Day 307 of writing every day.
My legs are tired after two days of intense practice. This pattern has repeated every seminar, it seems and Aikido really does involve a lot of footwork if one trains attentively. What most people are drawn to when it comes to martial arts, and budo in general, is what people are doing with their hands. However, there are only so many things the hands can do and realistically it’s the feet and positioning that really can decide how things go in practice and in real life.
A fully connected body is key to generating the amount of power needed to move an object or person, but learning how to connect everything rather than make them separate parts of a whole acting insolation or in contradiction of each other is pretty hard once it’s your body and not just an idea described in words.
If done correctly, things should feel natural and effortless. If it only works some of the time and feels forced, then you’re doing something, or a lot of things wrong. Unfortunately, there are people who learn a martial art or budo and go in with the attitude that they should be feeling like they have tried really hard because they find the sensation of muscular fatigue to be desirable and a sign they’re making progress and improving.
Well, if people are training wrong, they only cement bad movements that get harder to correct years down the road. It’s none of my business though if that’s what they want and aren’t a part of my dojo. I’m not sticking my nose in other people’s business when it comes to their take on Aikido.
Thanks for reading!
One Chance Works 