Newsletter - November 1987
retyped in for Internet by Lisa McGill
The next General Course is on Sunday 29th November starting at 10:30. At the end of the afternoon is the Aikikia's
Annual General Meeting. The AGM sets the tone for the forthcoming New
Year and more importantly you can air your views.
The Teacher's Course for members graded 3rd Kyu and above is on the 28th November starting at 15:00 promptly.
Some personal data is being kept on computer, it is considered that as the data is for a recreational purpose that no registration under the Data Protection Act 1984 is required. The data kept relates to names, addresses, grades and the such like. Its use is restricted to the Aikikai and will help to maintain the records and ease the Newsletter production.
Some statistics; the average time to gain grades is as follows 6th Kyu 7 months; 5th Kyu 8 months; 4th Kyu 10 months; 3rd Kyu 12 months.
About the Clubs
Our headquarters at Chorley continues to meet on Wednesday and Thursday running both Junior & Senior classes from 19:00 & 20:00 respectively. Members from other Clubs & Organizations are always make welcome and receive the best tuition from our Principal, Mr. Mucha
The Hazel Grove Club in Stockport meets on Wednesday and Thursday at 19:30 and on Sunday at 10:30 of a month when practice starts at 10:00. The Junior Class is on a Thursday form 18:00 to 19:30
Prescot
Mr. Devlin writes that his club has now been running for three years and seems to have been accepted fully as one of the seven Martial Arts Clubs in the Leisure Centre. The club has gone from strength to strength from its start and it hoped this continues. Mr. Devlin would like to extend his thanks to all who have had an input into the Club especially Mr. Mucha for his kind instruction. Sunday between 20:00 & 22:00
The St Helens Club meets on Tuesday evenings and will always be pleased to see you.
Mr. Harrison has just opened the Hyde Club on Friday evenings between 19:30 & 21:30.
Gradings
St Helens
Hyndburn
20th September Chorley Course
Hazel Grove†† 24th September
Prescot 27th Sept
Grading details were published in the paper version - Not published
online under Data Protection Provisions
Five points of correction
1) "Weakness of the armpit" This occurs when the position of the hand is separated from the centre line of the body in the execution of a technique. Deviation from this line not only weakens oneís posture but also exposes one to a counter- attack. Practice of Suwari-waza kokyuho helps to overcome this weakness.
2) Stiffness of the shoulders resulting in unbalanced and stiff movements. By relaxing the shoulders and bringing oneís enter of gravity towards the tanden, movement becomes much freer and flexible.
3) Inability to control the weight of oneís body.
4) Lack of naturalness in action. This nature of a technique is artificial while the essence is natural (spiritual). Perfection of the artificial results in naturalness.
5) Lack of proper maai (distance in relation to oneís opponent) which is very much related to the presence of mind and the lack of zanshin (continuity and flowing of Ki after the execution of a technique)
Harmonising
If you are walking along a railway track and a train is coming, you wouldnít stay on the track.†† The same principle applies also to Aikido and to fighting, one wouldnít stay in the path of a punch.† Unfortunately it is our way of life that if someone was attacking, you fight back, that is unless you clash with your† attacker, hence to learn Aikido it is necessary to understand and master UKEMI, the method of protecting oneself against throwing techniques, this is very important in† the learning of Aikido.
This mastery is not only important for safety reasons but also for the confidence it gives in practice which is necessary for the real enjoyment of the art.
However, the idea of Ukemi in Aikido should be understood more deeply.† Ideally Aikido has neither winner nor loser in practice, only pure† action - a pure action in† which one completes his own mission and lets others complete their xxxx within the context of the techniques.
There is no difference between technique and ukemi in Aikido. It istherefore important to understand ukemi and technique as pure action.
Both the above are taken from a 1980 newsletter written by our Principal Mr. Mucha.
Last year I watched a woman die, she was 44, she smoked cigarettes and was rushing about that morning, she sat down next to my desk and make a noise in her throat. That was all....... sometimes when I smell cigarettes on my uke, I think of her.
Should we smoke in the pub after practice? Are we showing harmony with our bodies?
"There have been a number of sudden deaths in fit people smoking after heavy exercise e.g. after squash, jogging etc." ----- from a report in the British Medical Journal.
Dominic Jackson† 7.11.87