A Learning Weekend

Well I know Andy and Pat have made a few posts about the Friday and Saturday Aikido/Judo weekend already, but here are a few words from me about it. The weekend started off with me and Andy arriving at the dojo a few hours before Pat so we warmed up and commences some standing Judo randori after I refreshed him on some basic throws. I have to say his Aikido defiantly shows in his Judo, he's gotten noticeably better since the last time we did anything. He got me with a few good throws and I got one or two on him before Pat showed up. Right before class me and Andy did some ground work in Judo. He did pretty well for someone who hasn't done it before except for maybe a class or two a few years ago. I was amazed how this time I didn't go for any arm-bars or chokes...they just happened. My hands just fell in the right place which brings me to something Pat was mentioning on his blog. This was the first class where I felt like a Sankyu. I could do all the moves at will (not always fluidly, but I could make them happen), and I just felt really comfortable in my rank for once. According to Pat that means I need to be promoted and taken out of my comfort zone again. That Friday during class we did a little Owaza and went over Nijusan. I remember Andy saying that he was curious how the feeling would be different with the more linear Junanna I was practising with Bryce and how that would transfer. Before I left we both agreed that there was no noticeable difference in feeling. Kary, an old buddy me and Andy used to work with showed up after class so all three of us stayed the night at Pat's house to get up early for Aikido in the morning. Sat morning the dojo was freezing. It must've been 30 degrees in there. It didn't feel warm till the 2nd or 3rd hour right before practise was over. I got a chance to work with Pat's other students, Kristoff the exchange student, and Patrick the one armed student Pat references to from time to time in his posts. Kristoff seems really fluid in his motions, I just hope as time progresses his attacks as Uke become more committed, I think it's a little confusing to the other students when they try to move with an attack that's not there. There was a slight incident with Patrick which I'll post separately in a second. After class I took some video footage of Pat and Andy doing Nijusan then the Kihara chains. Pat may or may not choose to post some of it, but I'd like it to go on record that Andy taking the falls was already exhausted from Judo the day before and 3 hours of Aikido that day so if the falls aren't pretty and he takes a little longer after each throw to get up, that's why. Bryce was excited when I got back that we have some new stuff to go over. I plan on TRYING (note the operative word Pat) to make it back in April with Bryce and have an Aiki Buddy weekend or whatever it is Pat's calling it. :)