Now Or Never
As an Aikido student, one thing I really don't like to hear, but I keep hearing is the comment "Aikido does not work".
I used to wonder why some people came to check out Aikido, but after an apparently rather positive experience, they did not come back. One time, I practiced with a very good beginner. She had a fun time. I invited her to come back again during the week.
"It was fun, but I don't think I want to come back." the visitor told me. Why? What was wrong? She seemed to really enjoy class! So, why such response??? "I want to learn self defense. I want to improve my hit, but Aikido does not teach that," the visor explained.
"It is not true! 50% of the time, you are the attacker. Of course, you learn how to hit!" I protested. "Really? I practiced with quite a few people today. They are supposed to be experienced students. But, they cannot hit. Why don't they know how to hit? Obviously, they are not taught!" the visitor pointed at the people she practiced with during class. I took one look at who they were and became quiet.
Yes, she was right. I could not argue with her. I let the visitor go without further comments. However, the point she made lingers in my mind. I told myself I have to address this if, one day, I have students of my own.
All Aikido techniques start with an attack. As Kenneth Cottier Sensei taught me when I was a beginner: If there is no attack, there is no need for a technique! We take turns to attack each other not because we are angry or that we hate each other. We do that out of love and friendship: We are willing to make ourselves vulnerable so as to help each other grow. We give ourselves to each other. This is Aikido.
Many people choose Aikido because it is a non-violent martial art. Some take the idea so far that they refuse to attack their partners at all. Some friendly Aikido practitioners do not give solid attacks because they think that would be too mean to their partners. They mistakenly think that they are being helpful by missing the target with their strikes or by being limpy. There are also some who do not like to attack because they are overwhelmed by their sense of vulnerability. They are just too afraid to commit to a firm attack because it can mean having to take difficult ukemi afterwards. And, of course, there are some who truly have no idea of how to hit, even though they want to.
No matter what the reason is, poor attackers put themselves and their partners in unnecessary danger. They hurt the quality of practice at the dojo. And they give Aikido a bad name.
As Henry Kono Sensei pointed out, learning the role of uke is the most fundamental part of learning Aikido. To attack, is the most basic of an uke's jobs. By learning how to attack properly, you learn about balance, alignment, and how to use your body to deliver power.
As Henry says, Aikido is about Yin and Yang. It is the essential duality in Aikido: uke attacks with Yang energy and the nage responses with Yin energy. Without strong, clear attacks from an uke, never can a nage develop clean, strong techniques. At the same time, it is through training to be a strong uke that an Aikido student learns to become a strong nage.
Not long ago, a student almost got hurt being uke during ushiro tekubi tori practice with me. He did a half-hearted attack to the front not even aimed at me. He, then, immediately ran around me to the back. I waved my hand in front of him, trying to indicate to him that he missed me and that he was fully open. The student ran so fast without looking that he choked himself by throwing his throat into my hand. It stunned both of us. Fortunately, he was only shocked, not hurt.
This incident would not have happened had the student been more focused. I tried to explain to him why this happened and how it could have been prevented. His response was "I thought it was only practice!" I was quite saddened and troubled by this comment.
Aikido is the closest simulation of a real life or death situation. We all hope we never have to use our techniques in real life, but you never know. Aikido dojo provides a safe, controlled environment where we can run our simulations as realistically as possible so we can train some real, solid skills. We adjust the speed and strength of practice so students of all levels can keep pushing their abilities at the edge.
If "It is only practice!" is your attitude, I am afraid you may never learn Aikido. Also, you better pray real hard that you never have to face a tough situation in real life.
I used to wonder why some people came to check out Aikido, but after an apparently rather positive experience, they did not come back. One time, I practiced with a very good beginner. She had a fun time. I invited her to come back again during the week.
"It was fun, but I don't think I want to come back." the visitor told me. Why? What was wrong? She seemed to really enjoy class! So, why such response??? "I want to learn self defense. I want to improve my hit, but Aikido does not teach that," the visor explained.
"It is not true! 50% of the time, you are the attacker. Of course, you learn how to hit!" I protested. "Really? I practiced with quite a few people today. They are supposed to be experienced students. But, they cannot hit. Why don't they know how to hit? Obviously, they are not taught!" the visitor pointed at the people she practiced with during class. I took one look at who they were and became quiet.
Yes, she was right. I could not argue with her. I let the visitor go without further comments. However, the point she made lingers in my mind. I told myself I have to address this if, one day, I have students of my own.
All Aikido techniques start with an attack. As Kenneth Cottier Sensei taught me when I was a beginner: If there is no attack, there is no need for a technique! We take turns to attack each other not because we are angry or that we hate each other. We do that out of love and friendship: We are willing to make ourselves vulnerable so as to help each other grow. We give ourselves to each other. This is Aikido.
Many people choose Aikido because it is a non-violent martial art. Some take the idea so far that they refuse to attack their partners at all. Some friendly Aikido practitioners do not give solid attacks because they think that would be too mean to their partners. They mistakenly think that they are being helpful by missing the target with their strikes or by being limpy. There are also some who do not like to attack because they are overwhelmed by their sense of vulnerability. They are just too afraid to commit to a firm attack because it can mean having to take difficult ukemi afterwards. And, of course, there are some who truly have no idea of how to hit, even though they want to.
No matter what the reason is, poor attackers put themselves and their partners in unnecessary danger. They hurt the quality of practice at the dojo. And they give Aikido a bad name.
As Henry Kono Sensei pointed out, learning the role of uke is the most fundamental part of learning Aikido. To attack, is the most basic of an uke's jobs. By learning how to attack properly, you learn about balance, alignment, and how to use your body to deliver power.
As Henry says, Aikido is about Yin and Yang. It is the essential duality in Aikido: uke attacks with Yang energy and the nage responses with Yin energy. Without strong, clear attacks from an uke, never can a nage develop clean, strong techniques. At the same time, it is through training to be a strong uke that an Aikido student learns to become a strong nage.
Not long ago, a student almost got hurt being uke during ushiro tekubi tori practice with me. He did a half-hearted attack to the front not even aimed at me. He, then, immediately ran around me to the back. I waved my hand in front of him, trying to indicate to him that he missed me and that he was fully open. The student ran so fast without looking that he choked himself by throwing his throat into my hand. It stunned both of us. Fortunately, he was only shocked, not hurt.
This incident would not have happened had the student been more focused. I tried to explain to him why this happened and how it could have been prevented. His response was "I thought it was only practice!" I was quite saddened and troubled by this comment.
Aikido is the closest simulation of a real life or death situation. We all hope we never have to use our techniques in real life, but you never know. Aikido dojo provides a safe, controlled environment where we can run our simulations as realistically as possible so we can train some real, solid skills. We adjust the speed and strength of practice so students of all levels can keep pushing their abilities at the edge.
If "It is only practice!" is your attitude, I am afraid you may never learn Aikido. Also, you better pray real hard that you never have to face a tough situation in real life.
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