Aikido for 03/02/2011

Tonight for the Aikido Fundamental class it was just Pierre, Dave, and I. Pierre will be testing soon for his 4th kyu rank and so we focused on basic 5th and 4th kyu test requirements. After warm-ups, I changed the normal structure with the three of us so that each uke attacks nage twice, once on each side and nage performs the technique. The free uke attacks immediate opening so nage must be aware and respond accordingly. Given that context, we practiced these techniques:

• katatetori kokyunage tenkan
• shomenuchi ikkyo omote or ura
• shomenuchi iriminage
• katate dori shihonage omote or ura
• yokomenuchi ikkyo omote or ura
• yokomenuchi kotegaeshi
• yokomenuchi iriminage
• kokyu tanden ho

It was a good hard practice of almost constant movement, one time in particular I had resort to strength push kokyunage to throw Pierre because I wasn't in a good position to perform the technique we were working on. I remember more of my non Aiki moments on the mat as they remind me that as stress level increase we resort to more muscle response and aggression; a strong and deeper reason to practice budo through Aikido, to train and discipline not just the response when you are fresh but when you are tried or unexpected attack, to train for a softer and lighter in you but greater effect on uke.