:15 p.m. class with Donovan Waite. It's been a while since I attended one of his classes. I really enjoyed it.

I felt much more comfortable in his class than I have in the past. Usually, I'm just confused, but I found I could pretty much follow the techniques this time around.

Donovan likes to combine waza and otherwise introduce new ways to do old things. He doesn't do it in a gratuitous way, like some, but still I had a hard time in his classes in the past.

I hope this means I'm actually getting a clue, but who knows? Maybe that class was innovation-lite for a reason and next time I'll be just as lost as ever, we'll see!

Anyway, his movements still amaze me. Very strong and very graceful. His aikido is an amazing thing to behold.

Lightning

2008-03-29T03:52:00.000-04:00

Sensei taught on Saturday morning. I am liking his classes more and more as time goes by.

He seems to have a way of teaching that no one else has. He seems to survey the entire mat at once. When he wants to say something to a student, he gets in quick at the exact moment, says a few words and moves on before anyone has a chance to say thank you. Forget about bowing, he's long gone. Like a bolt of lightning. Sometimes he stops and demonstrates, of course, but not as often as you might think.

He's been at this teaching aikido thing for 45 years. It shows.

Pink pulp

2008-03-28T07:22:00.002-04:00

Alberto, Alberto, Alberto. The man just doesn't let up. Push-ups and sit-ups in the beginning and end of class. Pushing exercises. Lots of vigorous techniques and partner changes. Forcing, not just committed attacks, but hard, fast and vigorous ones. Groups of three only...

After all that, I was a pink pulp lying on the mat.

Can't wait 'til next week.

Dull day

2008-03-27T07:24:00.003-04:00

According to the new schedule, Yamada-sensei taught the 6:45 p.m. class. I was a little late, but he seemed to start the class very early. It ended early, too.

A normal 6:45 class usually has 20 or 25 people, but whenever sensei teaches, it really fills up. At least 50, I'd say.

My sempai and friend Chris was also late, so we entered and partnered together. He's a great partner. Very helpful, without saying much -- the best kind.

We came in on shomenuchi kotegaeshi. Strangely, it has been a long time since I've done that one. It took me a few sets to get in stride, but I finally got it to a reasonable state.

I say "reasonable" but I felt kind of dull and tight all class. I just couldn't relax.Some days are just like that, I guess.

We switched to groups and did a "reverse kotegaeshi." I don't think I ever did this one exactly like this. It starts off just like ikkyo omote, then instead of putting uke down, nage reverses and throws sort of like a kotegaeshi movement, though not exactly. Not much wrist in it, just the arm shape. We did a few more, but I can't recall. Told ya I was a bit dull.

Ernie was in our group. The guy is strong. At one point, when I attacked, he stopped and backed up with his hands in the air. "What?" I said, "Did I use the wrong hand or something?"

"You were anticipating. I'm not going to throw you into the ground!"

"Well, you throw pretty hard, man," I said. I was trying to make light of it, but he seemed a bit annoyed. Just doin' the best I can, bro.

Actually, Ernie's a good guy and a very good teacher. His style is not to let any sort of poor attack by uke or poor technique by nage go by. In fact, I appreciate that.

Easter aikido

2008-03-24T06:11:00.006-04:00

Another Easter, another aikido class.

Yep, that's right. The dojo was open on Easter Sunday. Yamada-sensei seemed to change his mind at the last minute and made an announcement Saturday afternoon. I almost got lazy and stayed in bed, but I figured, if the dojo can be open, I can show up. There were about eight students in the first class, six in the second and I think four for the final weapons class. I attended the middle class and contemplated staying for the weapons (both taught by Keith), but I didn't.

Keith started out with katatetori. Nage brings his arm around and up and can then either uchi, go under and tenkan or, soto, go around the outside and tenkan (uchi or soto mawari) We did several techniques with this, including kaitenage, and then did the same techniques with the jo, which was cool. Then we switched to yokomenuchi shihonage to show that the uchi movment is the same as the omote movement in the shiho.

With only six people, everyone partnered with everyone, and it was a fun, fast moving class.

Sam

2008-03-23T01:43:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was a special day at the dojo. My son, Sam, returned to practice after a long hiatus.

Sam's 15. He started aikido with me in 2006 and was a very quick study. Toshi, a former deshi, took him under his wing and he blossomed quickly. All was going well until about a year ago, when, as will happen, Sam discovered girls. The time he was taking off turned from days to weeks to months. I didn't want to make too big a deal about it. I knew he would come back.

We partnered in Yamada-sensei's class. It started off with sensei's trademark technique. I have no idea what to call it. A kind of kokyu, I guess. From katatetori, nage leads uke's arm so that the hand winds up behind uke's head, arching uke backward. This time, sensei did something different, however, and the throw ended with nage putting his head down, like a bow. Honestly, I didn't really get that part, but leading up to the throw was pretty standard.

We did lots of techniques from katatetori, including koshinage. We did the version I can actually do to some degree, moving in perpendicular. It was particularly easy to do this with a smaller partner, so I was pretty set. Sam did OK for someone who's been out for a year.

We also did yonkyo, which is not one of my strong points, but it is slowly getting better. A few times I had it, as I could tell from the funny noises Sam was making. At one point, sensei walked by and laughed at them, too. Sam got me good a few times.

At the end of class, sensei joked with us about yonkyo. "If it hurts, you are normal. If it doesn't, then something's wrong."

Sensei also said that, contrary to prior postings, the dojo will be open on Easter Sunday. I was happy to hear that and I think I can make class. :) I had posted before about my pet peeve of so many dojo closings, but I never imagined Easter would be one to change. Do you think sensei is reading this blog?

Straight man

2008-03-22T07:54:00.007-04:00

Sometimes, I enjoy playing the straight man, especially for Douglas Firestone's routine. I think he knows I do it, at least on some level, and seeks to capitalize on it -- with interesting results.

We were doing yokomenuchi kokyunage and Doug stopped the pair next to me to demonstrate. During his demonstration to some new guys, he stressed that they should put their feet behind uke at the throw. If he would have just showed that, or said it was an option, I wouldn't have thought much of it, but he made it sound like the correct thing to do every time.

Though many instructors and sempai do this on a regular basis, I never got the impression it was "standard practice," but just a slightly more advanced and perhaps more martial option. Usually, I don't do it, but I fool around with it sometimes when I have an experienced uke.

So, I questioned him on it. "Should I put my leg behind uke all the time?"

"Yes," he said, "otherwise it's just a punch in the face." I could see his point. I said OK, thank you, bowed, and turned back to my partner.

What's the aikido equivalent to a sucker punch? A sucker throw? Maybe a sucker slam. Yeah, I like that.

As I turned my attention to my uke, Doug moved in, put his leg behind both my feet and threw me hard! Of course, this fast action, combined with me being completely unprepared for it, resulted in quite a SLAM. These days, I've gotten better at taking that ukemi over the leg. But I guess not yet with surprise and at speed. I literally didn't know what hit me! "See," he said, "just like that." Still stunned, I managed to get out a single "hai."

As I was getting up, I saw a replay of the event in my mind's eye. During the throw, I really had no thought at all. Not even any time for an "oh, shit." But after it was over, I saw the look I had on my face when he moved in. It was one of complete shock. Too bad there is no photo or video. It would have been a good one.

Don't think I'm complaining. I should have known better. That is 100 percent Doug. Serves me right for letting him break the maiai. I believe he spent a lot of time with Chiba-sensei and this sort of thing is very Chiba-esque. Chiba-sensei is notorious for exploiting openings and lack of attention by his students. Certainly after a few of those, one is likely to learn his lesson.

I happened to be partnered with a visiting yudansha. I don't know where he is from. The look on his face was priceless. It was like, "Is that what you people do around here?" Haha.

A while later, we were doing kotagaeshi and Doug noticed I was futsing with uke's arm during the pin. "Don't do that," he said. "Just one motion." He demonstrated cleanly on my uke.

Never one to know when to keep his mouth shut, I persisted, "but what if uke doesn't cooperate? Don't I have to get his arm in the proper shape before the pin?"

"No. Watch." He proceeded to put me in the pin. "Don't cooperate," he said. I tried not to let him get my arm, particularly my wrist angle, in the proper shape. Of course, he was able to get me in the proper pin in a millisecond.

"Did that work?" he asked.

Playing the straight man again, I made it appear I was distressed and confused. "Yeah, that was pretty good." I cracked up everyone around us. In truth, I was careful to tap out in time and I was fine. ;)

Actually, this is something that still needs work. How he can get the arm into position so simply and quickly is still beyond me. But at least now I'm aware of it.

Here's a short example of Chiba-sensei showing his uke he came in at a poor angle:

Hydration

2008-03-21T06:50:00.004-04:00

Hydration is important.

I relearned this lesson last night when I didn't go through my usual routine of drinking about 30 oz. of water in the 2 hours before class. I bought a sports drink on the way and did not realize until it was too late that it was frozen solid. So the whole way in, I was trying to suck and melt the hand-sized block of ice.

I tried to make up for it when I got to the dojo by drinking a glass of water, but I only made it about 30 minutes before I started to feel very queezy. I had no choice but to bow out. I couldn't believe it as I wasn't even working hard, but what can you do?

Before then, I was having a pretty good time in Luis' class with katatori menuchi, which is a pretty cool attack. Uke grabs the shoulder, then nage goes to strike uke in the face. Uke's "block" of that strike provides the attack that nage then deals with. Often, uke doesn't understand that his second action is supposed to be a response to something that nage does and attacks the shoulder and head at the same time. This is not the right idea.

Until I crapped out, I felt pretty good at leading uke. The best I've done with that attack so far, I think. :) I could actually feel myself blending with the forward motion to a much greater degree than ever before with this one. So I was happy. Hopefully, the next chance I get I'll have enough water first.

Back falls

2008-03-19T17:40:00.003-04:00

I went back to the evening class this week. I may change back to the afternoon tomorrow, we'll see.

Junya taught his usual class. It was very good as always. Junya's technique is very strong and clean. And he teaches in a clear manner.

Class was pretty straight forward. Mostly yokomenuchi, which I always enjoy.

I got a few interesting ideas form kotegaeshi. One was that the throw should really be a cut straight down, not to the side like I had been doing. The other was the cut for the opening. That should not cut straight to uke's center, like I had been doing, but a bit off to his side so as to unbalance him. I have to work with this more, but it seems very valuable.

At the end of class, we did a bunch of backfalls rolling back up into a standing position. Ugh. That's tough. I had no idea how many we did, but I found out.

After class, Junya asked me, tounge in cheek, "Did you do them all?"

"Sure," I said, with a laugh. Both of us knowing full well I certainly did not do them all. "In fact, I did 2 more than you!"

"Oh, so you did 52 then?"

"Yup." We were both smiling by this point.

Actually, that would be a good goal to work up to. Fifty per day. Back falls are not stupid like push ups, I think. Not only does it provide a physical workout, but I imagine it would help to make me more centered. I'll have to try them more often.

"Relax and get lower"

2008-03-18T07:13:00.004-04:00

This is a post on the class I didn't take.

Claire Keller teaches the 12:15 class on Mondays. Due to my schedule, I've been having a hard time getting to the dojo at that time, but I always regret it. Claire is a great teacher and aikidoka. Her technique is flawless and beautiful. It sometimes seems soft, but that belies the power just under the surface.

When Claire comes to correct something, she always has some cogent point that goes far beyond the particular technique at hand. I think I've mentioned on this blog before my aikido rallying cry: Relax and get lower. That came from Claire.

I think I was partnered with her in a class when she had been giving me lots of little pointers. Finally, she just stopped and said, "You know, your aikido would get so much better if you just would relax and get lower."

Well, I've tried to take that to heart and tell myself that often, several times every class. It's almost become my aikido mantra. :)

I realized I have over 50 posts this year, but not yet one on my favorite teacher. I figure if I put it out there, it will motivate me to get to class next Monday!

Humility

2008-03-17T06:06:00.008-04:00

Another Sunday. Another class taught by Chuck. I like Chuck a lot. Despite the fact that he may weigh 120 lbs. soaking wet, his aikido is very strong. Since he doesn't have much weight or muscle, he must always use very good, strong aikido technique. I learn a lot by watching him.

I had the good fortune of working with Michael McNally (chief instructor at Hoboken Aikikai). He's such a good partner. He teaches in a very calm and patient way and doesn't tire of it until the person gets it. :) He helped me relax while leading a morotetori attack, which is not easy for me to do -- especially in the shoulders. Surprise, surprise.

We did a few projection throws in groups, concluding with koshinage. I've gotten to the point where I can do the 90 degree one pretty well, but the diagonal one still gives me problems. That's the one we practiced. After one false start, it started to go a bit better.

Speaking of good partners, Jenny partnered up with Tina Shepard. Tina teaches a great class at 4:15 on Fridays, unfortunately a time I can almost never make. Jenny was in a threesome at the beginning of class when Tina walked up to her and said, "I don't have a partner, would you partner with me?" Which is sort of like like Jesus asking his disciples if they'd like to grab a bite to eat. As is always the case, those who are really great are also very humble about it.

Yokomenuchi

2008-03-15T07:51:00.003-04:00

Friday nights are always fun, especially when Doug Firestone teaches. He has a sort of running commentary that sounds just like a Jay Leno monologue. His disarming manner can surprise one, however, if he things Doug is not serious. He throws hard.

I learned this a long time ago, so I wasn't surprised when he demonstrated on me and threw me into a breakfall that I felt in my toes. I smashed my lower back the other day and I certainly felt it at that moment. But I got through it.

We concentrated on yokomenuchi, one of my favorite attacks. I always feel I can blend more easily with this attack than any other. That probably shows my faults more than any strength, I'm sure.

Regardless, I enjoyed the class. Most of it was fairly straight forward, (irimi nage, kotegaeshi -- did we do shihonage? I don't remember!) but there was one confusing technique. It was a kind of sumi otoshi with a twist, or lack thereof.

From a yokomenuchi attack, one technique is to blend with the strike, irimi tenkan, and throw in a kind of circular way while dropping one's center and inner knee. However, Doug had us do this with out the circular twist of the hips, which required the dropping of the opposite knee. Uke is thrown at a 90 degree angle from his line of attack, if that helps to visualize it.

The first few rounds our group practiced this, we all did the more common way and didn't realize we were doing it wrong until Doug came over and corrected us. This turned out to be too late fore me to practice it. Oh well, next time.

Jerry Zimmerman

2008-03-13T07:09:00.005-04:00

Jerry Zimmerman teaches at the dojo every other week. I always look forward to his classes. His demonstrations and explanations are very clear, and I always feel I learn much from him. He's a heck of a nice guy, too. I wish he came around more often, but I guess Jerry is busy with his own dojo, Aikido of North Jersey. I keep meaning to plan a trip to his dojo, maybe some upcoming Saturday morning.

The class focused an attack I need more work with, katatori. Although I should know better, I often don't get my center involved enough in the opening kusushi. Jerry came over and demonstrated and almost bowled me over! His center is very strong. Strong and soft at the same time if you know what I mean. Also, his posture and form are pretty much perfect.

We did lots of different variations. We even did nikkyo tachi and suwari waza. I just had to do that suwari waza for my test on Sunday, but I felt I learned a lot more about it yesterday. I wish I had that class before the test! Anyway, that one still needs a lot of work.

We did a sumi otoshi variation as well. That really needs good timing and a committed attack to be effective, otherwise it's just going through the motions. I almost felt like I grabbed a center here and there. ;)

Finally we did kokyu ho, but morotetori, not the usual ryotedori. At first, I was completely flummoxed. I mean, don't move the water dish like that! But as I started to get into it, I got more of an idea of what it should be like. It's really not at all different from ryotedori. The same idea and movement.

After class, I asked Jerry a bit more about how I should approach morotetori kokyu ho and he talked about making the connection, center to center and relaxation, of course. I want to keep fooling with this, it's a valuable practice.

The kind of relaxation I'm trying to develop is what the Chinese call "song" or "jing" which has more to do with lack of tension, subtleness and responsiveness than it does to the traditional Western idea of "relaxing." Anyway, I find it very hard to do this, especially in my shoulders. If I'm not consciously thinking about taking the tension out of my shoulders, they just keep rising and rising, but I've mentioned this before...

Here's a video clip of Jerry teaching at the aikikai:

Smash

2008-03-12T03:04:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm getting back into daily practice. I still have a trace of bronchitis, but it's manageable again. Feeling better each day.

Mike McNally taught class yesterday afternoon. We concentraited on ushiro tekubitori (one of his favorites) so it was a nice, active class. I always enjoy Mike's classes. He has a calm, understated way about him that makes the students feel relaxed, I think.

We did most of the class in groups, and I was in a pretty good one. All were sempai.

Everything was going very well until about 10 minutes before class was over. Somehow, I took a bad roll or something, I'm not really sure what happened. I think I might have gotten myself caught in between a front roll and a break fall. But what ever happened, I just smashed into the mat.

I thought I was past the point of "stupid" injuries, meaning injuries without a definite cause like a slip or an accident, but I guess not. I can't recall there being any problem or anything unusual about the situation, just suddenly I slammed all my weight into a very small area of my lower left side. My back didn't even hit the mat flush!

I felt it immediately. After class, I was walking around like a very old man. It hurt to lift my left leg! I kind of shuffled home...

Even so, I could tell it wasn't very serious and sure enough, I woke up this morning feeling pretty normal. Lucky this time. Unlike the poor fellow in the photo above. I hope he made it.

It just goes to show, even these moves that I feel have been internalized aren't yet perfect with a lack of mental effort. In short, let's be careful out there.

4th-kyu test

2008-03-10T07:13:00.007-04:00

Well, I finally was able to take my fourth-kyu test. I missed the last two or three tests for various reasons, and it was really starting to get on my nerves. I know rank doesn't matter, and I consoled myself with that, but on the other hand, being a fifth kyu with almost 200 hours is just silly.

So on the one hand I felt very well prepared. On the other, especially since I was out sick for a whole week, I felt like I really could have used just one more day to prepare and nail things down. You know, I figured I had a whole week left to work out my exact strategy, details, etc. I didn't get that, so I was a little apprehensive. But missing yet another test was out of the question, so I just went for it. As usual, Sugano-sensei and Mike Abrams sat at the big desk.

After the 5th kyus, all of us testing for fourth were called up by name. That's when we can figure out who will be our partner, as we don't get to choose. I had a fellow student from the dojo, though I don't know him well. He was a big, nice guy, bigger than me, in fact. Not too many of those around. This was going to be interesting.

We started off with shomenuchi nikkyo. I went for omote first. I was taken slightly out of rhythm when my uke went down too early. If you think about it, there is no logical reason to go for the nikkyo if uke is already on the ground, but I did what I had to do. I don't remember any problems with ura. It's vague.

Next was yokomenuchi shihonage. I can't recall any major problems. I guess it was OK.

Tsuki iriminage was interesting, too. The testing requirements don't specify omote and ura for this technique, but I was told it was a good idea to do both anyway. I know most other people working on the test did so. I went right in for omote and I could sense my partner's surprise. (Sure enough, when it was his turn, he didn't do omote.) But we seemed to get through it all right.

Ushiro tekubitori sankyo was the worst moment for me. For the omote, I was in the habit of repositioning uke with the sankyo before the throw. Don't forget, he's a big fellow and I guess simple pain avoidance wasn't going to do the trick for him. He just stood there while I was trying to move him. So... I had to just hunker down and be sure my center was involved in it, and I finally got him to move. I assumed the other side would go more smoothly since now he had the idea. But you know about assumptions, right? So on the left side I again expected uke to follow the repositioning. No action. I really didn't get it. But there was certainly no time for a discussion, so again I just settled myself and tried not to muscle him as I finally got him to move.In my mind, that was a horrible moment! But I am sure I'm over blowing it. Ura went better. (Note to self: Investigate sankyo more. Obviously, it can be improved.)

Next came, ushiro ryokatatori kotegaeshi, which I think went well. I can't remember much about it, so I'm assuming that's a good thing. ;) Again, I did omote and ura even though the requirements don't state them. One good point about having such a big partner was I didn't really have to worry about taking it easy on him. His wrists weren't going to injure too easily. At least in my mind, this was the best part of the test.

Then it was time for suwari waza. Have I mentioned on this blog that I hate suwari waza? (Then again, does anyone really like suwari waza? Come on, be honest.) Shomenuchi ikkyo and katatori nikkyo went OK, I think. Again, no specific memory. Katatori sankyo was also on the list, but Sugano-sensei didn't ask for it. I was very surprised. When we switched and it was my turn to be uke, we did all three suwari waza techniques. Go figure.

At the end of the test, when Mike Abrams announced all the fourth kyus passed (yeah!), Sugano-sensei talked about paying attention to detail and he mentioned staying connected during katatori nikkyo. For some reason that rang a bell with me and I was sure he was talking about my performance, but since he didn't go into specifics about what he was talking about, I'm not sure. If I see him soon, I'll ask him more about that comment.

Part of me feels my test wasn't too bad, but the other part thinks I should have done much better, but isn't that always how it is?

All the tests I observed were pretty good. Especially the lone first kyu test and the second kyus. They were great. First kyu guy rocked.

So, all's well that ends well. It's 100 hours till third kyu, which I'm looking forward to! That test looked a bit more detailed.

I saw a few video cameras. If anyone posts a vid, I'll be sure to post the link (if it's not too bad, that is...)

Back in action

2008-03-10T06:24:00.004-04:00

I was able to return to the mat this weekend. :) As normally happens, this second infection hasn't been responding to antibiotics nearly as quickly the first. Two weeks ago, I was feeling fine about three days after starting the medicine. This week has been slow going.

Since Western medicine's best efforts were not really getting the job done, yesterday I went to a traditional Chinese doctor to get some herbs. I figure it couldn't hurt. We'll try acupuncture next. ;)

Rick Stickles, of Aikido Schools on New Jersey, teaches at the New York Aikikai once a month. This was his weekend.

Over the past couple of years, I've attended lots of his classes, yet I am somewhat at a loss to describe his style. I suppose changeable, is one way to express it. Some days, he'll appear very philosophic and just when I think I've gotten him all figured out, he'll switch gears, though generally he doesn't stress technique all that much. I've suspect that since he only teaches in NY once a month, he may conduct the class more like a seminar than a daily class. In other words, he tries to get a lot of ideas all crammed into one hour. I've haven't yet attended one of his classes in his own dojo yet, so that is just a guess.

So we started off with some tai no henko and then branched into some katatedori that stressed connection.

Sugano-sensei taught the next class, but I sat out because I was saving myself for...

Home sick again!

2008-03-06T04:47:00.002-05:00

AAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

It looks like the bronchitis has come back. After the course of antibiotics last week I felt great, but this week I've slowly ground down again. I really can't stand it.

So, that's why there has been a dearth of aikido news this week. I'll see the doctor tomorrow and hopefully be back in action soon.

One thing I know for sure, if I can walk, I'm testing on Sunday. I'm long overdue.

Changes

2008-03-02T05:46:00.000-05:00

There's a new teaching schedule at the NY Aikikai this month and there have been some interesting changes.

I'm not exactly sure of the full reasoning behind some of the moves, but a lot of them seem to reflect an intention to get the two shihan into contact with more members -- a very good thing.

The most immediate effect was that on Sunday, Yamada-sensei teaches the first class and Sugano-sensei teacher the second and the weapons class to follow. Since Sunday is a very popular day for training, I'm sure more people will see both teachers.

Another change is both senseis will each take a 6:45 p.m. class during the week. This is very significant. That last class of the day is sort of like the bastard step-child of the dojo. It's sparsely populated, mostly by beginners and others of kyu rank. A lot of us can't make any other classes during the day, so we will have more exposure to the shihan on a regular basis.

But by necessity, the schedule for other classes had to be reworked and you can't please all of the people all of the time. One yudansha was upset that Donovan Waite's classes had been scaled back. "I'll just have to go to Center City (Donovan's dojo in Philadelphia) on Saturdays."

I, myself, was sorry to see Harvey Konigsberg's Tuesday afternoon randori class eliminated. I certainly couldn't make that class on a regular basis, but it was great to go anytime I could. This change, however, seems unrelated to the rest of the schedule change, as no one is taking that class over, it is just out. What a pity.

Anyway, on the whole the changes do improve the schedule and I'm sure everyone will benefit. Personally, I'm happy I'll have more chances to see the senseis as well as all the other great instructors.

Thinking too much

2008-03-01T06:51:00.000-05:00

Keith substituted for Douglas Firestone Friday night. Among other skills, Keith is finishing his degree in physical therapy and has been working like a madman to get his internship finished. He's finally at the end of the tunnel and he has been able to train more regularly.

We did mostly kokyu type throws, ryōte-dori which is not my strong point. Good to get more practice in. ;)

At about half way through the class, however, we switched to a not-quite randori. Two uke each for nage, who should use some of the techniques just practiced. I guess that would really be jiuwaza. Of course, practicing this way, the technical considerations become secondary to movement. And that's a very good thing to practice.

The funny thing, I noticed I performed those techniques much better in the jiyuwaza portion of the class. Left to my own devices, I do tend to over analyze, and in a more free-style environment, that just isn't possible. So it's true what people tell me, "Don't think too much, just move." Hehe.

Here's a clip of someone moving around a good bit in a freestyle setting:

A rare critisism

2008-02-29T07:37:00.000-05:00

Just a note: This entry was deleted. I feel some explanation is in order as I had previously said I wouldn't censor this blog.

Foremost, some people who commented publicly and privately managed to convince me that I may have been a bit too uncompromising in my attitude. Specifically,

Olympic sports are for comparing who is best. Aikido is about self development and becoming your best. Some will naturally be better. Some will find it too easy and leave. It's the journey that is important..and everyone has their own destination in mind. Some tourists just don't fit in, that's all.

I really couldn't argue with that and if my post seemed to contradict this idea, then it's sending the wrong message and not the one I intended.

I want to stress I did not delete the post because I was worried about recriminations or because of any critical comments. I welcome all comments and won't delete any that are critical of me -- especially those that are critical of me. Like a letters to the editor section in a magizine or newspaper, I welcome the views of those who disagree with me.

I thank all of you who expressed your opinions, both positive and negative. We're all on this path together, that's for sure.

Tanto

2008-02-28T05:52:00.005-05:00

When I arrived for the afternoon class, I knew from the crowd Yamada-sensei must be teaching. Sensei doesn't teach every day, so when he does, people make it. On any day he has a scheduled class, the phone rings off the hook, everyone with just one question, "Is sensei teaching today?"

I don't usually do that, though. I go to the dojo when I can go and am just happy to be able to practice. Maybe I'll get more particular in a decade, who knows? For now, I just show up, though of course, I'm always glad to take sensei's class.

I was mulling around on the mat with Luis before class. Luis is a former 10-year deshi and weekly instructor at the Aikikai. He and I always get along very well. He's a good guy and a very strong aikidoka.

He's so strong, in fact, I tend to not usually seek him out as a partner, even though he's a great teacher. As I was talking to him, I suddenly felt inspired. I'm recovered from my ailments now, right? So I should have all my wind back. Suddenly, I just found myself asking him to "help me out." This will certainly be a test to see if I'm back to normal strength or not. Haha.

We started with kokyuho back stretch and went fairly quickly to suki. From there, we switched over to tanto and did a bunch of less common techniques.

One was based on an odd attack. I kind of cross handed attack to the opposite side. Nage then gets off-line and breaks uke's grip on the tanto with a elbow bend. When sensei did it, the tanto went flying about 15 feet. I only managed a few...

All the while, Luis was pounding me pretty hard, but I was really taking it much better than ever before. Maybe because I'm healthy again, maybe because my ukemi is getting a little better, but I really didn't have too many problems on the mat.

I even tried to mix it up with him and pound him a bit. Haha. Of course, that is still not yet possible. The guy's ukemi is just too good to be pounded by the likes of me. He just flows like water and comes up fresh and clean. Amazing. Someday, I'll get him to at least breathe a little heavy. ;)

I managed to find a photo, above, of sensei with a tanto! Sensei has a fairly new website with his schedule and lots of really great photos. The caption for this one simply says, "During public demonstration, Japan."

Sugano-sensei

2008-02-24T14:21:00.005-05:00

After a few days break to recuperate, I was back on the mat this morning in Sugano-sensei's class.

It was great to see Sugano-sensei. He had been nursing his leg recently. He seems now to be in fine fettle.

Sugano-sensei likes to stress maiai and today he was positively chatty on the subject. We started off with katatedori kokyunage backstretch, and I guess he didn't like that some were doing it staticly (is that a word? ;) He didn't like it that some nage were letting uke grab and set before nake would start to move. This naturally led into the concept of distance and maiai. Sensei mentioned that the idea of maiai is not only the distance between nage and uke but also awareness of one's surroundings.

From there, we changed to yokomenuchi and did a few throws. I guess these would be called kokyu thows also. Nage enters and either completes the throw by extending through the chin; atemi-extending through the chin and then cut to the elbow, or irimi and step through. That last one may be irimi nage omote. But for the others... in aikido, when in doubt, it's kokyu. ;)

We then went to yokomenuchi and nage enters and dives down to sweep one or both legs. This was a great technique to practice, but there really was no room to do it in partners. Strangely enough, we did the above techniques in groups, but switched to partners for this one.

Of course, we ended with irimi nage and kokyuho. That's a rule in Sugano-sensei's classes.

But the best news of the day was my returning health! After only a few days of antibiotic, I felt like my old self again on the mat. Admittedly, do to the crowding, it wasn't a heavy workout, but I could tell the difference. No more gasping for breath and needing water after 2o or 30 minutes. I felt quite steady during the entire class. I only hope this stays that way...

The photo above is Sugano-sensei and me at Yamada-sensei's birthday party last week. I guess the photographer didn't check and notice he had his eyes closed. On well, anyway, it's the only photo of the two of us I have at the moment.

An explination

2008-02-22T08:22:00.003-05:00

I haven't been feeling well the past few days and I finally decided to go to the doctor. I never go to the doctor, so that really tells you something.

Well, it turns out, that not only do I have an "upper respiratory tract infection," which is a cold, but I have some kind of bronchitics. "But I'm not really even coughing!" I said. Doesn't matter, that's the diagnosis. It's possible to walk around with it and not know it.

Something suddenly starts to dawn on me. "Hey, doc, could I have had this for the past 6 weeks or so?" It's possible, why? "Well, I do this marital art and suddenly this year I haven't had the stamina and energy I used to have and I haven't been able to figure it out. I get out of breath more easily and need to stop and get water much more then I ever did before." It sounds very likely, he says.

Well, as bad as I felt, I wanted to jump up and dance around the room. Finally, an explanation! All this time I've been practicing with an infection in my lungs. Wow. I had no idea.

I've been trying not to dwell on it in this blog, but I have really been confused and unhappy about my performance on the mat lately. I had all these theories as to what may be happening. I never imagined there was such a mundane answer. At least, I hope this is the answer.

So I'm on an antibiotic. If this was really the problem, I should be back to normal in a week!

Ryotedori

2008-02-21T07:48:00.007-05:00

I managed to catch Yamada-sensei's class. It's interesting, the longer I practice aikido, the more I appreciate what he is doing. His aikido is really amazingly clear.

We concentrated on ryotedori. We started with that tenkan-and-raise -hands-and-go-over-uke's-head-and- cut-for-a-back-stretch thing. I wonder if it has a name. Of course, tenchinage, kokyunage and a few others.

During kokyunage, I was in a group with Noriko. She is a very, very strong aikidoka with textbook perfect technique. I always enjoy watching her and I'm grateful of any chance to work with her. I try to learn from her movements.

Toast

2008-02-20T07:08:00.004-05:00

Junya taught class as usual last night. I really am getting into his classes more and more. The structure and flow are very logical.

After warm-ups consisting of front and back rolls, shikko and pushups and knee bends, we started off with tai no henko and kosadori (cross-hand grab) ikkyo. I think we did them forever, or at least 15 minutes each!

Then we moved on to kotagaeshi. We did this in groups. There was a guy I didn't recognize. He seemed very young, but his technique was not bad so I think he was older than he appeared. We also did this absolutely forever, and I got a bit tired at the end of it. I went to get a drink and Junya was with my partner when I returned. He was really laying irimi nage on her.

Then he seemed to finish, so I thought it was time for her and I to get back to it. Not so fast, however. Junya wanted to throw me around a bit, too. His Irimi nage is quite strong, and I was scrambling to keep up with it. After 4 throws, all the rest I soaked up from the water break was gone and I was more tired then when I left the mat. That'll teach me to get water!

It's funny, when I get tired, I kind of drift in and out of the zone. Sometimes my tired aikido is sloppy. Other times, it can actually get better if I struggle to regain my center and relax. When I was getting tired during the kotagaeshi I was able to pretty much keep it together. But in that last irimi nage, I was toast. Oh well, tomorrow's another day.

Presidents' Day

2008-02-19T08:06:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was Presidents' Day, therefore no classes at the dojo. This brings up a pet peeve of mine.

There are 10 legal public holidays in the Unites States, and the dojo is closed for each one of them. This strikes me as a little silly.

Of course, there is no point in being open on Christmas, Thanksgiving or New Year's Day: People will be eating and drinking. Even July 4, Labor Day and Memorial Day are traditional 3-day weekends. People probably won't go to class. And let's not forget about Easter. But Presidents' Day? Give me a break.

Don't get me wrong, I'm as patriotic as the next guy, but some holidays just don't affect business that much, but dojo business is closed anyway. MLK Day; Veteran's Day; Columbus Day, too? You bet.

We can be open every Saturday and Sunday, but not on these little holidays? I just seems like a wasted opportunity. I don't know, maybe over the years it's become apparent that a good percentage of people don't come on even those minor holidays, but I can't imagine it. I would go. I have to work, anyway.

Back to basics

2008-02-18T07:09:00.006-05:00

Probably owing to all the hold-over visitors from the party on Saturday, Yamada-sensei taught the Sunday morning class, one he is not usually scheduled to teach. I had left the party at about 7 p.m. as it seemed to be winding down, but I asked sensei when the party finally broke up. "Oh, about midnight." Wow, I guess I missed some good party hours...

We did lots of katatetori techniques, very standard stuff for a change. :) Some instructors tend to try more complex techniques, but I tend to prefer a more basic workout. Sometimes it's fun to try those so-called advanced things, but I must confess I take a skeptical view of much of it.

Most of those very involved techniques wouldn't occur in a real world situation, and I doubt they would be of any practical use to any but the most advanced practitioner. Even then, a good fighter would probably get out of them. Of course, we practice aikido for many other things besides its practical application "on the street" -- in fact, that is the least of my concerns -- but one has to draw the line somewhere.

Anyway, there is so much to learn about the "simple" techniques to keep me busy for a very long time. I think doing them to a very high level is already "advanced" aikido. There really is no end to the subtlety and quality that can be found, learned or attempted. Why muck that up with silly moves that seem to be an intellectual curiosity?

One thing that tells me I'm on the right track with this is that most the high level aikidoka I know seem to concentrate on the standard aikido canon. For the most part, it's some guys in the level directly below them -- meaning very good, but not yet shihan -- that seem to be fooling with all the advanced things. Yamada-sensei himself always expounds on "the power and the basics." I guess I'm a clear Yamada student, then. :)

Here's a clip of Yamada-sensei from his video, "The power and the Basics" with a very young Donovan Waite as uke:

Milestones

2008-02-17T05:30:00.006-05:00

Saturday was a very special day at the dojo in celebration of Yamada-sensei's 70th birthday. I was amazed at the number of people who came! It looked like the Christmas seminar.

I drove in to Manhattan, which I try not to do too much these days. It's hard to justify all the tolls and gas when my unlimited metrocard can get me there without additional cost. I was running late, however and decided to try to make it. I don't know if it's because of the building boom in Chelsea, but it's becoming harder and harder to find parking near the dojo. It used to be very easy to find a spot on a weekend morning.

So I was late and didn't make the first class, which Yamada-sensei taught. Bummer. I was really surprised when I walked in. Man, the mat was packed.

The second class, usually taught by Mike Abrams, was taken over by a woman who has her own dojo in Europe. (As I said, people came from all over.) I didn't know anything about her, but I think she has never been a practicing member in New York. Yamada-sensei travels all over in his zone of control, which covers large parts of the globe.

In any case, she certainly had Sensei's style to some degree, but her class was filled with what was to me very unusual techniques. I suppose one could simply call them "advanced." Anyway, I had a nice time partnering with Seung Jung and together we cobbled something together. She was a great partner, actually. She takes her aikido seriously and was a pleasure to practice with.

The party started at about 2:30 and everyone was there. I mean everyone. Other aikidoka, especially instructors and shihan came from all over the world, including Claude Berthiaume, a shihan from Canada who I have only heard about, and many others.

Of course, all of our own regional shihan and other high ranked instructors all showed up as well. It was a great opportunity to talk to all of them outside the confines of a class.

The whole day was really a testament to the kind of man sensei is. When he gave his speech, one could really feel the emotion in the room. I had the sense of witnessing a very special moment. Sensei spent his life dedicated to aikido, and it is remarkable to see how successful he has been. So many all over the world owe so much to him.

Aikido has given me much in so short a time, but when I started, I really didn't know how rich the experience would become.

Into his own

2008-02-15T09:17:00.003-05:00

Ugh, I've been going crazy at work and home with silly things. Don't they know I have posting to do?

Mike Jones filled in for Luis last night. His class was good. All based on morotetori. We did all manner of techniques with it: Kokyu, ikkyo, sankyo and a few less standard grabs and even a choke hold. I felt like I was in Eran's class at the end. ;)

I had a pretty green partner, but it was nice to be able to give her a few pointers. I had to smile when I saw how tense her ukemi was. It wasn't so long ago I was exactly like that.

But I'm not home free in the relaxing department yet, either. At one point when Sanji was throwing me, Mike walked by and said to him, "Just use what uke is giving you." I think that translates to "Tom was resisting on that one..." Oh well.

One odd thing, there was no tenkan with these morotetori techniques. It was all coming in straighter with kaiten. Something new to play with. Right now, it doesn't seem as good to me, but that may be just because I'm used to it. Or it may be my budding style. Who knows? No, I'm not nearly experienced enough to have a style yet. ;)

I have to say, Mike is coming into his own like gang-busters. I've known him since he was 3rd kyu or so, and he's always been well beyond his nominal rank, but now he's developing his own way of doing things. I tease him and tell him he has shodan syndrome, but he really is becoming something. I plan to keep my eye on him in the coming years.

At one point, Mike came over and demonstrated for me on my partner. When I took it up again, she said to me, "Oh, he was much stronger." Yeah, no kidding, Honey.

And just for the heck of it, since we mentioned Eran, here he is doing morotetori sankkyo, though not exactly like we did it yesterday:

Stay tuned

2008-02-14T08:06:00.004-05:00

I took the night off yesterday. I had to finish my taxes. Boy that was fun. It was good to rest my shoulder, actually. I had tweaked it a few days ago. Nothing major, but the rest probably did it some good, too.

I'm ready to get back in action tonight, probably in Luis' class. Stay tuned!

Centering

2008-02-13T05:37:00.003-05:00

I've had some questions about the context of the quote at the top of the page. Here's the full statement:

"The Art of Peace is medicine for a sick world. There is evil and disorder in the world because people have forgotten that all things emanate from one source. Return to that source and leave behind all self-centered thoughts, petty desires, and anger. Those who are possessed by nothing possess everything."
- Excerpted by William McLuskie from The Art of Peace a collection of quotes by Morihei Ueshiba translated by John Stevens.

The idea that " all things emanate from one source" appears to be the crux of the idea. This concept is very familiar in Eastern philosophies. Scholars may quibble, but the idea exists in Shinto, Buddhism and Taoism, for sure.

But what is that source? Simply, the source is you. If the universe if infinite, every point is the center, so your "center" might as well be, too.

It's with that realization that we can "return to that source and leave behind all self-centered thoughts, petty desires, and anger." If one realized he is the source, he must, at the same time realize that everyone and everything else is also the source. So self-centeredness naturally falls away with such a realization. That's why enlightenment is always expressed in compassion.

I admit that when I practice aikido, I'm not usually thinking about how I'm the center of the universe, but maybe I can try just the center of the circle and work out from there. ;)

Between Heaven and Earth

2008-02-12T04:57:00.000-05:00

OK, enough sucking at aikido. Back to business.

I had the day off so was able to attend the morning class. :) Steve Pimsler taught. We focused on ryotedori (Two hands holding two hands.) Starting with tenchinage, of course, and then branching out to other, more leading techniques. Tenchinage is translates to "heaven and earth throw" because of the way the hands open up, one up high and the other low to the ground. Like you are reaching for heaven and earth. It's poetic, isn't it?

Speaking of tenchinage, we did it both in the usual, get off line way and also a tai subaki way which I know I've seen before, but never really understood until yesterday. I guess you could call it a more advanced version. It's different, anyway. I liked it. Steve came over and helped me get it.

Whenever Steve points something out, it always seems so clear; and his aikido is so strong, too.

After class, I saw him working with a guy and before I knew it, there was a randori thing happening. Apparently, they do this often after the morning class. If I had known, I'd have joined in, but by the time I realized what they were doing, it was too late. Next time, for sure.

Here's Alberto demonstrating tenchinage in the more traditional way:

Kind of blue

2008-02-11T14:40:00.000-05:00

Well, a busy weekend of aikido, but not much to report.

Actually, I'm feeling a little down about my aikido these days. I know I shouldn't and that is the wrong attitude, but all of a sudden, I feel a bit spastic. It seems all bad all the time! Just a mass of tension, and muscle...

I mentioned this to Mike and Andy over breakfast after the morning class this morning and they tried to cheer me up. Both of them seemed to agree one goes through such a phase before he's about to make some kind of leap in progress. I certainly hope they are correct! But for the meantime, I can't see it coming at all.

In a similar vein, on recent blogger said, "You always suck at aikido."

Anyway, we just keep plugging away, all the same. It has to get better eventually, whether it's a sudden flash or a slow, eventual grind.

I still love aikido, even on the days it doesn't love me back...

Noncompliance

2008-02-08T06:21:00.000-05:00

You can't hide your personality in aikido. Whoever you are, it all shows up on the mat.

I was ruminating on this last night after class as I was partnered with a particularly, shall we say, "headstrong" fellow. He's a nice enough guy, but he's a bit difficult to have a conversation with. Very opinionated on even the weather.

We partnered up last night and it was really difficult. He's stiff and muscles through every technique. I've long past the point where guys like that discourage me, however. I know what I'm trying to do and how I want to go about learning it.

During the first year of my practice, I would get very discouraged by such things. I would think, "Oh, great, my aikido doesn't really work unless the guy cooperates..." But I have since learned that is a very wrong way to look at it.

It isn't really aikido when one is using brute force to execute a technique, even if that works with less experienced uke. A higher level yudansha can reverse such muscling technique in an instant.

No, to perform an aikido technique properly, one has to be relaxed, centered and have the ki flowing well. However, this is very hard to do in the beginning stages. So one's partner should try to follow a properly executed technique. There are two good reasons for this. 1.) It allows nage to really practice properly. 2.) It also allows uke to be more responsive. This, in fact, makes uke more of a threat as he can adapt to changing conditions and keep his balance to a much greater degree. This aspect is often overlooked.

An uke that hunkers down with the attitude, "Go ahead, try and move me now." Is responding to the simulated situation in an incorrect way. Would anyone really ever attack like that? Of course not. He'd get demolished with a strike to the head or something.

Aikido is about handling and redirecting real attacks, not about wining a judo point or anything else. My point being, it is to uke's "benefit" as well as nage's if uke remains responsive and gives a line of attack.

And I realized I shouldn't be discouraged if a "non-compliant" uke "messes up" my technique. Someday, I'll be at a high level and I'll be able to move these guys, without muscling, whether they want me to or not. Until then, I'll appreciate my partner allowing me to practice and doing the same for him.

I am beginning to learn how to handle these guys, too. I don't let them dictate to me how I practice my aikido. Just because they resist, I won't get tense! I am learning to just slow up and relax and let my center get involved. Sometimes it actually works! ;)

Let's go to the hop... or not

2008-02-07T06:46:00.000-05:00

Another Alberto class last night. Lots of kokyu, as usual. I think when we are doing the technique Alberto is standing there thinking, OK, that's good, they are moving. What can I do next to get them to move more? Haha.

We change partners every technique, at least. In the last few minutes of class, we change more often. About every minute. Then he'll shout out, "The last one does push ups." That's so Alberto.

Actually, he's a very inspirational figure. I heard he had a serious injury to his back and couldn't walk or move well afterward. I guess he used aikido for his rehabilitation. So, he doesn't let us slack off. :)

One thing I still can't do in his class are the bunny hops. He usually has us do them in the beginning or in the end (or both) of class. I really feel bad sitting them out, but my left knee just can't take them. Even though I can now use it again -- unlike last year when it wouldn't bend -- it still is not as strong as it should be. I have no doubt that 20 bunny hops would do some damage.

He called for 20 at the end of class. I stayed in a kneeling position. I guess he noticed because after the first 15, he said. "Come on, just 5 more, everybody." Of course, I felt that directed at me, whether it was or not. But I don't want to be sidelined off the mat for weeks, which is what happened to me last year.

The 6:45 p.m. class is a young group. In fact, I'm sure it's the youngest average age of any class of the day. It just seems to work out that way for some reason. At 38, I bet I'm the oldest regular attendee. Next time I get a chance to talk to him, I'll have to explain to him about me knee. Anyway, he's a good guy and he never singles me or anyone else out. I try to keep up with the push ups and sit ups, at least!

With all the changes in partners, I got with all four deshi. Mike is back on the mat after dislocating his toe. That guy's ukemi is just becoming amazing. He was taking ukemi for a kokyu throw, and his back rolls were utterly silent. I don't know why that seems more amazing that a silent front roll, but it is, somehow. At one point, I joked with him, "Will you please make some noise?" I have to figure out how he does that.

I also got with Sanji and the two Australian deshi. They just started this week and that can be quite an adjustment. Toward the end of class, poor Luke looked like he'd seen better days. I asked him how many classes he took today? "All of them," he groaned. Which is of course, the correct answer. ;) I don't know if I'll ever be in the kind of shape where I can take 5 classes per day 5 days a week and 2 per day on the weekends. Wow.

Speaking of shape, at least I got through all of Alberto's class, with all the partner changes and stuff, with out having to go get water. It's funny. That class was a lot more active than yesterday's; yet yesterday I could barely get through with a water break. Sometimes I just don't get it.

Anyway, onward and upward!

Relaxin'

2008-02-05T04:55:00.000-05:00

We have two new deshi at the dojo. Luke and Tristan are a couple of yudansha from Australia and seem like good guys. They're set to be at the New York Aikikai for the next 3 months. I know Mike Jones, the senior uchi-deshi must be very glad they are here as he is a bit over worked with just him and Sanji to mind the shop.

I partnered with Luke in Dana's class. I have to say I got pretty tired again in class and this is really starting to frustrate me. I feel like I have less wind then ever. It seems especially since I stopped smoking, I just can't last for very long on the mat at all. I had to go out for water at about the 35 minute mark, and that really bugs me as I don't think I was moving all that much.

Last night also saw the return of my favorite sempai, Indra. She was away from the dojo for a few weeks and it was nice to have her back. We got in a group together and at one point she leaned over and said, "Just because you are tired, don't be sloppy. You can slow up, but if you're sloppy, it looks bad." This is of course, very correct and exactly what I needed to hear. These days I'm really trying to work on staying more relaxed and anyone who reminds me of this is doing me a big favor.

In fact, this year I have a mantra for aikido. It is very simply, "Relax and get lower." (Courtesy of Claire Keller.) Claire has pointed out, and I couldn't agree more, that these are the two points that would make a big difference in my aikido. Certainly, the more I can relax, the less energy I'll be waisting, so that's a big plus.

I'm having some success in the get-lower thing as it just takes constant reminding. But relaxing is not so easy. It tends to go away if I'm not thinking about it.

I was talking about relaxation with another sempai and she told me Harvey Konigsberg-sensei (7th dan, shihan) recently said to her that he was now happy with the way he was relaxing his shoulders. That comment is stunning. I mean, wow, that's 40 years.

I remember hearing a quote from Koichi Tohei where he said the most important thing he learned from Ōsensei was how to relax. So this is a recurring theme among those in the know...

If anyone who sees me at the dojo is reading this, next time you see me, please shout out, "Are you relaxin'?" ;)

Silent partner

2008-02-04T05:58:00.000-05:00

I was late getting into Chuck's class yesterday and happened to partner with a yudansha I didn't know very well .

There are sometimes special moments in aikido when you can really feel the wave. I like the analogy of the surfer. The surfer has to catch the wave just right to ride it and that's what nage (and also uke) have to do in aikido.

A few times when we were doing yokomenuchi ikkyo and shihonage I really felt caught up in something -- just like riding a wave. It was a great experience and a a great ideal to shoot for.

My partner, Joel, was very strong and very quick. He gave me quite a work out! Yet, he was always in control and never overthrew or pounded me in the least.

Another great thing I noticed, although he was almost completely silent, he was very instructive. When it became his turn, he would stress certain movements from time to time. It didn't take me long to realize he was doing this for my benefit. I started paying attention to what he was doing and my techniques improved. Very cool. An instructive silent partner.

He did resort to a few words, however. At one point, I wasn't getting off the line enough. Probably he showed me that, too, but I didn't get it. So he just said it. (Not the first time I have been told that particular point, actually.)

Later on, when I was really getting exhausted, I was having a hard time getting back up. (He really was taking me through the paces.) Joel said, "Be like the Greek god who gets his energy from the Earth and comes up stronger." My only thought at that moment was easy for you to say. Now that I've recovered, I did some research (with the help of my Aikido-L pal G.A.Miliaresis) and I've discovered that would be Antaeus. The son of Gaia and Poseidon, he was unbeatable as long as he could maintain his contact with the Earth, where he could get strength from his mother, the Earth goddess. The photo above is of Hercules defeating Antaeus the only way possible, by holding him aloft and crushing him. Hrumf. Well, I'll just have to not let anyone lift me up, that's all.

At about 40 minutes into the class, we mercifully went to groups for some projection throws so I was able to catch my breath a bit. (I was really out of it! Joel kept me moving, non stop.) Standing next to me, my ol' buddy Junya takes a look at me and says, "Come on, we're not even moving." Haha. Even though I was recovering, I was already "over the line" in terms of exhaustion, so after it was my turn to go, I came back to the line again breathing hard. Junya, in his dead-pan way of his, says, "Just don't pass out." OK, got that.

This was a really great class for me, despite the exhaustion. In fact, if I could have a partner like Joel, I'd take the work out, every time.

Dynamic duo

2008-02-03T06:39:00.000-05:00

Debbie Crampton subbed for Ruth in the Saturday morning class. That was a fun change. I always like when she teaches. Her technique and explanations are very clear.

We started off with ryotedori, mostly tenchinage and kokyu type stuff. Then we switched to one had grabs (katatedori) and the real fun began.

I found myself in a group with a few sempai, including Junya, John, Mike Abrams and a few others. We did several techniques with an opening tenkan, as well as more kokyu type stuff.

Well, Junya and John seemed to be trying to out do each other with their speed and ferocity. As always, I got the short end of all that, let me tell you. I think guys like to throw me hard because I'm fairly big. They know I can take it and they see it as good exercise or something. Truthfully, I don't really mind, it's much better than if people felt they had to take it easy on me, right? It's a kind of compliment, I hope.

There were a few kokyo throws when those two did the put-the-knee-in-the-way trick. I think during tenchinage, also, they did that. I remember it was not so long ago I was petrified of being thrown that way, so I guess that's a sign of improvement. (Next I have to learn how do do that myself. I'm getting there. Haha.)

I don't often see John, I guess he practices at times I'm not usually at the dojo. I also heard he's in school. These days I'm seeing Junya more often, and that's a very good thing. His aikido is really strong and clean. I love to watch him and learn from him.

I mentioned to me once he spend a few months as an uchi-deshi at hombu (The head Aikikai dojo in Japan) and it shows. His form and etiquette are always perfect.

So I survived the dynamic duo to go back another day! (I guess that makes me the Joker...)

No smoking

2008-01-31T07:12:00.000-05:00

Smoking has really been holding me back in aikido. When classes are more vigorous, I tend to fall behind because I'm gasping for breath. Well, finally, I got tired of it and stopped smoking earlier this week. This attempt at quitting has gone much better than any of the others, and I'm really hopeful it will stick.
I'm getting quite a few of the symptoms one gets when quitting, including coughing, irritability, increased appetite, tiredness and lack of concentration.

Last night, I felt even more tired in class than usual. According to what I'm reading, this is normal and should get better in a few days. I hope so.

I don't feel like writing any details about last night's class now. It's too hard to concentrate. Lots of kokyu. Typical Alberto style. Worked on form. Good class, as usual.

No more smoking!

A calmer class

2008-01-29T02:32:00.000-05:00

Dana taught the Monday class as usual. His classes almost always focuses on a single attack. Last night's class centered on ushiro ryotedori (two hands grabbing two wrists from behind). This is one of my bug-a-boos, actually, so I was glad to practice.

The usual footwork in the opening resulting from this attack is simple enough, yet I am never satisfied with how I do it. A friend and sempai, Chris, noticed I was a bit off and helped me after class. I felt more confident after that. :D

Dana's class is always fun and a calm, which is nice for a change. It gives me a chance to relax and try to learn something. I always appreciate it.

Last bit of the aikido weekend

2008-01-28T05:57:00.002-05:00

Sunday was back at the ol' Aikikai for class. Chuck's class started with -- surprise -- suwariwaza. About 30 minutes of it, in fact.

We then went into groups for irimenage and sudori, which is a technique where nage drops to the floor and kind of trips up uke with his body when he attacks shomenichi. For that reason, it's called the disappearing throw. If it's timed well and nage's body position is correct, uke will naturally be compelled to breakfall. Well, I was in the group of young yudansha who like to really go at it, but that was ok, I could take it with these techniques.

When Mike Abrams does sudori, he has a way of moving off diagonally during the throw so that he is not in the way of uke at all. It is interesting and still effective as he doesn't move out of the way until uke is already off balance.

Suddenly, Chuck goes on to another technique -- KOSHINAGE (illustration above). Gulp. I get a sinking feeling as I realize just who is about to toss me head-over-heals over their hips.

First, it must be said, Mike wouldn't hut a fly, as strong as he is, so he would be safe. There was another mudansha like myself with that deer-in-the-headlights look, so I could handle him. The middle three or four, who shall remain nameless on this blog, however, started licking their chops...

I got through the first few rounds OK and I thought I would make it, when one sempai, a brand new nidan (second degree black belt) whipped me around with such speed the centripetal force straighted out my legs and caused my ankles to bang together. Ouch. I managed to hobble back to the line and say I was fine.

Here's a video of sudori:

Weekend of aikido -- part two

2008-01-27T06:48:00.000-05:00

I've known Karen, AKA the Aikiaddict, online since I started aikido and joined the Aikido-L mailing list. Her enthusiasm and dedication always add to whatever crazy discussion we may be having.

Though we both practice within the fold of the aikikai and have both even attended the same seminars (at least once that I know of), we never managed to meet in person until this weekend when I took the drive up to Woodstock. Karen, who lives nearby in Poughkeepsie, helped me to plan out my weekend in the area.

Karen practices at Kingston Aikido which is run by Robert Wilcox-sensei, a student of Harvey Konigsberg-sensei. Karen graciously invited us to train at her dojo while in the area, an invitation I was happy to accept.

My main motivation in planning the trip was to train at Woodstock, so Kingston was a kind of bonus. However, it turned out to be a very great part of the trip!

The group had just opened a new dojo last week, so I was lucky to attend one of the first classes in the new space. It is certainly the nicest newly built dojo I have ever seen. One of the students mentioned that Robert "built it himself." Obviously he put his heart and soul into the design and flow of the space. It was, in fact, a stunning accomplishment that really has to be seen in person to be fully appreciated.

I got to train with Karen first thing. We did kokyunage both with and without an opening tenkan. Well, at first I just had noticed the tenkan and expected my good sempai to do so. Wouldn't you know I anticipated it and smashed my head right into poor Karen's temple. Hello Karen and thank you for the invite! Ha. That's what happens when one anticipates.

Fortunately, I managed to get through the rest of the class without causing much more damage. A few times we did techniques in slightly different ways then I'm used to, which is all to the good. Sometimes one does feel out of place in a new environment, but Karen her fellow students and sensei Bob did there best to make me feel welcome.

The experience at Kingston turned out to be much more than a "extra." They are great bunch of folks and Karen was a great sempai. It was very enjoyable and I hope to visit there again. Karen get your head protector ready!

Weekend of aikido -- part one

2008-01-26T06:25:00.000-05:00

I took a drive up to Woodstock. My main intention was to practice at Harvey Konigsberg-sensei's dojo. Harvey teaches once a week at the New York Aikikai, but at a time that is very difficult for me to make. In a year-and-a-half, I've only been able to attend a handful of his classes.

But they left a deep impression on me. I like everything about Harvey's aikido and his way of teaching it. He just has a sort of flow and ability to melt away that really defies description. So I took the opportunity with my time off from work to spend the day at his dojo, Woodstock Aikido.

Harvey has built, what is described on his Website as, "A Beautiful Traditional Dojo in a Unique Rural Setting." This is, in fact, the art of understatement. The photo above barely does justice to the craftsmanship and spirit that the place contains. I felt as if I was stepping into another world. When I saw it and took it all in, I couldn't help thinking Ōsensei would feel quite happy and comfortable in such a dojo.

Harvey is an artist. His paintings can be seen in many dojo and I'm sure many other places. There is no question that his artistic nature contributes to the design of his dojo and his aikido. I feel very fortunate to know him and to be able to learn from him.

Week of aikido

2008-01-25T05:48:00.000-05:00

I was off from work this week and spent much of it at the dojo. I was especially glad to be able to take classes at 6:45 a.m., which I can never do when I have to work.

The morning classes have a very unique dynamic. Part of it may be because it is so early and brings only the most dedicated practitioners. The average level of student in the morning classes is very high, with two shihan regularly attending, Steve Pimsler and Robert Workoff. Both of them teach on some days but on days when not teaching, they just come to train.

Steve, who I have a little more experience with, is naturally friendly and very helpful. He seems to have the knack of knowing how to say the right thing at the right time to be of the most instructional value at them moment. He immediately puts a person at ease and makes the most of the situation. Any interaction is always very enjoyable as well as helpful.

Steve helped Yamada-sensei prepare his book "Ultimate Aikido: Secrets of Self-Defense and Inner Power," which is pictured above. I wonder who's taking ukemi for sensei...

The rest of my classes during the week were in the early and late afternoons, with the usual complement of teachers and students. I was fortunate to attend two classes with Yamada-sensei before he left town.

All the top students at the aikikai show up when Yamada-sensei teaches. At one point, I found myself in a group that consisted of a 6th dan, two 5th dans, a few 3rd, 2nd and shodans and a very junior me. What a great moment, huh?

It's too bad I have to go back to work.

Paying attention

2008-01-17T06:55:00.000-05:00

A dojo-mate of mine came back to training after a long absence. A shoulder injury kept him off the mat for the better part of a year.

We got the chance to practice for a bit, and he paid me a very unlooked-for compliment. "Wow, what a difference since the last time I trained with you!"

I was really surprised. I never consider myself making any progress in aikido. Mostly because I try not to think that way. It's the journey, not the destination, right?

Since I'm not spiritually advanced enough to be completely devoid of pride, I was happy with that remark. Then I got to thinking, how does one make progress in aikido? It's especially interesting as it is mostly taught in the Japanese style of demonstration, with little or no discussion, though we don't follow that completely in the U.S.

Simply speaking, a student must pay attention.

I know my method. When I first watch a technique, I watch the footwork, especially the opening. The body position is the most important part. Then I may watch other parts, like the actual technique. Then I watch my partner do it while I take ukemi. Then finally, I try it. If I still am confused I can watch others around me or even -- God forbid -- ask!

But it's the paying attention part that is most important. After a while, all the ideas become kind of ingrained, somehow. It becomes, "Oh, that's that one, yeah." But that is a big mistake because there is always some subtlety to notice for the first time.

There's an infinite variety applications that can be done in aikido. So we're back to paying attention. The more I think about it, that's all there is. Paying attention.

What is Aikido?

2008-01-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is a question that can't be answered so easily. In fact, on many levels, it can't be answered at all. Ask a ten aikidoka this question and you will probably get ten different answers.

Firstly, aikido is a martial art. The art focuses not on attacking an opponent, but rather on using the attacker's own energy to gain control of him and neutralize his attacks.

Not a fighting system, but a way of the warrior. Aikido is a true martial way that evolved in the historic tradition of the Japanese samurai.

The second dōshu, Kisshomaru Ueshiba, had this to say, "[Ōsensei] based Aikido upon circular movements to redirect aggressive and offensive attacks back to the assailant.

"Let it be clear, however, that ... Aikido is a refinement of traditional martial techniques combined with an exalted philosophy of the spirit. It is a method of forging mind and body."

OK, so we can assume it is a martial art or way, but what was that bit about exalted philosophy of the spirit"?

The United States Aikido Federation website translates aikido as "the way of unity with the fundamental force of the universe."

Ōsensei also had a strong spiritual drive, and brooded over the futility of a path based on victory over others. Studied in earnest, budo is more than a science of tactics and self-defense -- it is a discipline for perfecting the spirit.

"The secret of Aikido," he wrote, "is to harmonize with the movement of the universe and bring ourselves into accord with the universe itself." O-Sensei maintained that budo is a work of love, a path to overcome discord in ourselves and bring peace to the world, "to make the heart of the universe one's own heart."

But how can a martial art embrace such seemingly contradictory concepts?

Any serious study of Eastern philosophies by Westerners immediately runs into fundamental differing view of reality.

In the West, we were educated in the spirit of the scientific method, logic and industry. We tend to believe that all questions can be reduced to answers by reason alone.

However, Asian spiritual ideas tend to fly in the face of such a view. Buddhism posits that a "person" can be described as both something that exists and does not exist and neither exists or does not exist. The main point being that any word or concept cannot really describe what is essentially indescribable. The duality of reality is considered an illusion, but the non-duality of reality would be an oversimplification.

That's why Osensei said things in such a cryptic fashion. He was so far ahead of us, yet he maintained we can "catch the secret" and do what he did in 3 months. Since we all don't do that, we must be doing something different.

Henry Kono Sensei calls it an "unseeable matrix we can’t comprehend."

Aikido is an original and unique art. It is concerned with “the philosophy of the creation of all beings in the universe”, “the rationality of circular movements” and “the principle of kokyu power.”

Well, I'm trying to catch that secret. I hope you are too.

Donovan Waite

2008-01-13T07:28:00.000-05:00

Donovan Waite Sensei, (7th Dan, Shihan) teaches classes at the New York Aikikai on Sunday and Monday. Donovan is one of the North East's aikido heavyweights, a very well respected and sought-out teacher. In particular, he's noted for his ukemi and is responsible for the soft, flowing style held up as the ideal at the Aikikai. Donovan is also chief instructor at his own dojo in Philadelphia, Aikido of Center City.

When Donovan comes to the Aikikai, he tends to teach in an advanced style. Sometimes I can get a bit confused. However, it's always inspirational to see him perform a technique. His movements have a quiet elegance and an understated power that shows the rest of us just how it is all supposed to be done. Ōsensei supposedly said, "When I move, that is aikido." If that's true, I think Donovan's style must be a glimmer of what he meant by that.

Sunday's classes focused on Ushiro ryotedori (grabbing both wrists from behind) and various techniques from there. It was fairly standard for Donovan! But he still managed to get to kotegaeshi in a way that was unfamiliar to me.

Here's an old clip of Donovan:

Finding that balance

2008-01-12T05:17:00.000-05:00

Saturday's class was all about flow and body positioning, as is usual in Ruth Peyser's class.

Ruth usually takes one idea and explores it in different ways, which I find very illuminating. Her clear demonstrations and explanations are always very helpful. Her approach is very efficient and instructive.

The funny thing is, when I first met her, I was a bit intimidated.

That day, I was very, very new and happened to have a partner who really didn't seem to notice or mind that I didn't know what I was doing. Ha. We were doing irimi nage and he was throwing me around like a rag doll. I was a bit out of sorts from the pounding I was taking, but I tried to take it good-naturedly. I didn't dare say what was on my mind: "WOULD YOU TAKE IT EASY?" I reacted in the only way I felt I could at the time, I laughed at myself.

It must have seemed a bit different to Ruth. I guess she thought I was not taking things seriously enough. She zeroed in on me with laser-like eyes. "You have to pay more attention to your ukemi..." I was a bit surprised, but I just tried to follow what she was saying. I'd say it took me several weeks or more before I even came close to getting that footwork right.

Iit also took me a little while before I dared look her in the eye again. Haha. Now I've come to really enjoy and look forward to her class.

Saturday I partnered with a sempai, Sharon. Recently, I have been trying to concentrate on being more relaxed and Sharon gave me some great ideas for this. She pointed out the difference between keeping an extension and being tense. The extension can't be so relaxed as to be limp, of course, nor should the fingers be pointing almost straight, as mine were. It's tough to find the right balance.

Here's a video of Ruth demonstrating -- what else? -- irimi nage.

Henkawaza

2008-01-11T06:57:00.000-05:00

Last night's class focused again on a specific attack. It's a complex one called katatori menuchi. The first part is easy enough: a shoulder grab. Then it gets a little complex. When uke grabs the shoulder, nage gets off line and delivers an atemi strike to the head. Uke's block to that strike is then the "attack" that is worked with.

It was a lot of fun and led to many good areas to explore. We did ikkyo, kotegaeshi, kotegaeshi to sankyo -- that's henkawaza (changing from one technique to another) -- and a kind of kokyu nage. The kotegaeshi to sankyo was particularly interesting since, to make that work, the grip on kotegaeshi has to be slightly altered so it can be later positioned better to get the sankyo.

All this is typical for Luis, who taught last night. He always likes to find odd and interesting things for us to do. It's never boring in his class, even if it is sometimes confusing...

The idea behind henkawaza is, if a technique doesn't work well for whatever reason, nage may still have partial control of uke and in that case should be able to change to another technique and finish the job. It's a valuable practice for when you have to think on your feet!

Here's an example of henkawaza -- though it has nothing to do with what I described above. It's just changing from one technique to another. And very nicely done too!

Who needs aikido?

2008-01-10T08:48:00.000-05:00

A graphic artist friend of mine with a good sense of humor retouched this photo, which I think is hilarious. For the record, I'm not that fat.

Ikkyo

2008-01-09T06:06:00.000-05:00

Junya Nakatsugawa seems to always start the class with ikkyo. As the "first technique," ikkyo embodies many aikido principles. It's a kind of shoulder rotation that controls uke and pins him to the mat, but the movements involved in executing the technique encompass much of the basic aikido principles. The photo at left shows Ōsensei laying an ikkyo pin on his uke.

Such movements as irimi and tenkan play an important role, as do even more fundamental concepts such as extension and being "centered." Of course, such things are an important part of all aikido techniques, but these ideas are often introduced to a new student when learning ikkyo.

The class expanded on the theme of Kosadori (cross-hand grab) but the first ikkyo sticks in my mind. We also did kokyu nage (Sometimes called Mae otoshi), which is a projection throw channeling one's power through the upper arm or shoulder into the back of uke's elbow.

Junya's Aikido is very strong and neat. I always learn a lot in his classes. Here's a video of him doing... ikkyo, of course:

Ukemi, ukemi

2008-01-08T04:54:00.000-05:00

Last night saw the teaching debut of Mike Jones, senior uchi-deshi and dojo manager at the New York Aikikai. Mike was recently promoted to shodan (first degree black belt) and filled in for the regularly scheduled instructor.

I've known Mike since my very first day at the dojo. He's completely dedicated to the study of aikido. He an erudite and natural teacher and is in high demand every few months as the kyū tests come around (especially be me). His techniques are very clean and strong, but if there is anything he excels at, it is ukemi. There is a faction of very soft, impact-free uke at the dojo and Mike is decidedly in that camp.

So he took the opportunity of his first class to drill us in the basics of ukemi. Front rolls and back rolls, back breakfalls, etc. Then the fun started...

There are certain times when uke is thrown and nage retains his arm. Kotegaishi is a popular example of this. Usually, uke takes a breakfall and slaps out. But in the "soft school" of ukemi, uke can place his shoulder on the mat and roll out of it, instead of taking the fall. The trick is, uke has to be able to get his shoulder on the mat. I really can't quite make it. If my shoulder doesn't make it all the way down, I tend to hit the mat with my neck and upper back -- and that hurts. I actually came close a few times, but for now, my shoulders are killing me!

After a while, mercifully, we switched to taking this fall by extending the other arm to the ground, more closely resembling a common breakfall, but by having a part of the body make contact with the mat earlier, the impact is reduced quite a bit. I did better with this method and pretty much had it at slower speeds. It doesn't require quite the same amount of flexibility as the shoulder roll.

One other piece of advice I picked up was not to roll out of a breakfall. Rather, uke should keep his legs extended and controlled and then rise on the side he rolled on. Mike explained how the habit of rolling out of a breakfall can be dangerous to the knees. That was the best thing I picked up last night, for sure.

Here's a video of some guy in Myanmar demonstrating ukemi in a similar style (but he doesn't do the shoulder roll):

Suwari-waza

2008-01-07T08:11:00.000-05:00

Chuck likes suwari-waza (seated techniques). Because of my inability to do them well, I hate suwari-waza, but I need the practice that and always try to make Chuck's classes.

Yesterday, I'd say we did them for a good 45 minutes, which is far, far beyond my comfort level when walking around on my knees! In fact, he alluded to this when demonstrating. "Last one, I promise." he told us. That one was, in fact, hanmi-handachi, which is halfway between sitting and standing, as uke attacks standing and nage defends seated.

This video is a good example of hanmi-handachi:

Mike Abrams

2008-01-06T06:04:00.000-05:00

The Saturday 12:15 classes are usually taught by the legendary Mike Abrams, 7th dan. Mike began his training in early 1960s at the New York Aikikai, making him one of the oldest, if not the oldest, active American aikido practitioner. Certainly, no one in the local aikido community predates him.

Mike is a very friendly, warm and unassuming guy. Our lockers are next to each other in the dressing room. For the first few months of my aikido practice, I chatted with him, having absolutely no idea who he was or his history in the organization. When I found out, I was stunned. I mean, he didn't act like a big guy. He is so easy to talk to.

I learned a lot about aikido from Mike's humble, down to earth approach. He is dedicated to aikido and has been for well over 40 years. He practices daily, regardless of who is teaching, and he will work with just about anyone. I don't know if he seeks out less experienced people, but certainly, he's just as likely to partner with a 5th kyū as a 5th dan.

I get the feeling that he does a lot for aikido and the Aikikai behind the scenes. Certainly, as president of the U.S. Aikido Federation, he has administrative responsibilities, but I bet that is just the tip of the iceberg. He's the kind of guy who is always pitching in.

Aikido-wise, there is only one way to describe Mike Abrams-sensei: Powerful. He has an unbelievable projection of power. It seems he's centered in the universe, and when he moves, the whole universe moves along with him. Try to stand against that!

His attacks are very focused and he gives nothing away. Anyone trying to muscle his way through a technique with Mike Abrams, will suddenly find he has a better chance of moving the Empire State Building!

In every way, my aikido training and, indeed, my everyday life, has benefited greatly from Mike's influence.