Sunday 30 December 2012

How to do a Jo Kata

I provide the following by way of inspiration...


You can find more invaluable martial arts tips on the Fudebakudo site. The above cartoon may give you a few ideas  about one of the things we'll be studying at the Hartland Aikido Club in 2013. But don't worry, you won't have to learn the 31-count kata. The one I have in mind has just 22 parts. So it should be easy, huh...?  Here's a clue....

Monday 17 December 2012

Hartland Aikido Club Christmas Hols

The Hartland Aikido Club is taking a short break over Christmas and the New Year. There are no more meetings in 2012. Our next Aikido session will be on Thursday 3rd of January, 2013. A good chance for you to start working off all that pudding and mince pies! ;-)

Monday 3 December 2012

Aikido and the ageing sensei!

My mind thinks I'm 20. My body, alas, knows I am not! So why on earth do I persist in doing a very energetic and physically demanding martial art 'at my time of life'? In the words of Lewis Carroll...
"You are old, Father William," the young man said,
"And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand on your head—
Do you think, at your age, it is right?"
Well, not such much standing on my head. But rolling, maybe...?

Some people prepare for old age in their youth. They do everything they can to avoid risk. An activity such as Aikido necessarily entails risk. Risk of injury - twists, turns, strains and sprains. I got my first Aikido injury some time back in the 1980s when I was still (relatively speaking) quite young. I remember asking my physiotherapist if it would be wise to give up Aikido all together. After all, if I hadn't been doing Aikido, I wouldn't have injured myself. His answer surprised me. If you want to find out what he said and why I am still doing Aikido, read my latest column in The Bideford Buzz magazine.