I do this for fun, no really.
eagle_riley and I have now been to three training sessions of aikido. I'm getting back in to it slowly. My body is protesting at the use of muscles that haven't been pushed in certain ways for eight years.
Muscle memory is an interesting thing. The things I could do with fluid motions then are now difficult through lack of practice and I'm becoming my own worst enemy for over thinking where I should put my hands and feet next. I 'know' how to stand in hanmi, how to perform shomen uchi and ikkyo, but my head keeps saying 'this isn't right, this doesn't feel the way it should' and I keep pausing, breaking the flow of ki and losing the technique.
The experienced aikidoka (some of whom I last saw as white belts - kyu rankings and are now black belt - dan) are very patient as I get my head back to this space. One thing I loved about training with the Aikikai crowd is that everyone is focused but having fun. It's been great to get back to that. Very intense, very demanding training, but there's laughter and big smiles from both uke (attacker) and nage (defender). Watching the black belts train is a joy. They have so much fun with it and it's like watching a dance (well, a dance outside a mosh pit that involves people being flung about the room).
I ache, but it's a good ache.
(This post is really just an excuse to use my new icon. It was made by one of the lovely people on Aikiweb)
Muscle memory is an interesting thing. The things I could do with fluid motions then are now difficult through lack of practice and I'm becoming my own worst enemy for over thinking where I should put my hands and feet next. I 'know' how to stand in hanmi, how to perform shomen uchi and ikkyo, but my head keeps saying 'this isn't right, this doesn't feel the way it should' and I keep pausing, breaking the flow of ki and losing the technique.
The experienced aikidoka (some of whom I last saw as white belts - kyu rankings and are now black belt - dan) are very patient as I get my head back to this space. One thing I loved about training with the Aikikai crowd is that everyone is focused but having fun. It's been great to get back to that. Very intense, very demanding training, but there's laughter and big smiles from both uke (attacker) and nage (defender). Watching the black belts train is a joy. They have so much fun with it and it's like watching a dance (well, a dance outside a mosh pit that involves people being flung about the room).
I ache, but it's a good ache.
(This post is really just an excuse to use my new icon. It was made by one of the lovely people on Aikiweb)