Pushing Oranges

I was chatting with a former Aikido student.  Hands down, he is the most talented Aikido student I have ever encountered.  It was such a pleasure to teach someone like him.  He often made me think, "If I had that level of talent, by now, I would be levitating . . . " 

Unfortunately, he moved away.  In his new environment, the Aikido scene is not very satisfying at all.  Together with the pressure from his new job and family obligations, after trying for a period of time, he was resigned to the decision of giving up Aikido practice.

During our conversation, he shared his observations about some Aikido instructors:  When he pairs up with them at seminars, many instructors can throw well, but as ukes, they cannot take ukemi and have very little stamina.  

I could not argue with him because I share the same observation.  

"As an instructor, can you explain the phenomenon to me?" he asked.

"To begin with, how much someone is willing to apply themselves is really a personal decision.  We all may slack off because they have become more experienced and technically proficient.  I can't say I have never done it myself . . ."

Then, I paused to give it a little more thoughts.  

"But more importantly, I think instructors' development can sometimes be limited by their regular training partners -- aka their students.  If the only partners they have to practice with are inexperienced people, not only do they have to hold back a lot as nage, but they also have very few opportunities to take challenging ukemi as uke.  Honestly, students can be a constraint in their instructors' training."

While I was hypothesizing what might have happened to other instructors, I was also speaking from my own experience.  For many years, even though our students have been making a lot of progress in their studies, since they are our students, their movements are so predictable to me that I can practice an entire class with them without breaking a sweat.  Aikido is no longer a source of physical exercises for me.  

Hopefully, however, things are about to change . . .

On this Saturday, Mike was teaching.  I helped students practice by taking ukemi for them.  Given the way the class was going and the way I was feeding them attacks, a woman student got her a-ha moment and really made some breakthrough in her ikkyo.  

Ever since I started teaching Aikido, this is the first time ever that a student can throw me.  I really had to make some effort to take ukemi for her.  For about 30 minutes, I practiced with the three most experienced students on the mat in the same manner, taking ukemi for them to push them forward.  🥵

Different people responded differently to this approach, but they all made significant improvements within a short time.  It was exhilarating.

In the changing room, the two women students were still all excited about what happened in class.  I applauded them wholeheartedly, "Finally, my own students can throw me!  It's a big day.  Congratulations to you!  Congratulations to me.  Congratulations to us all!"

They were all smiles from ear to ear.  😅😅😅🎉

Given their success, I took the opportunity to explain something to them. 

"Have you ever heard of the analogy of pushing an orange out of a bowl?"  

The girls look perplexed.

"It is really what it sounds: if you want to push an orange out of a bowl, you have to keep pushing in one go.  You cannot stop in the middle of the process and say, 'I'll come back to it later.'  It is either now or never.  If you let it drop, all efforts will be lost.  It will be back to zero.  Next time, you will have to start all over again.  Before you find your way back to where you are now, you really can't expect further progress.  Today we just found many oranges and we pushed them out of your bowls!"  

"We sure did!  Yay!!!"  The girls threw their hands in the air triumphantly.  🙌🙌

I went on to share with the girls my thoughts.  "You have been with us for many years.  I know you were annoyed at me many times because I kept pushing you.  You must wondered why I kept staying on your case and would not let you go.  The truth is: you were having these 'Orange in Bowl' moments.  I could see that you would be rid of the orange if you would just push a little bit further.  The problem is that I saw the oranges and I knew the bowls; you didn't.  You were at a point when you felt like you have done absolutely everything you know and you have given everything you got.  It is brand new territory for you.  You saw no orange and you have no idea of what bowl I was talking about.  You gotta understand:  I was not just telling you to push an orange, I was there to push the orange with you.  Still, you have no idea what I was trying to do for you.  

You know what?  Now that you have gotten to this level of proficiency, and that you have experienced what it is like pushing an orange, if you wish to push some more, we can do it together again.  The questions is:  Do you want to?"

One of the students looked at the very sweaty me with Bambi eyes, "Meipo san, thank you for what we do for us.  But it's a lot of work for you . . ."

"It's ok.  It is what I am here for."  I looked into my student's beautiful, twinkly eyes.  

"For many years, somebody else spent their time on me and trained me.  It is my turn to train you.  It makes me very happy.  Plus, I will get to practice more.  It is good for me."

"Yeah!  Let's push more oranges!!!" The other student cheered.

So, listen up, Oranges in the Bowls, we are coming for you!  😏

Hello, Stamina, get ready to be my friend again.  😄