Comparisons - I wrote this near the end of the 2012 year and forgot to post it earlier. My apologies. It is not a positive post and I wasn't going to place it here, but it is what I felt at the time and therefore my historical point of view. I don't name anyone or any club so take it how you like.
It is nearing the end of the year and tomorrow will be my
last training session of TSYR for 2012. I happened to attend the last training
session of my aikido club as well, earlier in the week. The teenage daughter of
an old work colleague of mine was grading to 4th kyu and I was interested in
seeing her progress and seeing what I could still remember of aikido. All
people on the mat participate in a grading at this dojo. So even though I was
not grading I was pairing up with people and doing the techniques asked by the
grading panel just like everyone else there. As it turns out the young woman
had a solid grading and I hadn't forgotten any of the kihon waza asked at this
level. I discussed this with my aikido sensei afterwards. How is it that I
could still perform the techniques crisply and without hesitation after being
away from training for many months? Well, the first thing that happens to any
athlete that ceases training is that their body loses condition. Of course this
is not the case with me because I am still in fact training in the martial
arts, just not aikido. I know of many examples where people have ceased
training and then returned to find that their mind is willing but their body is
not. After nine years of aikido, the techniques were still locked away ready to
be used and the fact that I was in the familiar setting of the dojo I learnt
the art in and going through the rituals of a formal grading, it was easy to
fit right in. Also of importance was the calibre of the grading, it was 4th
kyu, not very high up the ranks and the test was pretty limited as to what was
asked. However, at that level all techniques that I consider kihon were asked
for. From katatetor; ikkyo through to yonkyo and shihonage. From shomenuchi; iriminage, ikkyo and nikkyo and from yokomenuchi, any two techniques. There
were other combinations as well as the grading panel pushed the young girl to
her limits. Kotegaeshi from munetsuki, tenchinage from a two handed grab,
sumi otoshi from katate tori and so on.
As a nidan in aikido none of those techniques posed a
problem for me. But here’s the snag. I like the people I train with at aikido,
they are genuinely, nice people. However, after training elsewhere in what I
consider a potentially more dangerous art, I had concerns for my safety at the
grading. Why? The emphasis appears to be on making the technique work, come
what may. As I have trained in TSYR and my body alignment and structure has
improved, I don’t lose my centre as easily and I have become more sensitive to
the balance of my training partner. Most of the people at TSYR are even better
at this than me so when a technique doesn't work, they don’t think “push
harder” they think “what have I done wrong, where have I lost the connection?”
So they stop adjust and dump me cleanly on my backside. I had one experience during
the aikido grading where my partner was attempting ikkyo on me and he swung my
arm in the appropriate manner but simply didn't move me from my base at all, I wasn't resisting, in fact I was quite relaxed (thank goodness) and because I didn't move as expected he proceeded to try and force me down by putting his
knee into my arm as well. Now, I still didn't move as the pressure was still
being applied in the same way, but now with his knee. However, seeing where it
was going I moved appropriately and he pinned me. As I got up he said “Man,
that didn't really work, even when I put my knee in.” I'm thinking, what is
wrong with the training methodology here that an aikido practitioner of a
reasonable rank would think like that? Of course I am/was a product of the very
same dojo and I know my TSYR instructor has ironed out a few kinks in my
thinking since then. Another incident occurred when we were asked to perform
any techniques we wished from yokomenuchi. At one point I looked across to the
pair training next to me and my partner. A young black belt had a complete
novice in a dangerous technique that included a head lock with the uke’s back
arched. The poor girl didn't realise she needed to tap her leg to signal submission
and she was going red in the face while this young show-off applied the lock.
Needless to say I quietly but very firmly told him to let go and to take into
account the abilities of the training partner.
I had mixed emotions about the night. I was happy for the
girl grading as she had done a great job. I was happy that I slotted back into
the aikido dojo without any of my techniques showing any ‘rust’ and I enjoyed
catching up with people I hadn't trained with for a while. However, I was
disappointed at how no one I trained with that night showed any evidence of
good internal body structure, and during a formal occasion when things are
often at their safest, I saw/experienced some practises that were very
dangerous.
This leaves me thinking. Was the dojo always like that when
I was a consistent practitioner? I certainly know that my posture and general
body alignment was rubbish before I trained in TSYR. The grading was set up so
that only dan grades trained with kyu grades to allow most experienced to work
with least experienced. So I never got my hands on the other black belts that
night. However, all but three were my junior so I have a good idea of what they
are capable of. I honestly believe I can now see a contrast in the training
methodology of each of the two dojos I have trained in. It was not as apparent
while I was still training in both vigorously. Now that I have been away from
the aikido dojo for a while, my eyes have been opened to the differences.
A part of me wants to be involved in changing things at the
aikido dojo but it is not my place. It is my sensei’s dojo, not mine. I can
simply choose to train elsewhere and go back from time to time to keep the
bonds of friendship with the people in aikido, ignoring the aspects of training
that bother me. As the saying goes, when in Rome…
