March 1-9, 2014

8 classes total

Last week, Malory and Jonathan were in Hawaii, and Greg taught the weekday classes. I started to get settled into the new routine with Pat, and had a brief talk with Pat and Malory about deshi duties, and which items I would take on. There are a number, which I won't list here, but one is that Pat will open the dojo, and I will close the dojo.

I will say that setting a concrete achievable goal of minimum 8 (but my personal goal is 10) classes has helped me to not be inclined to skip class just because I'm feeling tired or work is getting hectic. I did not make the noon classes though, because my boss scheduled some work design brownbags. I will start blocking out those hours as OOO.

Also, my friend left her car with me last week, so it was pleasant to be able to drive home after class. I try to look at the post-class uphill climb as more training, but it's still a long walk up.

I've been jotting down the things people have been telling me all week, or have heard in various spaces:

• Train as hard as you can.* From Lea Sadler's facebook post:

"Aikido can be really good exercise, if you train hard. Getting up off the floor faster after taking ukemi is one good way to do this — as can taking higher level ukemi. You can also increase the speed of your attacks, if that corresponds to your nage's needs. (Remember nage's needs first — Aikido is a partnership, not a private exercise routine, after all.)"

• Do not talk during training — Greg
• Don’t make faces — Malory
• The first 15 minutes of training should wipe you out. Then you become a sponge. — Greg
• Approach each new encounter as if it were with a stranger, and you do not know what that stranger will do, or if they are very dangerous or not. Do not say "Hello, how are you," just "Onegashimas," and begin to train. — Greg

I appreciate Greg's feedback, because, like Jonathan, he comes from a very martial headspace. Sometimes I forget. I like being around aikido people, so sometimes the zanshin falls by the wayside, which it should not. That is why I am on the mat, after all.

*Of course, one can't just "train as hard as possible all the time" or they'll break down, unless they're a 20 year old. But I'll talk about sustainability next.