10 Things You Need To Know As A New Aikido Student

You have decided to start your class, what is expected of me and what should my expectations be ?

PART 1: Mental preparation

1. Attend class with an open mind, there are many concepts that may contradict your belief( culturally, religiously or scientifically)
2. Attend class with a clarity of mind; leave your worries behind so that you can be focused. Why ? ( read explanation 1 below)
3. You need undivided attention. Pay attention to the whole movement, the steps taken, the shift in the center of gravity and the hands movement. A lot to digest but ..this is Aikido.
4. Never interrupt and instructor when they are executing a technique.
5. Do not sit or stay too near to the instructor and his uke {ou-kay} ( partner in the execution of technique). Give them space for the demo !
6. Always be proactive, look for a more senior student to practice the technique. Go to them bow and say onegai shimasu{oh- nee-guy she-must} ( please may i )
7. Never ever go to your instructor and ask him to be your uke. This is rude in Japanese culture as hierachy is practiced.
8. Never resist a technique being applied. Many times, injuries arise from resistance and using too much force.
9. Learn good ukemi {ou-kay-mee} ( falling technique), this avoid the pitfalls of injury preventing you from training Aikido.
10. Patience is essential. You may not be able to understand the technique now, give yourself some time to digest it.

Stay tune for the next installment...

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Explanation 1: Unlike other martial art, aikido is taught with a demonstration of the complete execution of technique but not in sections. It was reported that Osensei did not give specific instructions, instead he showed the technique repeatedly followed by exploration from his audience.

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EPILOGUE:

After a hiatus of a year and attaining my second Dan just recently, I thought that it is timely to write about a series of article that may help beginner students who wishes to understand this beautiful art. I have observed that student turn-over is tremendous as compared to other martial art. I started researching on this topic and even called up some of those who left, something like an exit interview if you may call it. From the feedback I gathered, most student lose patience in this art or it did not achieve their goal. Following that, I came up with an idea to write about expectaions.

What one should know and expect when they decide to embark on the path of learning Aikido.