For all of you who might be lucky enough to attend - the registration for one week LSA 2010 has just begun. Please go to seminar webpage for more information.
More info on our page.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Friday, May 21st 2010
Well, today we had 20 people trying their best at Aikido.
We got more familiar with shomen-uchi attack. Then we added irimmi and tenkan entrance into the attack and then tried to understand contact between partners with shomen-uchi irimi and tenkan.
Please remember - shomen-uchi is from the top of your head. You strike oponent on his forehead trying to cut him into two symmetrical halves. When attacking shomen-uchi please, please, please - keep your elbows down! Do not create any opening!
And then we moved to shomen-uchi kote-gaeshi. Then we tried to approach irimi-nage, but instead full technique we moved to shomen-uchi kiri-otoshi.
Very difficult techniques. But with time and persistence we will be able to grasp them... I hope ;-)
We got more familiar with shomen-uchi attack. Then we added irimmi and tenkan entrance into the attack and then tried to understand contact between partners with shomen-uchi irimi and tenkan.
Please remember - shomen-uchi is from the top of your head. You strike oponent on his forehead trying to cut him into two symmetrical halves. When attacking shomen-uchi please, please, please - keep your elbows down! Do not create any opening!
And then we moved to shomen-uchi kote-gaeshi. Then we tried to approach irimi-nage, but instead full technique we moved to shomen-uchi kiri-otoshi.
Very difficult techniques. But with time and persistence we will be able to grasp them... I hope ;-)
Friday, May 14, 2010
New techniques on Friday, May 14th
Today we tried tachi-waza ai-hamni nikkyo omote, then moved to ura version. It was challenging to alternate both versions at the same time. It was very interesting training. We got to meet several new people. Welcome ;-)
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Last Friday of April
After planned week in Poland and another unplanned being stranded in Warsaw waiting for volcanic ash cloud to pass I finally arrived back in Nairobi and finally we had a class.
This Friday we tried some suwari-waza ukemi, then remembered gyaku-hamni ikkyo omote in tachi-waza. Then we explored shikko (for the first time) and then we tried to perform the same technique (gyaku-hamni ikkyo omote-waza) in suwari waza. Afterwards we did ai-hamni kote-gaeshi omote in tachi-waza.
This Friday we tried some suwari-waza ukemi, then remembered gyaku-hamni ikkyo omote in tachi-waza. Then we explored shikko (for the first time) and then we tried to perform the same technique (gyaku-hamni ikkyo omote-waza) in suwari waza. Afterwards we did ai-hamni kote-gaeshi omote in tachi-waza.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
On safety zones and importance of having a teacher
I know that with time I tend to build around myselves something I would call comfort zones. I have noticed that is what I tend to do. I have my comfort zone in my professional life, in my private live, in my social life, in Aikido, everywhere I look - comfort zones. There are simply those cozy areas of given domain that I feel safe, competent and I know that as long as I am within my zone - I am safe. Nothing would harm me or even challenge and I am just... this cool dude who is expert in whatever fields we're discussing...
But make no mistake - this is not necessary a bad thing. These comfort zones are usually result of many years of hard work. When I am in my comfort zone I truly am an expert. I am not guessing, not playing games, not pretending to be knowledgable - I really know stuff. This is solid wisdom.
Now, the problem is - as soon as we move out of comfort zone I get thes feeling of uneasiness. Not exactly discomfort, but if I move out of this well-known, chartered territory into wide, open waters, I - more, rather more than less - subconsciously tend to migrate back to where we are home...
What is interesting is why is it that whenever life sends me outside these zones I tend to migrate back ASAP. I do not know where this comes from. Is it Buddhist ego (which, by the way, is an illusion) trying to steer me into field where I actually am competent and can boast I am the king of the hill or is it pure lazyness... Don't know. I know this mechanism is there.
I believe is that any kind of progress in whatever you do (i really mean any progress at all) only happens when you decide to move outside comfort of your safe zone.
Take a look at my Aikido. There are two aspects to it - technical and conditional (Chiba Sensei says that Aikido is 95 % conditioning and 5 % technique ;-). Technically I have (hopefully - pretty wide) solid area where I know I am pretty competent. Then there is very wide grey zone or no-man's land where I am aware of my limitations, I am aware of what I do know and what I do not know. And then there is this whole area where I know it exists, but I also know I suck at it and this is totally outside my safety zone. Ideally I would be able to slowly expand my comfort zone to cover some parts of the grey zone and at the same time get more and more familiar with things that lay outside my comfort zone.
But it is hard. Because - given free choice - I naturally will tend to remain withinmy comfot zone.
This is, where I think, importance of teacher comes in. If you have close relationship with your teacher - he knows you and your comfort zone. If you trust your teacher you will let him guide you and he will take you outside your comfort zone. Not too far though - as far as you can actually take it. Then the development is much faster and also your teacher will be able to give you right direction. Sometimes behind your teacher there is a lineage (be it martial arts, Buddhism, science, etc), sometimes not. In some fields it's extremely difficult to find a teacher - how to find a teacher who will take you outside your emotional comfort zone?
I have observed this mechanism with myself. If there are people I do not have good relationship with and I am not comfortable with then I tend to avoid them. Now I know the trend I have so I can actually decide whether I want to stay with them and face my demons or whether I just do not want to enter relationship with them. But I want to make this conscious choice myself.
I believe this attitude extends to all kinds of activities - emotional with your partner, professional with your boss/workmates, religious, martial arts and so on.
Of course the question is - what kind of life you want? What I have found is that living within confines of your safety domain is... simply boring.
But make no mistake - this is not necessary a bad thing. These comfort zones are usually result of many years of hard work. When I am in my comfort zone I truly am an expert. I am not guessing, not playing games, not pretending to be knowledgable - I really know stuff. This is solid wisdom.
Now, the problem is - as soon as we move out of comfort zone I get thes feeling of uneasiness. Not exactly discomfort, but if I move out of this well-known, chartered territory into wide, open waters, I - more, rather more than less - subconsciously tend to migrate back to where we are home...
What is interesting is why is it that whenever life sends me outside these zones I tend to migrate back ASAP. I do not know where this comes from. Is it Buddhist ego (which, by the way, is an illusion) trying to steer me into field where I actually am competent and can boast I am the king of the hill or is it pure lazyness... Don't know. I know this mechanism is there.
I believe is that any kind of progress in whatever you do (i really mean any progress at all) only happens when you decide to move outside comfort of your safe zone.
Take a look at my Aikido. There are two aspects to it - technical and conditional (Chiba Sensei says that Aikido is 95 % conditioning and 5 % technique ;-). Technically I have (hopefully - pretty wide) solid area where I know I am pretty competent. Then there is very wide grey zone or no-man's land where I am aware of my limitations, I am aware of what I do know and what I do not know. And then there is this whole area where I know it exists, but I also know I suck at it and this is totally outside my safety zone. Ideally I would be able to slowly expand my comfort zone to cover some parts of the grey zone and at the same time get more and more familiar with things that lay outside my comfort zone.
But it is hard. Because - given free choice - I naturally will tend to remain withinmy comfot zone.
This is, where I think, importance of teacher comes in. If you have close relationship with your teacher - he knows you and your comfort zone. If you trust your teacher you will let him guide you and he will take you outside your comfort zone. Not too far though - as far as you can actually take it. Then the development is much faster and also your teacher will be able to give you right direction. Sometimes behind your teacher there is a lineage (be it martial arts, Buddhism, science, etc), sometimes not. In some fields it's extremely difficult to find a teacher - how to find a teacher who will take you outside your emotional comfort zone?
I have observed this mechanism with myself. If there are people I do not have good relationship with and I am not comfortable with then I tend to avoid them. Now I know the trend I have so I can actually decide whether I want to stay with them and face my demons or whether I just do not want to enter relationship with them. But I want to make this conscious choice myself.
I believe this attitude extends to all kinds of activities - emotional with your partner, professional with your boss/workmates, religious, martial arts and so on.
Of course the question is - what kind of life you want? What I have found is that living within confines of your safety domain is... simply boring.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Friday, March 26th
Last Friday we experienced Katate-dori Ai-Hamni Kote-Gaeshi and then we moved to Katate-Dori Gyaku-Hamni Ikkyo Omote. This was the first step into Gyaku-Hanmi Osae Waza.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Friday, March 19th
This Friday we explored Ushiro ryote-dori kote-gaeshi and Ai-hanmi Ikkyo and others.
Major milestore
We were lucky enough to have been officially affiliated with Birankai International.
I sent an email to Daniel Brunner Sensei and he already knew about activities of our group and the decision have been made.
We are now branch of Birankai Continental Europe under supervision / responsibility of Piotr Masztalerz Shidoin.
More information about on our lineage can be found here.
I sent an email to Daniel Brunner Sensei and he already knew about activities of our group and the decision have been made.
We are now branch of Birankai Continental Europe under supervision / responsibility of Piotr Masztalerz Shidoin.
More information about on our lineage can be found here.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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