From Sensei
by Fran Turner
Three issues have come up via the Suggestions box:
1. Toenails should be cut.
Yes! And fingernails, too. These basic elements of personal hygiene affect personal safety. The student with long nails not only injures partners, but increases the risk of self-injury by tearing long nails caught on gi's. Bleeding during practice is a concern for all of us. Please trim your nails before coming to the dojo.
2. Students should not be allowed to opt out of any technique during class.
It rarely happens that students choose to sit out a technique, and they may have a number of reasons for doing so. They may be sitting out because of a physical injury aggravated by the movement or for a variety of health-related problems. They may have come to class very tired and just need to sit for a few minutes. People may feel extremely frustrated and afraid to lose temper with themselves or take it out wrongfully on the partner. If a student avoids practicing a particular technique simply because he or she doesn't like it, isn't in the mood or because it's the wrong partner, s/he is the one who loses the most because of the choice to sit it out. Just focus on your own practice.
3. Can we use extra space at the BVC to practice?
This seems to apply to the beginner students in the basic classes who want to practice longer after class and have to leave at the start of the next class. The dojo space is for aikido. Come early, so that you can practice before class, use the 15 minutes between classes in a concentrated way, come to the all-level classes which leave lots of time afterwards to practice. There is free practice on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons.
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