Now for some Aikido

September 13 was also my first Aikido class at Mokuren Dojo. I had previously taken Aikido at a Jiyushinkai dojo, but my wife and I left there after "we" got pregnant. We began the class with Ukemi, then moved to the tegatana no kata (Walking kata).
Next we practiced the “Aiki brush-off”. The idea is not to try to create a “leading, controlled off-balance” as in my previous Aikido experience, but to deflect uke’s attack while evading, and retreating to at least ma-ai distance immediately after the brush-off. Conceptually, in Aikido, you should go into every situation with the intent of separating yourself from the attacker. So every technique actually comes from a failed or impossible brush-off. (this was slightly different from how I was conditioned to think about things before, but this makes much better sense to me). We drill the techniques so that when we’re unable to brush-off for one reason or another, our bodies recognize the options (techniques/principles) available to us.
Things for me to remember:
1) During and after brush-off, keep both hands between you and uke. "Get off me" hands.

Then we worked on release #1 and #3 from a failed brush-off. We then moved into practicing Shomenate (#1 of the Nijusan kata in the KiHara/Karl Geis system), as if we were unable to separate due to an obstacle behind us.
Things for me to remember:
1) The chin makes a great lever. A person goes where their head goes. In Shomenate, the idea is that since you’re on the inside, uke may be able to do something to you, but he’s going to have to do it while flying backwards.