Grab My Wrist

My Aikido Teachers

This is sort of a sister post to My Aikido Timeline. Here I’ll try to keep track of all the teachers I’ve had the privilege of training under. They are listed starting at the beginning, with most recent additions at the bottom, in order by the first time I trained with each. I will be adding to this post over time. Putting this list together just reminds me of how extraordinarily fortunate I am to have had this breadth of experience.

Dave Goldberg Sensei
Chief Instructor, Aikido of San Diego
May 5, 2009 - My first day of Aikido training
To Present - Hundreds of training days, many workshops, and seminars.

Mike Coit
Instructor, Aikido of San Diego
May 9, 2009 - My second day of training, and many classes since.

Karen Kustejo
Instructor, Aikido of San Diego
May, 2009 to Present - Many classes.  

Jay Palm
Instructor, Aikido of San Diego
May, 2009 to Present - Many classes. 

Megan Palm
Instructor, Aikido of San Diego
May, 2009 to Present - Many classes.    

Andy
Instructor, Aikido of San Diego
May - December 2009 - Various classes (mostly weapons).  

Cyril Poissonnet
Instructor, Aikido of San Diego
May, 2009 to Present - Many classes.   

Jason Lim
Instructor, Aikido of San Diego
May, 2009 to Present - Many classes (mostly weapons).  

Michael Hancock
Instructor, Aikido of San Diego
May, 2009 to Present - Many classes.   

Robert Nadeau Shihan
July, 2009 - Seminar at Aikido of San Diego
April, 2010 - Seminar at Aikido of San Diego
June, 2011 - CAA Aiki Retreat, Atherton, CA
July, 2011 - Seminar, Aikido of San Diego

Kayla Feder Sensei
September, 2009 - Fall Retreat, Aikido of San Diego

Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan
January, 2010 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego
January, 2011 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego
June, 2011 - CAA Aiki Retreat, Atherton, CA
January, 2012 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego

Frank Doran Shihan
January, 2010 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego
January, 2011 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego
June, 2011 - CAA Aiki Retreat, Atherton, CA
January, 2012 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego

Christian Tissier Shihan 
January, 2010 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego
January, 2011 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego
January, 2012 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego

Wilko Vriesman Sensei
January, 2010 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego

Francis Takahashi Shihan
January, 2010 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego

Morihiko Murashige Shihan
January, 2010 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego

Mary Heiny Sensei
September, 2010 - Seminar, Aikido of San Diego
June, 2011 - CAA Aiki Retreat, Atherton, CA
October, 2011 - Seminar, Aikido of San Diego 

Lloyd McClellan, Shodan
January 2011 - Teaching his first class, Aikido of San Diego

Patrick Cassidy Sensei
2010 - Seminar, Aikido of San Diego
February, 2011 - Gasshuku, Aikido of San Diego

Jeff Sodeman Sensei
Spring/Summer, 2011 - Two ukemi seminars, Jiai Aikido, San Diego
January, 2012 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego

Michael Friedl Sensei
June, 2011 - CAA Aiki Retreat, Atherton, CA

Alan Best Sensei
June, 2011 - CAA Aiki Retreat, Atherton, CA

Frank Blocksberg Sensei
June, 2011 - CAA Aiki Retreat, Atherton, CA

Greg O’Connor Sensei
June, 2011 - CAA Aiki Retreat, Atherton, CA
January, 2012 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego

Denise Barry Sensei 
June, 2011 - CAA Aiki Retreat, Atherton, CA

Michele Simone Sensei
June, 2011 - CAA Aiki Retreat, Atherton, CA

Chetan Prakash Sensei
Summer, 2011 - Jo Seminar, Redlands Aikikai 

Mitsugu Saotome Shihan
September, 2011 - Seminar, Redlands Aikikai

Kevin Choate Sensei
Fall, 2011 (?) - Saotome Seminar, Redlands Aikikai 

Troy Farrow Sensei
January, 2012 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego

George Ledyard Sensei
January, 2012 - Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar, San Diego

The Bridge Seminar 2012, Days 2-5

Well, fine. I can’t train 6 hours a day and keep up with blogging at the same time. So, here’s a bit of catching up.

The seminar was a wonderful experience, with the ouchy exception of some persistent leg muscle spasms that started a couple of weeks ago. I got through most of it, and had a good deal of fun, but was also pretty limited in what I could do, and distracted, which was unfortunate.  

There were 6 guest instructors in addition to the main 3. Here’s a quick summary of a few of the classes, to the best of my recollection.

Troy Farrow Sensei taught on Friday morning. We worked on a variety of swirly techniques from gyakute-dori (cross-hand grab), including one I do all the time in jiyuwaza, but can recall ever seeing anyone teach it. It was a fun, high-energy class, and a great way to get going in the morning.

Friday evening’s class was led by Greg O’Conner Sensei, who I had the pleasure of training with at the Aiki Retreat last summer, too. His focus was on movements coming from sword technique, with a lot of cutting energy.

On Friday night I hustled out the door and back to my home dojo, Aikido of San Diego, because Goldberg Sensei would be teaching the 90-minute class. I miss those lately, because he usually teaches the 90-minute class on Wednesdays (my date night). These longer classes are often more seminar-like in temperament, really going into depth on some aspect of Aikido as a practice, as opposed to techniques. It was a truly inspired class, and I’m very glad I was able to make it

Jeff Sodeman Sensei taught a class on injury prevention and safe ukemi on Saturday morning. It was a great one-hour reminder of the things we’d learned in one of his longer workshops last year. I especially liked one warm-up exercise that involved stepping out in 8 directions (to the front, to the front-side, to the side, etc. all the way around), at first a little, then deeper, and finally in lunges. Great for loosening up, and for building strength and coordination. And you can do it any time (while you wait for the coffee to brew, for instance).

I finally got to train with George Ledyard Sensei on Saturday evening, which was awesome. His way of communicating and demonstrating really clicks with me. I enjoyed his class, and got a lot out of it. We worked on a Daito Ryu method of learning to send a wave of energy over our partners, from our hara (center), getting inside the attack. It was interesting to play with that same energy later in the seminar, especially in Ikeda Sensei’s class.

On Sunday, Lia Suzuki Sensei taught the morning class, but I arrive to late to join in (I really need to warm up first). I’m sorry I missed that one; I’d been looking forward to training with her. Sunday evening’s class was taught by Murashige Sensei. By that time my legs and brain were too tired to participate, so I watched that one from the loft.

On Monday morning I only managed about the first 20 minutes. When muscle spasms get to the point where you cannot get yourself out of the way of Tissier Sensei, who has come to demonstrate something with your partner, it’s time to get off the mat. So I watched again, and took some photos from the loft.

That night I was doing much better (seems that shikko is the killer, for the moment), and was able to participate in both classes at my dojo. Like many vacations, it was great fun to get out, to see and learn new things, but wonderful to come home, too.

All in all a tremendous experience, and I’m looking forward to next year!

The Bridge Seminar 2012, Day 1

For the third year running, I am participating in the Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar in San Diego, with Doran Sensei, Ikeda Sensei, Tissier Sensei, and 6 guest instructors. sandiego.aikidobridge.com

Today, Thursday, was the first of five days, and just ran from 6-8 p.m., but I’m exhausted, so this is going to be quick. :-) I’m taking vacation time (Thursday-Monday) for the seminar, so I had the whole day free. Naturally I filled it with all kinds of fun. Here’s how it went:

• Set the alarm for oh-dark-hundred. 
• Hit snooze about 6 times.
• Jump out of bed, soak food for the donkeys, eat.
• Feed donks.
• Shower, grab my stuff, and head to my home dojo (Aikido of San Diego).
• Participate in a 90-minute conference call from the dojo (was there alone), so that I could be there on time to train with Jean, who has her 5th kyu exam coming up next week.
• Train with Jean for an hour.
• Participate in the the first session of our new 8-week Low Impact class, which was really a nice experience.
• Hang around and chat after class.
• Mozy on home. Eat a banana and raw nuts on the way.
• Have a 90-minute massage, in an attempt to un-spasm my left calf and hamstrings, which seem hell-bent on preventing me from practicing suwariwaza.
• Have a hearty snack of nachos, grab a fresh gi, and run out the door.
• Forget my phone. Oh well.
• Get to the seminar with maybe 5 minutes to spare. Change, get on the mat, bow in.
• Have a fantastic time training. Get a few things easily, and totally miss a few others.
• Spot another friend every few minutes. Grab them to train with. Grab new people, too.
• Be glad the mat isn’t as crowded yet as it’s going to be tomorrow.
• Have a blast. Notice how time flies. Bow out, and circle up.
• Tell friends about a dozen times that I can’t go to dinner, I need to go home, feed donkeys, and get some sleep. Get convinced to go out for dinner anyway. Just really quick.
• Spend two delightful hours catching up on news, discussing teaching methods, considering breakfalls, and wondering what the nearby diners must have thought of our “animated” conversations.
• Drop a friend off at their hotel.
• Head home, start laundry, feed donkeys, write this blog post.

It’s 12:45 a.m. Next up: Bed. Back on the mat at 8:15 a.m.  :-)

No 2012 Aiki Retreat. Now what?

Well, bummer. It’s official. The CAA “Menlo Retreat” is on sabbatical for 2012. The hope is it will return, in some new form, in 2013.

I’m disappointed to not be going next summer. I was really looking forward to seeing everyone, and doing nothing but training for a whole week. My dorm things are still/already packed from last summer.

I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience it at least that one time, to have met so many really wonderful people and participated in a warm, inclusive Aikido tradition.

I’m looking forward to 2013, and to helping create the event, in whatever way I can help. For now, we can all stay in touch and post photos and stories about past Retreats, share ideas and info about the future, and keep the soul of the event alive. If you are on Facebook, there’s the Aiki Summer Retreat Fans page you can “Like” to stay in touch. And check the fan website: www.aikiretreat.com from time to time.

Please share the links with your friends throughout the year, so they can be in the loop about the new 2013+ Retreat. Invite them to go, when details emerge about it. If 2013 is going to be the beginning of a new and successful event, we’re going to have to support it. 

Meanwhile, take the week of vacation time and the money you were planning on spending to go to the Retreat, and find another Aikido event to enjoy and support. Start with those at your own dojo, of course, and pick any other event(s) you think might be worthwhile. Go, and bring some friends along with you. It’s our participation (and volunteering to help out, where possible) that keeps them happening.

I know so far that I’m going to the San Diego Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar (my 3rd year) in San Diego in January. At the end of March I’ll be doing the Evolutionary Aikido Seminar at Aikido of San Diego, with Patrick Cassidy Sensei and Dave Goldberg Sensei. For a summer “away” seminar or retreat I have about 8-10 options so far, but haven’t made up my mind. In any case, I hope to see you on the mat soon, and at the Retreat in 2013!

Aiki Retreat Road Trip!

On Saturday morning I head off on my big Aikido adventure of the year, a road trip to the week-long Aiki Retreat at Menlo College in the Bay Area. This is my first live-in, out-of-town Aikido seminar, and I’m really excited to be going! Summer camp! Woohooo!

The instructors are Robert Nadeau Shihan, Frank Doran Shihan, and Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan, and Mary Heiny Sensei. I’ve been in seminars with each of them twice before, except for just one seminar with Mary Heiny Sensei. I’m looking forward to exploring their teaching in more depth.

I’ve been keeping my to-do and packing lists in an earlier blog post. Everything is done except for vacuuming the car, putting on the new wiper blades, and printing a sheet of contact info in case my phone falls into a water trough or something.

I’ll be taking two days to drive up, and two days back, visiting horsey friends along the way in Fresno, Livermore, and San Juan Bautista. Here’s a map of my route, if you’re into that sort of thing. 

I plan to post a lot of photos, observations, insights, and other random blabbering here, from my iPhone, so my blog will be rather busy and random for a while. Expect typos and incomplete thoughts! I’ll be on the road June 11-19. I won’t be checking email while I’m away, so use Facebook (I’m easy to find) or text messages (619 368-4333) if you want to say hi. 

Hope to see you there!
Linda

Going to Summer Camp!

This summer, June 12-18, I’m going for the first time to the Aiki Summer Retreat at Menlo College, in Atherton, California (in the Bay Area). The sensei are Robert Nadeau, Frank Doran, Hiroshi Ikeda Shihan, and Mary Heiny Sensei, plus other instructors in the evenings.

It’s the kind of thing where you stay in the dorms, eat in the dining hall, swim in the pool, and eat, breathe, and sleep Aikido for a whole week. I’ll be driving there and back (about 10 hours each way). Part seminar, part summer camp, part road trip. Woohoo! 

I know a bunch of folks who have gone before, both fellow students from Aikido of San Diego, and people I’ve met at seminars (and am looking forward to seeing again!). Dave Goldberg Sensei has gone many times, and says he’s never had a bad day there (besides, it’s a cheap vacation). Cathé, a dojo mate, went last year and has given me a whole array of great tips for having a great time.

Being the planning, list-making sort, I’ve been planning and making lists. If you’re going, too, you might find them helpful. Check back from time to time, as I will be adding to these, I’m sure. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

TO-DO LISTS:

Car

• Get car registered and smogged. [Done. Sticker arrived in time! Now I don’t need to worry about getting pulled over to out-of-date tags.] 
• New tires, or have tires rotated [Checked. No work needed.]
• Alignment [Checked. No work needed.]
• Oil change & check fluids [Done.]
• Replace broken hubcap (car looks kinda ghetto at the moment)  [Done. New ones look great!]
• Wash / vacuum [Washed, at least.]
• New battery and wiper blades, too. [Done.]

Other Chores

• Shop for food & supplies
• Do laundry. Write name in all my gi / belt.
• Arrange donkey care [Done. Thanks, Michael!]. Others may not need to do this. ;-)
• Arrange to visit with friends on the way up and back. 
• Print a list of critical phone numbers, in case of phone failure.
• Set up iPad and iPhone with tunes, playlists, photos, and videos.

PACKING LISTS:

Everyday Stuff

• Wallet
• Checkbook
• Purse
• Notebook
• Pens

Road Trip Stuff

• Maps
• Roadside emergency kit (triangles, tools…)
• Basic tool kit
• Duct tape (just in case)
• Multi-purpose tool (just because)

Food

Note that I don’t eat meat (except for fish), or gluten (wheat, barley, rye). I don’t like onions or garlic, and am mildly allergic to cinnamon and walnuts. So I’m hard to get along with. When I go to events where food is included, I bring my own, too. If there’s something there I can eat (salad, fruit, cheese), great. If not, I won’t starve. I have been told there is a microwave in the dining hall, and a Trader Joe’s across the street from the college, so picking simple things up and cooking them there should be easy, too. 

• Nuts (almonds & Brazil nuts)
• Bananas (buy ahead so they’ll be ripe!)
• Promax gluten-free protein bars
• Pre-cooked Pad Thai (w/rice noodles - gluten free)
• Shelf-stable tofu
• Instant coffee (little individual paper tubes are handy)
• Tea bags (to put in water bottle)
• Liberty Bottle Works water bottle
• Big insulated mug
• Thermos
• Spoon, fork, and knife (big enough for cutting up fruit)

Cooler

• Little, rolling cooler said to hold ice for 2 days at 90 degrees (not a wimpy picnic / 6-pack cooler)
• Ice packs (for icing joints, etc.)

Toiletries

• Toiletries kit - remember that this is a dorm, with bathrooms down the hall.
• Shampoo & conditioner
• Blow dryer & straightening iron
• Brush & comb
• Fingernail / Toenail clippers
• Callous remover
• Soap (little bottles of shower gel - no wet bars to deal with)
• Toothbrush, toothpaste, floss
• Lotion, sunscreen, hand repair cream (Burt’s Bees - highly recommended)
• Sunscreen
• Road trip emergency medicines: Tylenol, Tums, Immodium
• Vision stuff: Contacts, glasses (regular and reading) eye drops, soaking solution, contact case, spare set of lenses, sunglasses
• Breathing stuff: Saline nose spray, Sudafed
• Ladies, if you need lady stuff, add that to your list, too!

Training Things

If you are a dan-ranked sort of person, remember your yudansha book and hakama, too. I don’t have to worry about that yet!

• Gi (several)
• Underpants
• Sports bras
• Sweat-wiping cloths
• Flip-flops
• Water bottle
• Hair bands (and headbands?)

Weapons Bag

• Weapons bag
• Jo
• Bokken
• Tanto
• Weapons Repair Kit (oil, sandpaper, rag)

Play Clothes

I am told it can be pretty warm there, but the weather stats I’ve seen don’t look all that bad. I’m figuring on summer weather, with maybe a cool evening or two thrown in. 

• Yoga pants
• Jeans
• Shorts
• Skirts
• Belts
• T-shirts
• Tank tops / undershirts
• Light jacket
• Swimsuit
• Underpants
• Bras
• Socks
• Hat
• Shoes (bring orthotics or die!)
• Flip-flops

Dress Clothes

Guys, you might want to skip the dress. Heck, I might even skip the dress. I just want to plan one outfit that would be appropriate if there’s a trip to an off-site sit-down restaurant or something.

• Dress
• Shoes that go with dress
• Necklace
• Purse

Things for Aiki Follies?

This is a mystery to me so far. Props? Guitar? Clown shoes? We shall see…

• _______________________
• _______________________

Dorm Living

I am told the dorms are austere, with concrete floors. (One online review says “small, dirty, cramped,… poorly maintained”). I think basic bed linens are provided, but I may bring my own anyway. Some people bring area rugs. (Some even bring flowers in vases!) I’m figuring a run and/or mat for stretching. A small fan can be really nice. Been there, done that: U of W dorms for the Oshkosh EAA Airshow. Damn… We thought we were going to melt. People who’d been there before packed big box fans on the plane! Others tried to buy locally, but all the stores ran out.

• Area rug
• Little brush and dust pan, for the dorm room floor
• Yoga mat
• Fan
• Drying rack (or plastic hangers, or travel clothesline)
• Reading lamp
• Pillows (two buckwheat hull-filled ones I can’t live without!)
• Zafu
• Towel / Washcloths / Rags
• Beach towel (for the pool)
• Blanket
• Sheets
• Sleeping bag (for sleeping on friends’ floors, maybe)
• Folding mattress (ditto, and in case bed is too mushy or hard, and for visiting friends on the way)
• Magnifying mirror for putting in contacts
• Bug repellent (skeeters?)
• Plenty of change for doing laundry
• Laundry detergent (unscented)

Photography (or maybe just use iPhone?)

• Camera
• 3 Batteries
• 2 Chargers
• Several SD Cards
• Case

iThings

Reportedly, the dorms have WiFi. It’s slow, but it should do the trick. I’m on AT&T… No idea what coverage is like there.

• iPhone
• iPad
• Old iPhone as backup, and for recording ideas, blog posts, and other random ideas on the trip up and back.
• Phone earbuds (with mic)
• 2 chargers
• Charging/speaker dock

Physical Therapy / First Aid

• Yoga mat
• Foam roller
• Stick (or Tiger Tail)
• BioFreeze
• Arnica
• White sports tape
• Vet Rap
• Band-Aids
• Lamb’s wool
• Moleskin
• ACE bandages
• Ice / hot water bag
• Back brace (for holding ice/heat packs on lower back)
• Knee brace (for holding ice/heat pack on knee or elbow)

That’s is so far. Expect this to change (grow) between now and then. I’ll probably post some amendments afterward, too - things I didn’t need after all, or wish I’d brought. If you have any suggestions, especially if you’ve gone before, I’d love to hear them. See you there? I hope!

The Stillness After the Seminar

So about that seminar, finally… I had a great time at the Aikido Bridge Friendship Seminar a couple of weeks ago. Doran, Ikeda, and Tissier Sensei taught again, and this time each also did a tanto (knife) class. I got to train and hang out with some really nice folks I met there last year, several of my Aikido rock star heroes, and some new friends I hope to see again soon. I even got to have a house guest for the duration. On the basic “having a good time” scale, it was way up there. Lots of fun.

I love training at the level of intensity available at seminars - really focusing on nothing else for several days, without distraction. I definitely plan to be back next year, and am looking forward to 4 days with Patrick Cassidy Sensei in February, the Aiki Summer Retreat at Menlo Park in June, Robert Nadeau Shihan some time this summer, and our dojo retreat in the mountains in the fall. And some day, on my wish list, George Ledyard Sensei’s Weapons & Randori Intensive. There’s something about that removal from everyday life to just train that allows for breakthroughs. 

It was interesting to notice that this year I got more frustrated and impatient with myself. Last year I was only a 6th kyu with about 6 months of training behind me. My most fervent wish at that point was to not make a complete fool of myself - to clap at the right time when bowing in, address the instructors appropriately, and to not be an embarrassment to my dojo or teacher. This time around, as a 4th kyu training for 18 months, I thought I should know something. Not in the “yeah, yeah, I already know how to do ikkyo” sense (I’m not that thick headed), but when I missed the point of an exercise at first, or failed to execute a technique as smoothly as I’d just seen demonstrated (or flat out screwed it up), I found I was kicking myself, thinking I should be able to do better. Many, many (many) times I had to remind myself that the instructors and almost everyone else on the mat have been doing this for much, much longer than I have. There’s a little voice in my head, reminding me: “Patience, Grasshopper.” 

People now have been asking me what I learned. It’s hard to say. Yes, there were some cool new (to me) techniques, new (to me) ways of doing familiar techniques. There were reminders, about atemi, dealing with different energies, what-ifs, and so on. And there was a lot of really interesting work with the tanto.

It was a great opportunity to see and feel a lot of different kinds of ukemi. There had been a very good discussion going on AikiWeb about ukemi at seminars, and in particular one where Ikeda Sensei was teaching. So I had that on my mind, and was more aware of various styles and philosophies of ukemi than I would have been otherwise. Right from the start there was plenty to pay attention to. There was one person who repeatedly walked right through me, zombie-like, instead of doing the connection exercise we were shown. A couple of others basically launched themselves into breakfalls when I showed some intention of doing a technique. But the vast majority tried to give honest feedback - not fighting, but not letting me continue in ignorant bliss if I didn’t have them. And many, bless their patient and generous hearts, coached me in being a better uke - in particular providing better attacks. Ukemi and connection was a major focus in Tissier Sensei’s classes, with one really valuable exercise taking most of a 75 minute class. I like to think my ukemi got a little better from all this. A little… I hope.

Mostly, the seminar somehow seems to have left me more open, more receptive - left some cracks that let a little more light through. There’s a kind of clarity and stillness, like when you can hear sounds you never noticed before after living in a quiet environment for a while. Or maybe it’s more like the peaceful pre-dawn silence after a loud concert. It’s hard to describe. The past couple of weeks at my own dojo have been particularly intense. My mind has been quieter, and I find I am hearing things in a new way. Exercises I’ve done before, words Sensei has said before, hold new levels of meaning, as if I were going back and re-reading a book I read as a child, and am finding that there was much more to it than I realized then. (“Oh… That’s what that whole scene was about…”) Another layer of the infinitely-layered onion has been revealed. 

Aikido Bridge 2011 - Sunday

Wow… What a fun day. Started to get a few things. I really enjoyed Tissier Sensei’s class, which was all about connection and honest ukemi. I got to train with several people who were very good, and also gave me a few very helpful pointers. We got to stick with the same kinds of exercises for quite a long time, which allowed for some experimentation, and a few light-bulb moments. I got to work with Tissier himself briefly, which was an honor. Kinda screwed up the connection point of the exercise when I tried to come back up from a fall, but he still had me. D’oh!  

I also really enjoyed Doran Sensei’s class, although in my exhaustion-addled state I can’t recall what we worked on. Some of it was nikkyo, and I have to say I really enjoyed training with Adam, who is a model of relaxed, force-free, effective Aikido. His technique is very quiet, unhurried, and gentle, and will drop you to your knees as well (or better) than someone cranking on your wrist. Really a pleasure to train with and learn from.

Bless Ikeda Sensei’s heart, he has gotten video of the whole seminar, and will be offering the DVDs to participants. I’m bringing my check tomorrow! That will be tremendously helpful for recall later.

Ikeda Sensei’s tanto class was fun. Lots of very solid techniques with interesting ukemi. I trained with people at a variety of levels, and we did the baby version of the technique (the slo-mo, non-high-fall kind). Everyone I trained with, thankfully (even when we both ended up on the mat) went slowly, and was very careful. Did some potential arm-breaking things, if people got rushy or forceful.