Ohayo Gozaimasu

To me, the Sunday morning beginner's class seems more like a tight-knit club where the same members are together every week. Before class, the locker room is empty except for a few students trickling in. Loud blanket-greetings of "ohayo gozaimasu" ("good morning") can be heard at this time. It must be because of the special Sunday-only membership that a lot of students take, but for whatever reason, there seems to be a lot of camaraderie. On weeknights, or even after the Sunday class, there are too many people in the locker room at one time; a loud greeting would be a bit awkward (or maybe it wouldn't be heard at all).

On Sundays, quite a few university students and company employees visit Hombu to train. They can be spotted by the name of their company or university on the sleeves of their uniforms. It's sometimes interesting to train with these students because I can detect a slight difference in their style from move to move although our dojos are all Aikikai-affiliated. Their greetings on the mat are sometimes different as well. Instead of bowing to the partner right after stopping, they wait until partners have changed, then go back and bow to the old partner. It is a little confusing.

I have heard that aikido is different from one person to the next since no two humans are exactly alike. That's one reason I like to see demonstrations where instructors from all across Japan participate. Even instructors at Hombu might have slightly different styles; I think it's good to attend as many different classes as possible for this reason. There are some instructors who I prefer to others, but that's just because of personality and so forth. Sometimes I get a little frustrated because an instructor will correct me when I do the variation that I learned in another class -- at the same dojo. In cases like that, I go back to the DVD and watch how Doshu (the head of Aikikai) does it. I'm pretty sure all variations are approved by examiners during testing. I haven't had any problems yet.

On a different note: The building of Hombu is quite big (five floors), so I sometimes notice hallways and doors that I hadn't realized were there. On the second floor, to the left of the beginner's dojo, there is a short hallway. I've recently noticed that one of the doors in this corridor has a sign in English! (It's always great to come across my own language in Japan.) It says "International Department" and also includes a notice in four languages which reads "English, Spanish, French, and Russian are all spoken here." I'm not sure how long this so-called department has existed or what it consists of, but I was extremely curious nonetheless. I'll have to inquire at another time...

Spring is Here

Sensei was a few minutes late this morning, which was surprising. Another surprise was to see Ito Sensei (with a black eye) walk in instead of Irie Sensei. Regardless, it was an invigorating class.

Just like last week, a lot of yudansha (black belts) were present since we were in the main dojo again. It seems that the pace of the class is determined by the students and not the instructor or size of the class. It felt like a beginner's class until I became partners with yudansha. The tempo was just so fast, but I was glad for such a good cardiovascular workout; it motivates me to try and watch my diet. There's nothing more embarrassing for me than to struggle with finishing a class while everyone around me is so vibrant and full of energy.

I received some help from my uke regarding katate-dori shiho-nage. That's another good thing about yudansha partners: they usually offer good advice on inproving my technique. When I tried to down my uke, I was just pulling on his hand to no avail since he was tall and pretty solid. He told me to use the same motion as I would when cutting down with a sword. It helped me get more momentum in my movement, and my uke fell to the mat more easily.

For irimi-nage, half the class practiced while the other half sat in seiza and watched. My partner really wore me out. His timing was really good and effective. I noticed he was using the outside of his elbow to down me instead of the inside of his bicep and elbow. I figured he was a yudansha, so he knew what he was doing.

When we finished and the other half took to the mat, I plopped down on the wooden floor and finally took a break. However, a yudansha came up to me and said in English, "Would you like to practice with me?" I was so out of breath that I actually refused at first, saying that I was part of the first group. He said he would go slowly, so I got back up and was glad I did. I was able to go slowly and focus on my movements and hand/feet position when downing him. He was also very friendly and was eager to communicate with me in English. Living in Japan, I really appreciate that sometimes!

I'm really wondering how April will affect me and my training. Winter/spring break will be over and I'll be teaching six days a week, not to mention all the hours commuting every day. Sunday will be my only day off, so I'll probably do aikido training on weeknights instead. It will be tough, but I'll try and see how it is.

It's called 'training' for a reason!

I have to admit, I was tempted to use this entry to vent my frustrations concerning tonight's class. It just seemed as if nothing went well. Realizing that my frustration is probably just due to my insecurities, I have decided to remain positive; I'm sure nobody wants to hear a grown man whine (Plus, I already got it off my chest when talking to my wife!).

Kuribayashi Sensei was the instructor tonight, and we began by practicing standing breakfalls. Sensei likes to explain things a lot, and that really shows his desire to help us. He spent a significant amount of time showing us how to place our legs and feet when we fall, and he also made a point to show us exactly how far we should roll onto our backs. It was good to receive such detailed explanation.

Next, we practiced controlling uke when doing tenkan (turning when held by one wrist). It was new for me; sensei showed us how to lead uke around the mat after tori turns (uke has an awkward grasp on tori's wrist and can easily be steered around the mat). It was pretty interesting. I made the mistake of guiding my uke backwards -- all this did was cause him to straighten up again and regain control! Next, we practiced downing uke by catching him off balance after turning. By stepping forward and sweeping the grasped hand toward uke, he can easily be pushed down onto the mat.

During katate-dori shiho-nage, sensei noticed when I was doing ukemi, I was going from a kneeling position directly to my back: I should have gone from kneeling to hips to back. He had me do ukemi quite a few times for him until I got it right (while about half the class was sitting and watching!). I think I finally got it right.

The last thing we always do is line up in seiza to bow and formally end class (tonight sensei had to tell us to fix our uniforms; apparently some guys had their uniform coats open a little too wide -- a sign of disrespect). First we bow to the portrait of O-sensei (the founder of aikido) and then we bow to sensei. After we bow to the portrait, if we are sitting at the edge of the mat, we should turn a little so that we are facing sensei before bowing to him. Most students (including me) kept facing forward, so sensei had to say, "I'm not in the corner; I'm here in the center. Face me." We/I got the hint and repositioned our bodies so we were then facing sensei. I'm sure this seems like common sense, but I have never been told this, so I didn't see my error at first.

Anyway, I felt like I did so many things wrong tonight including etiquette. But I guess it's called 'training' for a reason!

The Way of Harmony

I was excited on my way to the dojo this morning because the class would be in the main dojo. The Sunday morning beginner's dojo is being renovated, so all the Sunday classes for the rest of the month will be held in the main dojo. Usually the class times are staggered, which cuts down on massive crowds in the locker room. However, for the rest of the month all the classes are held in a row; needless to say, the biggest challenge won't be in the training itself, but in navigating one's way through the locker room. A student from Moscow whom I met today seemed amazed at the number of men trying to change into their street clothes all at the same time. It must be fascinating for overseas visitors when they visit Hombu.

Irie Sensei was back from his European Aikikai trip. He seemed refreshed and invigorated, I thought as he was slamming his uke to the ground with unexpected moves. At Hombu, when instructors' ukes (partners) don't perform "up to par," instructors don't hesitate to give their unsuspecting uke a surprise jab, punch (not hard, mind you) or, with Irie Sensei, a judo-like throw.

Technically, it was a beginner's class, but many yudansha (black belts) either stayed after the previous class or came to our class since it was held in the main dojo. It was definitely more intense than what I was used to. My yudansha partners gave me a real workout (not to mention a good butt-kicking as well). It was all in good spirits; I rarely meet a student who seemingly intends to inflict pain or bodily harm on me during class.

I am in the habit of getting nervous and anxious when I am paired with a Western person. It is said that Western people are overly aggressive and forceful when practicing aikido. Since I have never practiced aikido outside of Hombu, the only non-Japanese students I have encountered are here. I cannot recall any "foreigner" who wasn't polite, respectful, or concerned about his/her partner's safety and well-being. One of my partners today for tenchi-nage (heaven and earth throw) was a fairly tall, strong Westerner (who later told me he was visiting from Moscow). My first reaction was to anticipate the wind being knocked out of me, but I was wrong. His technique was very fluid and nice to watch. I learned a lot from him. Above all, he was focused on his technique and wasn't interested in seeing how hard I could be thrown onto the mat. At times like this, I am reminded that aikido is not about sport; it is about being in harmony with one another and with the universe.

Like a Rag Doll

It really felt good to return to the dojo this morning. It has been over a week since the last time I trained. I am learning that having a newborn requires lots of time and energy! However, I will make the effort to train as much as I can. I don't feel right about continuing my frequent training without some kind of compromise with my wife: tag-team babysitting comes to mind... Where there's a will, there's a way.

Irie Sensei is currently visiting several Aikikai-affiliated dojos in Europe, so our substitute this morning was Ito Sensei. He is a shidoin (apprentice) here at hombu. In time, Ito Sensei will become a shihan (master). It seems that he doesn't have his own class to teach; I have seen him only as a substitute for Irie Sensei on Sundays.

Nevertheless, Ito Sensei's style and technique are incredible! He is known to instill a bit of dread in students of the Sunday morning beginner's class. In a class last year when Ito Sensei walked into the dojo to substitute, a student somewhere behind me actually emitted a groan. Some instructors physically "go easy" on us when they help us with a move because we are "beginners." I'm not saying that's bad; it's just that different instructors have different styles. Well, Ito Sensei doesn't hesitate to put a little realistic force into his moves when he helps us during class. I usually feel like a rag doll when I am his uke (receiving his moves)!

We started with katate-dori tenkan (body turn when held by one wrist). Since Ito Sensei didn't know the students so well, he wasn't fully aware of everyone's rank and experience in the class. Before we practice a move in every class, sensei chooses one person and demonstrates it in front of everyone. The first person he chose today didn't have any experience and didn't know what to do. Sensei spent several minutes just telling him how to stand, how to grab, etc. It was a bit awkward. After that, things went more smoothly, though.

When we practice moves such as irimi-nage (enter and throw), sometimes half the class practices while the other half observes. Sensei was making his rounds, demonstrating irimi-nage with each person. I noticed that many people were intimidated, anticipating sensei's hand on the bottom of their jaws right before being slammed down backwards on the mat. It could be because of this, but sensei went a little slower on everyone today. When it was my turn, I still felt like a rag doll being yanked around, but taking hard ukemi is a great way to learn the technique and practical application of the moves.

Right now I feel a bit more sore and tired than usual. It's always difficult to get back into the training regimen after being absent for more than a week. That's one reason why I don't like missing classes, but sometimes it can't be helped.

Hina Matsuri

My mother-in-law's hina matsuri (doll festival) display. Hina matsuri is March 3rd.