I like being a student. I started the dojo so I could keep practicing. At Boston Aikikai, I like to consider that I have members of the dojo, rather than claiming them as my students. I’m providing you with a place to practice and grow. I don’t claim the role of teacher. I see people claim that role too early. It’s like listening to a millennial talk about their “life” experience.
My teaching style may be thought of as not very efficient. Other dojos communicate more and troubleshoot. But at BA we don’t practice via troubleshooting. We don’t see a problem and try to fix it. We’re not checking off lists. It’s more like we’re trying to take care of the whole picture – not first learn how to paint this tree, now the house, now the sky. You’re learning how to paint the whole scene at the same time.
It’s a layered, not a linear process. We’re doing everything at once. Little by little, more detail comes in. More colors… Sometimes, people think, “I’m not learning anything. I’m not advancing.” But I’d rather see slow and steady progress, which comes from mastering the fundamentals.
I find joy when the movement I demonstrate allows my uke to trust. Maybe I have a stiff uke or a shy uke, and I get them to stay connected with me. I also like it when my uke thinks they know me – they assume the movement – but then I surprise them. I want to be in that kind of conversation – not predictable but connected.
If you are my uke, I wonder, “Can I push you a little further? Oh, okay, maybe not. You bailed. That’s okay. You shouldn’t go further than you can go.”
When I started doing aikido, I thought that nage had to move around uke. But now I want nage to be the wave. Uke is the surfer. The wave is just moving, and uke is coming along for the ride. As uke, you try to ride it well; ride it until you need to get off. The wave doesn’t care. It’s just a wave. Ride it as long as you can. That’s compelling to me. That’s my expression – this is how I’m moving today. Is it rough because it’s stormy? Or is it a calmer day? Tohei sensei always said, “If nage feels good, then uke feels good.” Osawa sensei says, “Just move.”One of the pleasures of teaching is noticing people transform. I see someone finding their center, working on their axis turn, exploring their power. At the end of class, when we do jiyu waza (freestyle), I watch for it. And sometimes, I see it. “Oh, there it is!” It’s like when you’re listening to music, and you hear a nice note or combination of notes – you notice that. You feel something.