Confessions of an Aikido-holic

I'm an aikido-holic. I practice aikido 3 times a week, two hours at a time. When I can't practice you may notice I begin to display symptoms of restlessness, inattention to whatever is at hand unless aikido-related, a predilection to thinking in terms of blending and movement and in extreme cases, a dashing off in the direction of the dojo.

Tomorrow is when I grade for what they call first kyu which is the last stage of learning the basic movements in aikido. Everyone sits in this very large glass walled hall, where the parents, friends, supporters can sit outside and watch. But in the hall itself, it's generally quiet and discipline that rules. They call the white belts up first and then it proceeds up the ladder of seniority. People grade in groups before a large grading panel of sometimes up to about 8 examiners. I'm always hoping that I won't have to be lined up right under the noses of the examiners. Then they call out for ukes or attackers to partner the candidates and off it starts.

I'm grading at intermediate level so it means I sit on the mat for an awfully long time before I get called....that's bad for me because I get increasingly tense and the adrenaline starts flowing but has no where to go. By the time I get up there, I'm so pumped and jumpy I tend to forget movements. not good. But after it's over, everyone is all smiles and saying what they did right or wrong, and since in the time I've been there no one has ever failed, usually everyone is happy although the formal results don't come out for a month.

So wish me luck!