Yamada Sensei (Yoshimitsu Yamada, 8th Dan, Shihan) came to Aikdio of Dallas for the Kagami Biraki seminar. I made it Saturday (4 sessions/hours) and Sunday (2 session/hours) and after Saturday's class there were shodan and nidan tests.
The last seminar I went to was the same one in 2007 and it may be that I am three years older and *** pounds heavier but by the last class on Sunday I was wiped out. I made it through the last class (barely), and only after a nap and few glasses of wine do I feel my old self.
The Upside: Twice Yamada Sensei demonstrated a technique on me, nikkyo (GREAT!!) and something else that I was too worn out to remember (it was during the second session on Sunday). And once he watched me apply a technique and when he walked by he said "good". It was probably because he saw me do it horribly the first time and the second time I almost got it, at least I think he was talking about me. Anyway definitely highlights.
The Downside: Whatever I have learned over the past few years I forgot (EVERYTHING). I was a complete dunce with everybody I worked with. I don't know what happened but I was one stupid Aikdota It was a good experience but also humbling and a little depressing since I really felt how poor my aiki-mojo is. I think when you are working with people you know, are relaxed with and you all have the same teacher and are coming form the "same place", you end up helping each other a bit too much.
One strange thing was one time as I watched Yamada Sensei demonstrate something, I saw it, but between my failing hearing and his quiet English I didn't hear the name of the technique he was demonstrating. And I took each part I caught as something totally new. Which I suppose is good in that it should have made me fresh but I didn't recognize that it was tenchi nage. I was so focused on trying to remember what he showed, where the hands were and your body moved, that I missed the message I might have caught if I connected it to the tenchi nage I already knew.
The other odd part was Yamada's Shodan comments about the tests that he judged. Two guys from our dojo and four from other dojos tested for shodan ( black belt ) and the condensed message was “Four maybes, one fail, one just barely but I'm going to be a nice guy”. So I think everybody got their cool black coolats.
I may be prejudiced but I thought our guys did pretty well but those “others” were a bit weak. But to be positive, the lesson I take from it is that IF I ever get to that stage I hope I really have all the basics rock solid even when I am not expecting them. I think I saw one guy stuck trying to pull nikkyo out of a repeated shiho nage start, he just kept from making the wrong start and end up with shiho nage when he was supposed to finish with nikkyo. At least that is the way it looked.
I hope by the time I get there, if ever, I will be prepared. And the lesson from that is that I need to get started now. When I took my 3rd kyu test I managed to remember most of it for the test but if asked today I would be hard pressed to complete it now. So that bit plus how weak I was working with everybody this weekend makes it clear how much I need to practice.
* Kobayashi Maru : The test's name is occasionally used among Star Trek fans or those familiar with the series to describe a no-win scenario.
2 comments:
While I understand the points that Yamada sensei was making, I was proud of our guys performances. I thought they got through their techniques really well -- no hesitation -- the knew there stuff. I think that perhaps we should help them practice randori a bit more. I really appreciated Yamada sensei's comments about balance. I try to be conscious of my balance at practice, but as you get tired it gets harder to keep good balance. I am not making it a priority all over again - that, and avoiding the attack and establishing position. The basics.
Ooops. Meant to say "I am NOW making it a priority..." hahahah
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