For those of you who don't know, I had a brief (3 month) hiatus from the mat, otherwise known as pregnancy. I gave birth to a wonderful baby boy June 10th and was fortunate enough to train up until I was 8 months pregnant (although modified training: no hardcore breakfalls) when I was nicely kicked off the mat by not being allowed to pay my monthly dues. Which was probably a good thing so as to avoid having my water break on the mat, a definite possibility with how long I planned to train. So last night was my return- return to putting on my own dogi (my husband's wasn't nearly as flattering as mine), return of the excitement/stomach butterfly feeling when stepping onto the mat, return of being able to bow down to my elbows without my rear reaching for the stars.
What a great feeling. Warmups: hiriki no yosei ichi, fumikomi taihenko ichi and hyakuhachijudo kaiten, then a few koho ukemi. Followed by kumi hyakuhachijudo kaiten and two techniques. I was nervous about the ukemi, as the week before- when I truly first stepped back onto the mat- I could not do a sit up, could not pull myself up from any breakfalls and after a night practicing kaitennage with one of our dojo's most highly ranked dan females, I could not stand upright for 2 days. Probably not considered "easing back into things post c-section" girl. Then last night I got the pleasure of working with a great guy, who was making a return to the mat as well after his own hiatus (he wasn't pregnant, he was frequently traveling for work.) He is the son of, for lack of a better term, an ass-kickin' Italian street fighter (also an aikidoka) who loves to tell you how it 'would be done on the street' whenever you partner with him. A great family and needless to say, quite awesome to train with, as they train with everyone equally. So my welcome back has been with some amazing training partners. And by amazing I mean slightly intimidating.. please don't let my intense determination lead to accidental seppuku tonight.
I will say my breakfalls are still not pretty but they are an improvement over the ugliness that the mat was wiped with the week before (who needs mat mops when we can just use Aiki-J?!)
Ok, I did have to rest occasionally but I did them....baby steps. No pun.
I was worried today, the morning after, would leave me with the I got ran over by the aikido bus feeling. You all know that feeling, or maybe you can't remember it because it was so long ago. In case, I'll remind you: It's the feeling you had the days following your early training days. Maybe when your unbleached, stiff as a potato sack dogi and sock-clad feet made you stand out a bit on the mat, despite thinking no one would notice you (ahem.) I'm so blending in with the others..why is no one wearing socks in January when it feels like there's no heat in here? Your neck muscles aching from bracing for throws/falls, your butt and legs burning when simply trying to walk up the steps, and let's not discuss attempting to look at someone or something at your side without having to turn your whole body towards them to do so. Oddly though, I feel great today. Despite the usual interrupted sleep night (see feeding at 1:45am and 4:30am), and the cold plaguing my household this week, I jumped out of bed this morning feeling wonderful. Dare I say.. morning after bliss..??
So I throw the question out there for you all to think about...Is aikido that drug that serves as your escape, your 'me time', your "I hope I'm sore tomorrow so I can be reminded of how great class was the night before", your dealer off the good stuff, yo..your provider for morning after..bliss? What does aikido training do for you? And if you were off the mat for an extended period of time, what was it like returning? Were you intimidated? Nervous? Did you feel disconnected with yourself? Or on the flip side, did you feel as I did last night..as if you were coming back home to an old friend?
Goal for the end of the summer: fit back into my own obi, with extra room to spare. Better lay off of the late night ice cream.
Also of note: Aiki-J isn't always, and won't always be, so damn wordy. Promised.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
One of two...
I thought what better way to start this "Women In Aikido" blog than an inaugural post dedicated to Takako Kunigoshi. For those of you who do not know, Kunigoshi Sensei was one of the first known female aikidoka, training under Ueshiba Sensei (O'Sensei) at the Kobukan Dojo (Hombu Dojo), in the early 1930's when "Aikido" was known as "Daito Ryu." She often spoke of being only one of two women on the mat in those days. She spoke of O'Sensei not "changing techniques because she was a woman" and she provided interesting insight into training during the prewar era in Japan.
A few years ago when I started training, my 'minority status' on the mat (there are only a handful of women who train in my dojo, and of them only a select few who train regularly) led me to do a bit of research on the history of women in aikido-women bowing onto the mat, to train in the style I had so quickly grown to love. Of course there had to be a whole legacy of Japanese women, paving the way for the female aikidoka, in an art so graceful and beautiful, that women would naturally be drawn to it. Right? I quickly learned how wrong I was. Ok, maybe a slew of us didn't exist, but how about a handful? A couple? ONE?!!
During such said research I stumbled across Kuniogshi Sensei, standing out amongst the dogi-clad men and taking ukemi like the rest of 'em. She often spoke about how it was difficult to describe what you learned in training, that often times, you just tried to copy the teacher(s), and "do as you were told", but that she had a hard time remembering the techniques once she left the dojo. So she began drawing the techniques in hopes of understanding what she learned. She would have fellow aikidoka pose for the rough sketches and then go home and in order to finish the drawings, recreate the techniques while watching in a mirror. If only YouTube existed back then! All I can say is, thank Buddha, Allah and Oprah that my training doesn't rely on my ability to draw what I learned in class that day! I'd be trying to decipher shihonagi through damn stick figures.
Although many women such as Kuniogshi Sensei aren't in the aikido history books, she surely stands out for demonstrating that gender mattered little once you bowed onto the mat. I think there is something in her core that all female aikido share. She occupies a special place in the early years of the art due to her dedication and artistic talents. And although she probably didn't have her own locker room, or a hakama tailored to a 'woman's hip,' I'd be willing to bet she was happy as is..and might even be a follower of my blog. :)
A few years ago when I started training, my 'minority status' on the mat (there are only a handful of women who train in my dojo, and of them only a select few who train regularly) led me to do a bit of research on the history of women in aikido-women bowing onto the mat, to train in the style I had so quickly grown to love. Of course there had to be a whole legacy of Japanese women, paving the way for the female aikidoka, in an art so graceful and beautiful, that women would naturally be drawn to it. Right? I quickly learned how wrong I was. Ok, maybe a slew of us didn't exist, but how about a handful? A couple? ONE?!!
During such said research I stumbled across Kuniogshi Sensei, standing out amongst the dogi-clad men and taking ukemi like the rest of 'em. She often spoke about how it was difficult to describe what you learned in training, that often times, you just tried to copy the teacher(s), and "do as you were told", but that she had a hard time remembering the techniques once she left the dojo. So she began drawing the techniques in hopes of understanding what she learned. She would have fellow aikidoka pose for the rough sketches and then go home and in order to finish the drawings, recreate the techniques while watching in a mirror. If only YouTube existed back then! All I can say is, thank Buddha, Allah and Oprah that my training doesn't rely on my ability to draw what I learned in class that day! I'd be trying to decipher shihonagi through damn stick figures.
Although many women such as Kuniogshi Sensei aren't in the aikido history books, she surely stands out for demonstrating that gender mattered little once you bowed onto the mat. I think there is something in her core that all female aikido share. She occupies a special place in the early years of the art due to her dedication and artistic talents. And although she probably didn't have her own locker room, or a hakama tailored to a 'woman's hip,' I'd be willing to bet she was happy as is..and might even be a follower of my blog. :)
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| Takako Kunigohi |
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