So I had another run in with my favorite uke. This time we were practicing one of the forms of Yokomen-uchi irimi-nage. It was going well, happy smiling faces. At some point, he decided that the way I was doing the yokomen attack was incorrect, and got those angry eyes as he tried to explain how to do it correctly. "Side of the head" he said, to which I replied in my mind, "that is the side of your head", "right along that line in your skull". I know that I do yokomenuchi attack pretty well in an Iwama way, from the top of head, letting the hips do the turning, the same as yokomen-uchi with a bokken.
He continued to explain, getting more frustrated as I got confused as to what exactly how he wanted me to do it, Sensei was watching carefully. Eventually he gave up trying to explain and thought that maybe I would understand better if he had the mat tell me. I am not saying he was trying to hurt me, I doubt that, but his frustration did turn into what I would call over zealous behavior. I grabbed his back as he threw me. Later I thought it was lucky didn't grab the back of his head as it would have pulled he face right into the back of my head. I landed without a sound.
After class, I asked a couple of the deshi and they basically said he gets angry mostly with the foreigners, never the nationals. One deshi told me on their very first day he got really angry and went off at them. This placated me a little as at least it confirms that it is not just me, being a bad uke. I realize now all he wanted was a very sidewards yokomen and have me move off the line and around to the side and keep nice and loose and follow through smoothly so he could do the technique more ki-no-nagare Aiki-hombu style.
After class he came and spoke to me in the change room, asked me where I was from, how long I was staying, (I can hold down this sort of conversation in Japanese okay). Seemed to be a genuine attempt at being friendly. I think he just has a short fuse and cannot control his frustration when his training partner doesn't do it how he wants them them to. Although it is a little concerning that he only gets angry with the foreigners and couldn't really tell if he was being genuine or not, which is a shame. I always copy my senpai even if they do it in a way which is alien or seems illogical. Although as I said before, I came to Iwama for Iwama Aikido and I didn't choose to go to Hombu-dojo.
Aikido Iwama Uchideshi
This Blog originally tracked a three month period during which time I undertook training in Iwama under the supervision of Nemoto Sensei. We also trained at the Shibu Dojo, O'Sensei's Dojo in Iwama located in the Ibaraki Prefecture of Japan.
I have returned this time for a shorter three week stint in January 2011.
