Ashford Aikido Club / Traditional Aikido Ryu Blog
Friday, February 29, 2008
The meaning of practice
While our aikido club is training in the evenings, the other side of the gymnasium is being used for acrobatic gymnastics.
They practice the same routines over and over again. And I mean over and over again. Most weekday evenings for hours and hours. I must have heard the each music track a thousand times, and the noise can get a little distracting.
Sometimes a pair will get it slightly wrong, and they'll have to stop and start again. Seeing it so often, you can forget quite what they are doing. Even though some of them are world junior champions, and a lot of them are British champions.
I stumbled across some clips on YouTube of the gymnasts, which reminded me how impressive they are at their sport.
This is a clip of two of the boys in the gym we use:
It's a salutory lesson that it's not practice that makes perfect but "perfect practice makes perfect". Their effort and concentration is terrifying and inspiring all at the same time. ¶ 3:01 AM 0 Comments
They practice the same routines over and over again. And I mean over and over again. Most weekday evenings for hours and hours. I must have heard the each music track a thousand times, and the noise can get a little distracting.
Sometimes a pair will get it slightly wrong, and they'll have to stop and start again. Seeing it so often, you can forget quite what they are doing. Even though some of them are world junior champions, and a lot of them are British champions.
I stumbled across some clips on YouTube of the gymnasts, which reminded me how impressive they are at their sport.
This is a clip of two of the boys in the gym we use:
It's a salutory lesson that it's not practice that makes perfect but "perfect practice makes perfect". Their effort and concentration is terrifying and inspiring all at the same time. ¶ 3:01 AM 0 Comments
What to expect on your first aikido lesson
We try to make beginners welcome and comfortable on their first night. We all been there: the only one not wearing a gi and not knowing what to do.
What to wear: It's fine to turn up in loose fitting casual clothes, such as tracksuit bottoms and a T shirt. As you'll be doing breakfalls, you need to avoid wearing anything with belts and buckles. If you have a judo or karate gi, then wear that. Otherwise, get a gi when you've decided you wanted to stick with aikido. The judo dogis are harder wearing;the karate gis are a lot cooler to wear. Most people in our club wear karate gis.
Beginners wear a white coloured belt, which usually comes with a gi.
Bring water: The gymnasium we use is well heated, so most people bring a bottle of water with them to drink and stay hydrated. Most of us go to the gymanisium's bar after class, and drink then too. If you drink alcohol afterwards, make sure you also drink some water too. Otherwise you might wake up with a bad hangover.
If you need a break: If you need to stop and take a break, or if you need to leave the mat for any reason, make sure you tell the sensei.
Outdoor shoes: You're not allowed to wear outdoor shoes on the gymnasium mats, so bring some indoor shoes, such as flip flops, socks, sandals or zori (japanese sandals)
Apart from that: Turn up, enjoy, have fun. Don't worry if you can't remember anything - it will start to make sense over time.
What to wear: It's fine to turn up in loose fitting casual clothes, such as tracksuit bottoms and a T shirt. As you'll be doing breakfalls, you need to avoid wearing anything with belts and buckles. If you have a judo or karate gi, then wear that. Otherwise, get a gi when you've decided you wanted to stick with aikido. The judo dogis are harder wearing;the karate gis are a lot cooler to wear. Most people in our club wear karate gis.
Beginners wear a white coloured belt, which usually comes with a gi.
Bring water: The gymnasium we use is well heated, so most people bring a bottle of water with them to drink and stay hydrated. Most of us go to the gymanisium's bar after class, and drink then too. If you drink alcohol afterwards, make sure you also drink some water too. Otherwise you might wake up with a bad hangover.
If you need a break: If you need to stop and take a break, or if you need to leave the mat for any reason, make sure you tell the sensei.
Outdoor shoes: You're not allowed to wear outdoor shoes on the gymnasium mats, so bring some indoor shoes, such as flip flops, socks, sandals or zori (japanese sandals)
Apart from that: Turn up, enjoy, have fun. Don't worry if you can't remember anything - it will start to make sense over time.
Labels: aikido, basics, beginners
¶ 2:44 AM 0 Comments
Friday, February 15, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Saito Hitohiro Sensei UK Seminar 2008
Organiser: Matthew Hill, Koshukai DentÅ Iwama Ryu.
The upcoming visit of Hitohiro Saito Sensei to Bath University, UK on the 14,15 and 16th of November 2008. Hitohiro Sensei will be teaching a two and a half day seminar, his first trip to the UK in over 3 years.
To register your interest and receive regular updates on details see http://www.matthill.co.uk/seminars.htm ¶ 12:41 AM 0 Comments
The upcoming visit of Hitohiro Saito Sensei to Bath University, UK on the 14,15 and 16th of November 2008. Hitohiro Sensei will be teaching a two and a half day seminar, his first trip to the UK in over 3 years.
To register your interest and receive regular updates on details see http://www.matthill.co.uk/seminars.htm ¶ 12:41 AM 0 Comments
Friday, February 8, 2008
Takeji Tomita Sensei, 8th Dan UK Seminar 2008
Aikido Dojo Camberley is hosting an International Aikido Seminar under the direction of Takeji Tomita Sensei, 8th Dan, in celebration of Sensei Chris Tozer's 25 years in Aikido. The seminar will take place on May 10/11 at Bisham Abbey National Sports Centre, England.
More ¶ 1:13 AM 0 Comments
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Sensei Pat Hendricks UK Seminar 2008
Sensei Pat Hendricks, 6th Dan Aikikai, UK Seminar 2008: 12th & 13th July at Lilleshall National Sports Centre.
Three Rivers Aikido is hosting Sensei Pat Hendricks' next UK seminar.
Pat Hendricks started studying Aikido in 1974 with Stan Pranin and Mary Heiny. In 1976 she moved to Iwama, Japan, to study with Saito Sensei Shihan. For the next 30 years, she returned to Japan over 25 times of which 6 years were uchi-deshi. She holds a menkyo keaiden in weapons certification and was certified to test for the U.S. She served as Saito Sensei's representative for the U.S. and runs the Iwama division in the California Aikido Association . Her own dojo, Aikido of San Leandro, attracts students from all over the world, including Japan.
More ¶ 1:08 AM 0 Comments
Three Rivers Aikido is hosting Sensei Pat Hendricks' next UK seminar.
Pat Hendricks started studying Aikido in 1974 with Stan Pranin and Mary Heiny. In 1976 she moved to Iwama, Japan, to study with Saito Sensei Shihan. For the next 30 years, she returned to Japan over 25 times of which 6 years were uchi-deshi. She holds a menkyo keaiden in weapons certification and was certified to test for the U.S. She served as Saito Sensei's representative for the U.S. and runs the Iwama division in the California Aikido Association . Her own dojo, Aikido of San Leandro, attracts students from all over the world, including Japan.
More ¶ 1:08 AM 0 Comments
