Aikido Lab
For several years, Aikido Olympia held what we called an Aikido Lab on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. These labs weren’t really intended to be classes but rather an opportunity to practice arts that were taught the previous evening. These classes were often conducted in randori-style where one person would work with multiple uke “in the round”, quickly moving from partner to partner. This approach had several benefits. First, students had an opportunity to review techniques taught the night before. Second, everyone involved had an opportunity to practice the techniques on a variety of partners and could explore how the same technique might change depending on how an uke’s body worked. Third, the multiple uke approach provides an opportunity for further refining one’s 360 degree vision and awareness.
As Tuesday and Thursday evening classes often have smaller attendance than other days, we intend to do more of the Aikido Lab type classes on those days. If you’re interested in working on these types of things, please join us!
By Nate Weed