It started from the blogpost "what's to gain from pain?" that I read on Memoirs of a Grasshopper. It talked about Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis (CIPA), pushing pain thresholds during training and pondered on what pain can teach us. Reading about CIPA made me recall the post that I wrote on pain. From a religious and physical viewpoint I think it is essential that we feel pain. It is not a good feeling and can be downright nasty, but it there for a reason, to protect ourselves.
In the context of pain in training,and pushing the threshold of pain, I was reminded of the post above when a few of us stayed back after class to do some training of our own. Sensei was having the runs and needed to leave earlier than usual (our classes run for an hour but usually goes on for 90 minutes or more). He said we could stay back and trained somemore if we wanted. We said we would and we decided to work on our nikkyo pin. F is new and was taught an additional technique that night, which was shomenuchi dai nikkyo. J and I took turns taking ukemi for F and put in our 2 cents worth on correction/refinement.
F had a problem applying the nikkyo (ura) as she couldn't quite manipulate the wrist lock effectively. We took our turns volunteering our wrists to let her have a feel of applying the lock to a big hand and a smaller hand. Understandably it was she was havig some difficulty as this is a new technique for her. After some time J decided to apply the lock on her so that she could feel what the lock is like. J started very slowly and gently, with explanations on the progression of the movements applied the nikkyo. Completely unprepared for the intensity of the pain that followed, F screamed in pain (albeit softly) and withdrew her hand. J let go and asked if she was OK. She just kept smiling, as if she went through a real scare and was traumatized. I explained to her that it is pain is part and parcel of training. We are here to learn an art of self defence and pain is unavoidable. So far her training has been quite pain free, learning how to take ukemi, stretching and throwing techniques. She has learnt ikkyo but that pin is relatively comfortable compared to what she experienced that night.
She seemed to be in a hurry to leave the dojo, and I think I know why. When she had left, I asked J how she's going to be. J's answer was simple: "she must feel it."
It looked like she was in a comfort zone and that pin snapped her out of it. I don't know what she thought of aikido then but it certainly has changed now. Does the pain make it more real? With this brief but unforgettable moment, she will need to decide on whether it is something she wish to continue. If she wishes to, she will have to continue to endure the pain that comes with it. But if she thinks that she can't, then she may want to look for a replacement activity.
She seemed to be in a hurry to leave the dojo, and I think I know why. When she had left, I asked J how she's going to be. J's answer was simple: "she must feel it."
It looked like she was in a comfort zone and that pin snapped her out of it. I don't know what she thought of aikido then but it certainly has changed now. Does the pain make it more real? With this brief but unforgettable moment, she will need to decide on whether it is something she wish to continue. If she wishes to, she will have to continue to endure the pain that comes with it. But if she thinks that she can't, then she may want to look for a replacement activity.
