# Changes over time



## Aikikitty (Jul 12, 2007)

This Sunday will make the 7 year anniversary of my mom's and my first Aikido class! It's hard to believe it's been that long. We still feel like we don't know anything! The more we learn, the more we realise we don't know. Some of the techniques that I almost used to hate because I could never get them, I enjoy now that it finally randomly "clicked" over time. And we can now "see" so many more refined details in my instructors techniques that we would have never been able to notice when we were beginners.

Anyway, there has been so many changes in our school over these last 7 years. People we started with (black belts and white belts, teachers and students alike), some who were the most faithful in showing up every class, are gone now and we're still there. Some of the "regular" guys who used to be the most dedicated, we haven't seen in a couple of years--although they promise that they'll come back someday. (We know that once you get out of the habit of doing something, it's a million times harder to get back into it.) The head of our small organization died several years ago and the association has mostly been in limbo since. We aren't even in our same building anymore. The room our dojo was in wasn't damaged, but the rest of the building was blown out from Hurricane Katrina and Rita. So we went from 3 classes a week to 1 class a week and renting space in a Hapkido/BJJ school. 

My mom and I are very grateful that our head instructor still wants to (and enjoys) teaching the 4 or 5 of us that are still around. No matter what happens, as long as our teacher and a couple of us want to continue training, we will always have a class wherever we are and whatever happens. :ultracool

It's amazing how things change (in ways that we could never imagine) over the years.

What are some of the big changes that any of you have gone through with your Aikido dojo (or teachers) throughout the years?

Robyn :asian:


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## theletch1 (Jul 12, 2007)

Robyn, I hear you and know exactly where you're coming from.  We have had many folks come and go over the years as has every dojo, I guess.  Many of the students that were just blue belts when I started a little over four years ago are now starting to test for their sho-dan.  I hit my 4 year mark back in may and just started the testing process for I-kyu earlier this week.  I've had many of the same "a-ha" moments that I'm sure you've had over the years and still expect to have a great many more.  That's what makes aikido great...always learning something new.  Good luck to you and yours in your continued training.


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