OK, ok, ok. I'm going *right now*!!

Hey V, y'still alive?

Yes, thanks for asking.

I did make it to the dojo Monday night, and I intend to go again tonight. If I succeed, and I expect I will, it will be the first time I've gone more than once a week. I'm hoping to give my muscles some experience in more frequent exercise. In fact, Tuesday, the second "day after", I was not nearly as sore as I was the morning after the first "day after". Now I'll just crowd them all together and hopefully my body will just get used to it.

I think one of the reason I was less sore is because I spent less time falling. That was nice. We worked on other stuff. The sessions I'm able to attend are all designated "All Levels". There are probably 25 or so students on the mat, representing the whole range of skill levels from no belt to white, brown, blue and black.

There is a demonstration given in the center of the mat with sensei and an advanced student, then we're all paired up to practice what we've just been shown. Naturally, I'm paired up with an advanced student, probably to keep me from landing on some other rookie and crushing them.

I'm learning a lot. Instead of spending all my time picking myself up from the mat, we worked on the jo stick. It was fun learning about the jo stick. I learned that the jo stick makes two sounds in combat. The first sound is a sharp solid clack when an attack is parried correctly as the two sticks crash together. The other sound is a little different, more muted, like the sound of a piece of meat makes when it's slapped onto a wooden cutting board. Or, more precisely, when the wood is slapped onto the meat. This sound is quickly followed by a rapid inhalation and a stream of curses and tears. You get this sound when you parry an attack INcorrectly.

Like I said, I'm learning a lot. For example, I learned how to clean blood from the white canvas covering of the mat. It's not too hard. There's a squeeze bottle of hydrogen peroxide and plenty of towels and bandages. It comes right out.

I wonder what I'll learn tonight.

How to reattach the butt being handed to you?:haha:

True... the way I used it was very different than the way it is taught in dojos across the country.
I was taught by a couple of masters, after hours, specific to my job... just practical application, enhancing what I already knew, in relation to my reflexes-body type, strength, situations, numbers of opponents, etc. They told me that in a few weeks I learned things that took others years to learn.

I've seen cops apply variations of some of the same techniques that are used in aikido, and the techniques themselves are not particularly difficult.

The disciplines, ideas and styles of thinking that are taught in true Aikido dojos (as opposed to those offering a smorgasbord of various arts who teach joint locks too) take a lot longer to impart.

May have been Krav Maga... lot of cops, FBI, Special Forces, etc, get classes now. It is far faster and more practical. I used it a lot during combat... though I did not do a lot of that, mostly locks and walking people out on their toes; some pressure point work to "convince" or make my point.

variety in aikido
 

Given that the modern expression of aikido encompasses Gozo Shioda'a Yoshinkan, Ueshiba's aikikai, and Tomiki's shin-shin toitsu do, three extremely different ways of learning and practicing aikido, leads me to be wary of the phrase "true aikido". I think i know what you mean, but that phrase has been the source of a lot of contention.
Even Ueshiba didn't start his peace love and understanding trip until after WW2. Before the war he was notorious for injuring students. Gozo Shioda has been characterized by at least one of his students as "a vicious little shit who liked to hurt people". Tomiki has at least once broken both collarbones of a student although the story i heard he wasn't necessarily trying to.
The modern ideals bandied about modern aikido culture are worth listening to but be careful and critical of what you hear.
All the above is my opinion. There are many like it, but this one is mine. YMMV, etc.

Edit: Please forgive my ranting. I don't know what's come over me,,,

Perhaps a poorly chosen phrase on my part. I did try to clarify how I meant it.

I'd be willing to consider any of those three schools you mention as "true aikido"; I happened to train Ki Society, which is shin shin toitsu do. I have heard--through relatives that once attended a Yoshinkan dojo--that their style is...perhaps not as gentle. My sensei was always careful to never criticise any other style, while insisting that "here, we do this *this* way".

I meant to distinguish between teaching techniques that are recognizably aikido techniques from focused practice where you'll learn something more of what aiki is. In principle, that can happen anywhere, of course, but I think it's more likely in some places than others.