2009 Tapondo (Combat Aikido)

2009, Cubao, Quezon City, Combat Aikido (Tapondo)
I remember seeing a "Combat Aikido" sign in Cubao in the late 1990s. I wanted to enroll but I was living quite far (first in Pasig City then in Laguna). But when we moved to Cubao in 2005, I did not remember it, until 2009. When I visited the gym, it was already renamed TAPONDO. I met Master Monching Gavileño who has encouraged me to also enroll my 2 kids - Lawrence and Dilion.

I found a lot of similarities with the traditional Aikido, but the shorter application of techniques and use of "street-fighting" weapons were noticeable difference, in addition to the clearly marked Tapondo uniforms. I'll write in a separate post the key differences that I found and the advantages and dis-advantages from my own perspective.

In Tapondo, I already passed the white, green, and purple belts. I am now wearing the yellow belt which focuses on kicking defenses.

2012 Combat Aikido Demonstration

2013 January - 120 hours of Combat Aikido Training

I just realized that I have already underwent 120 hours of Tapondo (Combat Aikido) training involving 60 sessions days (at 2 hours per session). This can be summarized into:

• Around 48 hours from White to Green Belt (20 basic techniques).
• Around 24 hours from Green to Purple Belt (25 basic techniques).
• Another 24 hours from Purple to Yellow Belt (30 basic techniques).
• And around 24 so far training under Yellow Belt (18 kicking defense techniques, 17 locks).

2013 Gi now available

I am so excited. Sensei Troy texted me that my Gi (Aikido uniform) is now available. I will be able to wear  during the Aikido training tonight! Wuhooo!

2013 Jan - 3rd Aikido Session at MAC

3rd Session: 16 January 2013 - Wednesday, Bagtikan Dojo

Sensei Royce handled the class in the absence of Sensei Troy. Ed and I (all white belt) we were joined by a new recruit Ian.

At this session, I had a better grasp of the Five Steps (and the Tenchin). It was confusing during my first session because they almost look the same.

And Sensei Royce was right "every skill is easily learned when you break it into small elements and name them". For example, I now understand that performing Katatetori Ai hamni Ikkyo (Omote)  involves basic foot steps: Okuri ashi, then Ayumi ashi, Tentai, and finally another  Okuri ashi.

Sensei also emphasized that an Aikido stance is just one precise stance, that is, one surely knows where an Ura or Nage faces - to where his/her front foot is pointing to (with the back foot half step behind - forming the two feet an imaginary triangle).

In addition, Sensei Royce emphasized the element of a correct form in Aikido:
1. Head, 2 hands, belly button, knees, and feet - all aligned - from the perspective of someone in front.
2. Shoulders are always above the hips - not stooping (shoulders above the knees or foot)
3. Knees are bent all the time - to maintain balance.

I appreciated the long lectures which ended up having only one technique reviewed. I did not get the name but the attack was still Katate tori and the Nage executes Tsugi ashi, Tentai, then Tenkan ending with hands at hip level, parallel to the ground, and both fingertips touching an imaginary wall.

Sensei Royce also demonstrated the 5 basic falls in Aikido:
1. Front roll
2. Back roll
3. Front fall
4. Back fall, and the
5. High fall.

I can 1-4 with ease. I have done high falls before but usually with fear due to previous experience of hitting the floor shoulder first - a painful one.

But when Sensei Royce asked us to try, I did not hesitate. He asked us to hold his hand and trust him that when we perform the high fall, our connected arms are short enough not to let our heads hit the floor. And it was a breeze. It felt great.

2013 Jan - 2nd Aikido session - Makati Sports Club

I went to Makati Sports Club last Monday (14 Jan) to have my 2nd session of Aikido training. Sensei Dam led the session together with other blackbelter including Sensei Troy. There were quite a number of white belt students, and a few blue and yellow belters.

Indeed, the warm-up exercises particularly the stretching ones are fully emphasized in Makati Aikido Club club. Something not highlighted in my CDO dojo, and never in the Tapondo training. The preliminary exercises eat up around 30 mins to 45 mins or around half of each sessions.

I still have to recall the Aikido terms in Japanese. Slowly, memories of the names of attacks and techniques are coming back. However, most of the time, the Senseis here show how techniques are done or forms are to be performed without naming them.

In this session, I would like to note familiar terms (wit my interpretations/notes in English):
Uke - attacker
Nage - defender, performer of the technique
Omote - inside, straight
Ura - outside, circular
Ai Hamni - opposite stance (Ura on Migi gamae and Nage on Hidori gamae)
Gyaku Hamni - Same stance (both Ura and Nage on similar gamae)

As a group, with exchanging partners, we practices 2 attacks and with 1 immobilization (ikkyu) and 1 projection (did not get the name but in Westbrook, it's #14):
2. Katate tori (wrist hold, 2 ands) Ai amni (same stance) Ikkyo (first technique) - both Omote and Ura
3. Kata tori (one hand hold on shoulder) Ai Hamni Kokyu (sumiotoshi) - both Omote and Ura.

The above would be the 2nd and 3rd technique learned so far.

My First Aikido Training circa 1993

1993, Cagayan de Oro City, Traditional Aikido
Sometime in 1992, I really wanted to learn martial arts. Hungry from lack of martial arts training opportunities back in our hometown, Mainit, Surigao Norte, it didn't matter to me which martial arts I should go into. I've heard from my Dad about Jiujitsu, Kendo, Judo and Taekwondo, but I never knew what the differences were among these.

On my third year in college in 2004, I found the Axis Gym, at the back of Cogon Market, where I inquired about "body building". At the other end of the building, I saw a sign "Aikido", I inquired, and eventually got admitted under Sensei Alex Javier (left photo - courtesy of http://www.skyscrapercity.com forum). I think I borrowed money for my uniform and for my initial enrollment (which I don't recall now how much).

I trained for a year and practiced on my own whenever I had a chance. I had opportunities to take  promotional belting exams, but I think I was too poor to pay for examination fees. By April 2005, I had to move to Manila after college graduation. I tried practicing on my own, but it was difficult.

2013 Jan - 1st Session - Makati Aikido Club

2013, Makati Aikido Club (MAC), Traditional Aikido
I found the MAC website last year and had been meaning to visit the dojos. I never had the will thinking that the venues will require some amount of time walking, and not worth the ride as well. But come the first day of work in January 2013, because of a family errand in Bagtikan, I realized the dojo's are just a few corners away from my office which is about 5-7 minute walk. After my initial visit, I decided to enroll. The fee is so minimal (P100 per session - contribution for mat maintenance, and P500 as membership), that I have no reason in the world not to enroll. I am very glad because Sensei Royce gave me a warm welcome last Friday, January 11, during my first session. Sensei Troy's welcome and that of the Bagtikan students when I observed last Wednesday, January 9, were heartwarming as well. I am so glad that I found Aikido in Makati, after working here for 6 years.

I have already viewed and downloaded the videos in the club website. It was easier for me to read the words then memorize them. Last Friday, I had difficulty learning the terms the Sensei asked us to perform. Now that I've read the five basic steps... i felt much better:
1) Okuriashi - 2 steps forwards or backwards, with leading foot moving first (half step), followed immediately by the other foot (half step). This step could also be diagonal both forward and backward.
2) Tsugi ashi - 2 steps forwards or backwards, with the foot behind moving first (half step) as if pushing the leading foot to move next (half step). A variation is the Kendo style Tsugi ashi - where instead of the foot behind using the leading foot, it is stepped on the side of the leading foot.
3) Ayumi ashi - 2 steps forwards or backwards, almost like a Tsugi ashi, but the first foot to move will have to have a full step followed by a full step of the other foot.
4) Tenkan - 180 degree turn with the foot behind making a half circle turn, instantaneously when the leading foot twists towards your center
5) Tentai (or Kaiten)- - still 180deg turn but with only one count of both feet twisting 180deg
and a sixh important variation, though not technically another step:
6) Tenchin - a diagonal Okuri ashi (to the right) with half Tentai (to the left) - and vice versa

I borrowed an illustrated Aikido book by Westbrook and Ratti (1994) entitled "Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere". And voila, ayumi ashi and tsugi ashi are there under Motion and Aikido Posture. Tenkan is somewhere under Centralization, together with Irimi. I did not find Okuri ashi, though.

I also found there the preliminary stretching exercises we did in Bagtikan (which we did not do in Cagayan de Oro) and has read 7) migi gamae and 8) hidori gamae for the first time. Although, I now recall that we had several basic exercises like the rowing, high parry and the hapo undo ones.

I am super excited to train again. I will read the club articles and look forward to the club trainings and discussions.