About Aikido of Champlain Valley
Some [More] Notes on Terry Dobson's Teachingsby Ed PincusAlexander was practicing for his shodan (first-degree black belt) test over the course of a year, five to six days a week. Hugh Young had him do a practice test at the end of class with Terry Dobson present. There was an awed silence in the room. The practice test was inspiring--precise technique and zanshin. Everyone could see the benefits of daily practice and how far Alexander had come in a year. Terry stood up, came to the front of the room lumbering along in a seemingly careless manner and scratching himself like Toshiro Mifune as the impostor ronin in The Seven Samurai. His scolding voice removed any vestige of self-satisfied grin on the faces of the admiring class. He said he knew none of us wanted to hear what he was going to say, but he was going to say it anyway. Alexander's test showed he understood the aikido of love. He pointed out that after a throw, Alexander had put the knife blade on his hand across uke's chest in a protective controlling gesture. But the aikido of love was only half the picture. It had to be balanced by the aikido of _____????. I blanked out. I thought T |