6th kyu and beyond
by Jonathan Marks
I have just passed my 6th kyu test, and the time feels right to give some long-overdue thanks
to a few people at Aikido Shugyo Dojo. I would like to start by thanking Nathan for inviting me
to come and watch aikido testing at the Bloor Valley Club back in April. On that day, I got to see
almost every kyu level tested, from Marty's 6th kyu test all the way up to John McNabb's 1st kyu
pre-test. I sensed a strong feeling of community among the dojo members, and I remember
wanting to become a part of that community. Nobody knew me, but I received several words of
encouragement to try out a beginner class the following week.
I would like to thank Fran for her patient teaching, and her genuine interest in my continued practice. After only a few weeks of attending Aikido classes, I became discouraged. I was not sure if I wanted to continue training. I stopped coming to classes for about three weeks. During that time off, I received a message on my answering machine from Fran saying that she wondered where I was, and that she hoped I was well. I was very pleasantly surprised by the message, and when I returned to one of the evening beginner classes shortly afterwards, I distinctly remember receiving an enthusiastic, "Jon! Hi!!" from Fran. I have come to class regularly ever since.
I would also like to thank Marty for his countless offers to practice 6th kyu techniques at the end of many evening classes, just before the advanced class would start. He would typically approach me with "Hey, Jon, show me iriminage!" or "Jon — shihonage!"
Since starting regular Aikido practice, I have noticed a lot of subtle changes in my life. Apart from many other benefits, aikido has primarily helped me to relax and also to improve my posture. When I started practicing, the same advice came repeatedly from Fran and from virtually every one of my uke's, "Jon, relax your shoulders!" or simply "You've got to relax!" The other phrases I heard constantly during practice were "Don't lean into uke" and "Bend with your knees — not your back." While all these words of advice have helped me to develop better aikido technique, they have helped me considerably outside the dojo as well.
One of the most interesting aspects of aikido for me is the knowledge I'm gaining about how the human body moves. I am fascinated by how joints can be manipulated, how balance can be taken and how the grip and weight of a much larger uke can be overcome by subtle but powerful movements that use no force.
Although I have only attained the rank of 6th kyu, I feel that I have come a long way since my first class in April. Given all that I've gained in such a short time, I definitely plan to continue practicing at Aikido Shugyo Dojo for a lot longer yet.
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