My first post was a bit of background. This one is a quick summary of my first few weeks of studying Aikido. The wide-angle view, for now. I’ll elaborate on many of these details in future posts.
First, you will recall I was sidelined by a shoulder injury. I landed smack on the top of my right shoulder in my 5th class. I sat out classes for a few weeks, coming to watch and take notes. I’ve even brought a few friends who have been thinking of studying Aikido. Observing is a very valuable, if frustrating, experience. I highly recommend the watching and taking notes part, but you might prefer to do it without getting injured first.
My orthopedic doc thought I was healing well, and told me at the 3 week point to take it easy – no falling or rolling for several more weeks – but I could go back to class. Joy!
I took it easy, both in class (twice), and everywhere else, but it seemed to not be improving as much as I’d hope, and in fact things I could do OK last week were now more painful. I sat out probably 50% of Tuesday’s class, and even at that I probably overdid it.
So off to physical therapy. Physical therapists are miracle workers, and I’ve worked with this one before. He’s good, and I trust him. I figured I’d get some coaching on exercises I could do at home to help strengthen the right things, and avoid injuring the wrong things. Instead he found that the injury was worse than first thought. So now it’s ultrasound, TENS unit type work, supervised light exercises at his office, more ice, less independent exercise and activity and, you guessed it, no Aikido for at least a few more weeks, if things go well.
I’ll definitely be skipping an upcoming workshop that Sensei is giving later this month. (Rats!) Still hoping, hoping, hoping I’ll be OK by late July to participate in a workshop with Robert Nadeau Shihan, who will be visiting our dojo. (See Events on www.aikidosd.com, if you’re interested in participating in either workshop.)
Meanwhile, I’ve been doing what training I can – endurance, stretching and strengthening, and practicing (to the best of my understanding) moving from my center, using good posture, and so on, as I do normal daily things.
I’ve read several books, with several more on deck, listened to podcasts over and over, read everything I can find online, and watched videos on YouTube. Last night I bought and downloaded the Aikido3D application, which looks very useful. And of course there’s participating here and talking with aikidoka on Twitter (I’m @LindaEskin, if you’re there).
Right now I’m feeling unbalanced. Not in a bad way, just uneven. Lots of book learning, including history, philosophy, teaching methods, experiences of others’ study of Aikido, and plenty of general culture and humor. But I can hardly put together the names and rudimentary motions of even a few basic techniques, for lack of any consistent practice. I know that stuff will come with time…
I’m so grateful for all the encouragement I’ve gotten from fellow aikidoka, in person, online, and from writers I may never meet directly. This injury is a speed bump of sorts. It has forced me to slow down, observe, and think. I have a painted wooden sign, hanging by a charming gingham ribbon, on my office door, which says: PATIENCE MY A**. (Except my sign isn’t shy about spelling it out.) Maybe an early injury is the universe’s dope slap to snap me out of that rushed attitude. Wake up, be careful, go slow, work for mastery not speed.
I am even more grateful to have found, in good part due to luck and convenience, an extraordinary school. Sensei and the other students are very patient and understanding, and all are good teachers. The facility is very nice – an oasis of sorts. More importantly, the depth and quality of what’s available there is impressive. I’m sure I’m only able to see the tip of the iceberg from my perspective as an utter beginner, but the more I discover, the more fortunate I realize I am,.
Thank you for walking my path with me a little ways. I was going to say I’m not normally this long-winded, but maybe I am. I’m sure there will be more long posts, and lots of short ones. We’ll see.
