Category: Misc

Last night, Genryukan students were very fortunate to have another visit from Neil Saunders Sensei.

Here is what Neil covered with the class;

Kamae/kihon dosa
Shomen uchi ikkajo osae ni
Irimi nage

Controls;
Nikkajo
Sankkajo
Kotegaeshi

Photos from the session can of course be seen in our gallery

It was great for everyone to see Christophe up and about (taking the photos).

As always, a thoroughly enjoyable evening was had on the mat, and then of course afterwards at the pub.
Our thanks again go to Neil Saunders and Mark Atkinson for coming down to visit us.

Neil Saunders Sensei holds a 4th Dan in both Yoshinkan and Tomiki schools of Aikido.

Video I threw together from Neil’s last visit

I’m not happy with the video editing software I used in Ubuntu, seems even less useful than Windows Movie Maker, I will try a new one next time.

What is so amazing about nikkyo is its ability to reveal just how much how confrontational you are. When you have an uke with whom you cannot apply nikkyo, what do you do? Do you attempt to crank down on the wrist even more? Do you rationalize your failure by saying that the uke isn’t resisting correctly? Both are common reactions, but neither are correct. I learned this through one of my most senior students, a gentleman who has remarkably strong arms and who recognizes that, when practicing with me, will attempt to resist the nikkyo as much as possible.

Read on at Aiki Thoughts Blog

Muscle memory is a common phrase associated with the martial arts as well as in other sports, playing a musical instrument, riding a bike or in the acquisition of any other psycho-motor skill for that matter. It is a useful way of trying to understand what is going on: through repetition of a set of muscular actions, that muscle (or group of muscles) will eventually react to a stimulus in a predictable and reliable way. It is as if those muscles have ‘remembered’ what to do and the movements become automatic without the need for conscious control.

Unfortunately the phrase ‘muscle memory’ grates on me a little! It may feel as if your muscles just know what to do all by themselves and you aren’t consciously sending them messages to contract or relax at a given moment but your unconscious brain is working very hard to tell your muscles what to do in any given situation. Clearly memory resides in the brain not the muscles. In my opinion a more accurate phrase to describe what is happening is motor memory.

Read full article

It is very interesting for beginners and experienced practitioners alike, no matter what martial art you are learning:

“The dojo can be a perplexing place. Everything is different – the clothes, the atmosphere, the terminology, the etiquette…it truly is a whole different culture. Why then are we expected to jump in without any knowledge of what to expect? Even experienced students get tripped up by the intricacies of the martial arts.

Every dojo has its own way of operating, but over the years I have found certain foundational concepts that lead practitioners to success and longevity in their training. I have also noticed some very common pitfalls that trap students in ways they never saw coming. It is my goal with this ebook to give students of all ages and ranks a deeper understanding of how to prosper in their chosen art.”

Download the complete Ebook for free at:
The Student Guide to Surviving a Traditional Dojo by Matthew Apsokardu