gavindarcy.blogspot.com
Mostly Aikido: Rubbish Ukemi is Rubbish
http://gavindarcy.blogspot.com/2009/08/rubbish-ukemi.html
Tuesday, 11 August 2009. Rubbish Ukemi is Rubbish. In training I have a tendency to think that when I can't do a technique on a paticular partner, my aikido is rubbish. It must be, I can't perform the wrist lock! Yet when I step back away from my own frustration I realize that I am standing behind my partner, having entered as they attack, focusing on trying to put a pin on his arm when he's stood there facing away from me. Performing rubbish ukemi means you don't get stretched and worked out and you fru...
gavindarcy.blogspot.com
Mostly Aikido: Ikkyo, Nikkyo, Sankyo, Yonkyo
http://gavindarcy.blogspot.com/2009/07/ikkyo-nikkyo-sankyo-yonkyo.html
Thursday, 16 July 2009. Ikkyo, Nikkyo, Sankyo, Yonkyo. Ikkyo, Nikkyo, Sankyo, Yonkyo. 1st principle, 2nd principle, third principle, 4th principle. Ikkyo is the primary technique in aikido. From ikkyo flows nikkyo, sankyo and yonkyo. The same opening movement is used in all four techniques. Indeed, if you get the opening movement right you don't need the specific pin that defines a paticular technique. Then as soon as you start thinking about it, or competing with it, it all falls apart.
gavindarcy.blogspot.com
Mostly Aikido: Take a moment
http://gavindarcy.blogspot.com/2009/01/take-moment.html
Thursday, 29 January 2009. My job can be stressful, when I take myself too seriously. There are so many people around me taking themselves and what is done unto them seriously, that it's hard not to follow suit. My teacher is always saying one should take what you do seriously, but not yourself. I think this works really well with the philosophy that what people do or say to you should not be taken personally. You are the company. 160;You can't let her talk to me like that! For example) how the hell are...
gavindarcy.blogspot.com
Mostly Aikido: Mixing it Up
http://gavindarcy.blogspot.com/2009/01/mixing-it-up_16.html
Friday, 16 January 2009. This last seven days I have trained more with strangers than I have my regular aikidoka and it's been a terrific experience. I spent Sunday morning and early afternoon with the fantastic and formidable Gordan Jones (6th dan, UKA. And at least forty other people studying kaiten (thank you Mark Walsh for explaining, after four hours of practicing it and getting it wrong, what kaiten actually is). Training with new people is also a fantastic way of truly testing your aikido. ...
gavindarcy.blogspot.com
Mostly Aikido: Rib damage
http://gavindarcy.blogspot.com/2009/04/rib-damage.html
Wednesday, 29 April 2009. So am recovering from misogi finally. Quite achy the last two days! Foolishly tried to do my hundred sword cuts the morning after the 2500 cuts and got to about 25 before I had to stop from screaming wrists. Found a bit of jo swinging much nicer. After some googling on t'internet I have concluded I cracked a rib a couple of weeks ago falling onto Tom Hume's knee in the dojo! Jesus - aikido mastery (hah! Does not come cheap! 29 April 2009 at 16:38. 30 April 2009 at 12:58.
gavindarcy.blogspot.com
Mostly Aikido: The Camping Bug
http://gavindarcy.blogspot.com/2009/05/camping-bug.html
Friday, 29 May 2009. So we've got the camping bug. After my first ever succesful (as in enjoyable and comfortable) camping trip last weekend, we are off to Bodiam, east and a little north of our current location (which is how you start thinking when you become a seasoned outdoorsman) this weekend for our second trip of the summer! And it's supposed to be a hot one. And I've made a deal that ensures we are back in time for me to make it to the dojo on Sunday also - having cake AND eating it, awesome.
gavindarcy.blogspot.com
Mostly Aikido: Own the Mat
http://gavindarcy.blogspot.com/2009/01/own-mat.html
Friday, 9 January 2009. Am currently reading several books and have put them aside temporarily to go through a nice, if somewhat cheesy, little book by an American sensei, George Leonard. He writes about this lovely little concept that could be misunderstood as ego manic but is actually a brilliant way to put into practice acceptance or non resistance. I love this concept and am using it everywhere I go today. I visit alot of different sites in my job, entering alot of offices as a face that ma...Subscr...
gavindarcy.blogspot.com
Mostly Aikido: One Point
http://gavindarcy.blogspot.com/2009/06/one-point.html
Monday, 15 June 2009. I decided over the weekend to approach aikido slightly differently. I will take one paticular aspect of aikido and focus on that for the whole class. So yesterday I chose my stance, in paticluar, making a nice deep stance in every technique and exercise. In an art as technically complex and sophisticated as aikido it's easy to get lost in techniques and angles and figuring out what you're supposed to be doing. Take one aspect of it and do that really well.
