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Diarie of an aikido 1kyu

Alex.MonaghanSep 27, 2019, 5:05:02 AM

Part 1:

My name is Alex. Monaghan and I am currently ranked as 1 kyu in the Canadian aikido federation (C.A.F); I'm one test away from becoming shodan (black belt), I started aikido in 2008. To continue sharing about myself I'm a product of a broken family; my mother left my father on the last day of grade two and their devours lasted until about halfway throw grade 6, were my father took his current girl friend and her adopted son and moved away without telling my brother and I about it and we have not seen him sins. I was never a confident young man and found myself wrestling with melincollia from grades 7-12 and even for a few years after high school. At the end of hight school in 2008 and in 2009 afterwards I started to have thoughts of suicide; how ever my practice and participation of and in aikido which i started on April1/2008, helped me realise my self worth and introduce me to my own potential; which participating on my hight school wrestling team ( the first sport I had an opportunity to do, and I had to beg my mother to allow it) offered litte to nothing two helping me develop myself; but the stress of wanting to do well can sometimes make you feel like you are drowning,but that can be a good obstical to overcome, but also easy forgotten.

My experience with aikido might have been different then some. Classes when I started were Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday; Tuesday - Thursday we started at 7pm and ended at 9pm, and on Sunday started at 8pm and ended at 10pm. A Saturday class has been offered off an on by the head instructor and it starts at 9am till 10pm. Currently Sunday classes have been cancelled and do not look like there is any hope to bring it back; and week day scheduled now starts at 7:30pm and ends at 9pm. I really enjoy practicing with the group in my city their a good group; I've never had any problems with anyone, I've never been injured so I can't practice, and I myself have never injured anyone else, so they cannot practice, even though thought there have been some close calls. I believe the cost of practice is quite reasonable were I pay $400.00 C.D.A/year or $125/3 month, probably because the club is a non-profit organization; and the cost of Insurance is $20/year.

I can tell you that I have learned a lot from aikido and it always has something to teach me; be it henka waza, kishe waza, or randori. The daily exorcise dose help keep we in a healthy weight and fitness level; with at least 30 min of moderit to vigorous exercise 3 times a week.

Now as much as I like aikido it's not perfect by any means. One problem I've experienced that people are very unwilling to listen to new suggestions during club meetings; I think this is due to, two main reasons: the first is the owner/operator/ head instructor; he only wants a small club and will resist and expect other senior students to disagree and also try to discourage anyone from putting their head up and thinking and having an idea without permission or of known when to stop. The second is maybe just another part of the first; were there seems to be an attitude where in if you do not have a post secondary degree then you are frequently treated like you could not possibly know anything or the quality of your idea must be shit because you have not been properly tough how to think, but to be fair this second thing could just be the ugly side of Canadian culture rearing it head; and to the adress the first thing, the club is a privately owne non-profit business, I'm also not exactly a share holder, I'm just a customer.

One of the biggest problems with aikido is talking with everyone and getting them to agree what it is we are, what it is we are doing, and what it is we are learning; some people compair it to yoga, some people treat it like a light work out program for seniors, some people just use it as a place to get therapy (myself included, but limited to), some people treat it like a dance class, there may be an organization that treats it like a religion; I'm looking at you kie society. To offer my opinion on a technical level; I believe that aikido is only to be use to disarm large weapons; there may be some opportunity to deal with smaller knives but boxing skills maybe need first; the last thing it it teaches is how to avoid being abducted so long as they don't try to punch you.

This next one might just be a local problem at the club I train at, some times class get boaring and stare because we only pratice basic techniques in the version that sensei has expected and nothing else, there are two reasons for this but it does wear on me: the first is it helps New students learn with out being confused about what is being tough; the second is because after most people get their black belt, their head is to big to fit throw the door and there are two or three shodan level students training out of the 40 that have come throw over the years, so there's just not one to practice with at that level, but sometimes I wonder if some people who would come back don't just because of just basics all the time.

Part 2

In part 1 I talked about my experience and problems with aikido. In part 2 I'm going to try and pose a response to the main arguments of the "other guys" (mma fighters generally) have been saying about aikido and the people in it; they are as follows:

1. If you don't do what I do, in the some way I do it, and for the same reasons I do it then it's bull shit.

2. If you don't spare, you don't know anything.

3. If you don't practice with resistance then your techniques don't work.

4.Traditional martial arts are only in business to make money.

5. Don't collect techniques.

6. Be more aggressive then your attacker.

The first argument I will tackle is; if you don't do what I do, in the same way that I do it, and for the same reasons I do it then it's bull shit; quiet frequently this argument is straw-man to "but it's bull shit". As stated in part one; aikido and other traditional martial arts (Tma), and many different people for many different reasons; I think it is inappropriate to hold this attitude and it should be discourage throughout the martial arts. Many different martial arts exsist and are based on cultural and/ or regional values, body types of that region, as well as on the best information available at that time, and in that region. There are only some many good human ideas, which leads me to believe that most region grow up mostly independently of each other; but there is some opportunity for borrowing between region. Based on the separation of each race and how they believe in organizing their thoughts; it really hard to define right from wrong. The above is probably not the only factors eather what is right and wrong could also be determine by the skill set you are learning. As fare as I can see there are six skill set the martial arts could teach you are as follows: kick-boxing, wrestling, swordsman-ship, weapons disarm, how to handle multiple opponents and weapon deployment.

I am going to tackle the next two arguments because they are basically the same. The arguments are; if you don't spare you don't know anything and/ or if you don't practice with resistance then your techniques don't work. My biggest prob with them is that they are not explicitly defined; we could ask our selves what is sparing exactly and how exactly do they want resistance applied? Arguments like this lead me to believe that aikido is being set up to fail; the people saying these thing are generally boxers and wrestlers, when aikido doesn't teach those skill sets; it doesn't need to because you can get them from karate and judo, the only other purpose I can think about is trying to dissuade member of the public not to learn swordsman-ship related skill sets; they can do this buy abusing their platform on the U.F.C were swordsman-ship is banned due to the explicit danger of it. I tried many time to talk to them about it and stand-up for myself and aikido they usually ack ignorant and straw-man you into a coroner because they only care about what they think; so nothing you say could ever change their opinions.

The fourth argument is that they claim they have a better community then everyone else. Now that I'm writing about it I kind of feel like this is a waist of time to adress; there is really no way as a hole to evaluate something like this and it will just be different city to city, club to club, and ass-hole to ass- hole.

The fifth arguments is that traditional martial arts, and especially aikido cubs are only trying to make money off the people who don't know any better; and it's their job to save them. This one really gets my goat; so I'm going to gather and present information to help prove or disprove if this is the case or not. I have disieded to use Torronto as my sample mostly because it's one of the bigger Canadian cities so we should get a good idea of what's like to be the average situation in most places. According to www.progressive.com Toronto has a commercial rental space cost of $19.46- $172.55 C.A.D per square foot in 2008; witch doesn't take into consideration if anyone has a lease were they pay less then $19.46, so we will offer a range from $14-172.55. The range of cost for rent for a 1000 square foot space is $1,400 - 172,550.00 per month. I have also contact one of the bjj clubs in Toronto and they are charging 123.00/month C.A.D. so if we do some math and divide 1,400/123= 11.38 and 172,550/123 =1,402.85; so if anyone changes the same amount as the club I contacted they would need anywhere between 11.38 - 1,402.85 students paying regular monthly fees for a 1000 square foot space. I used yelp to help me find the bjj club I found and also found that there are a minimum of 20 active clubs in that city; and when I checked on the Canadian Aikido Federation web site I only found five total aikido clubs, which means that they likely have five time the number of students; and the only way to make money teaching is to get the number of students up, unless of course you own the building but that a different market and may not necessarily be seen a the club making money as the building.

The sixth argument I hear is don't collect techniques. This one begs a question; what is a technique and what is it for. I would personally define a technique as a platform to present and distill concepts and body mechanics (a way of moving). I don't see how you can learn anything if you remove techniques or don't understand what techniques work in what situation.

The seventh and final argument is be more aggressive then your attacker. There are so many problems with this I'm just going to let The Canadian Criminal Code speak for me:

Defence — use or threat of force

34 (1) A person is not guilty of an offence if

(a) they believe on reasonable grounds that force is being used against them or another person or that a threat of force is being made against them or another person;

(b) the act that constitutes the offence is committed for the purpose of defending or protecting themselves or the other person from that use or threat of force; and

Marginal note:Factors

(2) In determining whether the act committed is reasonable in the circumstances, the court shall consider the relevant circumstances of the person, the other parties and the act, including, but not limited to, the following factors:

(a) the nature of the force or threat;

(b) the extent to which the use of force was imminent and whether there were other means available to respond to the potential use of force;

(d) whether any party to the incident used or threatened to use a weapon;

(e) the size, age, gender and physical capabilities of the parties to the incident;

(f) the nature, duration and history of any relationship between the parties to the incident, including any prior use or threat of force and the nature of that force or threat;

(f.1) any history of interaction or communication between the parties to the incident;

(g) the nature and proportionality of the person’s response to the use or threat of force; and

(h) whether the act committed was in response to a use or threat of force that the person knew was lawful.

Marginal note:No defence

(3) Subsection (1) does not apply if the force is used or threatened by another person for the purpose of doing something that they are required or authorized by law to do in the administration or enforcement of the law, unless the person who commits the act that constitutes the offence believes on reasonable grounds that the other person is acting unlawfully.

Unlawful Assemblies and Riots

Marginal note:Unlawful assembly

63 (1) An unlawful assembly is an assembly of three or more persons who, with intent to carry out any common purpose, assemble in such a manner or so conduct themselves when they are assembled as to cause persons in the neighbourhood of the assembly to fear, on reasonable grounds, that they

(a) will disturb the peace tumultuously; or

(b) will by that assembly needlessly and without reasonable cause provoke other persons to disturb the peace tumultuously.

Marginal note:Lawful assembly becoming unlawful

(2) Persons who are lawfully assembled may become an unlawful assembly if they conduct themselves with a common purpose in a manner that would have made the assembly unlawful if they had assembled in that manner for that purpose.

Marginal note:Exception

(3) Persons are not unlawfully assembled by reason only that they are assembled to protect the dwelling-house of any one of them against persons who are threatening to break and enter it for the purpose of committing an indictable offence therein.

Unlawful Drilling

Marginal note:Orders by Governor in Council

70 (1) The Governor in Council may, by proclamation, make orders

(a) to prohibit assemblies, without lawful authority, of persons for the purpose

(i) of training or drilling themselves,

(ii) of being trained or drilled to the use of arms, or

(iii) of practising military exercises; or

(b) to prohibit persons when assembled for any purpose from training or drilling themselves or from being trained or drilled.

Marginal note:General or special order

(2) An order that is made under subsection (1) may be general or may be made applicable to particular places, districts or assemblies to be specified in the order.

Marginal note:Punishment

(3) Every one who contravenes an order made under this section is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

Prize Fights

Marginal note:Engaging in prize fight

83 (1) Every one who

(a) engages as a principal in a prize fight,

(b) advises, encourages or promotes a prize fight, or

is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

Definition of prize fight

(2) In this section, prize fight means an encounter or fight with fists, hands or feet between two persons who have met for that purpose by previous arrangement made by or for them, but does not include

(a) a contest between amateur athletes in a combative sport with fists, hands or feet held in a province if the sport is on the programme of the International Olympic Committee or the International Paralympic Committee and, in the case where the province’s lieutenant governor in council or any other person or body specified by him or her requires it, the contest is held with their permission;

(b) a contest between amateur athletes in a combative sport with fists, hands or feet held in a province if the sport has been designated by the province’s lieutenant governor in council or by any other person or body specified by him or her and, in the case where the lieutenant governor in council or other specified person or body requires it, the contest is held with their permission;

(c) a contest between amateur athletes in a combative sport with fists, hands or feet held in a province with the permission of the province’s lieutenant governor in council or any other person or body specified by him or her; and

(d) a boxing contest or mixed martial arts contest held in a province with the permission or under the authority of an athletic board, commission or similar body established by or under the authority of the province’s legislature for the control of sport within the province.

Use Offences

Marginal note:Using firearm in commission of offence

85 (1) Every person commits an offence who uses a firearm, whether or not the person causes or means to cause bodily harm to any person as a result of using the firearm,

(a) while committing an indictable offence, other than an offence under section 220 (criminal negligence causing death), 236 (manslaughter), 239 (attempted murder), 244 (discharging firearm with intent), 244.2 (discharging firearm — recklessness), 272 (sexual assault with a weapon) or 273 (aggravated sexual assault), subsection 279(1) (kidnapping) or section 279.1 (hostage taking), 344 (robbery) or 346 (extortion);

(b) while attempting to commit an indictable offence; or

Marginal note:Using imitation firearm in commission of offence

(2) Every person commits an offence who uses an imitation firearm

(a) while committing an indictable offence,

(b) while attempting to commit an indictable offence, or

whether or not the person causes or means to cause bodily harm to any person as a result of using the imitation firearm.

Marginal note:Punishment

(3) Every person who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (2) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable

(a) in the case of a first offence, except as provided in paragraph (b), to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of one year; and

(b) in the case of a second or subsequent offence, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of three years.

Marginal note:Sentences to be served consecutively

(4) A sentence imposed on a person for an offence under subsection (1) or (2) shall be served consecutively to any other punishment imposed on the person for an offence arising out of the same event or series of events and to any other sentence to which the person is subject at the time the sentence is imposed on the person for an offence under subsection (1) or (2).

R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 85 1995, c. 39, s. 139 2003, c. 8, s. 3 2008, c. 6, s. 3 2009, c. 22, s. 3

Previous Version

Marginal note:Careless use of firearm, etc.

86 (1) Every person commits an offence who, without lawful excuse, uses, carries, handles, ships, transports or stores a firearm, a prohibited weapon, a restricted weapon, a prohibited device or any ammunition or prohibited ammunition in a careless manner or without reasonable precautions for the safety of other persons.

Marginal note:Contravention of storage regulations, etc.

(2) Every person commits an offence who contravenes a regulation made under paragraph 117(h) of the Firearms Act respecting the storage, handling, transportation, shipping, display, advertising and mail-order sales of firearms and restricted weapons.

Marginal note:Punishment

(3) Every person who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (2)

(a) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment

(i) in the case of a first offence, for a term not exceeding two years, and

(ii) in the case of a second or subsequent offence, for a term not exceeding five years; or

(b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 86 1991, c. 40, s. 3 1995, c. 39, s. 139

Marginal note:Pointing a firearm

87 (1) Every person commits an offence who, without lawful excuse, points a firearm at another person, whether the firearm is loaded or unloaded.

Marginal note:Punishment

(2) Every person who commits an offence under subsection (1)

(a) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years; or

(b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 87 1995, c. 39, s. 139

Possession Offences

Marginal note:Possession of weapon for dangerous purpose

88 (1) Every person commits an offence who carries or possesses a weapon, an imitation of a weapon, a prohibited device or any ammunition or prohibited ammunition for a purpose dangerous to the public peace or for the purpose of committing an offence.

Marginal note:Punishment

(2) Every person who commits an offence under subsection (1)

(a) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years; or

(b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.