#deshette

[gil-estel]

nonlinearfluctuations replied to your post “okay so someone reposted a drawing to facebook without permission and...”

i think someone already send this, but you could make a FB page for your art. My friend has this. I think you can do it on your FB account but it won't show up as you? if you message them it should show up at the art page name...

deshette replied to your post “okay so someone reposted a drawing to facebook without permission and...”

Make a Facebook for your art? Then you can message them and your art can have a presence on Facebook.

Thank you guys!  This is actually a great idea!  I think this is what I’ll end up doing once I get my act together enough :)

[deshette]

Snow Ukemi 2016

Challenged by Jeff Marfil to take a few falls in the snow!

More and more, I realize how important connection is.

[deshette]

Another Steal The Technique!

The uke truly has a beautiful soul inside her. It was a pleasure to throw her and see the beauty inside her radiate smoothly. 

[deshette]

Extension of love

I tell people often I was born with a hole in my heart. Not literally, but somehow I have this emptiness that cannot be filled. As a baby, if I got sick, all I would want was to be held. To this day I’m the same way.

This foundation topped with the neglectful home I was raised in, is why aikido appeals to me. Between the loneliness, rejection, and heart break (something everyone goes through) -- I’ve found aikido fills up the holes and cracks those experiences can create.

That being said, extension of love.

I’ve been speaking about this concept during my adult classes. Aikido isn’t about doing something to someone or moving in a way that manipulates a person. It’s about extending yourself (your love) and embracing that person into you.

Beginners first struggle is they are not comfortable with/in themselves. I will acknowledge as part of it, the being over whelmed and not wanting to feel vulnerable creates a hiccup and they can’t express themselves. Working with new students often, I create a loving acceptable environment that helps them grow. If they know they can make a mistake, receive a little praise, and be encouraged to move forward -- well it happens.

What does this mean for the intermediate student?

Well, you have an understanding of basics. Ideally, you know your right from your left and have a few techniques under your proverbial belt. So how do you go about this “Extending the love” notion? 

Find a few moves that seem to be second nature to you. Do them and focus on your breathe. Breathe in and extend as the attack begins. Be welcoming and invite it in. You should feel that you want to embrace everything uke has to offer. Then, exhale as the throw or lock happens. Not in a dismissive way, but similar to saying goodbye to a dear friend.

This isn’t a completed post, but I need to get this bit out before I lose it.

[deshette]

ASNJ Peaceful Warriors: How to tie your belt

Finally, after much grumbling with technology it's done. Now if I can do a steal the technique before the end of the month, I'm on pace with goals 2&3.

If you're curious of my youtube channels they are the following links:

http://www.youtube.com/user/stealthetechnique/

http://www.youtube.com/user/deshette

[deshette]

I've been too quiet

Sorry Tumblr, I've been so silent.

Honestly I can't remember my last post. (*goes to check*)

Wow, so it's been a bit. 

Yesterday we had our usual hakama class. It's the closest thing to an advanced class as we get at my school. Currently, most schools students were the hakama at shodan (1st degree black belt). However at my school we wear it at 3rd kyu. Usually I don't enjoy the class, it's early and on my one day off. Sensei had me take the class before I was 3rd kyu so I had some flack from my seniors and generally I found the class to have an "ego" that goes along with the word "advanced". 

However, yesterday was different. It was a class for a purpose. My dojo is growing and with that, we have to go over basics. Not in the sense of ikkyo or forward rolls, but how to teach beginners and how to help in beginners' class. What I love about my school is our "yellow tip curriculum". It's certain basic movements to give new students a solid foundation. I'm in an area where people are always on the go in that "New-York-Minute fashion and they don't have the time to learn martial arts traditional  (I feel is the sink or swim/ trial by fire method). It's brilliant. We have three techniques that have this attractive quality because of their circular movement. They have safe falls, to build the foundation to do any other technique. I cannot speak more highly of this. Students enjoy the movement, feel like they accomplish something and then after the set time (a few months)then if they choose to can go into the trial by fire, more traditional classes/seminars.

All this (and a few other events) have lead me to where my head is for aikido. I'm a really good teacher. I think in aikido, as with all things, there are people who are really good at stuff but can't explain it, and there are people who are not bad at things and are really good at explaining it. I feel like I'm the latter. Part of me is disappointed, because I would like to be amongst the best. But part of me is happy/pleased, because I've realized a natural gift I have that you can't really learn.

The two places where my head is, is community and the process. I've decided I'm going to use tumblr as my process recording device. I follow a few people on youtube to realize I only see them at their finest. It's like seeing one of those fit body builders knock out 100 push ups and you can't even do one. You know he/she didn't wake up one day and bang out 100 of them. The plan is to use Tumblr as my way to share my process doing what I do. My youtube channel Steal The Technique was a partial beginning of that. (shameless plug to check it out.

And with the community.  One of the many people I follow is SihingKuttel. He doesn't do aikido, but from his videos you can tell he's being himself which is a little quirky, nerdy, geeky, bizarre, corny....etc... (at least what he puts out on the net) and it works wonders. For me, he gave me the confidence to be myself when I teach. Before, I was following what other people said to do, and never stood up for what I felt would work the best. Now my program has grown and parents/students tell me how appreciative they are of my passion. I'm so thankful for every email I receive of a parent thanking me for going the extra mile for their child. Or even better, a parent who recommends the dojo to their friends because their children love the classes.

Wow, I wrote more than I planned.