Which technique are you currently on?

[Yari]

Welcome reader


Which technique are you currently investigating? (working on).

I've been looking into irimi-tenkan for a long time. Specially the moment just at the beginging af the irimi. Should the foot turn a once, or is there a slight movement forward first? Right now I believe the later....

How about you, wha tare you working on right now?

/Yari

 

[Aikikitty]

Well, in a single class we can work on 3 or 4 different techniques and we don't usually spend the whole class on a single technique (unless it's same technique, different variations or attacks). But last week, our sensei told my mom and I that we need to work on Shomenuchi Shiho Nage. Probably because either of us who's nage keeps forgetting how it starts.

However, I have had a VERY intense breakfall fear for 3 years and just two weeks ago, I worked past it. (It wasn't really 'me' alone who got past it actually as I started praying about my fear and I had several people praying for me and that's what really changed it.) Anyway, I'm now (willingly) working on the low and medium breakfalls (and feeling happy about it) and eventually I'll work up to the higher ones. It's SO wonderful because I have loved Aikido EXCEPT for the breakfall parts because of such an intense fear I had. Now, it's like that big wall of fear is melted away and I feel lighter. Soon I can love and enjoy ALL parts of Aikido!!!!! :asian:

Robyn :asian:

 

[theletch1]

I've been working on a lot of different techs but the one I'm trying to concentrate the most on right now is ikkyo nage (arm bar throw in my style). I like the tech because it can be used off of just about any attack. My problem comes in when I try to get control of the elbow once the arm bends. That's why I go to class I reckon, practice, practice and practice some more.

Opal Dragon, I'm glad that you got over your fear of learning breakfalls. Falling has never been a problem for me but some of the higher breakfalls still give me a problem now and then. We have one fellow in our class that flops around like he has springs in his butt. Repition is your best friend for breakfalls, I think. If you fall often enough it becomes second nature.

 

[Aikikitty]

Thanks letch. "Springs in his butt"! That's funny! Learning to fall has been one of the hardest things for my mom and I but we are actually very slow at learning everything! But yes, repetition is the key (or ki)! I didn't have a chance to try any breakfalls last night but I got my very first concussion in class! Very weird feeling but I feel fine this morning.

Robyn :asian:

 

[Yari]

If you get a concussion, take it easy!

Learning to fall isn't easy, so doen't worry it'll come.
And doen't worry that it takes time. If your enjoying it, your learning it, and that's the point!

/Yari

 

[theletch1]

If your enjoying it, your learning it, and that's the point!

Excellent phrase, Yari. I like it.

Opal Dragon, that concussion can be a doozy for a while even if you feel fine. Take it very easy for a while. That skull is your brain bucket, ya know. Glad to hear that the injury hasn't dampened your enthusiasm for the art. I feel for ya, I broke yet another toe tonight in class. It's a really nice purple and blue right now. The one beside it is already at a 45 degree angle from a previous break so taping it to the broken one may not be much help for the healing. There is something to be said for a group of people that get their skulls cracked and bones broken and just say "Man! was that a great class or what?!"

 

[Yari]

Originally posted by theletch1
There is something to be said for a group of people that get their skulls cracked and bones broken and just say "Man! was that a great class or what?!"

That's normal, or is it just the people I have around me?

:rofl:

/Yari

 

[theletch1]

It is most definetly the company we keep. I've been training a new driver at work for the last week or so and he accompanies me to my aikido class to wait for me. He just shakes his head and wonders why anyone would put themselves through that kind of pain and actually have fun doing it.

 

[Aikikitty]

It's been 2 days and I still feel headachy (sometimes more than others) and dizzy (when I move or walk too fast). My mom doesn't think I got a 'real' concussion because she thinks my headache would be much worse than it is. I'm trying to take it easy for whatever it is but I still want to go to class tonight! However if I feel later like I am right now, I might have to just watch. It's just weird as after it happened, a few minutes later I felt alright enough to continue class and I even continued being Sensei's uke for the rest of the class. Yesterday and today so far, I've felt more dizzy than I did in class and it's not like I'm rolling around or anything. Weird.

Letch, I'm sorry you broke a toe!!! :erg: I've never broken anything before so I'm scared about that but it sounds like you're used to it. Since I've now had it, I'm not afraid of concussions (or almost concussions) any more. Is that how it is guys? Once it happens, you get over it and it's an inconvenience and hurts but it doesn't scar (emotionally, mentally) you forever, huh??? It's probably different for different people, right?

Robyn :asian:

 

[theletch1]

It is certainly different for different people. I am indeed used to breaking toes and fingers and....well, you get the picture. I grew up out in the country/woods and played REALLY rough as a kid, then 7 years as a Marine and now martial arts and driving a truck for a living so injuries are a fairly regular thing for me. Several of us in class last night were chuckling because there are many many people in the class that have something taped up. Wrists seem to be the big thing right now. There were 4 of us with tape on one wrist or another. The fact that you are looking forward to returning to training tonight is a great sign. Too often folks are turned off by injuries and just don't go back. Having said that Let me say this....your brain is nothing to get careless with. Train with caution if you train at all. If you are still feeling dizzy in a day or two please have your mom take you to a doctor. Remember that she's not a mind reader so you'll have to keep her updated on how you are feeling. Good luck and happy training.

 

[Aikikitty]

Well, we ended up not going to class at all tonight partly because of my head but mostly because of the bad weather. So I'm just going to try to take it as easy as possible until Saturday morning (I don't want to miss Kaishi Waza!!!). Your right about being careful so if I start getting dizzy, I'll stop.

I've never been a rough person or liked roughness so I don't train that way. I'm naturally cautious (especially when I was a kid) so I never try to do the techniques on uke too fast otherwise out of my own clumsiness, I might hurt somebody. I also don't like others going fast or being rough on me for the same reason. Thankfully, that doesn't happen often. Slower and with emphasis on fluidity and control is how we're constantly told to do the technique (and how I prefer). Speed can come later but it'll be pretty neat someday when I can actually do techniques quickly and effectively without killing myself or uke in the process!
Maybe in 10 years!

Robyn :asian:

 

[theletch1]

I think that you may have a better grasp on aikido than I do. I've always been rough and tumble and it shows in most aspects of my life. The style of aikido that I practice is not an off shoot of Usheiba style and does not delve as deeply into the meditative side of things. As a style we tend to be a bit more aggressive if you can wrap that word around aikido at all. Good luck and let us know how saturday training went.

 

[Aikikitty]

Hi Letch!

I've only been to 2 Aikido seminars so far but a few of the people that I've met (often blackbelts) are rougher in their training and style (in how they throw people and execute their techniques, I mean) than we are. I've also met plenty of blackbelts who do their technques just as effectively but are really gentle! It's just different with how everybody in their dojo trains and what they're used to. So far, 2 or 3 of what I call 'the roughest' people in Aikido that I've met were actually blackbelts in the head school of our small organization! I think it greatly depends on how the head sensei of your dojo is and trains. If mine was really rough and fast, I would have either grown accustomed to that way or have been scared off.

Class this morning was a lot of fun! I could only participate for the first 15 or 20 minutes before I had to sit out from dizzyness. About 10 minutes later, I went back in just so I could try the Keishi (sp?) Waza Kotigieshi technique that everyone else was doing. I was planning to go sit out and rest again after I did the technique anyway but even if I didn't want to, I had to go sit out from getting dizzy again. (At least I'm not seeing double or anything like that.)

Still, it was a fun class and even though I couldn't do much, I'm happy that I got to go. After class, when we all went out for our usual coffee together, my headache returned again but it's never been painful enough to take medication for (except once yesterday). Still, I'm wondering how long I'm going to feel this way and if it's 'normal'. I REALLY don't want to pay to go see a doctor if this is 'normal' and there's nothing that can be done about it except rest. >sigh<

Robyn :asian:

 

[Yari]

Originally posted by The Opal Dragon
I think it greatly depends on how the head sensei of your dojo is and trains. If mine was really rough and fast, I would have either grown accustomed to that way or have been scared off.

I'm jumping in here.... I agree. We have the same thing in our Dojo. Peoples personality shon through there Aikido.

I REALLY don't want to pay to go see a doctor if this is 'normal' and there's nothing that can be done about it except rest. >sigh<

I can understand the frustration of going to the doctor and paying money, just to find out that there isn't anything wrong. But it's a kind of insurance.

If it's the first time you've had a concussion of this kind, you don't know the sign's. So you could be walking around with something serious. But going to the doctor give's you the insurance that what your feeling is OK. So next time, you know and won't go to the doctor before it feels worse.

When it comes to the head, you need to relax. Don't push it. You could get brain ingury (sp?). You might not feel you have it, and it miight not show now, but it could come later. So take it easy.

THe dizzyness, isn't a sign of "pratice too much", but a sign of you shouldn't have trained at all. Specially things that make your head "boing", should be avoided at all.

/Yari

 

[theletch1]

Boy do I feel like a hypocrite saying this, but.... go see a doctor. I've injured myself pretty severly and taken care of it myself. I've broken bones, had sprains that probably should have had a doctors attention and even collapsed a lung and continued to work for about 5 or 6 hours before the pain forced me to the hospital. However, those were not head injuries. A concussion is a bruised brain (I know, you know that already). You could indeed have some minor internal bleeding/swelling. Take Yari's advice and get the insurance of knowing what is normal for YOU for a head injury and what should set off alarm bells. It doesn't mean you're weak (although you seem to be above that) if you go to a doctor. Yes, the bills are a pain but the alternative to not going to the doctor for a head injury can be much more expensive. I certainly hope you begin to feel better soon.

Yari, you weren't "jumping in". You are a welcome member of the aikido community and a voice of reason in this conversation.

 

[Aikikitty]

I think what both of you guys said is true and important. I talked to both of my parents after church yesterday morning (I had a headache during church) and I looked at several webpages about concussions and I know that I really do have a concussion but just a minor one. (Which means I probably won't be going to a doctor.) I don't have the nausia and I haven't had any problems with the 'things I should look out for' and I know to just rest. They said that symptoms can last for weeks to months (I guess it's different with everybody and how severe it was). That kills me about class tomorrow though because I really wish I could participate but Yari's right that I should probably just sit and watch and not try to do any of it. :wah: I'll let you know if anything happens or if I do end up going to the doctor after all.

Robyn :asian:

p.s. This is the main concussion webpage that I was looking at (I looked at others too). http://www.aafp.org/afp/990901ap/990901e.html

 

[Yari]

Thanks for the link

Take care. You have to remember that you have to care of the concussion, and not let the concussion that care of you!

But sometimes you can learn more by sitting and watching than anything else, because then your focus is on watching!

Aikido is about using what there is, and bringing it to something good!


/Yari

 

[Aikikitty]

My family switched medical insurances and my dad came home with our new cards last night so we made a doctor appointment this morning and I went this afternoon! I got all checked out and the doctor told me that I don't quite have a 'real' concussion since I didn't go unconscious but "I have the next best thing" as she put it. She wrote up a prescription for something that will help my dizziness and while she's 99.9% sure that I don't have anything "wrong" in my head (meaning brain swelling or damage), I'm set up for a kat scan (sp?) tomorrow just to be on the safe side. She also said that exercise is good but no jumping or rolling all over the place and that I can continue my normal Aikido training 2 days after all my symptoms are gone. I feel much better after I went and got checked out just for the security feeling.

I wasn't going to participate in class at all tonight but then my mom and I realized that I can probably do the techniques but just not go down as uke or try any rolls. It worked out perfectly tonight as we had 2 new guys so the whole class was just the basic stances, turns, and rolls (I didn't do a single roll!). That was nice!

I do like watching class sometimes though. I know that you can learn a lot just from watching from the sidelines. Last year, my mom and I went to the early Saturday morning classes and she did it while I just watched (I wasn't used to the time so my stomach was always upset for the first couple of months). I learned a lot during that time as I really got to "see" when people were off balance, centered, or not. It was neat! :asian:

Robyn :asian: :asian: :asian:

 

[theletch1]

Opal Dragon, great to hear that you went to the doc and got some piece of mind (no pun intended).

Back to the original topic of the thread. I was watching a video by Sensei Robert MacEwen jr. the other day and saw him do a combination of techs together that actually worked well for me in class that night. The techs were kodaigashi (sp) into shihonage. The premise is that you may encounter someone who is VERY flexible and a front wrist throw won't work. Simply remove the top hand from ukes hand and come from beneath his wrist with that hand, grasp the hand of uke and execute shihonage. Even the most flexible of ukes will go over on this one.

 

[Aikikitty]

Would that be a form of Henka Waza? Changing techniques? It sounds like it.

Robyn :asian: