Ukemi just happens

Today, as I walked through the dojo door for noon class, I thought: "just go easy today and don't take any fancy falls." I wasn't feeling that well, and my body was stiff from too little stretching during my week of no Aikido.

I saw that Kevin was the only other student dressing for class. Kevin trains at an ASU dojo about 30 miles away and comes for noon class sometimes because his work is nearby. He is a good guy to train with because he's flexible, and because he tries to get it right.

I thought, "great, just the two of us."

Sensei decided to drag out some novelties at the end of the year, and today's oddity was Ninin-dori, a kokyuho technique for dealing with two people, each of whom have grabbed one of your arms. I have always had trouble with these techniques. The last time I practiced them was two years ago at Hitohiro Saito's Denver seminar. Since there were just three of us including Goto Sensei, he joined us in the rotation.

We did three variations. The second one involved sinking and bringing the grabbed arms into your center, then after capturing the center of each attacker, striking forward to throw them. If you do this right both attackers just roll away like twin bowling balls across the mat.

I remembered that I just wanted to do nice soft ukemi, and when it was Kevin's turn I waited until he had my center and threw me, then I just let my body roll away. Then it was Sensei's turn again, and Kevin and I both grabbed him really hard and pulled in opposite directions. It was fun to see how Sensei, who is about 5'6" and 150lbs, was going to deal with these hard grabs.

As he dropped he screwed his body up with a huge application of kokyu. I felt like I was falling into a hole, but then I felt a snapping feeling propagate up through my arms into my body and I became weightless. My body just rotated over an axis somewhere around my belt knot, as easily as coin might flip. I landed softly on my side and skittered a few inches away as Kevin was rolling, getting more distance than I. Normally, taking a high fall is something I at least realize I'm going to do before I'm already in the air. Not this time.

This reminds me that the Senseis can throw us any way they want to and we'll just fall softly regardless of distance and elevation. This isn't just an accident or good luck; its' something they do on purpose. Anyway, I managed to do just nice soft ukemi all day, even if every throw wasn't a nice, round roll.

Comments

[Pradeep]

There is wisdom in what you say. But, are you asuimsng that everyone would need to part with old ways in order to be open-minded and progressive? When I was in graduate school, we were taught counseling techniques using a then-recent book with cute diagrams and pictures. But, it was basically the same process from the old Carl Rogers books, and perhaps others before him. In my active judo days, I was privileged to have classes in the clubs of judo coaches all over the USA (no, not overseas, though my own coach studied abroad for eight years). Many if not most coaches do teach dynamic judo. Some practice rapid sequential drills employing a variety of moves and counters. And, some people just do not want to operate a judo business but have other strengths to contribute to the art. People who are less than enthusiastic about a new course or about doing things the same as you would are not necessarily closed-minded and unwilling to develop or change. It just might be that they already have been doing things your way for decades and are a little tongue-in-cheek about having to learn something new. Consider that most other older' coaches have developed over the years by learning, practice and experience, same as you. But, of course, everyone can improve, All is Flowing' and such. And, you have earned your time to lead!Respectfully and Questioningly,Cheryl Ellis

[Ali]

Mi enhorabuena a quneeis hacen realidad este seminario cada ac3b1o. Salgan los aikidokas que salgan, lo que estc3a1 claro es que fomenta el aikido como ninguna otra iniciativa que se haga por estos lares.Cosas asc3ad son las que a mi me gusta leer en esta publicacic3b3n, y no la vergonzosa actuacic3b3n de los responsables federativos de la otra semana. Nos vamos haciendo una idea de quneeis trabajan y cc3b3mo se trabaja por el aikido. Y que eso no tiene porquc3a9 estar rec3b1ido con los intereses personales.Bueno, lo dicho: mola este seminario, y muy buen trabajo por el aikido.