Q - Why Did you start AIkido?
A- When
I was 13 years old I sang in a church choir.
The aikido class met after choir
practice and I used to watch them bow and do
some ukemi and something about it caught my
imagination.
I had to nag my mother to let me give
it a go but eventually she did – thank
goodness!!
Q -
Memories of your first lesson?
A - Learning
forward ukemi and absolutely loving it.
I talked to the instructor (David Bushell) after that
class about buying a gi and he advised me to wait a few
weeks until I was sure I was going to like it.
Q-
Favourite Technique?
A - Too
many too list but
anything where I can subtly drop my centre!
Q - Least
favourite Technique?
A - Kicking
techniques (when I'm the uke!!)
Q -
Favourite Summer School and Why
A - This,
again, is hard to say but if I had to choose one I'd say it
was 1999 when I was promoted to Yondan.
I'd met Endo Shihan for the first time just 3 months'
before and my aikido had already changed in that short time.
I remember doing my grading and feeling that I was
flying! I wouldn’t have cared if I'd failed the grading: I
knew my aikido was at the start of a huge, positive change
and I was so confident of it that I didn't need a promotion
to validate it.
Q -
Anything else?
A - Just train and leave your ego
behind! |
