Aikido for 10/29/2008

Jake and I practiced kotegaeshi from a variety of different attacks and grabs. Here is the list of techniques from what I can remember:

• Ushiro ryokatetori kotegaeshi (2 variations)
  
• Shomenuchi kotegaeshi (2 variations)
• Yokomenuchi kotegaeshi (2 variations)

Random reactions to television commercials

• When it seems like your life is over: don't eat fast food.

• Look, I really like you. I am just stuck in a hyper-critical loop, doubting you while focusing on me.
  
  
• I tried to change it up. What does that mean? Change it up? Could I change it down? What does it mean?

Aikido for 10/27/2008

Tonight Jake, Joey, and I practiced the following techniques:

• Shomen-uchi ikkyo
• Shomen-uchi irimi-nage
• Ryokatate-dori tenchi-nage
• Shomen-uchi nikyo

The first three techniques are from USAF 5th kyu test.

Aikido for 10/22/2008

Last night Jake, Joey, and I warmed-up using some of the Systema warm-up techniques. (While rolling, I believe I bruised my upper hamstring. I didn't notice until I began to do forward ukemi when on my right side, I was in pain. For the rest of the class, I could still do the technique but doing ukemi on the side caused more pain than I am comfortable practicing.)

Before class, I threw Jake and he threw me following some of the ushiro techniques demostrated by the Y. Yokota Shihan's second class at the Midwest Aikido Center's seminar I attended in Chicaog on Sunday. I saw some old friends from the late 1990s and even Mike, a new friend from Iowa City who was also at Boulder's Summer Camp. Yokota Shihan's did this ushiro kokyu-nage where nage first leans forward to get uke leaning forward and then nage reachs up and throws uke by graping the neck. This is the first time I have practiced this technique and it is effective. When I was practicing in Chicago and this technique was demostrated, I made an effort to remember the details because I wan't to practice it in Gunnison. The other two techiques we practiced included:

• Ushiro kubishime kokunage
  
• Ushiro ryotetori kaiten-nage
  

Aikido and Systema 10/17/2008

This morning (my first morning back in Chicago) I went to the 6:30 a.m. Systema class taught by Choate Sensei of Chicago Aikikai. This is the first Systema class I have taken and I found Choate Sensei's movements that were softer than my usual practice. The Systema training involved more punching and connecting to one's partner. We also worked on some knife techniques which had some similarities with Aikido but also involved more direct interaction and response to your opponent's attack. Choate Sensei was working with me and he mentioned that in Aikido we often don't look at uke when preforming the techniques. He pointed that out in my practice and it is something he has noticed in a lot of Aikido training. Choate Sensei talked about Ushiro Sensei from Summer Camp. Ushiro Sensei said that a lot of Aikido practitioners had weak eyes. When I asked why we Aikidora have this problem, Choate Sensei said that it may be because we are too nice, that we don't want to hurt anyone. This is a good lesson for the day and something I can take back and improve both my own Aikido and my teaching. Another bonus was that I saw and talked to my friend Taro from Summer Camp and we are going to try to meet up again this weekend.

BTW, I am having a great time seeing Irving, Jamie, and sons. My plan is to explore Chicago today and then chill out the rest of the my vacation.

Aikido for 10/15/2008

Joey and I were the only ones at practice. I talked to Jake earlier and he was feeling ill. After warming up, we practiced the following techniques:

• Yokomen-uchi shiho-nage (omote and ura)
• Yokomen-uchi nikyo (omote and ura)

I am headed to Chicago via flying out of Denver. I am excited and can't wait to see my friends Irving and Jamie along with their sons.

Aikido for 10/13/2008

Last night Jake, Joey, and I practiced the following techniques:

• Tsuki iriminage
• Tsuki kotegaeshi
• katate-dori Shiho-nage (ai-hanmi) (omote)

I am getting excited about this weekend because I'm planning on attending an Aikido seminar at the Midwest Aikido Center on Sunday with Yokota Shinhan from Hombu Dojo. Next week, I am planning on attending the Boulder Aikikai Halloween seminar with Saotome Sensei.

Aikido for 10/08/2008

Jake and I decided to practice outside as we were unsure if this will be the last day of nice weather in Gunnison. We went outside and started warming up and then Joey showed up to practice as well. After the static warm-up was finished we then did forward and backward ukemi up and and down the hill leading up the Escalante Fitness Center, this was fun. The techniques we practiced last night were:

• Shomenuchi irminage
• Shomenuchi ikkyo omote and ura

Aikido for 10/6/2008

Last night Jake and Joey showed up so the class focused on basic ukemi (forward and backwards) we spent more time than usual on warming up and tai no tenkan. With the three of us, I rotated in an out of the techniques to maximize our training time. The only technique; Katate-dori dai-ikkyo omote. At the end, I had Jake attack me with a few different strikes (a more formal tsuki and a punch to the face) and I as nage, responded with ikkyo omote to show Joey how the practice of ikkyo at a slow controlled pace can scale up to a faster, more realistic attack.

On occasion, I experience a sense of grace and calmness when practicing Aikido that delegates all of my concerns, my worries, and even my joys to the moment at hand. My body and spirit combine, I feel integrated with my environment and uke, a sense of connection and peace. The irony of feeling at peace and connection with the universe while practicing a martial art does not escape me. Another paradox of my very human life and another reason why I love Aikido.

Trout fishing and Fall Colors

This afternoon instead of watching football, I drove to the Gunnison River before it widens out to Blue Mesa. As soon as I put my line with salmon eggs I caught a small four inch rainbow trout. This continued through the entire afternoon, I must of caught over twenty fish, only one was large enough to keep. A couple of times, I caught two fish on both hooks. Here are a couple of photos from my fishing day:


Here are some photos of the Gunnison River I took after I drove back to home. I fished for about an hour, I had one bite before it started raining. I drove home and cooked the trout with Warren Ellis's mashed roasted garlic with sweet potatoes.

Aikido for 10/1/2008

Jake and I were the only ones practicing Wednesday night.
We started off with a katate-dori kokunage and then worked on tsuki dai-nikyo (omote and ura). Jake and then spent the rest of the class practicing a modified randori (free-style) where uke would attack nage from any direction and from anywhere. It forced Jake and I to respond to kicks, elbow stikes, punches, and knees. Jake was questioning the practicality of some of the more formalized attacks used in Aikido and so through this randori practice, both he and I were able to see how we would respond to a more a conventional attack on the street. I noticed in my respones, I often ended up in sankyo as nage. It is easy to flow to and is an effective and quick submission pin. Next Monday Joey and BT both said they would attend so we might have four people on the mat!