I have a really stiff body. Not chronic pain
stiffness nor is it stiffness due to a lack of flexibility. It's a
stiffness of the mind. It doesn't allow the antagonistic muscles to
relax enough to allow for beautiful flowing movement as any who have
seen me dance will testify. I've been working on this for a while now
using aikido to help but it is still very present. Particularly my
shoulders which of course impedes my riding and my softness.
I was lucky enough to actually be able to train with Endo on two occasions during the camp. Each lasting less than a minute I suspect, but long enough for him to put me to the ground and then slap my back and shoulders whilst laughing and saying "too stiff, too stiff"
Fortunately a large part of the camp was about getting us all looser and "following a feel". Sound familiar to horsemanship training ?
In aikido the person receiving the technique (the one who has typically supplied the attack for the aikido technique to be practised on) is called the Uki. The person who is countering the attack and performing the aikido technique is called the Tori.
Uki needs to know how to move when the technique is applied or it will hurt. Move well and the technique applied to him should just feel smooth, painless but powerful. So it is important uki knows how to move well.
The exercise I'm going to describe helps uki relax their whole body and allow it to move to follow a feel.
Tori stands in front of uki and presents his arms out in front with hands palm down. Uki holds the back of toris' wrists so that their little fingers are towards the hand and thumbs towards the elbow. This should feel a natural way to hold the presented arms. During the exercise it is uki's task to maintain that grip. It shouldn't be a strong grip as that causes tenseness in the arms, but firm enough that the palm of ukis' hand at the base of the thumb is always in contact with toris' forearm.
Tori now starts to move there arms around in a rythmic flowing way. Up and down, side to side and also twisting the forearm. Start with small movements and build as the feel gets better.
Uki has the job of maintaining that grip whilst just flowing with the movement. That may mean bending at the waist, knees, moving the feet around, whatever it takes to maintain that contact and follow the feel of that motion. Whilst doing it uki should examine their body in their mind for any signs of tightness and let it go. After a while it should just feel like a smooth flowing dance with loose arms, shoulders, neck, back, hips, knees and feet. Most of all a loose flowing mind that is in the moment and following the feel with no conscious control of the body.
I have tried this before riding and, boy, did it make a difference. Even Bonitao seemed to notice it. I suddenly found I could move my body "through" my shoulders so my hands could softly remain much quieter than in the past. Particularly at canter. If I felt tightness threatening to take over I just put myself in the moment of that exercise and it loosened up again. Ritchie says she noticed an immediate improvement in my riding. Not perfect but definitely going in the right direction.
I was lucky enough to actually be able to train with Endo on two occasions during the camp. Each lasting less than a minute I suspect, but long enough for him to put me to the ground and then slap my back and shoulders whilst laughing and saying "too stiff, too stiff"
Fortunately a large part of the camp was about getting us all looser and "following a feel". Sound familiar to horsemanship training ?
In aikido the person receiving the technique (the one who has typically supplied the attack for the aikido technique to be practised on) is called the Uki. The person who is countering the attack and performing the aikido technique is called the Tori.
Uki needs to know how to move when the technique is applied or it will hurt. Move well and the technique applied to him should just feel smooth, painless but powerful. So it is important uki knows how to move well.
The exercise I'm going to describe helps uki relax their whole body and allow it to move to follow a feel.
Tori stands in front of uki and presents his arms out in front with hands palm down. Uki holds the back of toris' wrists so that their little fingers are towards the hand and thumbs towards the elbow. This should feel a natural way to hold the presented arms. During the exercise it is uki's task to maintain that grip. It shouldn't be a strong grip as that causes tenseness in the arms, but firm enough that the palm of ukis' hand at the base of the thumb is always in contact with toris' forearm.
Tori now starts to move there arms around in a rythmic flowing way. Up and down, side to side and also twisting the forearm. Start with small movements and build as the feel gets better.
Uki has the job of maintaining that grip whilst just flowing with the movement. That may mean bending at the waist, knees, moving the feet around, whatever it takes to maintain that contact and follow the feel of that motion. Whilst doing it uki should examine their body in their mind for any signs of tightness and let it go. After a while it should just feel like a smooth flowing dance with loose arms, shoulders, neck, back, hips, knees and feet. Most of all a loose flowing mind that is in the moment and following the feel with no conscious control of the body.
I have tried this before riding and, boy, did it make a difference. Even Bonitao seemed to notice it. I suddenly found I could move my body "through" my shoulders so my hands could softly remain much quieter than in the past. Particularly at canter. If I felt tightness threatening to take over I just put myself in the moment of that exercise and it loosened up again. Ritchie says she noticed an immediate improvement in my riding. Not perfect but definitely going in the right direction.
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