「どこかで花火の音がしていたがみえなかったな。」そんな会話を両親とした。今日も稽古を終えて、ホッとしている。いつも稽古は考えに考えて臨んでいる。どうすれば面白さがつたわるか、どうすれば合気道を体感できるか、どうすればある程度充足感をえて終えられるか。そしてどうしたら楽しかったと感じて帰ってもらえるか。こんなに考えなくてもいいのかもしれない。でも未熟な以上、考えてやっていくしかない。そう思いいつも尻に火がついている。でも、信じているのは、合気道は楽しいものだということ。その本質は人間の秘密を紐解いていくような感覚がおもしろい。魔法ではない魔法のような感覚を味わえる。初学者だから何にも感じなくて当然、では面白くない。初学者でも工夫次第でこの魔法のような体験をすることができるのが合気道だ。それは気を感じるということ。それなしでは、面白くない、僕が面白くないんだ。
遊び稽古
１体操
２杖に慣れる
３ ２５の杖
４相半身片手取り二教裏（杖の手引き）
本稽古
１合気体操
２足さばき
３受け身
４相半身ループ
５相半身片手取り玄型呼吸投げストレッチ
６横面打ち四方投げ
７横面打ち二教表
８横面打ち四方投げ裏
９横面打ち二教裏
１０相半身片手取り二教裏
１１多人数取り腕決め投げ
終わって、「今日も稽古が終わった、あー今日も楽しかった」と言った。初めて言った気がする。言う余裕がないと言うのが正直な話ではあるが、でも今日は口に出た。あれほど自分が楽しむことが大切と思いつつそれを4年目で初めて口にした。しかし本音はいつも感じていると思う。たまたま口に出しただけだ。そう思う。
“I could hear fireworks somewhere, but I couldn’t see them.”
That was something I said to my parents.
Today, I finished practice once again, and I feel relieved. I always put a great deal of thought into each practice session before I begin. How can I convey the fun of Aikido? How can I help people experience Aikido for themselves? How can I help them finish practice feeling that they have gained something meaningful? And how can I send them home feeling that they really enjoyed themselves?
Perhaps I don’t need to think so much about it. But as long as I am still inexperienced, I have no choice but to keep thinking and trying. That is why I always feel the pressure to get things right.
Still, there is one thing I believe in: Aikido is fun.
What makes it so fascinating is the feeling that you are unraveling the secrets of being human. It offers an experience that feels like magic, even though it isn’t magic.
I don’t want to tell beginners that it is only natural for them not to feel anything because they are just starting out. That would take away the fun. With the right approach and a little ingenuity, even beginners can experience something that feels like magic. That is what Aikido can offer.
It is about feeling ki.
Without that, Aikido would not be interesting. At least, it wouldn’t be interesting to me.
Playful practice
- Warm-up exercises
- Getting familiar with the jo
- The 25 jo kata
- Ai-hanmi katate-dori nikyo ura (using the jo to guide the movement)
Regular practice
- Aiki exercises
- Footwork
- Ukemi
- Ai-hanmi loop exercise
- Ai-hanmi katate-dori gen-gata kokyu-nage stretching
- Yokomen-uchi shiho-nage
- Yokomen-uchi nikyo omote
- Yokomen-uchi shiho-nage ura
- Yokomen-uchi nikyo ura
- Ai-hanmi katate-dori nikyo ura
- Multiple attackers: ude-kime-nage
At the end of practice, I said, “Practice is over for today. Ah, that was fun again today.”
I feel as though it was the first time I had ever said that out loud.
To be honest, I rarely have the mental space to say something like that. And yet, today, the words came out naturally.
For four years, I have believed that it is important for me to enjoy Aikido myself. But today was the first time I actually put that feeling into words.
Still, I think I have always felt it deep down. I just happened to say it aloud today.
That is how I see it.
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