(no subject)
You don't have to read this. My English teacher wanted us to post this on our own page and not the community page. So wa-la ^^; If you did read my crappy writing and want to read the first project, let me know ^^;
English Project 2
Kiri Ramdeo
ENC 1101-063
26 October 2007
Project Two
Travels: The USF Aikido Club
Oftentimes a group of people - whether they are a sorority, fraternity, club, study-buddies, or a simple group of friends - will be scrutinized by “outsiders” from a distance; observed, yet not joined by an outsider. Is it because the viewer feels that the groups of people are ‘alien’? Or maybe it is because they feel uncomfortable and/or inadequate? In this ethnography of respective bows and eloquent movement, I will evaluate and analyze the style of instruction in the Aikido dojo (a place for learning the martial art of Aikido), the difference between genders (especially in training), the social circle of the students, and the way of life that is indirectly imparted to the students. I hope to show that the Martial Arts community is not as "alien" as we think it is, and that anyone can do Aikido for it truly is more than a martial art. Of course, the instructive style may be quite different than what most students are used to.
American students are accustomed to a classroom where the teacher stands behind a desk or a podium and, as the students take their seats, begin the day’s lecture lesson. At any given time a tardy student may walk in and take a seat in the back of class or, if they are particularly unlucky, a seat in front. However, upon entering the Aikido classroom in the USF recreation center, the student finds that the desks have melted into mats, one wall is completely overlaid with mirror panels, and there is usually a single, wood-frame, black and white picture of “O Sensei” (the founding teacher of that particular dojo) hanging on the opposite wall. “O Sensei” is a respectful title for a revered teacher in the martial arts. A student bows in the direction of O Sensei’s picture upon entering the room and places his or her belongings on a bench to the side, unlike in a classroom where the students typically keep their bag of possessions at their side. I would deduce that this would be because if a classroom student were to follow the same practice of keeping their belongings with them, the belongings would get in the way. Once the student has entered an Aikido classroom, they begin by removing socks and shoes, as well as any other hazardous item including jewelry. The student may bow to the photograph once again and then step onto the mat to begin stretches.
No matter where a new student is on the mat when a clap sounds, they must line up on one end of the mat with his or her fellow students according to rank that is determined by experience and previously taken tests. There are two ways to take this practice, one of which would be that the club is promoting a system of power within the class ranked students. However, it is more likely that the other interpretation is more valid: that by showing ranking in the classroom, the members are simply showing who as learned the most and, therein, who has the most to teach. It is like addressing the question, “Who can I learn from?” The higher the rank, the more there is to teach. This could be compared to the rankings of students in history who had one-room classrooms in western town many decades ago before public schools were set up. Tests in an Aikido classroom have certain levels and a student test after every three months that they have trained. When the students are properly lined up, the Sensei, the teacher, goes to the center of the mat and, facing O Sensei, bows, claps twice - which the students imitate (most likely to follow in showing respect for one who initiated a dojo sect with which to offer instruction to students like them) - and then bows to the students. It is then that class begins.
If a student arrives after class has commenced, they must complete the stretching out exercises on the sidelines when they arrive, and may only step onto the mat when the Sensei, the current class teacher, or sempai, an older student, has bowed them on. This shows that the student holds respect for the teacher and sempai that will instruct them - that that student appreciates the time he or she is given to learn the knowledge he/she shows an interest in. Bowing in a late student consists of a pause in practice - not when the sensei is instructing - by a sempai who bows to the tardy student and indicates for them to participate in the class. One could also deduce that this practice is showing power relations among students; that it teaches them to respect someone higher up than they are in experience, which would help in a real life situation when a student has a job - he or she will have a better comprehension of the power play in a work environment. During the lessons that make up each class, the student is taught not only to educate and strengthen the mind, but to also strengthen the body, whereas in a typical school classroom a student is generally taught to focus mainly on the mind. This signifies holistic learning that the martial art favors.
The majority of an Aikido class includes training in escape techniques between partners; the partners take turns being attacker and defender. An American classroom does not typically go to the extent in etiquette that the atmosphere of an Aikido classroom typically does. When the class is in session, the Sensei will call up an older student to help them demonstrate a technique, and then the students divide into pairs to practice the new technique. Practice usually starts out silent, with the occasional slap of a hand or a rolling body hitting the practice mats. However, eventually, small smiles are exchanged between partners, and little comments - whether they are of encouragement, correction, or out of jest - are eventually voiced. It seems to build comradeship amongst the students, warming them up to the closeness of some of the techniques. It is emphasized that if someone is not comfortable doing a particular technique or maneuver yet, that they have only to request not to do it for the time being; comfort level is given a high regard in the Aikido classroom, stemming from the thematic respect for one’s partner. Respect is shown for one’s partner because it is kept in mind that one’s partner is lending their body to his or her classmates to practice potentially deadly techniques on. The students are careful with the other’s bodies, and the sensei walks around to over see that safety precaution is observed. The sensei walks around the mat, observing and making corrections where it is needed as well. After a while the Sensei will either clap his hands and/or call out “yame” (which means, to an extent, “that’s enough now”) and the students go back to the line to be showed another technique which they will again practice. This is how a dojo has been from the beginning of the martial teaching history. It has been this way because it was once only taught to those of a higher class - those who could afford lessons. Some of the students in the beginning took up the life of a fisherman, tired of the aristocratic standards, and would teach it to their children (Leonard). Eventually it branched out to other students. The etiquette is kept because that was how the poor students that were taught in earlier times showed their thankful respect to the teacher.
While the instruction and learning methods may be different from what an American class student is used to, the gender roles comparatively between classrooms are about the same in that both male and females are pretty equal (as is the usual belief, although conflicts are known to arise). In a regular classroom, the skill and “status” are usually dependent on the intellect, concentration, and attentiveness of the individual student. Students never have an “advantage” for higher grades according to gender. Rather, the grading is based on a particular student’s work. It is the same in an Aikido classroom, except here, intellect is equivalent to dexterity, attention, and cooperation. Aikido makes it more equal between the women and men training because the techniques are not based off of strength - muscle power - but rather, using the opponent’s momentum against them. It focuses on using pivots, pressure points, and many different leverage angles to get away and disable an opponent (Dobson). According to that philosophy, even the weakest person could fend off a monstrous sized human. While training in the Aikido classroom girls pair with girls and boys with boys, but girls also pair with boys when the times comes to switch partners (Allemann). Girls and boys do not always pair with the same gender initially for practice, though; the students like to mix it up and “play around” with their fellows every once in a while as I observed in a particular class. Everyone is respectful of the participant’s bodies - they are careful of how fast they go with beginners because going too fast could cause harm to the participant. Some of the guys are careful when partnering with the girls (because the girls appear fragile) but not too careful (a common occurrence in Aikido in particular is that women tend to get a better grasp on the techniques than men most often than not).While there is the occasional “Bam!” of a body smacking the mat, one must understand that the loud sound is due to the fallen student’s hand smacking the mat, meaning that they have fallen correctly. One of the first lessons a student is taught in the Aikido classroom is how to fall properly (with minimal danger to oneself and others) and how to roll (Jablonsky). Doing any of the above without care can cause problems in both males and females. Not only is safety emphasized in the training classroom, but also the necessity of being close to a trainee’s partner. The closeness is important because the closer one’s balanced center is to the attacker, the better the defender can manipulate the attacker. These maneuvers do not rely on strength, but on leverage and maneuverability, meaning that just because males are typically known to have greater muscle power than women, women most often than not out-match the men because they understand better the concept of not using power versus using their center; a close-in type of maneuver.
At the USF Aikido club, closeness (working on techniques that require being close to one’s partner) is made comfortable by fellow student interactions after the class is over. Some days when the class has a testing session - where one or many of the students may be testing to move up in rank by displaying increased learned information - the students will gather to go out to dinner afterwards. Other times, one of the students hosted a barbeque or a luncheon at their home on the weekend and the students gathered there as well to socialize and to “hang out” as any typical group of friends would. While it is nice to get to know the people one is training with in the Aikido classroom - and the students comes to realize that all the Aikido participants, including the Senseis,’ are very nice, peaceful people (at least at the USF Aikido club) - it also manages to help build companionship between the students. The close physical contact facilitates not only social, but also mental connections between the students. The students learn to read the moves of their partners - they learn to anticipate the moves. Eventually, this awareness of the other person allows the Aikido student to anticipate the moves of other people, inducing the growth of a skill in ‘reading other people.’ The Aikido student really is no more different that the average academic student; they both have an individual personality, are generally very nice, and at the same time, like to romp around and have fun.
Training in the martial art of Aikido is, like other martial arts, looked upon with caution, and are most often than not stereotyped as dangerous, and only for the most elite, in that case. After training in the class for even a short period of time, I could see that the environment was not that much different than a regular classroom, if a little more formal during class sessions. The martial arts community is not as “alien” as one may think it to be. Truthfully, anyone can learn Aikido no matter their size, gender, religion, or strength. All a student really needs to qualify as an Aikido student is the drive to learn. Through my own experience, gained from participating in a class and observing the customs of the events and interactions of the Aikido classroom, I found that the experience was rather enjoyable. While training, one will find that in exercising both the body and the mind can be rather cleansing - can be calming on the mind. It promotes a sense of inner harmony that is beneficial to the college student. What is also beneficial is that the student gains a constant exercise schedule; I find that most students are sitting either in class or at their desks doing homework. Aikido offers physical activity; in strengthening the body, one also strengthens the mind. Also, the stronger the body is, the more in tune it is with the mind, the less vulnerable the average person is to sicknesses (such as the flu). All in all, Aikido is a martial sport of grace, precision, patience, dexterity, creativity, and of enjoyment.
Works Cited
Allemann, Bruce. Aikido: The Essential Guide to Mastering the Art. Berkeley: calif. Blue
Snake Books, 2006.
Dobson, Terry. Aikido in Everyday Life: Giving in to Get Your Way. North Atlantic
Books. Berkeley: ca. 1993.
Jablonsky, Alice. A Girl’s Guide to the Martial Arts: Learn to Practice Basic Poses in
Kung Fu, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Jujitsu, Aikido, and Tai Chi Chuan. 1st North
American ed. Hauppauge: new york. Barron’s, 2004
Leonard, George Burr. The Way of Aikido: Life Lessons from an American Sensei.
New York, Plume, 2000.