Finally an Aikido weekend!

Finally an Aikido weekend!

One of my life principle is never refusing free stuff, especially when given by the employer! It applies to food and services, but, after some thinking, I have decided for the second time since I moved to China to not join the colleagues in a company offered trip. And like the first time the reason has nothing to do with the people, but on a physical need: the need to practice Aikido!!

In fact also this time the company proposed a quite interesting trip the same weekend I had planned to go to Hangzhou for practice: tomorrow! This month also I worked a full weekend and I have already another weekend scheduled for overtime, so then I was risking to not manage to practice a single day! Given my condition already sucks, but at least the ankle seems to have finally “almost” recovered, I cannot let go the chance to practice. Especially after I read on FB (my real pain, the reason I do not miss it so much!) all the trips and seminars my Norwegian friends especially are going to enjoy during the summer.. and of course the summer vacations! Something I do not have anymore.

So, given that after long thinking I had decided to not go to Shanghai for the Saturday mini-seminar organized at Xijiao dojo (Friday is my birthday, so I can’t travel that day, spending it with my few good friends in Hefei – Saturday I went to Suzhou as birthday present!). Then tomorrow I will leave in parallel to my colleagues (train for me, super comfot bus for them!) toward Hangzhou where maybe I will be able to meet them in the evening to hang out together!

But finally I will have some Aikido. Even if several of Hangzhou friends managed very well to pass graduation in Beijing during Irie sensei seminar, I have thought to work on basics. Because it is in kihon that I see the main weakness of Aikido in China! They can all do many variations, applying several techniques, but the form is far from being satisfactory! Endo sensei for instance wants for graduations only basic techniques, not funny performances! When I graded to nidan he stop some of the other people grading as well asking them to perform again some techniques and show kihon forms. Actually the first time that he stops the exam he shouted my name: “Andrea!” So I bowed and loudly replied with “Hai, sensei!”.. and he looked at me.. and say: “Oh.. right, Andrea is you!! No, no, I meant ****”, saying the name on the guy grading just behind me.. that was not doing what sensei wanted! ..and so I could again breath normally!!

Apart from grading memories, for me all goes back to something I repeat often: learn to walk before start running. Build a strong base in your Aikido, then the variations will not appear as you are trying hard to make something special, but they will just be a natural aspect of your own techique.

So I can foresee lots of kokyuoho, especially from morotedori attack, and a good work on shomenuchi ikkyo. With these two techniques, everything else is a piece of cake.. almost! I think I will work on some posture – taisabaki exercises from Endo sensei related to shomenuchi different control ways. A good work for uke as well, even if before start feeling “properly” the uke side my friends will need more practice with “the real thing”.. I mean, sensei.. that will come back to China in October.

Rainy weekend, great for practice, since Hangzhou in summer is really hot!

Have a good weekend folks!