Dojo Update — February 2005

by Robert Wolfe

We’re now a month into our revised Tuesday/Thursday class schedule, as described in the update last month, and things are working out very well. Shifting the class starting time half an hour later has made things much easier for a number of members, as has having a full hour for open mat practice and individualized help prior to practice. For myself, and several others who were training in both aikido and Shinto Muso-ryu Jo on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, there is the added benefit of being able to drive harder in the aikido practice without worrying about making it through a second, hour-and-a-half session immediately following. And I especially like being again able to spend 15 minutes or so stretching after practice.

Aikido Class Plan for 2005

The curriculum for our aikido program is divided into two sections:

• Honden waza — the 40 variations on 15 fundamental techniques that comprise the test sets from Gokyu through Ikkyu, drawn almost entirely from the material taught us by Ellis Amdur.

• Soden waza — “inherited” techniques taught us by Ellis or other visiting instructors of aikido or aikijujutsu, not included in the promotion requirements but used as a change of pace in regular practices or as study material for senior members of the aikidokai.

I’ve set myself the goal of working our aikido class through the honden waza in the first half of this year. Starting this month, the dojo calendar of events will display the class topics I’ve planned for Tuesday and Thursday practices. Saturday practices will be planned just a day or so in advance, to allow some flexibility in the schedule, and Wednesday sessions will continue to be run according to assistant instructor John Butz’s preferences.

We’ll be working through the curriculum in the order of the kyu exams. This does not mean we’ll be studying each technique only once during the six months of the plan. Instead, when working introductory-level techniques we’ll likely use higher-level versions of the techniques as variations. When addressing nikyu or ikkyu-level techniques, we’ll use the basics to work into the advanced forms or we’ll split the juniors off so that they can focus on the version of the techniques they most need. Every technique in the fundamental curriculum will be hit multiple times during the course of the class plan.

The intent of this advance planning at the class level is to optimize the benefits of training. Planning is also something I most strongly recommend Itten aikido students do on an individual basis, for the same reason. Here’s how to go about it:

1. Train regularly. Implement a regular practice schedule. In the old karate dojo we used to say, “Once a week is too much, and twice a week isn’t enough.” What we meant is that training once a week is good for maintenance of your current level of skill but not steady progress, and does little more than insure you’ll be sore all the time. Twice a week is enough to accomplish something, but practicing three times a week is more likely to yield the results most people are looking for. Sure, you can progress on two practices, or even just one formal practice each week if you spend an adequate amount of time outside of class training on your own. But are you doing that?

2. Set promotion goals. Rank isn’t all that important. But the process of getting rank is very important and is the source of many of the most practical lessons learned in budo, things such as building self-discipline and determination, setting and accomplishing realistic goals over the short-term and long-term, balancing competing demands on your time and attention, getting in better shape, enhancing your self-confidence, and accommodating the ups-and-downs of life.

What are realistic promotion goals? New students should aim to pass the first exam (Gokyu) within three to six months of starting aikido. Thereafter, it will take at least six months of focused practice to prepare for subsequent exams. All told, you can expect a minimum of three years to reach shodan (first-degree black-belt). If it takes more than five years to reach shodan within our curriculum, either something is seriously interfering with your training regularly or you’re just not serious about becoming a black-belt.

3. Take advantage of open mat periods. The only way to prepare efficiently for promotion exams is to make use of the time available in open mat periods. You’re not going to be able to polish test sets to the requisite level of skill without a lot of repetitions and, unless you have mats and a training partner in your basement, that means getting to open mat periods.

Your regular routine upon arriving at the dojo should be warm-up and stretch, practice some ukemi, and then grab your partner and hit the test set. Practice as much as you know of the set, straight through, as though you were testing, and then go back and work on any problem areas. If you make a mistake during the set, cover it as best you can by whatever technique you can muster – above all, don’t stop – and thereby practice recoveries so that an error during an actual test does not result in your becoming flustered and stopping dead (which will result in failing the test).

When you’re practicing your test sets during open mat periods prior to class, you can be assured that the instructors will be noting your progress and offering suggestions. The instructors should also teach the next technique required in your set as soon as we notice you’re ready for it. If for some reason we don’t notice, ask. Provided a quick review indicates you’re ready, the technique will be taught. The important point is that you are not constrained to learning a new technique when it comes up in the class plan.

Although in some traditions asking for another technique is a major faux pas, that’s not the case in our aikido class. Each of us is responsible for our own progress through the curriculum, and it is entirely appropriate and proper to act on that responsibility.

4. Attend seminars. We typically have just two chances each year to train with Ellis Amdur, the person guiding our training. Even the newest and least experienced members of the aikido class will benefit immeasurably by working with Ellis, and it is a great waste to pass up any opportunity to train with him. Our next opportunity will be later this month, when Ellis will visit our dojo for three days of seminars (one day for members-only; two days are open seminars).

5. Stick with it. Another saying we had in the old karate dojo was, “Fight or quit.” There are few things in life that are not a matter of, “Do it, or don’t do it,” and probably the greatest single benefit of budo is conditioning yourself to choose “Do it,” even when doing it is difficult, scary, painful, unpopular, or simply tedious.

It is a constant source of amazement to me how many people begin training and then drop out for what appear utterly inconsequential reasons, things like, “I’m gonna be kinda busy this month,” or “I wanted to get to three practices each week, but I can only make two and that just isn’t worth the tuition,” or “Aikido is hard.” These are actual quotes (believe it or not) from students who lasted a matter of weeks, and I, in my typically accommodating and non-judgmental way, wonder if the people who uttered these comments will ever achieve anything in their lives. Okay, so budo is not for everyone. But, “I’m kinda busy…”!?! C’mon…

Kudos to Caleb

I’ve quoted sayings from the old karate dojo twice already this month — I might as well make it three times.

A frequent joke heard in the dojo was, “The only valid reason to miss practice is a death in the family. Preferably your own…”

One of the younger members of our Shinto Muso-ryu jodokai missed practice on January 24^th, but his “excuse” was life, rather than death. Caleb was in Washington, DC that day, participating in the March for Life.

Ueshiba Morihei, the founder of aikido, is reported by his son to have said, “The source of budo is God’s love — the spirit of loving protection for all beings.” I think implicit in the founder’s words is the sense “especially those unable to protect themselves,” and I would be hard pressed to name any being as defenseless as an unborn child.

Caleb’s participation in the march was as fine an example of budo in action as I’ve seen lately, and I’m very proud of him.

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