Sushi Deshi, 1 year in Japan

At last, I`m moving as ushi deshi in the dojo and I could start to settle in my cosy uchi deshi room which is about 7-8 tatami big (room size is expressed by number of tatami in Japan). It's awesome to be able to live in the dojo, but this means some responsibilities as well, and I don't get much free time.

Aikido wise, we resumed the practice of Shionage and started Ikkajo as well. We had to perform another demonstration for Inoue Kancho, under the Shinwakan name. It was quite interesting, I could learn my first Kihon Dosa Kanren Waza, which is a sequence of the basics movements and basic techniques. I could also take Uke for Takashima Sensei, always a magic experience to be Uke for such a Master, even if I don`t understand what is going on while I`m being thrown. 

The everyday training is focused on the basics of Kamae and I had to start from scratch to learn the basic Kihon Dosa, because it`s a bit different than what I used to learn, so the body memory has to change. I could enjoy a Senshusei class only about Kamae, 20 minutes right Kamae, 20 minutes left Kamae, I know it doesn`t sound like it, but it`s exhausting. 

The learning process of the techniques is focused on the "riai" or principles, which makes it truly challenging. I have to re-learn everything, and I'm questionning (maybe too much, that would be me..) my every moves. This is sometimes frustrating, but when it works, OMG!!! That's a motivation to keep learning more. The Riai teaching is really focusing on not using your strength at all, and being able to connect with and control your partner.

Takashima Sensei started to explain how to connect correctly with your partner. I thought it was about  stealing  the center of your opponent, but it's more about becoming one with his center, and making it move the way you want. It's not pushing or pulling the partner ,  but entering... It's quite subtil, and very difficult to perform. You have to give just the right amount of resistance or forward motion, so that you don't create any conflicts, and so that your uke doesn't feel being attacked, and has nothing to fight against.

Aïkido might not be about doing the technique over and over during many years, but maybe more to understand these basic principles that make the technique efficient and real. Performing an aikido technique and not understanding these Riai would be like an comedian trying to express a feeling by reading a text, without being capable to get the meaning of it, you can tell that something is not right.

So what I understood so far is that you 'd better plant the right seeds in your aikido garden, because doing the wrong move for 20 years or more will never make it right.