Aikido for 10/21/2010

Last night I taught the 6:00pm Open Aikido class. After a fairly typical warm-up (I included the basic step back out-of-way) we practiced the following techniques:

• shomenuchi ikkyo omote and ura
• shomenuchi kotegashi-to-kokyunage kaeshiwaza. This technique was inspired by a YouTube clip George Ledyard Sensei posted on Facebook from his new DVD (here is an interview George recently gave discussing kaeshiwaza and the DVD)
• shomenuchi irminage-to-sankyo kaeshiwaza
• shomenuchi shihonage-to-iriminage kaeshiwaza

A couple of the beginning students needed some help but I thought the class went well and I agree with Ledyard Sensei about the importance of kaeshiwaza in developing a martial attitude and focus in Aikido training.