The Aikido Sage
It was a sunny Saturday. Five of our Aikido students took six tests. They all did quite well. Most students came to watch, to show support and to offer themselves as ukes . After weeks of intense preparation, it seemed quite a relief to everyone that the event is over. As I believe, and always remind students that, Aikido grading is supposed to be an educational experience. It is a time for the testees to show others -- and themselves -- what they can do and what they cannot do. We are not seeking perfection. It is more like taking periodic inventory. Sometimes there are surprises: some things they thought they can do very well do not pan out at all. There may also be things that students alway dread about, but they pull it off beautifully even under pressure. Hopefully, everybody, including the instructors, learn something from the process. During the post-test celebratory dinner, some students shared their feelings and insight. One student talked about the nature of Aiki
