GOTCHA!

Wow!

Where do I begin? The Robert Mustard seminar at the Sendokan dojo in Mississauga is over. Did you miss it? If so then that is a real shame. Those in attendance will echo my sentiments.

The day was filled with an incredible amount of energy and wet willies. There turn out was fantastic and everyone came focused on training. The classess flew by leaving everyone wanting more. The mirrors were fogged and everyone was breathing heavy and dripping in sweat and loving every minute of the experience.

Mustard Sensei is as complex as he is gifted. At first glance one might be intimidated by Mustard Sensei and if that was not enough then his “reputation” might be enough to put some on edge. Mustard Sensei commands everyone’s attention from the moment he strides out onto the mats. Then within seconds he puts all at ease. The seminar was not only informative and inspirational but it was extremely entertaining. Robert Mustard has a “way” about him. Robert Mustard is extremely easygoing, relaxed and a dynamic speaker. When Robert Mustard speaks, his passion for aikido cannot be hidden.

Saturday consisted of two classes and a demonstration. The underlying focus of the day was to teach us how to use the energy given to us by Uke and to show us that to do this we need to relax, “The easiest thing to do in aikido is to relax and the hardest thing to do in aikido is realx”. “If you want power then don’t use power”.  The importance of a strong kamae and strong basic movements was shown as well.  These principles were demonstrated through nikkajo, tenchinage and timing throws.  These concepts may seem simple but I believe their importance is quite often overlooked.  I am fortunate that in my training thus far, Bindner Sensei has stressed these ideals with me and instilled in me their importance.  Seeing them used again in such a dynamic environment only helped to drive home their importance.

The day took a look at smaller aspects of Yoshinkan Aikido that are important but easily overlooked.  As Mustard Sensei said at the start of the day, “you can learn the basic movements at your own dojos, lets make them powerful”.  From that point on it was one fantastic insight after another.  Subtlties with our direction of Uke’s energy that take a technique from “kind of worked” to “Wow, do that again!”

I want to take a moment to again thank Mustard Sensei for sharing his Aikido and stories with us and Mills Sensei for organizing this event.  I can’t wait for next year!

There were several different aspects of Mustard Sensei’s classes and I think it will be best if I discuss each one in an individual post.  The topics include the impact of being relaxed, how to control Uke by stealing his heart, and the importance of being a good uke.