What our students say about our dojo...
Aikido Management!!!!
Aikido and Music
Aikido on the Colorado Trail
Aikido at the Grocer
Comments on practicing aikido
Aikido Management!!!! A few months ago I began studying Kokikai Aikido, at the Center City Dojo. I joined the dojo because I wanted some kind of physical activity to work off the stress my profession creates. To my surprise and great benefit, it is my mind that is getting a workout. In the two months I've been studying I have noticed a profound shift in my ability to focus my attention, my management of stress and my management of others. I am a professional in the entertainment industry. It is a high stress field in which confrontation and personality conflict are part of the everyday scheme of things. At least that is the scenario I had accepted as reality until recently. Something, however, is changing in the way I work. I believe it is a result of Aikido class. What I am experiencing in each class, indeed each technique, is the practice of three elegant and seemingly simple principles. The first is keeping one point. I think of one point as my center of power or balance. However, it really doesn't matter how I think of it, because if I don't keep one point not much is going to go my way without a struggle. The second principle is blending. This is simply stepping out of the way of the person's energy coming toward me and aligning my energy with the direction theirs is traveling. The third principle is leading. This is helping the person's energy I have now blended with along its way, with of course some helpful redirection if necessary. On the mat I practice these principles in very concrete ways, in physical contact with my fellow Aikidoist. It is a very enjoyable hour and fifteen minutes, and provides me with a physical workout that is different from any I've experienced at a gym. However the real jewel is, as Curtis, one of the brown belts often says, the Aikido I take with me when I leave the mat. For instance: At work I've begun to notice that as soon as I reply to the ideas of my co-workers and employees with a, "Yes, but....." or, "I don't think so..." or, "I disagree...", what ensues are subtle little struggles over who is right and who is wrong. Whose idea is better? Four or five of these kinds of 'tug of war' conversations in a day can easily begin to make the back of my neck ache. This tug of war takes time, time is money. As the day wears on I get more impatient. The people around me begin to lose their patience as well and productivity suffers. Lately however, I have been keeping my one point at work. The enjoyment I feel on the mat is suddenly with me at my job. My attitude is positive, I am not, nor do I need to adopt the defensive mindset of "Yes, but....". My aikido practice is providing me with an option, "Yes, and...". Now the energy can flow to a solution. The goal can be addressed without the tug of war. This "Yes, and...." mindset allows me to blend my ideas with the ideas of others. They in turn do not feel threatened or opposed, I have acknowledged his or her Idea. If I feel I have a better option for the person to consider, I am now in a position to lead that is relaxed and in harmony with that person's energy. This way of managing has increased my productivity and is creating a great atmosphere around me. Thank you Kokikai Aikido! Life really is as stressful as you chose it to be. Robert C. Return to top
Aikido and Music As I sat backstage singing the Sonata in my mind the butterflies in my stomach felt more like vultures. I knew that my teacher would be in the audience, along with all the other tuba players at school. Each one was equipped with a pair of ears that were trained to pick up every mistake that I made. These guys had all played the pieces that I was going to perform, and they were there to find out how well the freshman knew his stuff. I had been preparing for months. There had been times when it felt like I was living in the 8 x 5 cubicle in the basement of the school that I practiced in. I hoped I had practiced enough. The time had come to put my preparation to the test. I walked out on stage to impressive applause. There were more people there than I expected. As I sat down, my tuba felt strangely cold against my sweaty palms. In the front row sat the girl that I had had a crush on since September. There was nowhere to run. This was my first solo recital. Sure, I had played hundreds of concerts in front of thousands of people, but I was always in the back of the orchestra with a sea of violins in front of me. When I took my initial breath I noticed how tight my chest felt, and that my mouth felt like it had cotton balls in it. I began to play. The first few bars went smoothly, but before long I made a small mistake. Under normal circumstances, such a small problem would not interrupt the flow of the music, but my mind immediately focused on the note that I had cracked. A musician always has to be thinking three bars ahead of where he is playing. What I had done was to place my mind behind myself. This quickly led to more serious problems. I felt as though my lips, fingers, mind, and ears were all separate entities fighting with each other. My only goal became reaching the end of the piece without completely falling apart. Sitting in my dorm room later that night I thought to myself, "Well, chalk that one up to experience." Three years later I sat in the same room backstage waiting to go out and play my senior recital. Strangely, there were no butterflies in my stomach. There was still a little sweat on my face from the Aikido class I had left fifteen minutes before. This time I didn't try to sing through any difficult passages. I was simply trying to maintain the feeling that had come to me during that class. It was a feeling of relaxed vitality. It was centered inside my abdomen, but it extended outside of myself. Most importantly, it was a feeling of connection between my mind and body. When I walked out to play, the scene was very similar to that of the disastrous recital my freshman year. However, this time there was a group of friends from Aikido that had come to support me. I don't think they realized how much they already had. Taking my first breath, I reminded myself of the feeling of connection that I wanted. Before too long, I made a small mistake. This time, I didn't let my mind become disconnected from the other aspects of my performance. The recital continued very smoothly, and when it was over, that same feeling remained. Music is an art that exists within time. Once a note is played, it cannot be recaptured. In this respect, it is a lot like Aikido. When practicing Aikido, if we don't like the position of our feet or the way we grabbed our partner's hand, we do not stop the technique and ask them to attack again. This kind of practice can help us in any situation in which we are under stress. I feel that Aikido has enhanced my performance as a musician, but that is just a small portion of how it has enhanced my life. Jaime E. Return to top
Aikido on the Colorado Trail There is a hiking trail criss-crossing the Colorado Rockies between Denver and Durango for some 480 miles. I ran a Sierra Club trip on it this past summer that was called The Colorado Trail Extravaganza. It was quite an adventure because of its incredible scenery, because of the intrepid bunch of hikers that had come along with me, and because of its sheer length and strenuousness. Probably the most rewarding aspect for me as the trip organizer, who was responsible for all things good and bad, was the positive attitude that each and everyone of the participants brought with them. Cold nights, sustained rain, boring food, blisters, heavy packs: During a “vacation” of this sort there are always going to be things one can complain or whine about. Yet, no one did, ever, except for the one person that I did not personally screen for this trip, the assistant leader. I had met her briefly a couple of years ago and she came highly recommended as a seasoned trip leader veteran with decades of experience, who hailed from Steamboat Springs, CO and therefore knew the Rockies inside and out. Great, I thought. Combining my organizational skills with her backpacking acumen would guarantee a wonderful trip, I figured before we started. A couple of days into the seven week undertaking, however, I started to notice that she took to criticizing me for one petty thing or another, almost on a daily basis. At first, I took her comments seriously, thinking that they were well intended and in the interest of making the trip better. Gradually, it dawned on me that here were other motives at work that had to do with who would control the trip. And I noticed that, when left to her own devices, she exhibited a remarkable tendency to antagonize and patronize people. So what is a trip leader to do who is challenged for his leadership by an assistant who alienates the very people who paid, and therefore were entitled to a quality trip with a maximum of fun and a minimum of aggravation? Believe it or not, part of my answer was Aikido. Of course, we are not talking about a physical engagement. Rather, I applied Aikido principles to communication. When she attacked, I moved away, did a tenkan, if you will, thus removing the target temporarily. Any subsequent attack was similarly blunted. As a result, she was kept of balance, the conflict was minimized, and the trip’s integrity and high level of enjoyment was maintained. Frustrated by this futility, her attacks became more aggressive over time, though not more frequent. With a little luck we may have ended up completing the entire trip without a showdown. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Weakened by this crisis of her own making, and the high level of stress it created for her, she mutinied with two days to go, appointing herself as the new leader and throwing me out. Again, I disengaged and let her ramble. A leader is only a leader if there are followers, and the participants made it abundantly clear, that they had seen me as the appropriate leader all along. In light of this, we were on our own 30 minutes later because my assistant had quit the group and finished her Colorado Trail solo. The last couple of days thus became filled with a sense of relief and even giddieness. The only dark cloud that had hung over our trip had dissipated and we all enjoyed it as a special bonus as we hiked our last miles into Durango with its hot showers, cold beer and soft beds. Aikido – is there anything it can’t do? Tom K. Return to top
Aikido At The Grocer This incident occurred while I was a fourth kyu know-nothing. I was unsure if Aikido would really work. I grew up with an older brother and we would always have fights, with punches thrown and occasionally until one of us sported a shiner or a bloody lip. As a kid I had some fights in school and elsewhere. I didn't stop fighting until one day someone coaxed me and my best friend into a fight. I clocked his nose, out came the blood, so I took him home. I did not know any reason for our having fought except that another kid challenged us on who was tougher. That ended my fighting. I always walked away after that incident, sometimes after being on the receiving end of a punch or two. I didn't like it, but I was aware of the damage that I was capable of if I fought back. The one important benefit of being involved in those fights is not being overwhelmed by physical contact. I work in a small corner produce store. One day after two years of wondering, we were sure that a certain adult customer was shoplifting. If this was a kid trying for some candy or a piece of fruit, we would have taken the loot away and send them on their way. When the shoplifter went to the checkout line, I went to the checkout counter and helped bag the groceries. His turn came and he paid for his purchases. I confronted him with our suspicions. He denied stealing anything. I asked him to show me what he had inside his jacket. He said, "No, You have no authority and I'm going to sue.” I told the cashier to call the police. I reached into his jacket and recovered 6 items that he attempted to steal. With me blocking the only way out he started pleading with me to let him go, that he would pay for the 6 items. I told him that if this was the first time it would not have been a problem. But we had been watching him for some time. He tried to push through me, with both of his arms extended towards my shoulders. I did not have anywhere to go behind me except out the door with him on top of me. So, I turned a bit which allowed me to apply an ikkyo to his left arm. He bent back, spun around and went down. I then pinned his wrist to the ground by applying pressure downward from his elbow. Each time he attempted to get up, he would scream that I was hurting him. I told him that if he just stayed down there would be no pain. When the police officer arrived, he tapped the shoplifter on the back and told him that he was "safe now." It felt sloppy and awkward, but it worked. I realized then that if anyone is attacking me, they are not prepared for a calm, collected response. I believe that I have become a better aikidoka because of that incident. Since that day, while practicing I have consciously attempted to give a true attack. I have benefited because it forced me to improve my ukemi and my partners have the reward of a more realistic attack. I give my most realist attacks to higher belts and I am aware that when practicing with those with lower ranks to go easier. Barry W. Return to top
Comments on practicing aikido..... Aikido has positively affected how I handle difficult situations. As a student and a helping professional, I spent a lot of time sitting, reading, writing, and talking. One of the most helpful things about practicing Aikido is that it gets me out of that pattern. I often find that an hour of practice is energizing because of this unique chance to rest my mind and use my body in this way. Practicing Aikido has also helped me to learn to focus and stay calm, especially under stress. The concepts of centering and sending my energy forward have both positively affected the way I handle difficult situations in my life. I find that my confidence is increased, I can think more clearly, and act more deliberately instead of crumbling under pressure. One of my favorite things about practicing Aikido at The Center City Dojo is the people. I think our dojo has a great spirit and a truly positive atmosphere. I have become good friends with several of the members of the dojo, and I am grateful for the opportunity to meet some great people. Julie P. Her way of teaching is truly enriching in every aspect. I practice Aikido because it brings something that my other daily activities does not. Other than a great stress reliever and workout, it has helped develop my concentration and forced me to think in different ways. It has also presented me with different situations which really is what life is about. You never know what is coming at you but it helps to be ready. I like the Center City dojo because of the people who practice there. Sensei Cecelia has been able to bring together a really good group of people who are fun to practice with. Her way of teaching is truly enriching in every aspect. I always walk away feeling I have learned something new. Alex O. My whole world began to open up and change for the better. I started Aikido to find something to do with my spare time, much like a hobby. Little did I realize that this martial art would have such an impact on my life. Not only did it change my thoughts about martial arts, it changed my way of thinking. It also changed the way I interacted with people around me. My whole world began to open up and change for the better. It is hard to believe something can change your life so suddenly. James S. All attacks aren’t physical, but through Aikido I’ve learned how to redirect aggression and turn it to my advantage. Anthony B. After a rigorous class, I come out feeling invigorated Everyone in my Aikido class is very patient, and very encouraging and supportive. People are willing to come early or stay after class to help with working on techniques. And, best of all, everyone is committed to learn, but has a good sense of humor and is non-competitive. There are days where I come into class feeling lethargic and unenthusiastic, but after a rigorous class, come out feeling invigorated and glad that I went. I enjoy coming to aikido classes. Lisa S. I feel free in my heart when I’m on the mat Boyke S. Return to top

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