Life of Yoshi: April 2011

YoshRama

I had my first experience with an aikido sensei from Japan. We were invited by Salt Lake City Aikikai to join them in a seminar, instructed by 山根 Yamane Shihan (7th dan). He brought 5 students from his dojo to help with demonstrations and to help us learn and practice what we were being taught.

This seminar was unique in a several different ways. Since he was from Japan, did not speak English fluently, so I got to practice my limited Japanese skills, and also listen to the translator for things I might have missed. Wow, I learned that my Japanese sucks! Though I may understand enough, I can't speak well enough to hold a conversation in Japanese without being embarrassed with myself! Another difference is that he didn't focus on the techniques themselves, but the principles, the essence behind them. I asked Saito-san, a student of Yamane sensei, "what is your favorite technique?" He replied that aikido is about the spirit in which you perform the techniques, not the techniques themselves. Wow, I wasn't expecting that!

Ai - Ki - Do

Yamane sensei continuously emphasized the "Ai," the first character in "Aikido." Being connected, staying connected, and ultimately being one with your partner. He told us to practice our techniques not with the end goal of throwing our partner, but with the goal of becoming one with them, and falling together. Basically, you aren't throwing someone, you are becoming one with them, and then naturally lowering / throwing a part of yourself to the ground. You cannot connect with someone by being rigid or by forcing it. We must be relaxed and alive. Alive meaning responsive. If your uke moves, you move with them. They can't escape. Though perhaps only your wrists are in contact with each other, you connect with your entire being, not just your hand, or your arm, or your upper body.

This seminar really helped me to relax. While practicing a technique with my partner, instead of asking myself "Am I doing this right?" I would ask myself "Am I relaxed?" My physical response to this question would almost always make my execution feel smoother. Not perfect, but better.

There is a "natural order of things." Though I didn't understand this concept fully, I think he means that there is a natural flow to each technique. You can always try to force someone down, or you can let your uke attack, and the let each successive movement evolve, which eventually leads to throwing or pinning your partner. Gravity takes a huge role in this. In some aspects, you can just think of letting gravity do most of the work.

Since the focus of the seminar was not the actual techniques themselves, it would have been difficult to follow if I was not already familiar and somewhat comfortable with executing most of the techniques. Yamane sensei's students came around and corrected us once in a while, but mostly we were on our own.

I enjoyed the fact that he would pick various seminar attendees as ukes. Though he might use his students to initially demonstrate a technique, he would often call up local aikidokas and throw them so we would get a feel of what he was demonstrating. This always helps a lot, since watching can only get you so far. When you are thrown by the one who is teaching, you also get to learn through first hand experience. A couple of times when he was demonstrating a two-person attack, he would call up my husband and me. He would make us bump into each other with his techniques, smile, and make jokes about how we were a couple and that we belong together.

I found out that Yamane sensei studied under O Sensei, which I thought was pretty special. He is the first person I met that studied directly under O Sensei. Yamane sensei is such a nice and modest person. During the first session, he came around and greeted the people he had never met before, and asked our names. He wrote down the names of every one that came to the seminar into his little notebook. We had the opportunity to spend time with him off the mat as well. He is truly a sincere person and opens his heart to everyone. His lovely wife also came to the seminar. Though she did not practice aikido with us, she was always there to greet us with a smile and a bow, and I could tell she supported her husband very much.

This seminar seemed to add another dimension to my aikido. I was always focused on making sure I do everything right. Relaxing was only one of the four principles I have to keep in mind, so it only received 1/4 of my attention if not less. Also, relaxing is only the first step towards connecting with your partner. I treasure this experience, as I do all my aikido experiences. I hope this is just the first step in the many things I have yet to learn!