Practising harmony with a good friend

It was very good to meet up with Bernie again after out last encounter in Brunei about just a month ago. I am very touched by the support that he gave us for our yudansha grading. He videotaped our grading and even made a dvd for us! I consider that as a very meaningful gift because it immortalizes the milestone in my aikido journey. Thanks again Bernie!

On the first night he took me to have Nepalese food since I have never had it before. We went to this place called Gurkha Palace It was a Sunday night and the place is just like Little India with so many people and activity. I actually enjoyed the scene. I can understand that leaving your home to work in some place far away and unfamiliar you would be happy to see your countrymen to get together and find about news at home. The place was full of good energy.

So here we are at Gurkha Palace

The tableware

 The yummy dishes that we had.

 This is similar to the guo tieh/gyoza.

 Chicken masala.

 The name of this yummy dish escapes me.

 Garlic naan!

 Delicious daal. Went very well with the naan bread!

On the second night that we met up Bernie brought a friend along who is also an aikidoka and we went to have some chicken rice. I find the set up to be quite western considering that chicken rice is a typically Asian dish. I was told that the eatery is located around an expatriate neighbourhood so that might explain the set up.

 I like the colours. Very vibrant. Funny though that they choose the wrap the cutlery in paper instead of serviettes.

 The yummy chicken rice!

 The pork leg. Yum Yum Nom Nom...

 We hopped over to the DIY yogurt store next door for some dessert.

 Cookies and cream with almond rice for me :)

 With my wonderful host Bernie and new friend Christine.

I wasn't sure whether I would have the time to join Bernie for training as I was actually on a working visit.  Bernie was eager to have me join his class but I couldn't commit. I brought my dogi along anyway (as in all my trips) just in case. Luckily for me I managed to wrap up with client in time and since I had no plans on the last night in Singapore I decided that I would join Bernie for a class, which turned out to be a very good decision. Currently Bernie's dojo is located at Boon Tiong Road and classes take place on a void deck. We all helped out in laying the mats before training. The mats are the puzzle mats but not as tough as the ones that we have at BSRC. It was nice for ukemi.

Before class started I met Frankie sensei. He is over 70 years old but still training and teaching. I admired his determination as well as the passion he has for aikido. He asked me why I started aikido and told him that the reason was quite cliche but one of it is because I see this as a martial art that I can train for a long time. Frankie sensei is a testament to that. Of course due to his age he could not train as vigorously as us but I think you see the point. So barring some physical/medical reasons or other special circumstances, one can have a fairly long training life in aikido.

Bernie sensei's class lasted for 90 minutes and consisted of drills as well as technique. I was honoured to be asked to take ukemi for a nikkyo technique and I enjoyed training with almost everyone at the dojo. It was an easy and rather informal atmosphere. Bernie sensei reminded his students to train as instructed and put away the mindset that they have put up from other classes. I think this point could not be more over-emphasized. We attend class to learn from a teacher. Wouldn't that mean you learn from that teacher at that point of time? I find that some students don't empty their glasses, to speak figuratively, and make comparisons with what the instructor teaches to what they see on videos and learn from other instructors. I find that to be disrespectful . If you are not about to train as how your instructor teaches, I think you are wasting everybody's time. You are not prepared to learn.

After class Bernie invited his students for dinner and we got to know each other more. I had a great time and it was a wonderful way to end my last night in Singapore.

Group picture with members of Makoto Dojo.

 Followed by dinner after.

Taking the class..who?

Sensei is still recovering from his knee injury and apparently he is now also suffering from gout (yes yes, all those kambing) so he texted T to tell us that one of us will conduct the class on Wednesday night. So when I found out from T about sensei's instructions I could hear his oh-so-familiar words, "you cannot run away from this..you people have to conduct the class one day". I reckon that the day has come no matter how much protest and resistance given. I told N to take the class and the reply was, " I thought C is taking the class." Hahahaha. No one wants to do it but someone has to do it. So we decided to let C take over the class. I opened the class with warm-up, stretching and drill. I decided to do the drills a little bit differently to give the members a different perspecitive of looking at training. After that it was a 1 minute break before C takes over the class.

It was very good of him to take the class without any comment. He has a good attitude because the first thing he did was to look at the syllabus to decide what to teach. (I think from now on I better prepare my notes JUST IN CASE).

So, we started with kosadori ikkyo drill. Aite take turns with the entering movement but stops there. We did 20 repetitions on each side. After that we did yokomenuchi shihonage. C tried his best to explain the role of nage and uke on the execution of this technique and later on split the class and concentrated with the juniors on polishing the technique. As for the yudansha we did kosadori dai ikkyo to yonkyo. As I was training I noticed a few things that I would address in taking a class. I've got that down on my little notebook for reference so just in case if sensei decides to do a surprise "attack" on me...I am prepared for it.

I enjoyed watching C teach. I can see his growth as an aikidoka and as an individual. I've always admired his positive outlook in life and his commitment towards training in the given circumstances. Don't ask, just do!

It's not Friday??

Today felt like Sunday. I guess that happens when your life becomes routine, routine and more routine. I work 5 1/2 days so if I wake up at any day where I don't have to go to work, I'll automatically register that day as a Sunday. It is not so bad unless the public holiday actually falls on a Friday. I abstain on certain foods on Friday and when my days get messed up, I'd be chewing on a piece of lamb and going, "something doesn't feel right...". I would promptly realize my folly and beat myself up internally for not being aware eventhough I have been practising abstinence on Fridays for more than a decade!

So, routine is good but can also be not good. It gives a system to your daily life but it also dulls the mind. It is like auto-pilot. You don't think but just do. I think that will not do. Whilst we try to create some sort of system and stability in our lives to make it more comfortable, we should not do so at the deprivity of thought and reason.

By analogy, when I train in aikido, it is the same techniques over and over again. Through routine and muscle memory I know how execute an ikkyo technique, but it is different each time. Different uke, different maai, different degree of connection, different physical response...but doing an ikkyo nevertheless. So if I execute the technique in each and each situation as if it is the same because it is an ikkyo move, I would find the result to be rather different. It is the same technique, but different every time its done. That is because you are executing the technique at that moment, in that time, with that person. So my mind cannot form an attachment to what I had done before. It was a combination of factors THEN. It is different NOW.

Its human to yearn for comfort, but let's keep awake.

James makes a visit

It was nice to see James at the dojo tonight. He drove all the way from Seria to join us for training which is good timing as tomorrow is a public holiday.

 Sharon in her element.

 The boys having some after class practice.

First group picture after shodan grading :)

On a completely unrelated subject, I asked T about the comparison between a Mac laptop and other laptops to help me decide on getting a new laptop. Immediately the reply was, "you cannot compare other laptops with a Mac. It is in a league of its own." I guess I now know which is a good investment. Hahahaha.

Dyanna is growing up fast!

After hearing the wonderful news that DD is teething and sitting up I decided to pay a visit to mommy and baby.

Lo and behold..Chin's beautiful princess!

I was very impressed as she is not even 6 months old when she started sitting up. I thought that usually sitting up is preceded by rolling over on the tummy but Chin told me that both sort of happened simultaneously!

DD is also teething so she's biting anything and everything that she grabs her hands on.

Some tender moments with mommy

I had a great time playing with DD and catching up with Chin about things that have bebn happening. I would go all soft when she coos and speaks her baby talk. Chin, it's been while since we got together and we should go out for drinks soon.

The journey begins.

After having been sufficiently rested and my mind in a balanced state, I think I am ready to write about what happened last weekend.

Last weekend was one of sorts, there was good and bad, happy and sad and many others in between. That weekend also marked the fateful upgrading for a few of us. Sensei will be tested for nidan, whilst myself and 2 others will be tested for shodan. The RenRen brothers went for their 8th kyu upgrading and did well. We have been briefed and discussed about the requirements for shodan and I've also helped myself to articles concerning the road to that stage.

Shodan, as it is written in kanji, is - "初段". As someone who is reasonably proficient in the Chinese language, I read that term literally as "the beginning stage". As often being told, attaining shodan is the actual beginning in the learning of aikido. Before that it was sort of kindy aiki as my friend would put it. So by the time you reach the stage of shodan you should have a good basic understanding of aikido and its techniques. It is from here that you start "doing" aikido, for lack of a better term. That also means that you should be able to take ukemi where the technique involves a higher level of difficulty. In other words, you should be ready to take ukemi. Full stop. Some people are of the view that attaining shodan automatically means you can teach, but I hold a different opinion on that, partly based on the what I've said above.

So with that in mind, I constantly question whether I have what it takes to go for grading. I am slow in learning sometimes and can get very analytical, which paralyzes my training sometimes. It comes with some responsibility and possibly more given the situation we are in. So I kept telling myself that I am not ready for this. But what is the worst that could happen? I fail laa.. It's not the success of failure that I am concern with, I was just in the mood of escapism. Anyway, I readied myself for the time. I was also very comforted and encouraged by a show of friendship and support of a good friend who flew in from Singapore to join the seminar and support our grading. 

It was all good until the time sensei announced that the grading will now begin. We started with the kyu grading which involved 6 candidates. Chin came with DD to watch the grading and that put a big smile on my face. Then are we moved to the ikkyu grading I started to feel nervous. Sweaty palms, butterflies in stomach and restlessness. And sure enough, out of the 3 I was the first to be called for the shodan grading. I bowed and shikko towards the examiners with my uke Charles. I emptied my mind and told myself to just do what I always do during training. No big deal.

We started of with katatori locks. Sensei's voice was loud and commanding and he kept saying, "continue! continue!" I knew that he wanted to see whether I would move to his pace under pressure. But I deliberately took my time. I was did not move very fast but made sure that it was a continous flowing move. Maai, hanmi, irimi tenkan, kuzushi, zanshin. I made sure that it was there for each and every technique I executed. I couldn't remember what I was tested on before after the first command it was just me and Charles. During locking I took my time, giving myself time to calm my mind and for my uke to have enough rest. But deep down I felt really nervous, although I tried my best to look calm. Keep to regular breathing and a good long exhale as I finish my lock.

The grading seemed neverending and all I heard was "Next technique! Continue!" I felt that I was moving around in the circles and next thing I know it was  "jiyuwaza!" on different attacks that ended with a nikkyo ura lock. Finally "suwariwaza kokyuho!". Ahhhhh yukata...its over! As I bowed to the senseis who graded me, I heard a loud round of clapping at the background. Happy with the encouragement, I am just glad that it is over.

The next to follow were N and C. I recorded their grading and felt proud of them, as they executed one technique after the other, as a showing of the dedication, time and effort that Saturday sensei spent on us, as well as the training that we put in all these years.

PH was happy with my grading and said that I did quite well, but to be honest I haven't a clue what happened during the grading. I will find out when B passes me the cd of my recorded grading. Hehehe.

I had my first training session last night and it feels like any other session. If anything I feel the responsibility to train that much harder and to help in anyway I can, towards the training of my junior. Alot of things are on my mind now but I am going to just take it one step at the time. Train train and train.

At the end of the day, I went home and took out the kuro obi that I bought a few months earlier and reflect on  what had happened since I started training 3 1/2 years ago. I trained steadfastly, quietly and obediently in what I think is a martial art that encompasses the ideals that I grew up with and held onto. I thought of my late grandfather and what a great man he was. Attaining shodan is merely the beginning but it is also a significant milestone in my life. I want to be able to do this for as long as I can. It will be wonderful journey with alot of ah-ha! moments.

This one is for you grandpa. I love you.

A Bento Story

Some of you may not know, I have a thing for lunchboxes. I look at lunchboxes so often my mom will sigh at the sight, just as how I would sigh when she looks at the pots and pans. Hehehe.

Anyway, I have now have a decent collection of lunchboxes and use them as often as I can. I even have a lunch jar gifted by my colleagues because that is the only thing they are sure I would want. That lunch jar will feature in another post, hopefully.

My lastest lunchbox is Lock N Lock set from Hua Ho. There were 2 types of lunchboxes but I choose this because the top layer has 3 compartments which I thought would be more useful than the other with 2 compartments (don't ask me why...). They didn't have white so I chose my next favoured colour, red. I had used it a few times and I am surprised that the volume of food contained in this small lunchbox set is actually sufficient for my diet. It looks very small compared to the lunch jars and other lunchboxes that I use but then again...like I said, its size is good enough for my stomach.

I did a fair bit of research on the effects of plastics on food and finally decided that PP5 plastic is reasonably safe to use.

Chin said that she wants to see what food I put in it so here it goes.

Fridays are days of abstinence for me so no meat will be featured in my lunchbox. I can eat fish but sometimes I go vegetarian altogether. I like to eat my meals cooked on the day so you RARELY see overnight food in my lunchbox. I was quite rushed today so this meal is very simple. Calrose rice, beaked beans, stir fried broccoli and tuna chunks seasoned with olive oil, lemon and spring onion. So I have my carbohydrates, protein and oils.

 The lunchbox set comes with a keep warm zip bag and a set of plastic spoon and fork.

It is really a very small set. I should have put my hand next to it as a comparison of size. All in all I am very please with my purchase. Hopefully as I make my bentos I will remember to take pictures of them.

A rainy Sunday

I wasn't thinking of doing some housekeeping today but then I got a call early in the morning from sensei to say that he can't conduct class at Seria because he is having dizzy spells. He might have to cancel class if there is no substitute. So I contacted T and we went down together. T is going to take the class and I would be his uke.

T and I had a good chat on our way down to Seria. We arrived half an hour earlier and I did my own stretching. The class consisted of drills for ukemi. What T stressed on is not far from what sensei has benentalking about, but the difference is in the manner and articulation in delivery. With the choice of words and the way they are spoken, the impact can be QUITE different.

I was given 30 minutes of alone time with P to practice techniques for his Ikkyu grading at the end of this month. P wanted to do some tantowaza. As far as I remembered we did yokomenuchi irimingage, shihonage, kaitenage, kotegaeshi and gokyo. We repeated the same techniques with tsuki attack.

After suwariwaza kokyuho everyone lined up after sorting out his/her dogi. T then went to each and every member to adjust seiza position. Opening of the chest, straightening the back, lowering the shoulder. There is a big piece of mirror in front of us and everyone can see the difference after the adjustment. I was the only one that did not need adjustment. I know, there is no humility here. Hehehehe.

After class there was some sharing on aikido techniques and T and I had dinner before going back to BSB. Looking forward to training tomorrow.

Good night!

Happy birthday Charles!

May the Happy Force be with you always!

Change is a constant in life

I find it hard to believe but it's that time again - grading. I have never like doing it. Maybe because ..of few reasons. When I first started Aikido one of the things that attracted me to it is the "no competition" training. I like to think of it as training for self improvement and to resolve confrontation. Putting things back in its place as the saying goes. So I thought I can just come, train, make some friends, work out a sweat and go home feeling good that I am just bit by bit closer to becoming a "martial artist".

Then there was some change.

I started to travel for seminars. I made new friends. I shared my experiences with my fellow members of what's I have experienced training in a dojo from Bangkok to Manchester. I made more friends. 

It didn't stop there. 

My deepening passion for aikido became ostensible to many and it attracted some attention. I was given the opportunity to contribute by being involved in administrative affairs. Because I desire very much to see Aikido progress in my homeland, my involvement in administration became alot heavier. In a couple of days' time, I shall retire my term as the Secretary General of the BAF.

I said to myself, I wish I could go back to the time when I am just an ordinary member, training and enjoy the company of my friends. Now I have responsibilites.

As the change continues, my master tells me he feels that it is time for me to take my shodan test. Hmmmm (read it as - alot of reservation and reluctance). I had a good talk with him about it, as well as my STI. Bottomline, I guess I can't continue to just receive and not give. As much as I hate to admit it, in terms of rank I cannot stay where I am forever ( the issue of rank is another topic altogether which I may revisit in due course). So I must embrace that change and prepare myself as best as I can.

My fellow member who is also due for shodan grading at the same time is worried about his perfomance as a change in the job position made it very difficult for him to train as our usual times. I told him that we train whenever we can and see where that will take us. Last night, he committed himself to a training session with me. It was just the 2 of us and we trained for about 90 minutes before calling it a night. We agreed on a training pattern and offered feedback on the other's perfomance during training. I really enjoyed the training. 

And yes, we have changed. We have come a long way since our days as a newbie on the mat. I am reminded myself of that everytime I see S training at the beginner's section. I wish her many years of good training ahead.

In 3 weeks' time it will mark another change in my life. There will be many more to come. 

Whatever happens, change will always be there. Life is beautiful, isn't it?