Finally, we had a warm day today.
Along with the warmer weather, the Aikido mat was packed tonight.
There seemed to be a positive energy in the air, and I noticed right off that I was able to stretch much further during warm-ups, with what seemed to be to be less effort. I think the coldness has a strong effect on our bodies during practice, and that's why (I think) warm-ups in the winter ought to be long and vigorous. About a month ago, during our 'ki' generating drills, I started to imagine dousing myself with buckets of cold water when we pull our arms down from over our heads. I think that 'visualization' of sorts helps to deal with training in cold weather, but I personally still have a lot of work to do to overcome the effects of cold weather on my training.
Today, I noticed many connections between posture and technique, and posture and ukemi(falling). In keeping my posture aligned, the techniques became almost secondary to the awareness and sense of being balanced that were generated as a result. (My idea of 'posture' is a feeling of keeping my lower back and abdomen in a vertical line with my upper chest, and also keeping my neck and head on the same line. In this way, I feel that my body is moving as one connected unit, rather than separate parts)
Currently, I'm working on engaging the inital connection in ikkyo(first technique) omote(to the front) from the nage(thrower) side, and kotegaishi(wrist twist) rotating on a central/spiraling axis. The kotegaishi stuff is fascinating to me, because it joins together so many other Aikido techniques: shihonage(4-directional throw), kaitennage(revolving throw), and even ikkyo, because they all work with rotating around a center point. There's a few people at the dojo who will work ultra-slow with me while I figure it out more and solidify it. I'm so into it, and I feel that I'll be able to progress very quickly when this becomes second nature. For now, very slow practice.

The ikkyo thing is something that's always been there, like an abstract math problem to be worked through to a reasonable solution, only to be disproven time and time again. Ikkyo is also a constant source of fascination in my practice. Working with that initial point of intention really seems to be the basis of ikkyo. Recognizing and responding to that intention takes awareness at the moment it arises. Therefore, the key to ikkyo seems to be constant awareness, so as to appropriately translate the intentions of oneself and others. That is how it seems.(results from tonight's shomenuchi(front strike) ikkyo practice---->)

If someone knows how to create separate folders in blogger, would you send me an email or a comment?
This kind of blog should go into some sort of 'Aikido Chatter' folder or something.