Aikido in Obata

Moretedori- A Two-Fisted Tale-Part II

2008-08-26T14:18:00.004+09:00

Sorry for the absence. 2 weeks ago, we spent a sweaty Sunday working on some two-handed techniques. With the aite grabbing us with both hands at full force, many of us instinctively tense up and push with upper body strength. A natural response, but totally incorrect in aikido.

Here's the shihan being grabbed by a tall fellow:

Instead, we must bend our wrist upward and allow the opponent to fall into us through his own power. The sensei of course makes this look easy. And it is. If you let become easy. I didn't.

As with many things in life, I made it much more difficult than it really was. I thought too much, worried too much, fought too much. The result was a sweaty, frustrated writer.

I eventually relaxed and did the waza somewhat effectively. What a snap! How easy! How stupid I felt! I just stopped fighting and moved right through the technique.

The rest of the waza is a result of the aite losing his position of power and almost drowning in his own strength. The tori just steps into the uke and lets the uke fall of his own accord.

Here's the shihan entering the aite's space with an iriminage as the uke begins to drop to the mat:

Why do I make the simple things so difficult? Why can't I just flow smoothly into things with all the stress and hardship?

Letting Go and Giving In-Sunday July 5th, 2008

2008-07-13T14:54:00.004+09:00

Last Sunday was really humid at the dojo. Sweat like pigs. Oh well. We spent almost an hour on this iriminage technique that really stumped me. We enter the partner's space and go behind him. Using no shoulder strength, we drop our hands on the aite's neck and bring them down.

Here, the sensei is teaching me how to place or rather drop my hand on the opponent's shoulder.

The two show us finishing the waza with a tenkan spin. Yeah, that's sensei choreographing my awkward movements.

This last pic is me dropping the aite. After all of sensei's help, I still couldn't do the technique properly. Once I finally did it right, I saw how simple it was. Honestly, I felt so stupid for letting this little bit get in the way. Losing my upper body strength and simply dropping my arm should be as easy as throwing away a soda can. Yet, I always get flustered with this step. For some personal reason, I can't just let go and let things happen naturally.

The Zen irony of this problem is that thinking about it only makes it worse. I have to do it without thinking, without trying. No thought or power, just give in and the let the crumbs fall where they may. I'm getting really Yoda-esque again, so I will wrap this up. Until next time, may the Force be with you.

Nagoya Practice-Sunday June 30th, 2008

2008-07-04T14:26:00.003+09:00

Last Sunday, we went up to Rainbow Hall in Nagoya to practice witha Tokyo master. The hour and a half session focused on ikkyo, shihonage among others. I will let the pictures tell the story.

Here is the crowd working on zagi ikkyo ura.

Here we are practicing tenkan. The sensei told us to focus on our arm movements without a partner to get the form right before practcing with a partner.

This is ikkyo ura in the standing form.

Here, a woman completes ikkyo ura with a takedown armlock manuever.

Last picture. Here, the sensei is demonstrating a new technique with a student. Iriminage, it seems.

After that, we stood in line carwash-style to take showers. It was quite hot humid that day. Then our group went for dinner and drinks. The rest of the evening is a bit of blur, to be honest.

Timing is Everything-呼吸投げの話-Sunday, June 15th, 2008

2008-06-17T13:23:00.004+09:00

We only practiced 2 or 3 techniques on Sunday. That means we did each one for 20-30 minutes. Great way to focus on tiny details.

Our last technique is one that I have always had difficulty performing. The aite approaches us with a shomen attack. With most wazas, the tori would respond with a kiriage from the same hand. Here, we spin backwards into the opponent's space and grab their wrist with our opposite hand. Our other hand is brought up straight against the underside of their arm to guide their movement. This is done while spinning and dropping to our knees. We don't need to pull them, just guide their momentum to the mat.

Enough of my explanations, I will show you the video.

私にはこの技がとっても難しい。受けは正面打ちで取りに来る。取りは相手のスペースに入って１８０度転換する。その事をしながら、反対の手で相手の手首を掴んで違う腕は相手の腕の下に上げる。　終わりは自分の体を下げる。相手の腕を引っ張るの代わりに相手の勢いで受けを導く。畳に。

この技はスローモションで出来ない。スペイン語を話すみたいに、早くしなくてはいけない。その事は私の問題。４、５回やってから、ちょっと良くなってきた。タイミングはすごく大切。

Twist and Spin with Sumiotoshi-June 8th, 2008

2008-06-10T15:33:00.003+09:00

Sunday we practiced one technique the whole night. The waza involves irimintenkan while spinning our hand directly over the hand grabbing us. If done properly, the aite's baody is forced down into an unbalanced psoition. We then spin our arm out and snap their arm straight. The final move is to enter their space and twist their arm, bringing their head down sharply. The aite then does tobiukemi to protect themselves.

Here's the teacher demonstrating sumiotoshi.

Some key points I learned on Sunday drastically improve the technique. First is, when doing irimintenkan, we should project our hands out forward more. This pushes the aite into a more awkward position. The next spin will be much easier at this point.

The second point I picked up on was not to push our partner's arm when we deliver the final move. I was constanly pushing their arm. It hurts them and doesn't bring the head down. Instead, sensei said to come up from below and twist their arm downwards. This snap/twist jerks their whole body into place.

Above, we see sensei move into irimintenkan. Note the curling of his hand directly on top of mine.

Here see the end result. Me getting thrown to the mat. 'Nuff said!

I think I got it right a few times. Still have a bad habit of pushing, using shoulder strength. Unlearning can be much harder than learning in the first place.

Little Hands, Big Spirits-June 5th, 2008

2008-06-06T10:37:00.004+09:00

Wednesday I went to the evening practice. I went early to watch the kids' lessons. I don't often get a chance to watch this, so I was quite happy. They don't have the same discipline as some of the adults, but they looked so eager to try the various wazas. Their growing bodies are so flexible, they often move naturally in the correct positions. I have included a few pics for you guys to see.

Here we see the little girl doing an ura technique. Next pic, she is delivering the final step and the boy has been brought down to the mat.

Children are naturally active and have lots of energy for playing and such. Typically, they have more energy than most of us, eh?

This last photo shows them lined up ready to receive training.

The scene looks rather Master Yoda-ish, I suppose. It stills amazes me that they can sit still for so long. Perhaps I need to take a lesson or two from them.

Two Fisted Tales 諸手取りの話

2008-06-03T17:28:00.003+09:00

Saturday night we practiced the two-handed morotedori techniques. All night. Nothing but. Our first technique of the night was kokyuunage. Omote and ura. The waza involves us stepping into the aite while twisting their body into an unbalanced position. Then we drop them. Sounds simple, eh? Nope.

My partner and I constantly made the mistake of using shoulder strength. Wrong for two reasons. One, the technique does not work and our partner does not move into a weak stance. Two, both of us quickly became very tired from using our shoulders. Our strength gave out and it was difficult to raise our arms into position.

Here, the sensei practices with my partner and shows us how to do it properly.

今、日本語で技を説明することやってみます。諸手取り呼吸投げは受けが取りの腕両手でつかむ。取りは受けに行って切り上げする。取りが受けの体を弓のように曲げる。終わりは取りが受けを投げる。簡単そうでしょう？違う。

私と相手は同じことを間違えていた。私たちは肩の力を使った。何で違ったのだろう？先ず、力を使ったら、受けはバランスがなくならない。投げることができない。二番目、取りの肩は早く弱くなる。皆の腕は震えていた。

次のわざは諸手取り小手返しだった。初め以外、全部の小手返しの技は似ている。諸手取りで掴まられていて取りは転換して受けを投げる。　このビデオでは、有段者二人がその技をやっている。

でわ、またね！

Ladies and Gentlemen, We Present...The Enbukkai! May 24th, 2008

2008-05-27T16:32:00.007+09:00

Finally, after all that practice and all my mumblings, we went to Tokyo. After waiting about 3 hours for our turn, we ran out to the red mat right in front of the judges and did our routines for 90 seconds. Sensei seemed really pleased at our performance. IMHO, I think we did rather well. Here you go:

I had planned to do iriminage before my final nikkyo, but I noticed the other couples were finishing and so I adlibbed a bit and edited my routine. I think I was a bit slow somewhere in the middle of the performance. My partner reacted well and was quite flexible (mentally speaking) and didn't panic or get flustered when I deviated from our plan. Good guy he was, owe him a drink.

Oh yeah, many other people performed there as well. Some of them were pretty good, too. I took a few shots of the Hombu Dojo crowd (literally, there were many of them).

Here's a dojo from a girls' school. They were quite young, but they moved really well and showed a lot of grace.

These last two are of Mr. Ueshiba the Dosshu of the Hombu Dojo. He always does the grand finale and gives a great demonstration of aikido in action.

The rest of Saturday was a blur of trains, taxis and food. I dimly recall coming back to the hotel and trying to get some sleep for the next day. Which I tell you all about next post.

Lights, Camera Action! May 20th, 2008

2008-05-20T16:36:00.003+09:00

Just tried playing with some new technology today. Upload some video we shot in the dojo.

Here's my partner and I working on our routine for Tokyo. I am trying to keep things smooth, so I am going a bit fast here. Hard to focus on the tiny details of a technique at that speed. A bit like learning a language. Fluency and accuracy are always in conflict with each other.

Sensei jumps in to show us how uke should really look. He moves like a butterfly fluttering past your ear.

A fellow aikidoka said sensei can probably drink a cup of tea while doing tobiukemi. Well, I wouldn't go that far...but I'd like to see that.

At The Last Minute-May 17th&18th, 2008

2008-05-20T14:52:00.002+09:00

Saturday and Sunday we continued practicing for Tokyo. We got into our pairs and tried to polish up our routines. After being timed with a stopwatch, I realized that our set was too short. No worries, we just added 3 more techniques. My guinea pig, er, partner was ready for anything. We practiced a few wazas 20-30 times each and then performed the entire routine. Like a dress rehearsal.

Here we are doing tenchinage (天地投げ). I think here I'm doing better. Sensei said I need to bring my "heavenly" hand up more. This brings the aite (相手) closer to me.

Different technique, but same problem. Here's iriminage (入り身投げ). My technique looks really sloppy because I don't pause half a second and bring my arm a bit higher. I need to wait and let my partner's momentum (相手の推進力) bring his head into the crux of my arm.

In this case, I feel like the partner's head is in my way. Impeding my movement, as it were. Senesi didn't say it directly, but I think that problem will vanish if I move properly and with a certain fluidity of motion.

Now this is tenchinage done right. Look at sensei's arm-his hand sword (手刀) is cutting down to the mat. The uke's body is completely bend backwards, like a bow strung.

Sensei worked with a little boy on Sunday. I thought I would include these pics because 1. they're pretty cute and 2. they provide a great model. This kid just effortlessly spins and flips with an amazing ease. His limber, little body reacts so naturally and smooth to sensei's prodding.

Ah, one final note. Sunday, two of my co-workers visited our dojo and had their first practice. I spent some time with the Canadian guy working on tenkan (転換)and irimitenkan (入り身転換). Interesting experience for me. I practice aikido in Japanese, so it was a bit of a challenge to think about certain movements in English. This blog has helped me articulate certain ideas about aikido. And thanks for reading my attempts at articulation.

Next week is Tokyo! I promise to get some shots and bring you the story as I recover from the festivities!

Even More Pictures-May 10th&11th

2008-05-13T15:46:00.002+09:00

Went both nights last weekend. Mostly practiced for Tokyo. My partner is really light and his uke is quite good, so he's lots of fun to throw. Take a look.

We are working on kotogaeshi here. His landings are nice and smooth.

Here we are doing shihonage. Sensei said I should keep my hands higher, not lower them so much. This makes it easier for the partner to jump over his own arm as I twist it.

This pic shows tenichinage. The tori has to extend one hand up towards the heaven and the other down towards the ground. The result is the uke being unbalanced and brought into my space. His body should look like a bow being pulled. Then I step forward and he falls backwards.

Here's me being thrown kotogaeshi. I have to train myself to slap my hand on the mat before my body hits. This absorbs much of the shock of being thrown. Mistakes are painful, so you'd think I'd have learned it by now.

These next few photos are me with the sensei as uke. It was only second time to throw him. Quite an honor as well as a great model.

Kotogaeshi

Can't remember the name of this technique, but it look cool and is a lot of fun.

Kotogaeshi again.

When we practice with each other, we can always feel the weight of each other as we twist and throw. When I throw the sensei, I feel nothing. Like I'm holding jump rope handles and swinging a light rope around my head. Sensei often seems like boulder when I try to push him, but here he seems like a butterfly whirring around my head. Can't really understand what is going on there.

More Practice, More Pictures-May 3rd, 2008

2008-05-11T16:35:00.002+09:00

Week late posting. My bad. Spent most of the evening working on our routines for Tokyo. Sensei spent a great deal of time giving me feedback on a few techniques.

Here I am doing kotogaeshi with my partner. Sensei said I need to make a bigger circle with my arms. I keep my body small and so my technique looks weak and makes it hard to throw him. It also makes it hard for him to be thrown.

This is the final stage of the waza. I have a bad habit of lowering my hands too much. I mistakenly thought that I was helping my partner land safely, but actually I'm not controlling my technique very well. My partner is a nice guy, so he rolled properly despite my error.

Here's the sensei explaining and modeling the proper form. Bigger circle creates a better form. Not sure where I picked up the bad habit of keeping my movements so small and constricted. Perhaps being 185cm in Japan and banging my head on doorways caused it. In the dojo, I have the freedom to move wide and large but I don't always utilize my size to its advantage. Gomen sensei, I'm still learning.

Gearing Up-April 27th, 2008

2008-05-01T17:17:00.002+09:00

Sunday night we got into our pairs and spent the whole night practicing for Tokyo. My partner wasn't there, so I got a chance to practice with my partner from last year. He's been doing aikido for around 20 years, so he's great and great to work with. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

This is me completing ikkyou. I need to keep my back straight. It gives more control during the technique and looks better.

Here my girlfriend is being thrown in kotagaeshi. This guy is really smooth; his wazas look beautiful. His sense of time and speed are spot on; he knows the right moment to "snap the whip" and give a photo finish to this technique.

Now it is my girlfriend's turn. She's got the rhythm down right and this guy went flying.

I'll throw in one more just for fun. Here's me going down like a crashing plane in ikkyou ura. No, I didn't land face first. I landed on my chest using my free arm to guide along the mat.

That's all I had time to catch on camera that night. Until then, I'm signing off.

Pairing Up-April 20th, 2008

2008-04-24T16:07:00.006+09:00

Sunday night we were put into our pairs and practiced for Tokyo. There was some reshuffling of the partners and and now I am working with a rather new fellow. He has only been in our dojo for about 2 or months, but he practiced elsewhere for about a year. His ukemi is coming along nicely and he was fun to throw around that night.

My plan is to stick to the first routine of techniques that my former partner chose. We will do ryotedori (両手取り） in Tokyo. That gives us quite a few choices of wazas. I'll give you a list later. Now, I want to show you a few photos from that evening. It has been a long time since I posted pictures. Sorry about that, folks.

Nice shot of the first stage of kohkyuunage. Aite approaches and...

Gets thrown on his ass!

And more time, just for good measure!

These next pics are of the shihan tossing his partner like an old sack of rice. With sabaki and omoiyari, of course!

This last one is pretty funny. The shihan looks puzzled about something. "Did I do that right?" or maybe, "Why isn't she moving?"

I'm not sure what is going through his head, but I know it is unwise to question a master. Just leave well enough alone. And with that, I will say "Sayonara" until next time.

She Takes Her First Step-April 19th, 2008

2008-04-21T15:26:00.002+09:00

Saturday night we had two people take their black belt tests. My girlfriend and another fellow. I was chosen to be his partner. I'm glad sensei didn't ask me to work with my girlfriend, would've been a tad embarrassed.

The four of us bowed to the sword, to each other and the test began. Sensei called out the names of techniques in a rapid-fire style, making it difficult for me to hear what he was saying. Bear in mind, I was being thrown to the mats as he announced the next waza. As long as I caught the first word, I was ok. I knew my line, as it were.

My partner did quite well. He forgot a couple of techniques and so we had to start over a few times. When he froze, I tried to give him a hint with my fingers. That is, if I remembered the technique myself. Must admit, my hiatus of several months emptied my repertoire. We went through a general run of the waza list. Starting with the seated (座儀) forms, on to aihanmi, gyakuhanmi and finishing with the hanmihandachi techniques. A few ushirodori and koshinage stuff thrown in as well. No tanto or katana, I noticed.

I am hardly fit to teach or critique others at aikido. Readers will notice that I generally criticize myself and my own mistakes. Having said that, my partner showed the same error I often do myself. Perhaps out of nervousness, he went through each waza very quickly. Even when he clearly didn't completely remember it. I mentioned to him afterwards that if we go a bit slower, more methodically, the technique often looks better. Beyond mere beauty of display, the waza is also much more effective, as the tori can perform each step of the waza with more control and poise. Last thing, if you go slowly, it gives the confues student a chance to feel the flow of the technique and realize what he/she needs to do next.

All in all, the double shodan test went really well. We are very proud of the two of them. I am particularly proud of my girlfriend for her achievement. Now the real test is to see if my fragile male ego can handle the fact that my girlfriend and I are now at the same level.

Soft Landings and Happy Endings-April 6th, 2008

2008-04-09T11:18:00.002+09:00

Last Sunday we were back at the Obata dojo. New, soft mats. It was a small group, so the sensei didn't teach in the usual fashion. Instead, we got into pairs and were told to practice what we wanted. I think sensei was slightly upset that so few people came that night, but the free choice lesson gave me and my girlfriend the chance to work on some techniques we have been messing up lately.

She and I went through the list of yokumen and ushirodori techniques. She is getting ready for her shodan test, so I was uke most of the evening. Again, the soft mats were noted and appreciated. Both yokumen and ushirodori involve using both hands and we have to grab the correct hand or the waza doesn't work. My girlfriend and I were confused about whether to grab the aite's upper or lower hand. Sensei pointed out the differences and I think we generally got the idea.

Besides all my errors, stamina seems to be one of my biggest weak points. I went full-throttle for a solid hour. Getting thrown, bouncing up and getting thrown again. Then I reached a point where I had trouble getting back up fast enough. This causes problems for the tori, as they have to wait for this old man to get on his feet. I really need to focus on building my own strength. Come to think of it, today is a beautiful spring day. Great day for a long bike ride. Think of it as cross-training.

Couple of quick notes. I brought my camera, but was practicing too much to take any pictures. My apologies. Also, we are getting ready for Tokyo next month. I haven't been told who my partner will be, but I will let you know right after I find out.

Wazas & Kisses-March 29th, 2008

2008-03-30T22:47:00.002+09:00

Last night we had about six people show up. A couple of dads and sons, plus my girlfriend and I. We only covered 2 or 3 techniques, but we went over them in immense detail.

We focused mainly on aihanmi wazas. Ikkyo, omote and ura. Timing became a huge factor here as we had to flick our "hand swords" and cut into the technique before being grabbed by the aite. If we let them grasp our wrists, it becomes almost impossible to carry out ikkyo or irminage.

I focused so much on the wrist flick that I would stop and think about the next step. This breaks the flow of motion and allows the opponent to solidfy his grip on us. Instead, we need to move in one fluid motion. Not thinking, just moving through and around the aite.

I typically overthink most everything. This has helped me quite a bit in other areas of life, but usually hinders me in aikido. Although I haven't been going to the dojo that much recently, last night I felt what psychologists call "the flow", a state in which physical and mental activity run smoothly and without conscious effort. I used to feel it more, but lost it sometime ago when I broke from regular training. Was good to know it's still there.

Another point that came to mind after practice was the point of first contact. As soon as I make physical contact with the aite, I know if I will do the waza properly or not. The next 99% of my physical movements will either complete the technique or be an awkward, forced imitation of aikido. It reminded me of a first kiss between two people. When the man first touches the woman, he instantly knows that, yes, I did the right thing, or, no, I made a mistake. Anything after that will continue down two wildly different paths. In romance, we speak of passion and chemistry; in aikido-rhythm and ki, the "harmonious energy".

Skill Vs. Strength-March 8th, 2008

2008-03-12T22:44:00.003+09:00

Last Saturday we had a nice group. Several of us got together in the chilly dojo to receive instruction. We spent most of the evening practicing various shomenuchi techniques. The sensei went through several wazas all using the sword hand attack.

The natural response to the sword hand (手刀) is to block in an X-form. This is incorrect and quite painful, resulting in bone-on-bone clashing. Instead we should circle our arms up and move slightly to the side of the opponent. This deflects, rather than blocks, the attack.

My first big error of the evening was how I first touch the opponent's arm. I had a bad habit of pushing against his arm when I made contact. We should twist our arms slightly and plant the soft, fleshy part of our forearms on our partner's arms. Remember that, plant NOT push. This allows us to continue the waza without greatly disturbing our movement.

When practicing shomenuchi nikkyo ura, another mistake became apparent. As I was spinning, my hand was bent towards my center. This leads the aite into me and messes up the technique. The shihan explained that I need to keep my hand pointed out and away from my own body to guide my partner in a wider circle and then bring them down.

There were other mistakes, of course, but I am too tired and embarassed to write them all here. Don't worry, true believers, I promise to make more mistakes and post them here.

One on One-February 17, 2008

2008-02-24T13:39:00.002+09:00

Last Sunday, went to practice. Only one student-me. Two people watched from the sidelines. The sensei sat in the opposite corner and the junior sensei and I spent two hours going over just about every single waza we could think of. Ikkyo, nikyo, kotogaeshi, etc.

I won't go into all the minute details here. Suffice to say, after making black belt, the teachers hone in on every tiny detail of my performance of a technique. A centimeter to the left here, focus on the opponent's shoulder not the wrist, etc.

My girlfriend does the same thing. Critiques every aspect of my life. From washing the dishes to folding the laundry. I have read and now truly understand (了解) this aspect of Japanese culture. It is a far cry from the "good enough" attitude that is associated with American culture. It does drive me bonkers, but I have seen and reaped the rewards of this meticulous (細かい) mentality.

Oh, my girlfriend and another sat in the corner and watched the two of us. I heard quite a bit of laughter as I grunted in pain. What was educational for me was entertaining for them. Two birds with one stone, ne?

The Painful Process of Learning-January 28th, 2008

2008-02-01T16:31:00.001+09:00

So yeah, it`s been awhile. Sorry folks, life has been rocky. And painful. Speaking of pain, we have been practicing at the Myojo dojo the past few months while the Obata dojo is under construction.

Those names may not mean much to you, but it signifies a big difference for us. The Obata dojo had very soft mats, really great for aikido. The Myojo dojo has really hard mats. Cold, unforgiving. Every time someone does a jump-roll like tobiukemi, we can hear them wince and gasp in pain.

If the waza is done properly, it is not painful. The slightest error is brought to your attention quickly. After practice last Saturday, I realized that the hard mats forced me to focus on the minor errors I was making in my rolls. Not tucking in my legs correctly, wrong angle, etc. The brutal mats serve to point out our mistakes in a way that not even the sensei can catch. Like sensors, we can see every point in the process quite clearly. One fellow suggested we should practice on hardwood floors. His rationale being that one shattered ankle bone would teach us how to roll properly. Easier said than done ne?

So to wrap this up, I thought I'd throw in a couple of pics of a 10-year old kid throwing my girlfriend around the room. Hope you enjoy, I did.

Take Care and Control-November 10, 2007

2007-11-20T16:37:00.000+09:00

Saturday night-aikido time! We practiced a series of wazas, but one really stuck out in my mind. It's one of those irminage technques but instead of dropping of the opponent, we guide them onto our knee. It looks a bit like pro-wrestling and is great fun.

I was practicing with a young woman who is new to aikido and a bit unsure of herself. She had difficulty maintaining a straight posture. My 90 kilos didn't help, I might add. She dropped me repeatedly, usually onto herself. Particpants and observers enjoyed the comedic value of the situation.

As I tried the waza with her I had two points to consider. Can I do the waza correctly without injuring this person who is not quite ready to be thrown/dropped? Apparently, yes I can. Going slowly allowed me to focus and improve my own posture while making sure I didn't injure her. The grandmothers present complimented me on my kindness.

Nietzsche said that kindness was a warrior's greatest virtue as it represented his ability to control, even conquer, himself. I could have jumped into the waza gungho and potentially injured my partner (or myself). Instead I went slowly, concentrating on my form and my partner's safety. That was a win-win situation for both of us. Lots of fun, too.

Following the Current-November 3, 2007

2007-11-04T00:08:00.000+09:00

Another gap in posting, sorry folks. Long story short, my job for the past four years or so has gone straight into the toilet. Shady stock deals, delayed wages, eminent bankruptcy. Good times indeed. I was reminded of a book on stock investing which said that one can not control the market, only how we react to the market. True indeed. Do we panic when attacked in the dojo? No, we perform a waza and throw the attacker. Same thing here.

Back to aikido. Friday morning. Sensei was working with us two new black belts on katatedori nikkyo and sankyo. We spent just over an hour going over every little detail of two basic wazas. Shed a new light on techniques I have been practicing for years.

The key here is to follow the contours and movements of the opponent. If we fight the m, we lose control. One of my mistakes is that I twist the aite's wrist too much when doing sankyo. It hurts them and they move out of my path and it becomes more difficult to complete the waza. Like overreacting to a minor fluctuation in the stock market, I try too hard and focus on the wrong thing. Instead of twisting their wrist, thus forcing them to spin out of range, we should tenkan and control them as we bring them down to the mat. Matching our knee to their shoulder, we gain total control over them.

Another issue was how we treat other students. With less experienced partners we should do the waza properly, but also keep in mind that a new student is not accustomed to being twisted like that. Second key point was varying our reaction to different body types. I have found that some people's arms are difficult to twist in nikkyo. Some will twist harder, but that is a sloppy technique. Painful and dangerous for the aite. Instead we can simply raise their arm away from their shoulder to achieve the same result.

Again there is no need to fight. We simply need to control and vary our reactions. This latest practice came at a turbulent time in my life outside of the dojo. Perfect timing.

Let's Fly A Kite-October 5, 2007

2007-10-05T17:10:00.000+09:00

Quick one hour practice this morning. Just two students, I like the small groups. The teacher today focused on two-handed techniques, the ryotedori wazas. We went through kohkyuuage, ikkyo and others.

The key point today was control. Even when using one hand (katetedori), we must follow the movements with our other hand. If we don't, our body won't move with the waza and we lose a lot of control over the aite. If we only move the one hand, our body remains behind with the remaining hand. If we move them in tandem, our body will move into the opponent's space and cause them to become unbalanced.

This point became especially clear when practing ikkyo. When we twist the aite's wrist with the leading hand, we must also hook their elbow with our second hand to spin/twist their arm. Their body to follow. If we focus only on their wrist, their body is quite relaxed. When the two hands work together, we gain control over their whole body. Their head and shoulders are turned down.

We practiced this idea for awhile, then our teacher demonstrated the incorrect technique using only one hand. The difference is quite striking. I felt my whole upper body being forced to the mat from having only wrist and elbow manipulated. The teacher laughed and said it was like controlling an old-fashioned kite. It takes two hands to control the kite and keep it in the air. Use one hand and it flips around ungracefully before crashing to the ground.

September 2nd, 2007-Stabbing Forward

2007-09-05T01:02:00.000+09:00

Hey folks, big apologies. I haven't been at the dojo in awhile. Life, stuff, summer. Anyway, we went last Sunday. It has been cooling down, but not much. The dojo was hot. Oh well.

We focused on stab defense techniques. The opponent attacked with a tsuki (突き）and we tried several different wazas throughout the night. We ran through ikkyo and nikkyo to get warm up. I was a bit out of practice, but it came back to me quickly.

We spent a long time working on kotogaeshi. Our first move is to touch the attacker's fist and then spin into the waza. The opponent is pushed into an awkward position and thus becomes easier to throw.

We tried a variation of kotogaeshi that involves using irmintenkan then spinning with our backs to the opponent. We grab their wrist with our hind hand from behind our backs. It is a great technique when done smoothly. I didn't. Or rather, I could with my left hand but not with my right. Bit strange for a right-handed man.

Honestly Sensei seemed a little grumpy that night. He didn't correct us much, just sat there watching. A lot of us were stopping to rest frequently throughout the session. Myself included.

To wrap up, it was hot and I made a lot of mistakes. Banged up my wrists a bit. But it was great to practice. I really want to include aikido in my life again.

July 22nd, 2007-On the Edge

2007-07-26T09:34:00.000+09:00

Last Sunday, practice was a nice departure from the usual. I brought my new katana to the dojo and by coincidence so did everybody else. So sensei spent the whole session presenting sword techniques.

We began with drawing our swords and doing tenkan pivot spins. I am still not too smooth in this department. I have to remember to guide the sword into the scabbard between my thumb and index finger. Getting better, slowly.

We then paired off and worked on various wazas which included the katana. The final step was to cut off our partner's heads. We did a couple of variations of nikkyo in which we use the handle to put pressure on the aite's hands to drop them. Typically, we would just use our hands, but the katana gave us more leverage.

One of the first techniques practice was using gyakuhanmi to grab the swordbearer's wrist and prevent them from drawing their blade. If they move their arm in response to our pressure, they are pushed into a very weak position. The solution is bring the sword to the hand and draw it using only the wrist. In this way, we can maintain our defensive posture and still deliver a lethal cut.

It was quite fun to swing my new birthday present around in the dojo. More importantly, wielding the katana helps us to visualize the angles and space involved in executing the techniques. It also puts aikido into a historical context. This was originally used by the samurai in conjunction with razor-sharp blades designed to sever heads in the blink of an eye.

July 13th-A Fallen Brother

2007-07-13T00:46:00.000+09:00

One of the reasons I missed practice recently is that a fellow aikidoka and a good friend just had an operation stemming from an injury sustained in the dojo. I won't get into all the details here, but my girlfriend and I visited him the day after surgery. We brought him juice and wished him a speedy recovery. He's out and back at work. He may take a hiatus from aikido, but his ki is still strong.

July 13th, 2007-Book Review Time

2007-07-13T00:35:00.000+09:00

Sorry folks, haven't posted much lately. Haven't been to the dojo in about two weeks. Long story. I am still thinking about aikido quite a bit from day to day. Just wanted to share a great book I read recently.

I found a used copy of "Ki: A Guide for Westerners" by William Reed on the American Amazon. This is a really useful, thought-inspiring book. Obviously people who practice aikido and other Japanese arts can appreciate the ideas inside, but it also functions as a guide to self-realization for people from all walks of life.

The author starts with a definition of ki as a "universal energy" and Part I focuses on developing ki. There are quite a few pages about breathing and meditation. Part II looks at finding ki in various Japanese arts including aikido, calligraphy and the tea ceremony.

The author, like Tohei sensei, really wants the reader to understand that ki definitely has a place in the modern (or Western) world. And in this book, he does a great job in explaining the value and benefit of ki as a "dynamic expression of the pulse of Universal Life".

When I started aikido, I made an subconscious decision not to read much on it. As far as learning the techniques, my sensei is far better than any book. But the philosophy still interests me. I miss a lot of sensei's lectures on ki. Must keep studying. Anyway, this book filled in a few gaps for me.

June 24th, 2007-Komaki

2007-06-25T08:20:00.000+09:00

We went to Komaki in Aichi prefecture yesterday for the 7th annual meeting. It was a rainy day, but that kept the heat down. The session ran for two and a half hours, but flew by quite quickly.

Isoyama sensei taught a long series of wazas starting from ushiro-dori. These are some of my favorites. They involve running behind the opponent and grabbing their wrists and/or the backs of their necks. We use their momentum to bring them down.

Sensei went through a wide range of techniques: ikkyo-gokkyo, kotogaeshi, iriminage and shihonage. What confused me was that with some wazas we would turn into our partner's body, but others we would turn away. Once I sorted that out, the techniques went much more smoothly.

It is always a lot of fun practicing with such a variety of people. We don't know each other, don't know the other's levels. Fun, but it can also be a bit scary if you encounter aikidoka who want to be tough guys or don't have much control over their own bodies.

Oh yeah, funny story. While I was doing uke for somebody, the sensei was watching from behind me. I was prone, but my body was not completely flush with the mat. The sensei walks up behind me and stomped on my butt to force me down. I was startled to say the least. I looked up and he gave me some advice then smiled and stepped on me again.

After practice, the sensei came over and sat next to me and started asking me questions about my life in Japan, aikido, etc. Really nice, funny man.

Following that, we all went out to a restaurant for a banquet feast. My Aussie friend and I started mingling with the college kids from Chubu University. They were a lot of fun; we swapped stories about school and our aikido experiences. Another sensei whose name completely escapes me gave me a pin with the kanji for "aiki" printed on it. It is from the Aikikai in Tokyo. I was surprised and honored. Feel a bit rude as I can't remember where he is from. I'll check on that later.

And then we hopped on a bus, took a couple of trains and we all went home. And that was that.

June 16th, 2007-Rocks in the Way

2007-06-17T12:18:00.000+09:00

Tried on my new dogi last night. Still a bit baggy, need to wash it more.
Last night we did a whole series of techniques based on aihanmi as a starting point. We practiced ikkyo, nikkyo, sankyo and iriminage as I recall. With each waza, the sensei showed us two or three variations. This allows us to respond to different situations such as a very strong opponent or having our leading hand pushed down. Instead of pushing our "hand sword" (手刀）up against a strong force, it is much easier and more effective to step behind or away from the opponent. This causes them to lose their superior position and then we can gain control.

Writing now, this concepts seems so obvious. But in the dojo, and all aspects of my life, I waste so much time and energy banging my head on a rock. Walking around a boulder in my path would be far easier for me. The rock doesn't care.

March 26&27, 2007-Tokyo!

2007-06-09T00:05:00.000+09:00

Sorry folks, bit late. Yeah, we went to Tokyo to participate in the Enbukkai at the Nihon Budokan. That was a great weekend. All that practice paid off. Everyone did great.

We waited for almost three hours to perform aikido for two minutes. My partner and I marched out, bowed to each other then did 15 wazas in 90 seconds. Bowed again and marched away.

I did a quick series of shihonage, kotogaeshi, sumiotoshi and a few others. Finished off with nikkyo. I thinked I goofed on the first waza but my very kind partner covered for me and did a great tobiukemi.

Saturday night, we went to our usual place in Shinjuku and ate some fantastic Chinese food.

Sunday morning we went to the Hombu Dojo and partciapted in two back-to-back sessions. There were so many people, it was a bit difficult to do anything very well. Everyone was constantly banging heads. Still, I like the surprise factor in practicing with strangers. Don't know their rank, their ability. Its a good test of my own ability to react to the unknown.

That wraps up another Enbukkai. Can't wait for next year. I'm still dreaming of that Chinese food.

May 20th&21st, 2007-Learning to Walk

2007-05-22T10:40:00.000+09:00

This weekend we practiced more for Tokyo. Everyone's bristling with excitement. I got a chance to try on a hakama and perform some. It felt really weird to have these long, baggy pants on. I have to be careful not to trip on the hems. I was walking like a baby taking my first steps. I suppose I will adjust in time. My girlfriend volunteered to be thrown in front of the camera. Nice gesture.

I practiced some throws with our newest yondan. Left me pretty winded, so I paused to take some pics of my girlfriend throwing her partner for Tokyo. Her form is getting better, very smooth.

Nice butt shot eh? That's all for now. See you in Tokyo!

May 18th, 2007- Parts Make Up the Whole

2007-05-18T10:35:00.000+09:00

Thought I'd throw a couple of new pics up for you to look at. After my test, I was pretty beat so I rested for a few minutes. Caught some great moments. These guys were throwing down pretty good eh?

My throws are still quite clumsy, but watching their examples has inspired me to improve my own techniques. I have a bad habit of focusing on each little piece of a waza. Details are important, but I am trying see the entire technique as one fluid motion. A musician must play every note, but it's only music worth listening to when all the notes come together.

May 5th, 2007-The First Step

2007-05-08T09:39:00.000+09:00

So it was my turn Saturday. Right after our warm-up, sensei looked at me and said OK. Time for my black belt test. My partner for the first part was a nidan Dutchman. Good guy, pretty intense. He just flew at me full force. Didn't have much time to think. Could barely hear the sensei calling out the techniques.

We went through a long list of wazas. Zagi, ushirodori, tanto (knife) attacks, etc. Oh yeah, he picked up a katana and tried to skewer me. I had to perform ten wazas like that. With a long sword coming straight at you, you have virtually no time to think. My hands were a flurry of motion. I think I did ok, mistakes notwithstanding. He didn't run the sword through my gut and make yakitori out of me, so that's a success in my book.

The last part was me doing kokyuunage with four opponents. I've done that before, can be quite a bit of fun. These guys were running at me randomly, grabbing me at every opportunity. Honestly at this point, I was a bit tired but kept going.

The whole thing was so quick, I didn't realize that 40 minutes flew by. My only conscious thoughts during the test were of focusing my energy in my stomach and breathing. Yup, breathing. As they approached me, I inhaled and moved towards them. Then I exhaled as I turned and threw them. Everything was a blur. Couldn't make out faces, I could only see clouds of white uniforms charging me.

Then the sensei said "Kekkoo desu" and I did zagi kokyuuhoo with another fellow and it was all over. Like a little child, I took my first step.

April 29th, 2007-Next Step

2007-04-30T21:55:00.000+09:00

Sunday I watched a yondan test. That was impressive. The sensei had the fellow go through virtually every waza imaginable. Zagi, ushirodori-you name it.

When he was performing all the hanmihandachi wazas, the sensei called in four of us to attack the test-taker. That was fun, just flying at the guy randomly. He later went through the jo, tanto and katana techniques as well. He did quite well, in my opinion. Very fluid motions. Of course, he's being doing this for 10-12 years.

For me, there's no real hurry. I'd like to take my time and slowly work my way up. Still it's inspiring to see someone else make fourth-degree black belt.

April 28th, 2007-Control and Release

2007-04-30T21:18:00.000+09:00

Saturday we practiced more for Tokyo. My partner and I spent 45 minutes trading off throwing each other. We have to decide soon what wazas we will do, got less than a month left.

Got some mixed news. Sensei wants me to be the tori in Tokyo. Wow, my first time to throw my partner. I was quite flattered until the sensei said it was because my uke is so bad. Still, I'm pretty happy.
Before that, all of us worked on a technique that starts with being grabbed. Then the tori drops and spins while raising our other arm. Essentially we guide the aite over our shoulder and onto the floor.

I was practicing with a rather tall nidan and we spent some time experimenting on how much we can control our partner's fall. If the tori releases us early, we can gently (relatively speaking) land on the mat. If the tori aims for below the mat and doesn't release us, then the uke gets slammed pretty hard.

My partner was rather merciless, so he was not releasing me at all. Instead he just whipped me full force. I felt like a cheap futon. Loosened me up real good for the rest of the night.

April 27th, 2007-Variety is the Spice eh?

2007-04-27T23:51:00.000+09:00

Quick one hour practice today. Besides sensei, there were four of us this morning. We did a variety of techniques, let's see if I can remember them. Kotogaeshi, ikkyo, shihonage.

Actually, we spent quite a large part of the session practicing ushirodori. One of my favorites. It involves grabbing the tori's wrist while running behind them (hence the "ushiro" 後ろ）and trying to grab their other wrist. The tori has to tenkan and act as a pivot for the attacker to spin around. Their momentum, combined with the tori sliding back a bit, puts them into a disadvantegous, unbalanced position. This makes it quite easy to perform the technique.

The final segment consisted of me in the center doing kokyuunage with four people attacking. They were flying at me with no warning, not waiting their turn. It was pretty fun, but a bit confusing at first. Then I stopped thinking about everything and just did the waza. Over and over, from all angles. Just a smooth blur of tenkan.

After practice, sensei and I were chatting about the group today. We were a mixed group of different ability levels. Different nationalities, too. And I had to work with all of them and react to their movements without fear, panic or even much thought. To achieve this in the dojo would be impressive, to utilize this firm yet respective calm in my life outside the dojo would be amazing.

April 22nd-Tokyo here we come!

2007-04-24T00:51:00.000+09:00

So even though my wrist is still sore, I went to the dojo Sunday. We were practicing kokyunage some more. I was in a trio with my girlfriend and this oaktree of an Englishman. He throws pretty hard, bit daunting at times. It pushed me to work on my tobiukemi in this waza.

As with so many other situations in and out of the dojo, I just have to let go and let myself to do it. So I dropped my fear and ran full steam at my partner. He performed the throw very well and I went flying head over heels. Banged my butt pretty good, but it was a better uke performance. Speaking of which, it was rather amusing watching my girlfriend get thrown and seeing her spin 360 balanced on one buttcheek.

The differences in our weights becomes an issue with these momentum-based techniques. When a smaller person is throwing a larger person, the smaller person must be grounded and confident with their techniques or they get thrown by their attacker. In kokyunage, we should redirect their momentum to throw them. We goofed a few times and the result was that we basically threw ourselves along with our uke. Baby with the bathwater, as it were.

Towards the end of the night, we started our pairwork for Tokyo. I'm working with one of the teachers again. He's a funny, kind man. Always good to work with him. We practiced some of the koshinage techniques together. Speaking of momentum, its easy to bungle these. If your positioning is incorrect, the aite feels really heavy. I threw my partner and sometimes fell on top of him as a clumsy grand finale. We haven't finalized our routine for Tokyo yet, but I'm looking forward to hammering it all out.

April 13, 2007-Entering the Other's Space

2007-04-14T19:48:00.000+09:00

My wrist is still messed up, so I'm resting at home. To be honest, it's my fault so I feel a little stupid. Yeah, mistakes can be painful ne? So I will compensate by posting about our Friday morning practice.

We are still practicing the multiple opponent style. Sensei varies the wazas every week. This week we practiced sumiotoshi and sankyo quite a bit. Having sankyo performed on me was tough with my bum wrist, but I endured.

Much of sumiotoshi's final stage involves moving past or through the opponent in order to throw them. Actually many of the techniques utilize this psychological concept. It is natural to think of two bodies being completely separate, law of physics and all.

I always consider the other person's physical presence too much when doing a waza. Honestly, I tend to overthink everything. But we have to project ourselves past that idea, get ourselves to move into and beyond the other person. The word irimi (入り身）literally means to enter the opponent or their space. With sumiotoshi, entering their space disrupts their balance and weight distribution. This makes it quite easy to throw them. If the waza is done properly, the opponent is merely teetering on a cliff.

On a related note, I started teaching some new kids recently. The smallest girl in the class was terrified to be away from her mother. She was balling her eyes out, so the Japanese staff came in to calm her down. As soon as they left the room, she stared crying again. The little girl wouldn't respond to anything I did. So I took a chance and put her on my lap. Totally worked. She stopped crying and started helping me turn the pages to the storybook. I completely entered her space, breaking the ma-ai (間合い）and she calmed down. I went from being scary man to warm chair.

Saturday April 7, 2007-Building Stamina

2007-04-10T00:00:00.000+09:00

Sensei started off saying we need to build our stamina, so we didn't have our regular practice. Instead it was juppon all night long. Yup, everybody threw everybody ten times. We went through our usual list of techniques, then sensei wanted us to do kokyuunage (呼吸投げ) ten times to everyone. I'm still working on doing tobiukemi when thrown kokyuunage. The knee in my pants got seriously torn at this point.

See what I'm talking about! It's quite a fun waza to perform. One of my favorites. If you can do the tenkan properly, you can throw multiple partners quite easily.
I was the uke for a young guy who is steadily improving. His shihonage is getting dangerously good. My wrist is still pretty sore. This is mostly my fault. When my wrist was twisted, I should have moved my body towards my hand. Guess I was too slow, because I didn't jump properly. Two days later, my right wrist is a bit tender. Ah, live and learn.
Actually, it was a night of injuries. My girlfriend twisted her ankle on the third waza with the sensei. She banged up her hand real good.

Check that bad boy out! She was hobbling off the mat after practice. Next morning she had a sweet eggplant on her hand. Both of us were hurting, but we agreed that was a great session.
The juppon is a fantastic way to practice. Rather than doing the same waza repeatedly, we can learn to perform different techniques without thinking too much. Likewise for our partners. They have to be thrown without knowing what technique is coming next.
By the way, another member estimated that we were thrown over 200 times that night. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday night.

合気道サイト

2007-04-05T23:11:00.000+09:00

合気道のいくつかのサイト！

まずは。。。財団法人合気会の公式サイト
　　　　　　　http://www.aikikai.or.jp/
合気道をしてる人なら、誰でもこのサイトは知ってるでしょう。
本部道場のことも出てます。

次に。。。合気道ねっと
　　　　　　http://www.aikido.ne.jp/
一人での練習についてが面白い！！
街中で人をよけて歩くとか←入り身(笑）
私もよくよく日常生活の中で合気道の基本の動きを
試してみたりしてます（＾＾）
運転中に手刀でハンドル操作したり。

この二つのサイトは日本語と英語を選べます。

また見つけたら紹介していきますね。

April 1st, 2007-Little Things Mean a Lot

2007-04-03T23:23:00.000+09:00

Sorry for the delay in posts. Went to the dojo last Sunday. Only practiced two techniques. First was Aihanmikatatedori Shihonage. Shihonage has been a weak point of mine for years. Small class, so the sensei spent a lot of time with each student. I was making a mistake by turning my hand and grabbing the aite's arm too soon. Instead he taught us that we should keep our palms up and rotate down against the aite's grasp and bring them towards us. This serves to upset their balance and prepares us to twist the arm and go under their arm.
My second error was bending my arms when I pivot under my partner's arm. If I bend my arms, their arm is very loose and relaxed. When the sensei demonstrated it on me, my arm was completely immobilized. And it was painful, of course. I tried it again, this time keeping my arms straight and more horizontal. My opponent was not relaxed and their arm was twisted and immobile. Their balance was disrupted and it was much easier to finish the waza.
The interesting thing is that the differences between a good, effective waza and an ineffective one are quite small. Usually a centimeter in the right direction will make a world of difference. Yup, little things mean a lot.

The Meaning of Black Belt

2007-03-25T11:19:00.000+09:00

I was recently translating some waza lists. It's a slow process, but quite revealing. Some of the kanji are not too common in modern Japanese. Sensei always says that black belt is only the start of a much longer process. He noted that many people quit after making black belt and miss out on learning true aikido.

www.aikiweb.com

This site has a bunch of good articles covering a lot of different aspects. One that really caught my eye was about the meaning of the shodan rank. In his final paragraph, the author hits the nail on the head when he writes that shodan is just the beginning. If you would like to read the entire article:
www.aikiweb.com/spiritual/goldfield2.html
I am slowly getting to the point here. I found the kanji for shodan and, sure enough, sensei was right. 初　signifies beginner or first and is used in words like beginners' class (初級) and starting salary (初任給). The literal translation of shodan （初段）would be "beginning grade".
As for myself, I am staying in Japan for awhile. I have been here almost four years now and I still have so much to learn and experience. There so many things I want to do and accomplish here. Aikido and otherwise. Like being able to read a newspaper. Yup, this is just the beginning.

Friday March 23, 2007

2007-03-24T00:14:00.000+09:00

Went to the dojo this morning. Short one hour practice. For the past month or so, sensei has been focusing on tenkan with multiple opponents trying to stabus. It can be quite bewildering at first, but it forces us to perform the movements fluidly without thinking.
This morning's practice consisted of three variations of iriminage. First we practiced the usual grab-by-the-neck form. Then we tried a couple new forms. I forget the name, but my favorite involved flipping the aite backwards, legs flying up and forward. As the aite tries to stab us, we would do iriminage and slide our arm up the partner's arm/torso. If you move your arm too quickly towards their face, they snap and react. When the time is right, we slide our arm up under their neck as we place our other hand in the small of their back. Took me a few tries,but the end result is the opponent being flipped/swept and slammed down to the mat.
Here's a weakness of mine. I am learning to do some wazas properly,but I don't have much control. This morning, when practicing with a fairly new gaijin, my timing was a bit too good. My partner is still working on his ukemi (falls); I could have caused him to bonk his head pretty good. Must admit, it was quite a bit of fun. He was chuckling too.
Great session today. We all had sore, red necks leaving the dojo. A few of us went to nurse our wounds over coffee and donuts.
Oh yeah, sensei gave me some dvds of our practices. I will try to review some of the key points in future posts.

Saturday March 17th

2007-03-20T00:22:00.000+09:00

Last Saturday's practice was great. Everyone is getting excited about the upcoming Enbukkai, so we have been rather gung-ho lately. Sensei taught us a number of variations of morotedori techniques-including a shoulder throw that I'm not very good at. Oh at the beginning, Sensei was kind enough to focus on my tobiukemi. I'm still making mistakes on this basic foundational move. I am trying to coordinate all these little details into one fluid motion. Sensei had me do tobiukemi several times in rapid succession.
I was practicing a cool waza with our newest shodan. It's a nagewaza in which we sweep our partner's feet backwards, knocking them forwards. Kind of a reverse of most throws. It took me a few tries to get the rhythm, but it was quite a bit of fun flipping my partner. Head over heels as it were.
Towards the end of the evening, we got to try an original creation. A sensei special. The name is something like tennchi nage no kaeshi. We start doing the standard tennchi nage, but as our partner falls they throw us. It is a rather acrobatic waza, but when done properly looks pretty cool. Most wazas involve tori dropping/throwing the uke, but this one allows for a sudden change mid-waza.　誰が投げられるかわからなかったけどすごい楽しかった！

初めての投稿☆

2007-03-19T23:08:00.001+09:00

管理者のtradersteveさんと一緒に、
私もこのブログに投稿していくことにしました～。

彼に触発されて、私も同じ道場に通い、
みんなと一緒に汗を流して
楽しいんでいます。

これから管理者のtradersteveさんと一緒に
日々、思ったこと、感じたことを
書き綴ってみたいと思います。

Let's get started!

2007-03-18T17:10:00.001+09:00

送信者タイトル未定のアルバム

Here's a pic from the yearly exhibition in Tokyo last May. That was great fun, really looking forward to this year's exhibition.
So let's introduce ourselves. My girlfriend and I are members of the Obata Aikido Kai in the Mie prefecture. This blog will serve as a journal to document our experiences. We look forward to sharing with you and hope you enjoy, too.