The dojo is highly energized right now as a result of a clinic by Ando Sensei at a nearby aikido club. I was only able to go for one session, and while I took away some good technical details that have been amplified by my peers who were able to stay for the whole weekend, what stood out for me was this:

 Ando Sensei’s has an astounding ability to surf his partner’s energy at the precise point of balance. His ability to feel this, coupled with his incredible timing, made his aikido beautiful and inspiring indeed.

His teaching was clear and supportive, and sprinkled with good humor, making for an atmosphere of great positivity that was very conducive for practice. On a personal note, when asked what was the most difficult experience  as uchideshi, he replied, laughing, “teaching aikido to kindergarten kids,” a task he was assigned for several years.

Finally, he stated many times that mastery takes time and practice, and to be gently patient with oneself on the mat - what may not make sense now will, in time, become clear.

And so I have hope that one day I’ll be able to surf too…

Kevin

Life is full of surprises, and a doosey landed on my plate the other day: I was tapped to train up for a nidan test in April. Yes, that’s right, two months from now!

After my first reaction of “Yikes!”, I realized that I had asked for it (having set the goal of testing for nidan sometime this year, thinking that towards the end of the year was reasonable), and so I have the choice of accepting that this is the universe’s way of giving me what I asked for.

That being the case, it follows that I also have the choices of trusting the universe in providing the right experience at the right time, trusting Sensei’sjudgment, and trusting that I can rise to the challenge.

In other words, perhaps ’surprises’, for me, are merely opportunities for practicing trust…

May your life be full of ’surprises’ too…

Kevin

We practiced one of my favourite things in aikido today - katate mochi renzoku (one wrist grasp, 180 degree pivot, with partner). We spent about 15 - 20 minutes doing this, back and forth, over and over, and I found myself falling into a meditative state.

This happened partly because of the repetition and simplicity of the exercise, and partly because I found a focus for my attention that allowed most of my mind chatter to fall away (I had a good partner, too!). Sensei had made us mindful of keeping our lead hand in our centre as we pivoted, and as time passed I began to feel that my hand was actually cradling something very precious.

After a time, I realized what it was:

The precious jewel of my partner’s spirit as she poured her energy and attention into the exercise…

This is but one reason why I love aikido…

Kevin

There are many things about aikido that fascinate me - being uke, for instance.

A recent comment by a fellow aikidoka - “My throws are always better when you’re my uke” - was very encouraging because I have been learning recently how to ‘lead’ shite and therefore help them with their technique, and I began to re-focus on the true role of uke - helping shite.

This is particularly useful when working with newer students. It’s more than being relaxed and compliant; it’s allowing my knowledge of the technique to let me slightly anticipate my partner and therefore guide their body into the correct positions as we move through the steps along the way.

For example, if I’m grabbing their wrist and they are shuffling off to the corner to take my balance and they are not moving far enough, or at a sharp enough angle, I take the initiative to move to the ‘right’ spot. Since they’ve got hold of me, they have to come too. This is often very subtle and I try and do it in such a way as to make the changes unnoticable to my partner - I just watch for the smile.

Things that can help you improve your ukemi:

Stay relaxed - not only will this make things easier for your partner, you’ll reduce the potential for injury.

Be alert - things won’t always unfold they way you want them to.

Always face your partner - this will almost always be the safest relationship with your partner.

Look into their eyes - this will help you stay engaged.

Give lots of energy - your partner can do their best when they have something to work with.

And think about this:

What would our world be like if we put that kind of attention on all of our relationships?

Best wishes for an awesome 2010!

Kevin

Autumn has been winding down with a clutch of warm, sunny days that beg for long walks and bonfires. Most of the leaves have been stripped off the trees, and those that remain flutter like Tibetan prayers rags, the trees stark against a porcelain blue sky, bare branches forming a kamae to the heavens. Time seems suspended with a promise that winter will never come, and we believe it, even though we know it’s not true.

Life is full of things that we believe that are not true. Some, like the hope that winter will be delayed indefinitely are relatively harmless and are easily let go of with a sigh and a smile. Others, like the belief that the pain of the loss of a loved one will never end, or the anguish we feel when we believe we can’t change, even when we know we have to, are harder to let go of.

Aikido gives us many tools to gather the spiritual ‘oomph’ we need to let go of our illusions and continue to move forward into a life free of fear and doubt. Let me give you an example:

Let’s say, like me, you’re making a lifestyle change like quitting smoking. You may face many moments of doubt that sap your belief in a positive outcome. Keep your bokken handy, and when that feeling arises, slash it to smithereens with a few dozen shomen cuts.

Can’t swing your bokken around at work? Practice shin ko kyu, or any breathing exercise, until the anxiety has been dispersed. 

Need to ‘change state’? Tori fune undo, or rowing exercise, will help you move out of a wishy-washy space and hone your resolve anew.

And last but not least - go to class as much as you can…

Kevin

I’ve been going through a period of training that has felt very static and unproductive and so I’ve been attempting to re-engage by focusing on my basics. (It’s all ‘basics’, isn’t it?)

In practicing my kihon dosa, I’ve come to the realization that Aikido is controlled falling. Just like walking.

When we walk, we do so by falling forward (by pushing off with one foot) and allowing our body to ‘catch up’, causing us to swing our ‘off’ foot forward to catch us and maintain our balance. We seem to be able to do this in a very relaxed and natural way. (Assuming we’re over the age of two!)

If we approach our movements in aikido the same way, we’ll enjoy the same natural relaxation. Try it and see:

Next time you do tai no henko ichi, ’soften’ (bend) the front knee enough to cause yourself to begin falling forward and allow you back leg to come up beside the front foot (to maintain balance). Then, as you angle change and drive off with the ‘new’ back foot, feel yourself falling forward again until the front foot ‘digs in’ as your momentum diminishes, or rather is overcome by the friction of the front foot ’skidding’. Your body will still be falling forward slightly and this is what causes the back foot to draw up until you achieve balance in your new stance.

The idea is that when you’re falling, you’ll feel free, free fom the tension and over-control that often plagues us (me, anyway!) when we perform our basic movements.

As you do this more and more, in all of your aikido, you’ll begin to saturate your technique with delicious moments of ‘free fall’ until the entire experience is as simple as, well, falling off a log…

Kevin

It occured to me the other day that aikido is very ‘green’. If we follow the motto “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, our aikido will also prove to be energy efficient and sustainable:

Reduce your effort by:

- learning to relax more…
- feel more and do less…
- keep your work in front of you, in your ‘box’…
- continue to improve your kamae, and use your body in an integrated way…

Reuse (Uke’s!) energy. This seems like a no-brainer since it is a fundamental principle of aikido, but there’s always room for improvment:

- work on your timing and resist the urge to ’stop’ uke…
- feel uke’s balance and keep uke moving…
- keep moving yourself…

Recycle. No surprise here; this translates as:

Keito, keito, keito! (Practice, practice, practice!)

Osu!

Kevin

I had an ‘A-ha!’ moment in class the other day. It was the culmination of a few things I experienced in a number of recent classes, and it all fell into place like a jigsaw puzzle:

Sensei had been focusing on the connection that occurs when we apply a technique, and gave us the opportunity to see how maintaining that connection through our grip when we apply a control will transmit the energy of one unified body to another in a powerful way, making techniques seem effortless.

Now, I ‘knew’ this already, but of course it always helps to be reminded and to practice it mindfully to keep it fresh; what I had overlooked was this:

When the connection with your partner is clear, there is a two-way communication link that transmits far more than physical information. One can also feel the transmission of mental/emotional/spiritual states as well. This reveals a greater realm of possibility when dealing with someone who is out of control. By maintaining your self-control and allowing your partner to feel it via the physical connection, the potential for reconciliation increases exponentially.

It’s communication through connection.

Of course, this is true off the mat as well. (You knew that didn’t you?)

In the same way that a four-year-old throwing a tantrum needs to feel your calmness, someone trying to bonk you on the head with a beer bottle needs to feel the same thing, because like the four-year-old, they’ve lost control too. You can share your ‘groundedness’ with them through the physical connection of the control you’re applying. And there are infinite ways to establish this type of communication, even without an aikido technique:

Anything we can do to strengthen our connection with the people around us, especially when conflict arises, will pave the road to better communication and resolution. Maintaining eye contact, mirroring body language and keeping in contact through touch will build a rapport that is very powerful, allowing the people you are in relationship with to feel you, and in times of need, to feel your self-control.

Give it a try, you may be surprised at the results.

Wishing you many ‘A-ha!’ moments,

Kevin

I was chatting with a fellow aikidoka the other day about the aikido journey, and the difference between doing aikido with someone vs. doing aikido to someone: when you practice aikido with someone, it becomes an act of co-creation.

What are we creating when we do aikido? Well, many things: strong, flexible minds and bodies, confidence borne of right behaviour, self control, to name but a few. But the one that stands out for me is unity. Aikido is sometimes translated as “The way of Harmony” and harmony comes, in part, from unity.

Unity in aikido exists on many planes: within oneself, with one’s partner, with the dojo as a whole, and with the rest of the world that exists off the mat (the ultimate training ground, where we spend most of our time).

Unity within ourselves is the harmonization of mind, body and spirit. When our mind is clear and focused and our body is relaxed, and our spirit is engaged with a loud ki-ai, aikido is effortless. 

When we work with our partner in an alert and attentive way, unity will increase, and both participants will show improvement.

When we are mindful of the rest of the dojo training at the same time, through the considerations of etiquette and helpfulness, we are all raised up together.

When we apply all of the lessons we learn on the mat outside the dojo, ripples of harmony and peace spread throughout our community and find resonance in the world.

These ‘planes’ of practicing unity all serve as entry points and attention given to any of these modalities will yield improvements on all planes. For instance, if you focus your attention on your partner, your ‘mind chatter’ will fall away, allowing you to be more unified within yourself. If you act in a polite and considerate way at the dojo, you help to create a more unified atmosphere for everyone’s training, including your own.

Give it a try and see what happens.

Happy co-creation.

Kevin

Last night we moved the dojo. The community centre where we have trained for the last 13 years is undergoing renovation, so we will live temporarily in another nearby community centre. This meant that we had to move all the mats and a few other odd bits to our new quarters.

A small convoy of pickup trucks and about twenty members rallied to the task and it was done in no time at all, including a test layout of the mats and a few breakfalls. (Who could resist? I wanted to go back with a flashlight and pick up all the loose change.)

What stood out for me was the joyful and eager attitude of everyone involved as we made human chains to ferry the mats, load the trucks and carry them up a flight of stairs to our new home. People were practically falling all over each other to help. This is a group that obviously enjoys each other and working together, and I’m grateful to be a part of that.

Afterwards, as Sensei said a few words of thanks, I studied the faces of everyone listening and watching, and I was moved by the respect and admiration of my fellow members for this man, a man who has given so much to so many.

I know that Sensei wanted things to go smoothly, but he needn’t have worried - I don’t think I exaggerate too much if I say that anyone there last night would gladly take a bullet for him…

Kevin