Well, the last few classes we've been trying something a bit different. We've been doing chi exercises of a sort. Essentially a person grabs your wrist in a basic starting position, and you try to move it. The catch is that when you tense your arm at all, they clamp down and stop you. It forces you to just do it rather than force it. Kind of difficult to explain, even more difficult to do :-p

Been looking for more mind blowing things recently, but have been having a bit more difficulty focusing in class than normal. Partially due to being tired, and partially to trying to think about those exercises. You focus so much on not focusing that you kind of loose it for the rest of the session.

Have been watching the Olympics recently, like most of us I would guess. I always wonder exactly how much work goes into each medal, and if it would have been possible to do myself. Although, none of my preferred sports tend to be represented. Underwater basket weaving for 2012!

I really kind of wish I had more to say, or more insight, but not much has shown up recently. Most things are going along well, no real issues. Which, I guess, in and of itself can be an issue, but I'm not having one with it now :-p

Are you pondering what I'm pondering Pinky? I think so Brain, but a yellow latex jumpsuit doesn't make you a banana.

Well damnit, it's been too long, and now I forgot some of what I wanted to write about. I shouldn't have let it slip, and I had some good things. I still remember parts of them so I'll give you the blog bundle!

Just a little to the left... ahhh, that's the spot! Was supposed to be the first post. In which I learn that if you want to have power, real control, then you keep your hands in front of you! It's really pretty simple, if you want an example go and lift something in one hand that's pretty heavy. Lift it up with your arm out about 45 degrees from your center line (where your belly button points). Now lift it up directly in front of you belly button. Which one is easier? Exactly. Martially, apply it here. See how his hand is always under center when he throws?

All it takes is that little shift in placement, and something becomes tremendously easier. A change in perspective so to speak. How many times have we just needed to change our approach to have something work out far easier than it seemed initially. Damn that was preachy :-p

You have to thrust just right... Was supposed to be the second in what was becoming a line of dirty post titles :-) I was doing a little experimenting with movement, and discovered how much more power you can have over a person's direction if you just start moving a little bit before you make contact. Not pushing against them, or blocking them with hard movement, but just a subtle guide before contact is made.

Most of the basics in Aikido start with someone walking up and grabbing your hand. If you start your hand moving, not at them, but so that they have to reach just a little bit before they were ready, it made life so much easier. Anticipation of the game I guess. Theoretically this could also have some rather blatant philosophical interpretation, but I've already preached enough, and we're all intelligent people here right? ;-)

I can't remember what the third thing was, although I think I had one. Brain stack can only hold so much before it pushes I guess :-p

I'm still working quite a bit on focus. It's incredibly more difficult than it seems. If I do something 20 times, I'm happy to keep focus for 4 of them. Kinda crazy when you think about it, how much we just don't pay attention cause we think we know what's going on.

On other notes, we got to see Rush on thursday night. Awesome concert. I'm always amazed how they can produce sooo much cohesive sound with just 3 people. Not quite as good as last time. It was the last show of the tour, and you could tell they were a bit tired (except on a few songs where they just fought through it and the energy level rose about 20 notches), and they had the Treble on the lead guitar turned up too high so it bled a bit. But the drum solo was of course phenominal, I'm amazed how they can play lead on a 12 string guitar, and how the singer can sing and play bass and play synthesizer... all at the same time. Makes me feel like a novice :-)

Ok, this has gone on long enough, hopefuly I'll keep up with it better over this next week!

Are you pondering what I'm pondering Pinky? I think so Brain, but I don't think everyone in the world should fart at the same time, regardless of the implications.

I always love weapons class. And not just because you get to wave sticks that are generally sword shaped at each other with impunity :-p Weapons, at least melee weapons, are always interesting. Mostly because they drive. When you don't know what you're doing, you are pushing really hard at simple physics, have to think really hard about what you are doing, and generally feel like an idiot. The ultimate humbling experience :-p

However, once you have a base understanding of how they work, and how they should move, an entierly new world opens itself up. The cool part being that it isn't one you walk into willingly. A good understanding and familiarity will cause the weapon to drive itself. I was doing sword kata yesterday and finding myself breaking the movement by doing blocks and strikes that just basic movement said I should be doing. I didn't think about it, I just went to move, and the sword said go here. Pretty damn cool, and underlyingly disturbing all at the same time :-p

As Mona was stating on my previous post that it was nice to have an expectation of something mind blowing every time, but difficult to attain. I will freely admit that I don't always find something (although I think trying to think of something to write about them has helped a bit... I seem to pay more attention :-p). However, the weapons class always alerts me to how easy it is to just get into autopilot on something you are familiar with. You are so into it that you just do the motions you know to be right (even if it wasn't what was requested of you, which is a whole other philosophical bent :-p) that you don't pay attention to subtle details or things that may be trying to tell you something.

There was a really cool scene in a fantasy book that I think illustrates my point (or maybe I just love the analogy, I'm not sure which...). There was a religious sect (read: D and D clerics) that was militant when necessary. They were only allowed to use blunt weapons (traditionally hammers). When the new guy was ready for his "initiation", so had gone through all the necessary training and whatnot, he asked why they didn't use swords. He figured they were much easier, didn't require as much training (to use well anyway), and could do more damage. Plus, he already knew how to use one of those. So the elder in the group challenged him to a duel where the younger guy could use swords. After cutting the elder several times, he realized that the sword was guiding itself, and ended up slashing his own leg to regain control. This wound resulted in a silver scar which they all bore. It was an interesting analogy of how drastic some measures must be to break that pattern of familiarity. Although I don't advise cutting yourself unless you have a deity that will heal you in seconds and you memorized that spell this morning ;-)

Are you pondering what I'm pondering Pinky? I think so Brain, but why wouldn't you want to drive upside down while eating cheetos?

So I've been to Aikido a few times without posting. Bad me, I know, but this is getting to be like a record of posts for me!

The reason for the absence is pretty much that I haven't gathered anything mind blowing recently. Although, I guess you could say that that would be something in and of itself, that it's not stimulating my brain.

The only real thing I have noticed recently is the old cliche that the more you put in, the more you get out. In the case of Aikido, this is actually an Axiom. It requires the energy of the attacker to actually perform the technique. If you half ass it, your partner does half assed technique. If your partner tries to make it right by adding their own energy, then you generally get dumped on your ass in a far more unpleasant fashion, because they were too busy adding energy to direct it properly.

Maybe that's the thing to see. You have to put in a bunch of energy, then take the time to stop and apply it in the correct direction. If you attempt to do both at the same time, you may end up getting it done, but the grace is gone. I dunno, it seems difficult to create energy or motivation or whatever, then apply it. It would seem to be a chicken and egg problem, but then again, anything that simple would be apparent, and everyone would be doing it wouldn't they? :-p

Also, on an unrelated note, I found some awesome guitar music last night. Pretty much anything here http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=rpoland is freaking amazing. I'm particularly fond of Andy McKee, and Andrew White. I have Andy McKee's middle album and it's pretty damn good. It also makes me sad to think that I will never be that good at guitar, but happy to know that it's possible. Directed energies I guess ;-)

Are you pondering what I'm pondering Pinky? I think so Brain, but flinging the poo first is just asking for it.

So I went to Aikido class on Monday. Not a lot happened to think about, except reminding myself that focus can determine a hell of a lot of result in what you are doing. It doesn't even have to be complete focus on everything, but just doing something simple (in this case, looking the opponent in the eye, which was interesting while trying to grab a sword mid cut :-p).

Which makes me wonder if we need to be focused on everything or just a portion of what we are doing. Does just the simple act of having focus on one thing allow you to more easily transfer it to whatever else comes along. An interesting supposition I suppose, but I haven't had much time to try it out. Has anyone else recognized something like this from general life experiences? Driving, or presenting or something of that nature?

Are you pondering what I'm pondering Pinky? I think so Brain, but a Duck Billed Platypus doesn't fly.