LESS OFFICE WORK AND MORE AIKIDO? I could get used to this.

Three weeks and 37 classes into my April goal, and I’ve learned so much that I’m almost reluctant to return to a normal schedule in May. And with my body adjusting to the extra training, I’m feeling much better than I did after that first week. The other huge helper is my newly arrived tailbone pad, which does a much better job protecting that area than the moleskin and bandages. Finally, I can do sets of back breakfalls and rocking exercises on the canvas mat without my tailbone area being rubbed raw or bruised.

A nice thing happened during Friday’s noon class at the main dojo. After demonstrating a technique for the class to practice, Sensei changed my partner from a black belt to two junior students. I hadn’t studied this particular technique before, so the pressure was on; the senior student of a partnership or group is expected to perform the technique correctly and assist the juniors with performing it correctly. But I’d paid careful attention to the demonstration and remembered the main points. And it felt good that Sensei trusted me enough to put me in that position, especially after last week where he’d changed my partner from a beginner to a black belt. He’d been polite about it, as always, and it may have been unrelated to my performance, but it still had felt to me like I’d let him down, and I was determined not to let that happen again.

Thursday evening at Rec & Ed we had a little photo shoot toward the end of class, to get some updated pictures for the club’s website. I’ve included some of the photos here, with permission, and more will follow.