Aikido Training Update; Feb 2013

So I’ve actually begun regular trainings again. This is due to my request on becoming part of the children’s teaching staff once again.

Once again? Yes, some of my loyal readers might remember a certain situation almost two years ago where I had to leave the dojo for a while. Among the things that I had to give up was asked to give up my position.

For over a year (except for the month of August last year) I only came like 3 or 4 times a month, my skills noticeably went down and while although some of you had some great ideas of training off the mat, I was distracted by end-of-the-school-year projects and my teaching internship from August to December.

Projects which by the way, have me more determined to avoid an elementary teaching career.

But that’s for a different post. Anyway, so I’ve reached an agreement with my Sensei. The trade: teach at least 1 hour of children’s/teen’s Aikido class per week and have your monthly dues waived.

Not bad at all

~

While this is great and all, I do have a concern in the event that I am to head off overseas, I will cut off my training short of obtaining my black belt. If any of you missed it, my Sensei asked me last month to test for black belt this coming December.

As mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve arrived at the conclusion that getting belt is not on my priority list and that, perhaps slightly in a selfish way, getting my career and the rest of my life started.

I feel that I have to tell my Sensei this; he and my other Sensei have invested so much into my training so to leave right before the big test would be a little…disheartening (?) to both parties. But, I feel that this year is the year that great things will happen to me, both the good, the great, and the not-so-much. For example, I’ve been living in my parent’s place for over 5 years now since the year I returned from Los Angeles. It feels like it’s time for me to move out and move one to bigger and better things.

No where is it more evident than in my training on the mat:

• My ukemi made a major leap just this past week. In the previous years, my ukemi has only step-by-step increased, though with little fundamental changes in my movement. This time however, it was as it’s someone else’s ukemi that being performed in front of the class.
• My movements have become more…how should I word it: concise and explosive. Okay, that doesn’t sound good – but when I compare it to my previous years of slow, casual, “Without base” movement. In the past, “explosiveness” often resulted in me being unbalanced in both the physical and mind/body functions. These days, it’s different.

These are the two main things that are happening. I’m sure that more will come. In conclusion, I’m hoping that whatever may come first, that I make the wise and best decision for my life. Aikido has become a part of my life, but I guess the flip side of this is that, I still have the life outside of the dojo to take care off, and I need to focus on that the most.

About these ads