A slightly strange blog title I'll admit, and not necessarily about Aikido but here goes....
Have you ever had anyone ask you what your hobbies are and you tell them that you do Aikido, Jodo, Karate etc only to be met either with a sarcastic comment or strange look, as if to say why would you want to do that? And they also give you a strange look if on a Friday night no one understands (apart from your club mates) why you would rather go hit the mats rather than the pub. I have, many a time but I think this is perhaps due to the fact that I don't exactly fit the stereotype of that everyone who does martial arts is hard-faced and ruthless.
So why do people have these conceptions? I always try and explain what Aikido is, what martial arts truly signify and how people can develop from studying them. But people still think that you're a nutter. Well, okay I don't suppose it helps that my arms are usually (but not always) black and blue and my shoulders and arms are covered in Gi and mat burns.
I think part of the problem is that people want to be good immediately and get their black belts within a year or two. But what they don't realise is that it takes many years to become good and to become good enough for a Dan grade you need to literally have experienced blood, toil, tears and sweat for it to be worthwhile? I've had many a work colleague say to me that they would like to try a martial art but wouldn't be able to take orders from a Sensi or higher grade. Again, this is a case of people getting the complete wrong end of the stick. All learning on (and sometimes off the mat) is entirely voluntary, you and you alone want to learn, to better yourself. I don't know of anywhere else in life this happens. But when it does happen, you can develop a very deep and beautiful bond between you, your fellow students and your Sempai. And its very satisfying. Much more so than sitting with a bottle of wine and chocolate bar on the sofa on a Friday night. Yes, give me training over that any day.
Friday, 19 March 2010
Sunday, 21 February 2010
Chapter 53: New Year, New Job, New Dojo...Don't make life easy for myself do I?
Yes thats right, New year, New Job, New Dojo. I recently changed jobs to specialise further in my field (the other side of the country to be exact), so naturally I needed to keep up with the Aikido- especially if I want to get to brown.
However, there was just one problem- there is no Tomiki Aikido club where I am but there are Shodokan clubs. So do I quit Aikido having got so far or do I change styles? From this entry's title-yup you're right, I've decided to change styles. I'm not completely new to Shodokan Aikido by the way- there were a few club members at my last club that were interested in it, so I did practice in Shodokan style sometimes.
But there's no denying it-it is slightly different and its hard to remember what style does what. But on a brighter side, I think we may have got to the bottom of the roll 'problem' and hopefully this can be resolved soon.
So, how did it feel to change styles? To be honest, a little 'traitor' like since 99.9% of my training thus far has been Tomiki. But I really don't believe I've turned my back on my original training completely. After all, the basics of all Aikido styles are virtually the same since the principle of Aikido underlying them are the same. And yes, I do miss my old clubs. One folded just before I moved so it made saying goodbye a little easier.
Over the past four years I have trained with a variety of different people, both male and female from all walks of life and each with their own Aikido. One of the great things I love Aikido is the way it draws people together. You find that the people you train with do not become friends exactly, but they don't remain complete strangers- you form a 'bond' if you will, and each clubmate leaves their mark on you. Which is why I say its not completely goodbye when you leave a club or it folds- you leave part of yourself and you take the spirit of the club with you.
However, there was just one problem- there is no Tomiki Aikido club where I am but there are Shodokan clubs. So do I quit Aikido having got so far or do I change styles? From this entry's title-yup you're right, I've decided to change styles. I'm not completely new to Shodokan Aikido by the way- there were a few club members at my last club that were interested in it, so I did practice in Shodokan style sometimes.
But there's no denying it-it is slightly different and its hard to remember what style does what. But on a brighter side, I think we may have got to the bottom of the roll 'problem' and hopefully this can be resolved soon.
So, how did it feel to change styles? To be honest, a little 'traitor' like since 99.9% of my training thus far has been Tomiki. But I really don't believe I've turned my back on my original training completely. After all, the basics of all Aikido styles are virtually the same since the principle of Aikido underlying them are the same. And yes, I do miss my old clubs. One folded just before I moved so it made saying goodbye a little easier.
Over the past four years I have trained with a variety of different people, both male and female from all walks of life and each with their own Aikido. One of the great things I love Aikido is the way it draws people together. You find that the people you train with do not become friends exactly, but they don't remain complete strangers- you form a 'bond' if you will, and each clubmate leaves their mark on you. Which is why I say its not completely goodbye when you leave a club or it folds- you leave part of yourself and you take the spirit of the club with you.
Friday, 11 December 2009
Chapter 52: Mental condtioning: Strength from within...the reason I keep going
During the past three and a half years of practising Aikido, I have learned alot in terms of the technical elements of Aikido, shed blood, sweat and occasionally tears- not all at the same time, and the tears definitely not on the mat. Have I noticed any changes in myself you may ask? Yes, I think I honestly say I have. Nothing I can fully explain- I've experienced the usual physical changes in terms of building muscular definition and developing better fitness.
But the one thing I thought I had fully experienced was mental conditioning. Not quite so as it turns out-I'll explain in a short while. I always say the first six months are the hardest you will do as any Martial artist-the first month especially so. Its not just the discipline and etiquette that you have to become akin with- its also the hard graft of physical and mental training you will endure. You're a complete beginner, and whilst you stand at the end of a good session having worked hard, with lungs heaving for oxygen, sometimes Sensi will call to a bout of Ninandorri or tanto practice. You stand there thinking 'How can I do more? I haven't got anything left to give!' But here's the thing you do- and you go back the next week and the week after that and the week after that...for more!
At the moment for some reason I've been finding training especially tough, I sometimes do as I have a minor bowel condition which makes balancing getting enough calories with training hard. But I have to say- whoa! I've not experienced anything like this before. I don't know whether training seems tougher as there is less of us at the moment and so we get less breaks- I seem to remember I got one two minute break in two hours once. I swear I wouldn't have got through it without sport drinks.
What this got to do with mental conditioning? Well I will be very honest- at the moment sometimes I could happily curl up in a corner of the mat and cry. The only reason I haven't scummed as yet is because most weeks I'm really the only woman on the mat. I feel I have to uphold my 'honour' as a woman not to break down. So I don't. I also suspect the reason why I felt this way recently is because I've come down with a kidney infection, and its taking an absolute age to shift-so I'm feeling a little blue at the moment. So, yes I finding that I really have to dig deep inside to keep going.
However, having said I'm really finding Aikido difficult at the moment. I'm still really really enjoying my training. You may ask- why you crazy woman? Why don't you do flower arranging or something instead of putting yourself through this?
The answer is...I don't know. Aikido has always (and I suspect it always will) fulfilled me in a way I can't explain. I sometimes go to training being mad at something or someone at work and come away feeling at peace with myself within. Nothing else can do that for me. So will I be going next week? Kidney infection or no kidney infection... Oh yes, yes I will.
But the one thing I thought I had fully experienced was mental conditioning. Not quite so as it turns out-I'll explain in a short while. I always say the first six months are the hardest you will do as any Martial artist-the first month especially so. Its not just the discipline and etiquette that you have to become akin with- its also the hard graft of physical and mental training you will endure. You're a complete beginner, and whilst you stand at the end of a good session having worked hard, with lungs heaving for oxygen, sometimes Sensi will call to a bout of Ninandorri or tanto practice. You stand there thinking 'How can I do more? I haven't got anything left to give!' But here's the thing you do- and you go back the next week and the week after that and the week after that...for more!
At the moment for some reason I've been finding training especially tough, I sometimes do as I have a minor bowel condition which makes balancing getting enough calories with training hard. But I have to say- whoa! I've not experienced anything like this before. I don't know whether training seems tougher as there is less of us at the moment and so we get less breaks- I seem to remember I got one two minute break in two hours once. I swear I wouldn't have got through it without sport drinks.
What this got to do with mental conditioning? Well I will be very honest- at the moment sometimes I could happily curl up in a corner of the mat and cry. The only reason I haven't scummed as yet is because most weeks I'm really the only woman on the mat. I feel I have to uphold my 'honour' as a woman not to break down. So I don't. I also suspect the reason why I felt this way recently is because I've come down with a kidney infection, and its taking an absolute age to shift-so I'm feeling a little blue at the moment. So, yes I finding that I really have to dig deep inside to keep going.
However, having said I'm really finding Aikido difficult at the moment. I'm still really really enjoying my training. You may ask- why you crazy woman? Why don't you do flower arranging or something instead of putting yourself through this?
The answer is...I don't know. Aikido has always (and I suspect it always will) fulfilled me in a way I can't explain. I sometimes go to training being mad at something or someone at work and come away feeling at peace with myself within. Nothing else can do that for me. So will I be going next week? Kidney infection or no kidney infection... Oh yes, yes I will.
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