Ikkyo is the first chapter of Aiki
Tonight was the first night of Aikido Camp of the Rockies in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. This is Doran Sensei's last year teaching so there is a bittersweet and somewhat sober tone on the mat leading up to the start of Doran Sensei class. During his class, Doran Sensei had us work on a different opening to iriminage where nage steps back and switches hamni while bringing uke's hand to center. We worked on a couple of irimi-style kokyunages with a shiho-nage opening and then cutting back into uke's center.
Saotome Sensei started off the second class by having us do some connection and extension exercises where nage tries to move uke with just a finger while uke is solid with a straight fist. Saotome Sensei then talked about how every action has a reaction that positive energy turns into negative energy. He demonstrated this with a kokoyunage that was a small circle back into uke. Saotome Sensei brought the lesson back positive-negative point when he explained that kokyunage or kokyuh-ho breathing in and out is the positive and negative energy, a way of communicating. He then started drawing the connection between breathing in and doing ikkyo and ikkyo is fundementally a breathing exercise, a connection I never made before. Saotome Sensei then talked about how some students once were saying they already knew ikkyo but O'Sensei replied that ikkyo is a life-long study and the essence of Aikido comes through studying ikkyo. Up to O'Sensei, Budo is about self-defense and destroying your opponent, O'Sensei broke that connection, by saying that we don't have to kill or destroy our opponent even though all of the ways and opportunities to do so are present in our techniques.
A great start to my first summer camp or even seminar as a shodan.
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