A Step Backward, At Least it Feels Like One

School's been in session for two weeks and three days. I've missed almost every Aikido practice during that time. Hey, life happens. There was the Parent Information Night, the Potluck Supper, and a few other nights when I was just plain tired. Then there was the night when my daughters begged me to stay home.

I've also started reading to my younger daughter again. Somehow we got out of the habit, but now we're starting up again, because it's important.

I went to the dojo Thursday, and had a good practice, except that I torqued my elbow when I was uke on a really nasty pin. It's almost better today, so that's good. I also went today, but took a very bad fall and felt a nerve pinch when I hit the ground. I felt something like an electric shock start at the base of my neck and travel down my right arm. My hand went numb for about five minutes before the feeling slowly came back. I continued to practice with no other ill effects, even until now, except a slightly stiff neck. I'll put some cream on it tonight, and see how it feels tomorrow.

This is probably the one thing that gets to me most about practice: I'm not young anymore, and my body lets me know that at every opportunity. I would say that even after what feels like a very thorough warm up, it still takes me another twenty or thirty minutes of practicing techniques before I truly feel warmed up. That leaves a pretty good window for me to hurt myself during falls or pins. During that first twenty minutes or so, I grimace at every fall or roll, and grunt during every pin. The pain I feel during those fall keeps me from relaxing into the fall, which in turn makes it more likely that I'm going to get hurt. It seems like a vicious cycle that I need to get through. The problem is that other than warming up well, which I've already noted only has a minimal effect, I'm not sure how to get through it.

I've got some thinking to do.

I Need a New Set

I missed Aikido on Tuesday and Thursday due to prior school commitments. Today was a completely different story. My wife began a new class today - human development - that is scheduled to run every Saturday from now until December.  Her class gives me the opportunity to go to Saturday weapons class each week. I'm looking forward to that.

We did some good work today with the bokken. I had a lot of fun. Since I was senior student, I worked with Sensei Chris on all the demonstrations. And if you ask me, I think I did a pretty good job as his uke.

That last two weapons classes have made clear to me that I need new weapons. I got mine nearly two years ago as a set. The set included a red oak bo, and a read oak jo staff. When it arrived, the jo had a thick clear finish that stuck to my hands when they got sweaty. I sanded off the finish and put on a few coats of wood oil. It has worked fine for me since then, but it's really gotten beat up over the past two years. It's really dinged up pretty badly now. When I slid the jo up and down my hands, it feels like Swiss cheese moving under my fingers.

The bokken, while it still looks good and works well, is simply too light for me. For the last two classes I've put mine aside, and taken out a white oak bokken from our dojo supply cabinet. There are several bokkens in the cabinet, but I always reach for the thickest, heaviest bo in the cabinet. My forearms clearly feel the weight difference during class, but I find it better than using something that now feels like a toothpick. This particular bokken is finished similarly to the way my jo staff came, but if my hands stick to the bo, it doesn't bother me. When I get my own, I'll sand it down like I did my jo staff. I'm going to show our chief instructor both white oaks bos and ask him to find me one of the thicker, sturdier ones. I feel I am clearly ready for it, and I don't see myself outgrowing it any time soon.

No Training This Week

I won't be hitting the dojo this week, because too much is happening at school. Tuesday is "Parent Information Night." I'm a bit upset, since this was originally scheduled for Wednesday. A couple weeks ago, we were told that Wednesday is a religious holiday, so Parent Info night was moved to Tuesday.

Thursday is a meeting for parents whose children are joining band or orchestra and need to be fitted for their instruments. Our older daughter wants to play viola, so that's the night we have to attend the meeting. I'm glad she's joining something. We sort of wanted it to be a sport, but this is a nice second choice. Our main reservation is that she'll need to practice on her own time, which she won't. At least with a sport, she'll have practice built in to the regular game schedule. Yes, I know there are orchestra practices, just like band or choir - I did that when I was young. Playing an instrument still demands at least 30 minutes of practice each day no matter what.

I have no idea when the second meeting will end, but if it's early enough, I might be able to get to the dojo. I have no idea right now. On the other hand, my lovely wife will want me to come straight home after the meeting to drop off our daughter, and once I get home, I'm not getting out again.

There is one good thing that begins this week: My wife starts a new class at school this Saturday. Her class coincides with our dojo practice, so I'll drop her off at school, play Aikido, then pick her up after practice. Her class runs through mid-December, so I have at least that many classes guaranteed. That will be nice.

Rank is Arbitrary, Except

There is a young woman at the dojo who tested for 3rd kyu about ten months before me, then she left to try out horseback riding. During that time I had an opportunity to "catch up" in training hours. I think I'm within half a dozen hours of her, although she still has more, so she lines up to my right. What excites me is that since we are so close in training hours, we should take our next rank test together - provided we both keep training at our current pace. I know her, I really like her, and I would enjoy the opportunity to test along side her.

That said, she returned to the dojo Thursday, and we trained together for the first time in months. She was rusty. On a kokyu nage, she was putting her elbow right into my throat, rather than circling my chin up and back. I know she'll be back in form in no time, though. One thing for certain, her ukemi has always been nothing short of amazing. It's really wonderful to have her back.

Starting next Saturday, my wife has a class that gets her closer to her nursing degree. That means that I have almost no choice, but to drop her off at school, then continue on to the dojo. What else am I going to do? Stay home? The girls can come with me and play in the church's play room. As long as they clean up the toys when it's time to leave, nobody cares. I'll have the opportunity to go to every Saturday class from now until mid-December. If our dojo moves to a new location, they can still come with me every Saturday.

I have a student teacher in my classroom this quarter. She is terrific.