Ken and I left Colorado Springs at 6:30 am, we drove all of the way to Prescott AZ and made it in time to dress out for the evening classes that started at 7:30. Each instructor had a shortened half-hour class.
Ikeda Sensei started class by continuing his explanation and demonstration of internal Aikido development. We worked on breaking uke's balance through our own connection with uke as the first step in this process. It is much easier said than done, I had difficultly with a couple of my ukes during the techniques, often I feel a brief connection but then when I tried to move, I reverted back to muscle and I lost connection with uke.
Mary Heiny Sensei taught the second stage of the evening classes. Heiny Sensei expanded more on the importance of Aikido in training oneself, the expansion possibilities of Aikido to transcend mere winning a contest, but that we should work to neutralizing violence, a theme she returned to during subsequent classes. Heiny Sensei had us practice a single technique, kosadori ikkyo, through-out the class with different points of emphasis with different ukes.
Lia Suzuki Sensei from Aikido Kenkyukai in Santa Barbara taught the final class. Suzuki Sensei's style is very flowing and experimental and she demonstrated a katatetori shionnage that had nage step back, trap, and straighen uke's arm, bringing uke around nage's body, for the shihonage pin. This style is similar to a shihonage variation I am more familiar with from hamni-handachi beginning.
After class, Ken and I went back to the dorm and got ready for the full day of Aikido on Friday.
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