Oslo - a weekend seminar

Peri Mackintosh and Hiro Enoiki facilitated a weekend seminar in Freeform aikido at Tenshinkan Dojo , Oslo 16-18 November.

The hopes of the participants for the course ranged from wanting to “play”, to deepening an understanding of “contact”.

The weekend began by heightening awareness of body sensation and using this feeling as the basis of opening into space - “extension”. Questions were raised about how this overlaps with sensation configured as emotion - and the expression of “feelings”.

Work then focused on developing and maintaining a coherent connective awareness - on a partner whilst maintaining awareness of body sensation. This connective awareness was then expanded into more overt energetic/intentional bonding (ki-musubi).

One of the aspects of Freeform Aikido that distinguishes it from traditional approaches is the de-prioritisation of verticallity, and the engagement of the legs and feet in contact making. All of us can feet clumsy and disorientated when inverted. Work focused on being upside down and playing with balance by reversing the direction of postural thrust in the spine. This lead to participants feeling more “brain” in their arse and feet!We explored hairdressing with feet!.

Further work looked at -

• Growing into contact - co-responsiveness lead by awareness
• Openings - opening points of engagement - finding and engaging with your partners the postural direction.
• Working in groups and threes

Feedback included the sense that the work highlighted and positivley challenged our “patterns” and habitual ways and “systems” of movement.