Writings
When Will It Stop?
Soft peach clouds drifted across the gray sky as I headed to the dojo early Saturday morning on May 9. Normally, I walk the mile-plus distance to work, breathing in the fresh air, letting it wake my body and help me rough out a plan for class. With Bach’s cello suites and Prince’s Raspberry Beret streaming in my ears, I stretch my torso and swing my arms in wide directions, feeling my way toward a theme for our morning training.
But this day was different….
Musings from the Mat: Where does courage live?
When I was 7 years old, my grandpa Wakefield came to live with us at our ranch home in Lake Oswego, Oregon. His eyesight was fast disappearing, and he needed a regular gin rummy partner. That turned out to be me. A week after his arrival, the historic 1962 winter storm hit the Pacific Northwest. Gusty winds equivalent to a category 4 hurricane (over 100 mph!) downed trees everywhere. Electrical lines spilled across the roads. Nowhere was safe to step. A tree fell and shattered the big glass window in our living room. …
Musings from the Mat: Certificates
David Socha wrote the following email to Kimberly Sensei in February, 2020. The email has been slightly edited for clarity.
I'm not one to put any weight on certificates. I never framed my PhD certificate. Nor my tenure letter from University of Washington. Nor anything like that. I reserve framing and display for art! Nor do I tend to honor or celebrate my own accomplishments, though my wife Caroline is helping me do better on that front. …
Musings from the Mat: First Moments of Aikido
How do we find the thing we were born to do? Some of us know from birth that we are destined to be opera singers or fire fighters. Others of us try out many versions of our future selves and then weave our experiences into a life path. I am often asked how did I know that Aikido would be my life path? …
Musings from the Mat: On Preparing for 5th Kyu
Daniel Pollack wrote the following essay in November 2009, and then revised and shortened it in January 2014 when he was a sandan.
In January 2009, I began the introductory series at Two Cranes Aikido. I had been aware of the dojo for sometime as my neighbor had been a member for many years and we had spoken numerous times about what the training and the community had meant to her. I’d also had the good fortune to be able to observe a couple of advanced Dan demonstrations the month before I started. Approximately halfway through the eight-week beginner series, I was clearly, and irreversibly, hooked. …