(no subject)
So yeah I don't post a lot. Not that anybody cares anyway.
The most interesting part about things that happen in my public life concern Aikido and I know that everybody snickers and makes fun of me for being so jazzed about it, but it's my journal and I'll do what I want.
So, tonight the head instructor returns after a two month absence and he opens up with a sermon (if you will) about balance and how balance is never static. It never stays in one place. It's fluid like water (when in doubt steal from the best). I was expecting the technique to be something that we've covered before like shiho nage or kokyu nage. What does it turn out to be. Randori.
For those of you don't know, which is everyone, randori translates to freestyle and is the pinnacle of Aikido practice. You may be thinking, well you just partner up with somebody and go at it. Wrong. Randori may mean freestyle, but what it actually means is freestyle against multiple people at the same time. Basically you try to turn it into the ultimate kung-fu movie cliche where the hero gets attacked by multiple people and yet they attack one at a time. You once again think that it doesn't sound that bad. You didn't know who was in the class with me. Including Sensei, three black belts and one brown belt. How many lower belts were there. Just me baby, just me. All the higher ranks went first and I got manhandled. The only girl that we have in the dojo accidently socked me in the jaw. I got picked up by the legs and dropped by another instructor shortly after he took care of my chiropractic needs (aka he did a head grab and popped my neck so loud that the girl cringed). As I'm catching my breath and simultaneously about to throw up I hear "Sam it's your turn". Basically my inexperience got the better of me and I could not do anything at all except keep moving and hopefully keep one guy who had me in a bear hug as my human shield from accidently getting hit and thus simultaneously crapping my gi. I stunk at it, but considering I've been taking this less than a year I'm okay with that.
My back is sore and I hurt all over.
My God how I love it so.
The most interesting part about things that happen in my public life concern Aikido and I know that everybody snickers and makes fun of me for being so jazzed about it, but it's my journal and I'll do what I want.
So, tonight the head instructor returns after a two month absence and he opens up with a sermon (if you will) about balance and how balance is never static. It never stays in one place. It's fluid like water (when in doubt steal from the best). I was expecting the technique to be something that we've covered before like shiho nage or kokyu nage. What does it turn out to be. Randori.
For those of you don't know, which is everyone, randori translates to freestyle and is the pinnacle of Aikido practice. You may be thinking, well you just partner up with somebody and go at it. Wrong. Randori may mean freestyle, but what it actually means is freestyle against multiple people at the same time. Basically you try to turn it into the ultimate kung-fu movie cliche where the hero gets attacked by multiple people and yet they attack one at a time. You once again think that it doesn't sound that bad. You didn't know who was in the class with me. Including Sensei, three black belts and one brown belt. How many lower belts were there. Just me baby, just me. All the higher ranks went first and I got manhandled. The only girl that we have in the dojo accidently socked me in the jaw. I got picked up by the legs and dropped by another instructor shortly after he took care of my chiropractic needs (aka he did a head grab and popped my neck so loud that the girl cringed). As I'm catching my breath and simultaneously about to throw up I hear "Sam it's your turn". Basically my inexperience got the better of me and I could not do anything at all except keep moving and hopefully keep one guy who had me in a bear hug as my human shield from accidently getting hit and thus simultaneously crapping my gi. I stunk at it, but considering I've been taking this less than a year I'm okay with that.
My back is sore and I hurt all over.
My God how I love it so.