Aiki-Bruises

I am listening to Energy Flow by Ryuichi Sakamoto, one of my favorite pianists. My muscles are in pain. I was sick for two weeks then went this week back to train. I was amazed how much difference it made. My body probably got somewhat weaker, but I never thought I would feel so exhausted after a training. At the very beginning, when I started aikido, it was really tough, but after a few month it was all right. Now I am struggling with the same pains and tighnesses in the muscles. Yesterday the techniques were totally tireing me and I felt breathless. It was so hard to carry on. But I managed to take the one and a half hours of training. We did morotedori ikkyo, shihonage, aikinage (yay!) and maybe one or two other technique I cannot remember now. In fact we did really few but for a long time. Could be that this was what tired me in the end. I am not trying to find excuses to my weakness, on the contrary. I am letting you all know and I am not ashamed to admit: I do have hard times in aikido. I also got an aiki bruise on my left foot:

I thought it is better to illustrate it, then explain the bruise in words. It is one of those accidents that usually happen to aikidoka while the floor is being swept with them. Other possibility, which is my case also, the aikidoka wants to perform a really smooth tenkan, lowering the center and dragging the foot behind herself...indeed...And I wouldn't lie to myself saying that with the time as you get better this type of small injuries won't occur any more. I remember when I started practicing aikido one of the Shodans always had plasters on her feet on that specific thumb-bone part. Now I know for sure why.

So in the end I came home in pain and grabbed my holly grail for muscle pains Forever Aloe Heat Lotion.

My mum bought it for me, and I really find this camphor cream is the only thing that helps make disappear the stiffness in my muscles. 

So cream it on and keep on training. 

Some little pain in the muscle CANNOT not stop you from getting better at aikido!

Me... Two Years Ago

After the first aikido training I was really exhausted and posted a panicked question on YAHOO Answers. Thinking back I am a bit ashamed of my being so scared, but it was somehow natural. I am writing this post to all of you who are not sure if you should start aikido, or you just started and wonder what it will be like. Read the answers, most of them are really inspiring! If I were to answer my question to myself now, it would be something like this:

It is natural to feel a bit uncomfortable at the beginning, as you don't know the people and everything is new. It is also normal to feel really exhausted after a training in the first couple of month. I would add to that that I still sometimes have stiffness in my muscles it I don't train for a week for some reason and get back to a powerful training. I never used pain killers, because I was always able to live with the pain for two, three days. I somehow see it comforting because it means your muscles are getting stronger. Most of the time when I sit in the office and my muscles hurt, I am glad that it is not my back hurting and being tensed as before but a healthy kind of pain, that soon goes away. In time you will find a completely different state of mind after trainings. A sort of lightness of mind and body.