Sunday 30 July 2017

Holsworthy and Bucks Cross Aikido Classes in August and September

From September, the Holsworthy Aikido classes move to a new regular slot on Fridays. There is also one change to the Bucks Cross class schedule in August. Details below...

Bucks Cross Aikido Club


July 31  - Monday class at Bucks Cross as usual.
August 7 - Monday class at Bucks Cross
August 14 - NO class at Bucks Cross (due to another event, we are taking the night off!)

Apart from the change noted above, all Bucks Cross classes as usual at 7:30 to 9:30 on Mondays and Thursdays throughout August.

Holsworthy Aikido Club


August
Classes continue throughout August every Tuesday at 7:30 to 9:00.
The last Tuesday class will be on August 29th.

September
From September 8th, all classes at Holsworthy will be on Friday evenings. This will now be our regular class time. So, from September onwards, there are no longer and Tuesday classes. All classes are now between 7:30 and 9:00 on Fridays.

Sunday 23 July 2017

Aikido has no form

Thought for the day...


Aikido for Self-Defence (or maybe just gratuitous violence)?

Aikido is the art of peace, yes? It's non-violent, OK? Then again...

Here are those crazy Czech Aikido people once again (be sure to watch their previous video) showing how to win a fight on the street, in a bar or on the bus. Even with the help of a snooker cue!

Wednesday 12 July 2017

Monday 10 July 2017

Aikido "on the train"

"Get on the train! Be on the train!" - I'm always saying this. But what does it really mean?

To me, being on the train means that you are sensitive to the energy of the other person - be it nage or uke. You "go with the flow" rather than try oppose the other person's power. This is not only safer (you won’t be taken unexpectedly if someone suddenly tries to do a technique) but it is also more effective.

However, I have practised with some people who take a different view of being on the train. I remember one teacher who shall remain nameless (mainly because I’ve forgotten his name!) who insisted that being on the train meant that the uke should fall over when the teacher did a technique. If you ended up just standing there, he would ‘correct’ you – “Oh no, you are not on the train. If you’d been on the train my technique would have worked.”

Well, pardon me for taking issue with that. But I am not of the opinion that it is the uke’s job to make a technique work!

Anyway, here is a passage taken from Koichi Tohei’s book (‘the black book’) on Aikido:
“Not to receive anything means unlimited strength. If you try to stop with your strength a train which is coming toward you, you will be flung aside though you may have very great strength. It is better for you to ride on the train, and when it stops you take one step forward and get off. 
“Though your opponent may be strong, if you do not struggle against his strength but follow it and when it stops you go one step ahead of him, you will be able to lead him to fall down.”
And that, in my view, pretty much sums up the essence of the art of Aikido.