Monday started with Richard San teaching the sword session, continuing on from last week, the ‘Purple belt Battle Kata’ was again the main theme, with the students getting to understand the applications of this great and vigorous kata. This will now be part of the set piece for the 1st part sword gradings coming up soon!
As Richard San was let loose on the Blackbelts and Brown belts this Monday, then of course it became a great ‘Aikido Te’ fest! 
With the new blackbelt aikido kata being given the full street treatment by the higher grades!
This of course is very different to the Aikido practiced on Tuesday nights, which this week was a lovely exploration of the connectivity that this amazing subject requires in its pure state, with the class running through the basic syllabus, but with much deeper understanding. This as always was balanced and highlighted by the sword and zen session that followed.
Well back to the crash mats on Wednesday! As the dojo is now fully equipped in the floor department, it enabled the instructors to cover over half the area with these mats! This meant all the Aikido students taught by Dave San were able to hone their takedowns and break-falls, while Tor San, Mark San and James San got on with some great personal teaching lessons. For the second half of the lesson Richard San took the whole class through take downs and falls, with lots of combat routines that really ‘bedded’ them in, quite an eye opener for the new grades! Also the Blackbelts were allowed to demonstrate their own applications and advanced skills, much ‘Project Mayhem’ potential there!
Mention must go to a lovely philosophy discussion this week that stood out for Richard San, it was about our life’s journey and ultimate picture, based on the similarly of a jigsaw. So often we have the right piece but are often trying to place it in the wrong place, and at other times we struggle with the wrong piece but in the right moment. But of course this picture we think we are building is perhaps just an illusion, it is often so much bigger and more beautiful than we could ever have the imagination to comprehend. So let us then find the patience and and compassion to just let its beauty simply unfold before us.
See you in the dojo!
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