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Showing posts from October, 2009

it hurt

Wow...my neck was out just a little and it made my whole body hurt.... A couple of weeks ago Ron did a great throw and I met the mat sooner than I expected...the bell rang. I knew that I could take a good fall. I did bounce. Last Saturday, I was waiting for my balance to be taken. My nage got more tense. I felt that bad feeling of when you know it's more than a passing ouchie! All week was touchie ...then I awoke with a severe headache and a cordy neck. Ron did a little Kiaistu ...I could feel the pop. Later in the day Heidi, my Chiropractor Extraordinare completed the fix. Off to the river to throw away my fears and then home to write about parental forgiveness....I really love the process. The physical pain is just my body showing me that the progress is upon me!

Tenkan or Tenk...

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Tenkan is by far my go to move...I love the feel. The turn creates drama and effect. Why do nages deprive themselves of this wonderful feeling? Tenk....is boring, ineffective...listless even. Uke gets to rest and lean and just overpower users of tenk.... What is tenk you ask? It is a little over half of tenkan. Tenk is that pitiful move that so many do when they could be doing tenkan...rather than sweep their foot in a dramatic circle creating space and energy for themselves and their uke they turn a little and then back peddle. Ukes moves in… settles down and nage feels frustrated and overridden. Why? Because nage is overridden…Uke is not resisting…Uke is resting… Why? Because by doing tenk nage has provided a perfect place to rest! Most people do a beautiful tenkan without an uke...then uke attacks and they revert to that horrible tenk.... Let us praise tenkan!…Dare to let go of tenk…and rejoice in tenkan!

Relax How?

Uke strikes shomen...I enter... then gently do fulton nage...never pushing... never pulling... simply blending with my uke who strikes shomen...

It's Time to Clean the Dojo!

Class starts in about an hour and a half. Now I get to go clean the dojo. Thank you, universe!

Entering From My Center...

Entering from my center can be a challenge. The attack was tsuki with a bokken…the defense… just a turn of the bokken with a slight irimi. My center came up most times I was attacked. I felt a slight movement backwards…hardly seen but felt by me. After class I asked Ron to attack me until I could enter and turn my bokken without flinching. Without moving back …without moving my feet…or just my head …oh so slight. By the time we left I could enter, turn my bokken and my center stayed down. My first step was asking for help…then I could acknowledge how rattled I was. Now, I am looking forward till class tomorrow when I get to do it again…a little stronger and less afraid.

Seeking Connection

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This morning I realized my resistance to competitive testing for one point was because of basketball. When I played in college it was really fun because I was good and so were they. The connection that was created was so real I can still experience it in my memory. As we defended together in a 1- 3- 1 zone our team moved liked birds when they all decide to fly and turn at once. Our offense moved into a fast break off the defensive rebound like we practiced it a million times... which we did. The only downer about college basketball was that all that connection didn't matter to most of us if we lost. If one team got more points than we did everything sucked. I couldn't understand that then but I do now. Most people are focused on winning...I could care less. I am interested in connection...that incredible feeling of mind body coordination that happens when 2 or more people move together in the flow. That is why I love Aikido...it is a perfect venue for an athlete like me who lov

Welcome

Hi Folks, this blog is for you to post your Aikido related thoughts, opinions and ideas. I've sent out an invite to people whose email addresses I have. If you know of anyone else who might be interested in posting please send me their email addresses and I'll invite them to become contributors. Looking forward to what everyone has to say. Ron