Seeking Connection
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 loves movement and flow and the beauty that comes from it.
Now about testing for Ki...I believe noncompetitive testing for Ki is so important because after a person finds IT...the real challenge is to learn how to trust the feeling. Especially for men...Men are so used to muscling through things that learning to trust one point and relaxation is a huge challenge for them.
When a person has learned how to find their center… testing can become more intense. IT should always come from a place of nage and uke working together so the feeling can be developed and trusted.
As uke and nage work together strength is developed that is dependable and relaxed. This allows both to take the feeling out into the world and use it in everyday situations...at work and at home.
I started Aikido because a basketball game was cancelled....I always knew there was a cosmic connection...;o)
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 loves movement and flow and the beauty that comes from it.
Now about testing for Ki...I believe noncompetitive testing for Ki is so important because after a person finds IT...the real challenge is to learn how to trust the feeling. Especially for men...Men are so used to muscling through things that learning to trust one point and relaxation is a huge challenge for them.
When a person has learned how to find their center… testing can become more intense. IT should always come from a place of nage and uke working together so the feeling can be developed and trusted.
As uke and nage work together strength is developed that is dependable and relaxed. This allows both to take the feeling out into the world and use it in everyday situations...at work and at home.
I started Aikido because a basketball game was cancelled....I always knew there was a cosmic connection...;o)
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