We have started a new semester in our practice sessions. As such, we have many new people who have little to no experience with Aikido. This isn't a problem as we always strive to teach our practice to others so that we can spread the harmony and peace that Aikido can bring. Our dojo becomes a bit crowded and the available space to get in a 'good' throw is limited. This isn't a problem, as we learn that we can employ our techniques anywhere and the variations that the real world brings to us can allow us to explore new twists to something that we feel we know.
The problem is...
That 'new guy' just didn't attack me right...or, he didn't know that I wanted him to fall in a certain way. Well, this is a problem, not for the new practitioner, but for us; the 'experienced' aikidosa. If we find that practicing any technique with an inexperienced person does not produce the outcome that we desire, we have no one else to blame but ourselves.
Did we really reach out and connect with our uke? Did we work with the energy given? Did we follow through with our center?
For now, let's just say that, "It would work better if my uke knew how to attack." Cause every reasonable attacker out there knows how.
Aikido Club at UVU is a great way for students to experience the art of Aikido. Aikido is derived from the samurai arts through a branch of aiki-jujitsu. Though it is a martial art, it was created as a way to foster peaceful conflict resolution. Aikido teaches how to use various forms of passive resistance and joint locks to provide an attacker with opportunities to reconsider his actions. Come learn with us.
Beginners are beginners! They need to be taught. Training is just a process of learning certain moves. Especially in aikido, when learning a specific technique, a specific type of attack is needed. To get that specific attack, it needs to be taught. And likewise, if a specific type of ukemi is desired, it also needs to be taught. It's just training.
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