Energy, Improvement, and Training

The only thing that comes to mind lately is that I have a bit more energy when I have to work and only take four classes a day. It makes a big difference in the last sprint of the day when there are three classes back to back. I have the energy to sink down lower take big steps and basically move from my center. It is also easier to pick up on the technique when I am not exhausted and wishing I could lay down somewhere. Don’t get me wrong, training when you are dead tired has many benefits, most of which are not obvious at the time of training, such as: training your muscles to remember certain a series of movements, and learning to be tough and enduring.

I’ve noticed in my 4 1/2 years of training that one hits plateaus, and then, suddenly, when you feel like your Aikido really sucks, your throws and falls feel smoother and more powerful than you last remembered or someone who hasn’t seen you in awhile compliments your progress. In my mind it is easy to acknowledge that I must be improving, but with all the criticism I receive it is hard to see past all the mistakes and exhaustion. Part of being an uchi deshi is to be tired so I’m okay with it for the moment.

I think once I am done with the apprenticeship program here, I will try to take 3 hours of Aikido most days of the week no matter where I end up. Hopefully this will be feasable. I may have to attend a few dojos at one time to get that amount of training outside NYC. I don’t want to be one of those uchi-deshi that forget Aikido when they move out and are never seen on the mat again.

On the subject of training. I think one must see the benefits of training with every type of person out there. There are the slow heavy partners, the awkward beginners, the zippy fast partner, and the sempai belts.

The slow heavy partners can be frustrating, but I find that if I am not too tired I can manage a class or two a day with this type. One must be technical and really move the whole body as a unit to get this person to move. You can’t train quickly with these people but somehow you are still tired at the end of class anyway. One really learns where the weak points are in their technique when training with this person.

Awkward begginners teach you how to break things down into simple language. It is pointless to tell most beginners to “move thier center” when they don’t even know what or where it is. It is better to say “ut your foot there turn your hand like this” and then let them do it over and over again until they are comfortable enough to stop looking at their feet. Then and only then can you focus on esoteric things and give them other details that make the technique effective.

If you want to sweat a zippy partner that is quick and light on their feet is a good choice. You really learn timing and movement when with these partners. You also learn how fast is too fast, because usually at some point someone gets sloppy (trips,steps on your foot, or misses the grip) and has to slow down a bit to regain control. Sometimes these partners become slippery targets because the sweat makes grips difficult. It is also notable to mention that it is highly important to have short even nails so you don’t scratch anyone.

Your senior belts can fit into any one of the before catagories (excluding beginners). The difference is you are not allowed to correct them, and you must (based on how high of a rank) listen to what they and attempt to do it. I don’t want to offend any readers, but if you pick an older black belt(much older), especially one with lots of injuries, don’t expect a very exciting class. You can learn a lot from them, but sometimes its hard to apply it because they cannot take the ukemi.

The only people I recommend avoiding are those that incite you to no end. Fights on the mat are bad. If you want a good workout avoid close friends who will tempt you into having conversations on the mat.

Sorry for the long intervals between posts, I’ve been busy working and planning my vacation to see all of you.

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108 comments

  2. I fear not being able to take ukemi someday..:/… I’ll fear it even more once I actually CAN take ukemi… ^_^ I splat…

    Great insights!!
    You’re posting just fine. You’re busy girl. When you do post it is always a good read about aikido!

    peace,
    MM

  4. I’m glad you are coming south for a visit. It will do your body and your mind good to get out of your tight quarters for a few days. I hope you can make it for the camping trip. The Pittman 5 will be there! See you soon.

  5. I have an idea for a blog post…Since none us (except for Dee to a lesser extent, when she spent time at NYA as a guest) know what it is like to be a deshi on a day to day basis, how about a post describing a typical day?

    In other words, getting up at 5, cleaning the weapons, taking the various classes, etc.

    I’m not sure any of us have a realistic idea of what it is you do on a day to day basis.

    I think it would be neat.

  7. Random things, facts, happenings, and randomness at the ACoJ from 5/08 to 3/09

    1. “Touch the Wall, Wash the Mat” policy enforced

    2. The kids are as competitive as they are cute

    3. The possibilities are endless with that door…

    4. Es un buena idea estudiar espanol

    5. Someone rolled ( rolled , mind you) out of kokyu dosa

    6. Forward roll, tenkan, backward roll

    7. I’d like to know what those kids in the window are thinking

    8. “Who’s Tonya?”

    9. Want to discuss philosophy? Say “Watchmen” and you’ve got it for the next half hour on violence, intent, and whatever.

    10. Believe it or not, there have only been (to my knowledge) two spill incidents; one with gatorade, and the other with water. Surprisingly, BOTH culprits were 5th kyus.

    and one more:

    11. The guys ran out of paper towels.

    Oh wait, you weren’t asking me…

  8. Re: 5, grassHopper, I breakfall out of kokyu dosa, if thrown with vigor, as does Corne. I’m surprised you haven’t seen this.

    Very funny list. I love 6 and 7.

  18. The idea that Lex Luthor is not a villian has to do with his irrational rivalry with our favorate kryptonian. Think of it like this, grasshopper. If you had someone in your class, in your work, on your team… who was absolutly and without a doubt perfect in every aspect, would you try as hard? It is demotivational to compete in a game you can’t win. The arguement is that Lex Luthor was trying to give hope to the rest of humanity that their problems could be solved by the good intentions, strengths, and intelect of man. He was trying to show them what is possible if they strive for excellance instead of letting an alien babysit the planet for them. He is not a hero, but the arguement can be made that is not a villian.

  19. Villain
    –noun
    1. a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel.
    2. a character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot.

    Yeah, that fits Lex Luthor pretty well.
    (I hope that html tag works…)

    But, supposing that the definition isn’t enough, here are my answers.

    1) So the people of the world are going to look up to a tried and true criminal who is described as “a power-mad, evil scientist”.

    2) Why am I competing with someone else? As a matter of fact, why am I competing in the first place? Here is an example that answers the “competition against the perfect being” question.

    When I started aikido, I saw how easily Tonya was able to execute techniques and roll around. Don’t get me wrong, everyone else looked like they were flying around effortlessly as well, but ya’ll were/are guys.

    Anyhow, I would get so frustrated because Tonya could do kotegaeshi and I couldn’t get my feet in the right place. She could do iriminage and I had no clue when a technique ended. My good intentions, my strengths (if any), and my intellect were nothing. She was “perfect” and I was clueless.

    Now why should I let that keep me from trying my hardest? The fact that she out-did/does me in everything and anything is irrelevant to my progression. Even if she is miles ahead, it doesn’t “un-motivate” me. As a matter of fact, it pushes me even more. I know that if I want it enough and if I work hard enough, Lord willing, I’ll be there; maybe even beyond. 😉

    3) The people need Superman to combat Luthor for them. It’s almost a picture of how we need a Savior.

  20. Good grief.

    A partial list of Luthor’s crimes:

    He arranged the death of Vesper Fairchild, Bruce Wayne’s paramour.

    He sold his soul to Neron.

    He committed acts of high treason with Darkseid.

    He founded the Injustice League.

    He’s a villain.

  23. Ugh. The Mill.

    Let me set the scene for those who missed out…

    We’re getting ready to leave the park, and someone has the bright idea to see the historic Gold Head Mill, which is supposed to be located on some forsaken nature trail deep in the back woods.

    That should have been our first warning. Never do anything that requires you to walk on some forsaken nature trail deep in the back woods.

    So David, Karl, Leslie, Dee, Tonya, Sam and I start to hike. And hike. And hike. And it’s beginning to look like Deliverance (The movie. Don’t ask, grassHopper.) when it suddenly occurs to me: THE TRAIL DOESN’T END. Not at the Mill, not at our car, not even in freaking Florida.

    We are doomed.

    Tonya is royally upset, my cell phone is dying, and we have no more food.

    But here’s the kicker. After all the Sturm Und Drang, we finally make it back to civilization, where we find a sign. And what does the sign say? There is no Mill. That’s right. The thing was taken down years ago.

    👿

  24. Sounds fun. I’m sorry I missed it. I like nature hikes… except the the de-ticking.

    Grasshopper, the second comparison isn’t a good arguement. Even if Tonya is great at rolling, it nothing that is not possible for you to do. She had to work hard to get her roles to that point. If anything it should show you what you could be if you put in the effort. The situation with superman is much more grim. He is THE best, not just good, and he got that way not through self sacrifice, hours of work, or any disernable amount of effort. He is the best because he was born. He was at a level that no one can possibly live up to the second he set foot on earth for no other reason than that was a defining characteristic of his existance. This is what Lex can not abide. This is why he hates him unconditionally. The fact that he is willing to sell his soul is testifies to the Captain Ahab level of vendetta he has against his alien enemy. Lex does not want to be evil, and probably wouldn’t be seen as an evil person if not for Clark Kent (Jerry, help me out… was lex’s first crime caught by Lois Lane or the Kent man?) A closer situation is if someone came on the mat and could do better breakfalls, throws, and rolls than every one in the world the first time they set foot on the mat. They are performing at a level that you could never hope to reach or even approach. How would that make you feel?

    On a lighter note, I have finished moving! I never want to so much as straighten a picture again……… See you guys on the mat!

  25. Do murderers “want” to be evil? Perhaps no, but whether they want to be or not, their actions make them evil. Lex may not “want” to be evil, but, he must not have wanted not to be enough.

    Lex hates Superman because he always stops him from doing what he wants to do, which (apparently, unbeknownst to him) are CRIMES.

    You are comparing yourself, a human being, to an ALIEN. An ALIEN. Of course he’s better than you. By nature. That doesn’t make Luthor any less guilty.

    How would that make me feel? Are you suggesting that personal feelings should have an impact on my practice sessions? If someone being better than me makes me feel bad, then that would mean me being better than someone makes me feel good. Why should I have that attitude? To answer your question, I would feel nothing. NOTHING. Good for him; he’s born for aikido. That will help him, and it most certainly won’t hurt me. I don’t practice to be better than someone. Once again, another person’s level of ability has NOTHING and shouldn’t have anything to do with my progress. I’m not trying to better than anyone. I’m trying reach my set level of aikido proficiency. If people are already there and infinitely beyond, it makes no difference to me. Maybe I forgot to emphasize that.

    If you please, don’t step on my toe whilst on the mat. I would greatly appreciate it.

  29. It doesn’t have to be yokomen. What matters is the grip – in this case a shiho grip. It can be done from any attack (like all Aikido, I suppose).

    The throw is an unusual ude-kiminage throw that takes advantage of uke’s momentum after the sword arm is cut down.

    Speaking of Oscar, I taught a class once based on a reversal he did when I attempted shiho-nage on him. (Good aiki lesson – we’re all students, at the end of the day).

    Anyway, this technique fits in with the henka waza I did to counter his kaeshi.

    Essentially, after he attacked yokomen, and I cut his sword arm into shiho-nage, he spun with his back towards me and his elbow raised for a very vicious kokyu-nage (more a throat atemi, really).

    I saw it coming, dropped to one knee and threw him backwards over my other leg into a backwards breakfall. (Heh, heh….)

    You can also turn that technique into irimi-nage (and koto-gaeshi, etc.)

    Tonya’s technique has the same dynamic. Instead of allowing the reversal, nage leads uke into a spin by controlling the shoulder. The spin is done in front of nage, while still controlling the sword arm.

    At the end of the spin, nage’s arms are locked under uke’s shoulder and uke is (hopefully) off balance on his leading foot. Nage then completes the elbow throw.

    Pretty cool.

    She also showed me a tanto technique taught by Sugano Sensei where uke wins. The pin is nikkyo.

  37. grassHopper,

    I think the question you first want to ask is: What kind of education do I want? As I see it, there are two broad categories, a vocational education and a liberal arts education.

    It gets tricky because most “liberal arts” schools offer concentrations in purely vocational fields.

    For example, I would consider the University of Phoenix and the like to be vocationally oriented schools.

    (Nothing wrong with a vocational education, as long as you know what it offers and its limitations).

    Regarding majors, I would consider pre-law, nursing, business, engineering, A/V etc. to be vocationally oriented majors. Again, nothing wrong with studying for a particular career, so long as you know what it can and cannot do for you.

    I have a strong bias for the liberal arts. I think it is more practical, more rewarding, and really the most vocationally oriented discipline there is.

    Do me one favor. Before you commit yourself to a certain field or type of education, check out a *thoughtful* guide to colleges, and more particularly the liberal arts.

    (That guide I recommended via email is a good choice. You can also read “Colleges that Change Lives” by Lauren Pope. Avoid at all costs U.S. News and World Report’s College Guide. It’s toxic.)

    Regarding your question, Larry DeCarmine at Palm Beach Aikikai teaches sound and post production sound design at Palm Beach Film School. He is also a 3rd dan, and a very nice guy. I’ll introduce you to him next time I see him at a seminar.

  39. It seems like everyone is looking at higher education now… Jerry, me and MM have talked some about this, but I think that (and Jerry would probably disagree with me) a school that is oriented around an Engineering or Mathmatics program would give you the same kind of education Jerry prizes in Liberal Arts oriented schools. These disiplines don’t nessicarally teach you facts you need to know to do a job so much as they teach you how to think in order to do what you want. It teaches you how to look at a problem in such a way to come up with a solution. They teach not so much skills needed, but they teach you how to arive at the needed skills. Most of higher mathmatical courses are about proving things through a clear, logical, and concise method. This is the same principle that a phylosophy major would use to debate their position. Most of the best mathematitions in history have at least dabbled in phylosophy, if not major players themselves. I know a few people in my program that wanted an engineering degree as their undergraduate degree before they go to law school, simply because it inspires them to think of new solutions to problems. At one time, these studies were all part of an education, and I see them as 2 sides of the same coin. If I understood Jerry’s position on liberal education, I think he would agree with this statement.

    I would like a kendo class. You mentioned it in last febuary’s news letter, but I never heard anything more about it… Is it on or not?

  40. I’m not referring to job skills when I talk about the value of a liberal arts education. Otherwise, a 6 month course in cosmetology would fit the bill, right?

    Regarding kendo, at this point all I’m looking for is serious interest.

  41. Well, as far as higher education goes I have my own bitter and exhausted opinions of it all.

    As far as kendo goes, it would be cool if we could actually get a class going with some sustainable interest. I think it would be some what accruable in the understanding of our Aikido practice. A lot of Aikido is based after sword play as you (Jerry) have displayed in class. So it might be cool if people actually get behind it. My only reserves is my fear that people won’t sustain the interest the art (and it’s instructor) deserves.

    So I think it’s be cool… just don’t make me do yoga… I’m not that kind of chick. ^_^

  45. I should probably look at this blog more often, so i apologize for my lateness of topic discussion, but alas i most post..

    1. Superman discussion – Luthor is a testament to the saying “Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely”. There are other ways to promote the power of the human being besides trying to beat a superior being. Besides Superman is far from being “indestructible”. Case in point the book “Hush”, granted they toned it down by saying Superman was under Poison Ivy’s control (so people like jerry wont get mad) and that he wasnt fighting at 100%. But still Superman was beaten by Batman with a Kryptonite ring and Batman was able to fight against Superman because he was a man who studied his opponent. This is where I get my philosophy of Martial Arts from. I was by far not the best, and this is very unaikido like of me but if i encountered someone better than me, I would study them and learn how to beat them. People that I encounter i actually develop ways to beat them of i ever needed to, if you are tall (move into you, close distance, and take out legs), bigger body mass (attack joints, points where bone is unprotected). aikidoist?? (understand that they will counter, and attack my center, move around them,dont let them grab me, stun them quickly, then move away) Tang Soo Do(ist)….(take away their ability to use their power which is the kick, fight them close and corner them). My point being, you dont have and should not have to try to be “better” dont waste your time. just try to survive 🙂

    well that was a segway…eh??

    2. Kendo?? As learning something fundamental, to help aikido understanding definitely…my only thing with it is well, I am a practical person, just like i didnt have to learn how to do a flying sidekick over a horse, we dont use swords anymore, I prefer my weapon of choice to be a Kimber .45cal.

  47. MM, Dark Knight:

    I don’t think kendo is necessary to understand Aikido. Kendo is the sport version of kenjutsu, much like judo is the sport version of jujutsu. I may be mistaken, but I don’t think many of our shihans have a background in kendo.

    (For some reason, however, I seem to recall that Sugano Sensei is an exception).

    Many of our shihans do, however, have iaido backgrounds. Kanai Sensei (I believe) instructed several.

    The best way to learn Aikido is to practice Aikido, which includes bokken work.

  50. I may be job hunting soon…hopefully i can find something that will let me attend stuff like open mat and all that…

    ohh maybe for a job I can sell tang soo do…I can do it ATA style…give me $100 come to class once a week, and after a month, i will give you a whitebelt with a black stripe at the tip…get 3 stripes and you will test….

    or just give me $300 and i will give you a yellow belt…and you can learn the stuff on your own…youtube has creat material…

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