Randori

1. Jerry 6.18.09 / 12pm

   I remember Toshi’s randori for his nidan (?) exam. Dee, I believe, was testing that Christmas for her shodan. Yes, he performed part of his randori hanmi handachi. Pretty thrilling!

   Dee and I are so happy for you!!!
2. Jerry 6.19.09 / 9pm

   Good luck tomorrow, Tonya! If you can take pictures or videotape your test, please send us copies!

   More good news–Patrick is back. I’m looking forward to training with him again.
3. Buck 6.20.09 / 8am

   Lots going on in our little world of Aikido.

   Congratulations Tonya. My only advise would be to wait on having children until after you are uchi deshi!

   On randori:

   I agree that Dee is a great teacher of randori. With Chris Rozette back in my early days, we had Sunday classes and always finished class with randori. It was one “round” per person and that was it. It was intense and intimidating and we never practiced, just performed.

   Not only does Dee create practice routines for randori, she integrates it regularly into class by finishing with jiu waza and especially through “attack anyone on the mat” and “everyone attack Buck.”

   Randori is what real aikido is all about. We practice in pairs to perform at randori. How you perform, how easily the techniches flow and how much control you maintain, are a true measure of your skill. The ability to perform under pressure and at a fast pace is the most realistic training you will have. It is also somewhat unique to aikido, since we can do this at full speed and theoretically no one gets hurt. A 30 second session of randori also underscores the intensity and exhausting nature of combat. Those 10 minute fight scenes in the movies? Phoey.
4. Buck 6.20.09 / 8am

   To reintroduce the thread of influences:

   Mine have come from all over. At a fundamental level, Chris Rozette, my first sensei, had a big influence on me and my aikido. Mike Sands was next in line and I still owe much to my style and method to him. And then Dee has brought me to where I am now. It is absolutely true that if you want to improve your aikido, work on your ukemi. She helped a lot with that early on and later as she progressed past me, brought her understanding of aikido from the shihans. Invaluable.

   Outside of our dojo, Grade Lane, Peter Bernath, Richard Wagener and Donovan Waite senseis have had the greatest influence on my aikido. I’ve seen them the most.

   Seminars and training in other dojos has added some flavor to my aikido. Since I’m a visual learner, videos and books have been influential too. The NY Aikikai 30th anniversary video is a constant reference for me.

   Most recently I’ve been influenced by the fundamentals as presented by the current and past doshus via video and books.

   Also, the recent addition of Joey has been meaningful. His experience in aikido and in other relevant martial arts has expanded my horizons.

   Interestingly, what they say about black belts is true–that when you reach that level you are really a beginner. It means that you’ve mastered the basics so to speak and are ready to begin a broader study: a serious student.

   As I embark on the path of the serious student, I am keenly aware of the influences that have formed my aikido and grateful for the many people that have contributed to it, especially Dee.
5. Jerry 6.20.09 / 2pm

   So?? Did you pass?
6. grassHopper 6.20.09 / 3pm

   Did ya? Huh, huh, huh? Did ya did ya did ya?
7. Sensei 6.20.09 / 7pm

   Thanks for all the compliments; it’s nice to hear. I really appreciate the kind thoughts.

   I believe I was influenced the most by ALL the instructors whose seminars I attended in the first several years of my training. I went to a lot of seminars from Miami all the way up to Montreal Canada. I’m glad I was able to experience shihans like Tamura Sensei, Chiba Sensei, and Osawa Sensei; and of course the current doshu. Pretty neat.

   During those early years for me, the people I trained with were so helpful. I went to those seminars with no expectations, and as it is said “with an empty cup”. By being receptive to people on the mat, you can get a lot of good information.

   Along the way I was able to meet shidoins like Grady, Peter & Penny, Richard W., Donovan, and David H. Some are now shihan but then they were on the mat training with me. I would go out of my way, as scared as I was, to pair off with them. I will tell you what scared me about training with them. When you attack and they make their connection, I was on auto pilot. I was no longer in control. They took my balance and I was frozen. It was scary because I would think “man this is going to hurt”. Then when the throw came it was powerful but I could almost sense a kind of care taken not to hurt me. It was a powerful, confident, secure throw. Trust me getting thrown by those guys is one million times better than being thrown by a lot of white belts. High rankers don’t force it and I didn’t feel like I was being muscled.

   When I first met Peter Bernath, he told me to focus on ukemi during the first two years of my training. I did. Matter of fact, after thirteen years, I still focus on ukemi. I have seen some Aikidoists that were good nages but terrible ukes. I have never seen a great uke that wasn’t a great nage. Being able to take ukemi well makes you more aware of your partner, which means you have a better feel for your partner when you are nage.

   Let me tell you a short story. When I first went to New York, I was a 5th kyu. Donovan Waite came into the dojo and I was in awe. He wasn’t as big as I thought he would be. I took his class. My partner wasn’t doing the technique correctly so he demonstrated on me for him to watch. He threw me into a break fall. It was so cool. After class, I was talking to Donovan. I asked him how he knew I could take a break fall (since he had never seen me before). He said he didn’t know. He just knew where he wanted to throw me and he did. I thought that was interesting. Anyway, even today, I’m still learning from all of these great Aikidoists.

   Buck, my 5th kyu uke, has been with me all along, right along side me. I think we have both learned from each other. Grady Lane sort of adopted me as his aikido child which was great since I think he is one of the most technically sound people in Aikido.

   Lastly, one other “influence” on my Aikido was my own teaching. I had to learn to display Aikido in a way that would be easy for others to follow. For this I have to thank Yamada Sensei. When I think of him, I think of big fluid movements and I hope I can someday come close to what he does. Teaching will make you a better Aikidoist, I think.

   In conclusion, I think I would be pretty satisfied with my Aikido when I feel like I throw the way I have been thrown by some of the people that first influenced me. That will be a good day.
8. grassHopper 6.23.09 / 3pm

   I really appreciated the bokken stuff we did last night. I feel like an all-powerful bokken-wielding grassHopper now, and I WILL figure out that kotegaeshi.
9. Jerry 6.23.09 / 4pm

   Don’t mess with grassHopper!
10. grassHopper 6.23.09 / 8pm

    😀 That’s what I’m talkin’ about!
11. The Dark Knight 6.23.09 / 11pm

    yea wielding a big stick makes me wanna go out and use it on people
12. The Dark Knight 6.23.09 / 11pm

    big* not pick*…fix it jerry please haha
13. grassHopper 6.24.09 / 7pm

    Wow, you too? 😈
14. Jerry 6.24.09 / 11pm

    Related topic….

    My Aikido education, those lessons that have had the most impact on me, really consists of a handful of individual events, that have crystallized some aspect of my training. Off the top of my head, I can think of five episodes that are indelibly ingrained in my memory. One of those episodes was life changing. Maybe I’ll talk about that later.

    A different episode, however, relates to bokken work. It dramatically changed my view of tachi tori.

    For those who don’t know, for a time we had a very talented yudansha from Messores’ Sensei dojo train with us. I doubt he remembers this particular class. Anyway, we were training at UNF and he was teaching. We were working on paired bokken kata. I was a white belt at the time.

    You always hear me talking about cutting with intent. If I’m being candid, you may have also heard me talk about the impossibility of disarming a swordsman.

    Let me clarify that. The impossibility for me of disarming a swordsman. (I think I’ve reached the point in my Aikido career to recognize that even though I can’t conceive how a technique would succeed, there are others with the experience to handle these situations successfully).

    Well, during class, he walked over with his bokken, motioned for me to get ready, and cut, full speed, no stop. It blew my mind how fast it happened, and how quickly I would have bled out. I had no time to think, or move, or breathe.

    My opinion: we practice tachi tori as laymen, to keep the art alive. I have no illusions that I would be completely incapable of dealing with an armed opponent, particularly with bokken. Maybe the samurai were different–they practiced incessantly.

    I’ve read that irimi, in addition to entering, means choosing death, because there is no other option.

    I believe it.
15. The Dark Knight 6.25.09 / 12am

    thank god people dont wield swords anymore…

    unrelated topic: TRANSFORMERS IN IMAX WAS AMAZING!!!!
16. Buck 6.25.09 / 6am

    “I had no time to think, or move, or breathe.”

    What happened? Did you get hit or did you respond instinctively and avoid the blow?
17. grassHopper 6.25.09 / 7am

    “thank god people dont wield swords anymore…”

    Yeah… guns do it better…
18. The Dark Knight 6.25.09 / 8am

    only if your aim is good
19. Jerry 6.25.09 / 8am

    The cut was impossible to avoid. Think in the moment before you die, your life flashes before your eyes. Instant.

    Luckily, my bokken was raised. The strike about dropped me, but only my bokken was hit.

Aikido Center of Jacksonville

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