Aikido for 03/17/2011

Tip talked to me last week to cover Thursday night's class. I didn't make my usual Tuesday night class because of a cold but by Thursday, I was back to feeling healthy. This past week I've been watching (to catalog of course!) Seigo Yamaguchi Sensei's 1987 Paris seminar on DVD. I was fascinated by Yamaguchi Sensei's approach and power. His focus at this seminar was how many (if not all I might argue) of open-hand Aikido techniques are effective when just using the basic shomen bokken movement. This is so intuitive with my own beliefs about Aikido that I wanted to bring these new insights and try them out on the mat. After warm-ups, we then practiced the following techniques:

• shomenuchi ikkyo omote
• hamni-handachi shomenuchi ikkyo omote
• shomenuchi iriminage
• hamni-handachi shomenuchi iriminage
• katatetori shihonage omote
• hamni-handachi katatetori shihonage omote

Ken showed up about a quarter into the class. He had just gotten a new camera and since I hadn't seen him in a few weeks, it was good to see him up and about. We were also able to talk about the Yamaguchi Sensei approach and his suggestions and comments were a great treat to a great class of teaching. Learning by teaching, in this Yamaguchi Sensei shomen emphasis, really was insightful because I had to verbally and tactility explain myself. After class we went out for beer at Old Chicago for restrained send-off to Doug. Paul, an old dojo member that hasn't practiced since I joined, was at tonight's class and it was good to finally meet him in person. Good Stuff.