Training Films

My school district bought all the teachers iPads. I'm not exactly sure why. There really isn't anything that it does for my job that I can't also do on my school computer - a MacBook running OS X 10.5.8. It works  just fine for me.

However, it does do one thing that my MacBook doesn't: it takes digital videos. This has become helpful, though, in the past few weeks, because my younger daughter has developed an interest in taking videos. We go to Aikido together on Saturdays, and she takes videos while I practice. These little videos have become really good training aids for me. I am finally seeing myself while I train.

I see myself and know that I sometimes move like an old man. Today was a good day according to the videos I've seen today. I moved well. I noticed in the last videos that I sometimes hesitate mid-technique. The last video showed that on a morote dori kokyu-nage, for example, I would move to get uke's balance,  hesitate just for a moment, then complete the throw. Today I made a point of continuing to move all through each teachnique; I never stopped moving. No matter how slowly I moved, I kept moving. It seemed to make a difference, at least a small one to me. Moving constantly kept uke off balance, which made my throws as nage easier, and more effective.

I spent most of class today working with our dojo cho. He is a nidan, in his early 60s. He is very good. Today we were practicing a variety of kokyu nages from ryote dori. All began with a tenshin step that turned uke around 180 degrees. Once we had uke turned, we could slide forward and throw uke who was holding that leading arm, we could move into kaiten nage, or slid under uke's arms, drop to our knees, and send uke rolling over our shoulder. We could also do the last technique in ura form by doing a full tenshin step first. I worked with him for about 80 percent of class. We were both exhausted by the end of class.

I am reviewing the 15 minutes of video that my daughter took today to see where I can improve.