Classes are offered Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. My body generally can handle two classes a week if I pace my activity during the class (although this Monday I had to bow out and go home for pain medication after the 45 minute warm up which includes aiki taiso).
My usual pattern was to attend Monday and Wednesday. Monday is a basics class taught by a senior student and also attended by a yudansha and a couple of brown belts (including myself); it offers good fundamentals and a chance to slowly start to learn this dojo's weapons kata. Wednesday is the advanced class; following warmups by a senior student, it is taught be sensei. I get the double benefit of her instruction plus feedback from partnering with a variety of senior students.
A few weeks ago, my Wednesday workday was such that I needed to GO HOME and eat dinner and rest. So that Thursday evening, rejuvenated by my "day off" (sewing orders, doing work around the house), off I went to the dojo for intermediate class. The first half is led by a brown belt - warm ups, aiki taiso, weapons. Then sensei takes over for techniques. There were no yudansha; myself and the other brown belt were the seniors that evening.
Sensei commented after class that it was helpful to have another student of my rank on the mat. I thanked her for a great class and noted that, as Wednesdays might be hard for me sometimes due to work, and it is hard for me to train two nights in a row, I'd probably alternate Wednesdays and Thursdays.
The following week, I had to miss Monday night. Wednesday night was such an exhilarating class that I decided to take a chance and double back on Thursday night. Sensei commented after class that it was really good to have me on the mat on Thursday nights.
OK, so after a dozen years on and off doing aikido, I'm still a bit dense about certain protocols. It wasn't until I was driving home that my brain went "DOH!" Of course. I am being asked to chose Thursday nights over Wednesday nights. And of course, out of respect for my sensei, I will do so.
1 comments:
It's nice to be appreciated, even if we sometimes have trouble realizing that's what's happening.
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