The Mat as Teacher

The paradox of trying to respond properly to technique without the ability to truly feel nage's movement was a curiosity that I only began to understand when I gave up trying to figure it out.

Ukemi, as much as anything, teaches the effect of technique and being willing and capable of moving is a pre-requisite to ukemi. Rolling is one of the best teachers of movement. The mat instructs us immediately on our success and successful rolling requires relaxed, extended, centered movement.

The link below is a video by Donovan Waite, Sensei, who thoroughly explains the concept of "meeting the mat".

The ‘Welcome Mat’

Like many other folks I studied other martial arts before coming to Aikido, and I researched many more. A major attraction of Aikido is the opportunity to continue getting better in spite of (because of?) an aging body. I can’t punch or kick as hard or as fast as I used to, but I do move a whole lot better.

One great gift of our dojo is Sensei’s effort to provide opportunities to train even when life presents its frequent obstacles. Part of training is sometimes working around those obstacles and sometimes working with them. I would rather train once or twice a month than not train at all. I think it is much harder to re-start a consistence practice than to hold on by your fingertips. Either way, Sensei always gives tremendous support to students no matter where they are in their training. That stability and encouragement enriches our training whether it is our first day or our twenty-fifth year.

Therefore, as everyone’s training is affected by an undulating life (births, deaths, work, etc.), it is good training to bring the mat with you, to welcome it into the rest of your life and in that way never cease training. The learning we gain from employing Aikido in everyday living (balance, vitality, compassion, etc.) has enhanced meaning when we return to our dojo and its ever-welcoming mat. Either way, the training never stops.

Somewhere between arrogance and fear . . .

Creating conflict is as easy as looking at someone, ignoring him/her, invading personal space. Reacting to conflict is almost as easy. One’s role in a conflict (a natural consequence of human interaction) falls within the sphere between being afraid of the conflict and relishing the chance to put someone in his place. Responding is not so easy because it requires training. On the mat we train in the paradox of being strong (by relaxing our fear) and supple (by relinquishing arrogance) so that we can sense uke’s attack and redirect it. We explore our own tendencies toward fear and/or arrogance and train our bodies to respond with strength and suppleness so that our reactions do not get us into more trouble or cause us to do things we will regret.

A Clean Table Top

If you’ve ever read the Carlos Castenada books (The Teachings of Don Juan, etc.), there is a great passage in one of them where Don Juan compares the mind to a table top. We usually walk around with a cluttered table top, maybe even stained and full of crumbs. The clear, calm, peaceful mind is a clear table top.

Training in the dojo has a lot to do with breaking down old patterns of moving, responding, and thinking in order to instill more effective methods of interacting with the world. Humility is a major part of this training- relinquishing the ego so you don’t react with a need to defend it; training a constant sense of respect for the people around you (without whom, training would be impossible).

We train this humility and respect with our first step into the dojo. We leave outside conflicts outside and acknowledge the special place where we learn Aikido. Part of that humility and respect is keeping the place in good shape. Cleaning the dojo is like cleaning the table top, refreshing the energy in the dojo is an act of humility, yes, but gratitude as well. The dojo is what we make it and if we take our training seriously it is up to us to prepare the space. Like keeping a clean gi, keeping a clean dojo is a great way to train awareness, extension, and connection. It is our center as a community.

Dojo Cleaning: May 27- 6:30. Please make it if you can or inquire if there is something you can do at a different time that will be helpful.

Many Thanks.

Inspecting the Diamond’s many sides

The first time I entered our dojo and watched Sensei teaching class, I knew something was going on that I could not see, and I was hooked.

The study that takes place in dojos like ours all around the world is the result of many roads converging within and then re-emerging from

one person. O Sensei postulated, shaped, and founded Aikido based on a lifetime of martial arts study and personal martial experience. His first students were highly skilled and accomplished martial artists from a range of systems, including Karate and Ju Jit Su. They say he (and the art he created) was like a diamond, which is brilliant from any perspective but not exactly the same on all sides.

Sensei is a strong proponent for seeing other perspectives (he often mentions soft eyes). By remaining the empty cup, we give ourselves the opportunity to understand the diamond from more than one side. That’s why it is good rishiki (dojo etiquette) to follow the instruction of whoever is leading the class as closely as possible, because that effort is your best chance to understand the perspective of the Aikidoka (practitioner of Aikido) instructing.

Welcome to the WRC Blog

This blog is here for three reasons:

To communicate dojo news and protocols with members, including upcoming events.

To celebrate events at the dojo.

To invite prospective new members to learn about Aikido and visit our dojo.