Zoom Classes

What benefits do you get from practising (Aikido) Zoom Classes?

Well immediately you start to do physical exercise it triggers the release of feel good chemicals in the brain. Excellent performance is state dependant and you are reinforcing what you have been practising in your training before the lockdown.

From the learning point  of view the only way you can get information from the world around you is through your senses, there is no other way.

We learn by seeing, hearing and feeling which also includes smell and taste and the interesting thing is people specialise in the use of one or two of these senses, for instance seeing and hearing.

Those people who practise Aikido will certainly be using the Kinaesthetic sense (feeling) which is also movement, touch and balance. They may also be using the other senses but feeling is probably the most important for them.

You can’t do a physical activity without being in touch (feeling word) with your body and feelings.

However, even though we all gather information through our senses, people do it differently because of their preferences in which senses they use. This is usually being done unconsciously or automatically.

As an instructor this is important information. You can use words from all senses in your verbal instructions, for instance: see, focus, listen, hear, sense, move and be sure to use the word feel.

It is also an important opportunity for you to add new strategies to your learning skills.

Imagination – Einstein famously said that: “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

  • Imagination refers to mental representations or images which have been internally generated or constructed in your mind and one way to do that during your Zoom training is to think about being the uke, as if you are in their shoes, or bare feet in this case if you are on the mat. Feel yourself gripping strongly and your balance being taken so your body is moving, (kinaesthetic description).
  • As the Tori you can do this at intervals so you can imagine the uke being effected by your movement. It is a different perspective and it will give you information about which way the uke moves and therefore how you move to do the technique.

Visualisation

Visualisation is the process of forming mental images. In some ways it is more difficult to train without an uke (training partner) as it requires conscious use of your imagination by way of visualisation.

Visualisation is a powerful and effective tool for learning, regardless of the context. It is used in sports coaching as well as all other forms of coaching.

Training this way means that most learning is done at the edge of your comfort zone so you are employing new ways to learn during these Zoom classes. It’s the way to make a quantum step up in your learning.

I think Zoom is probably the most important tool of our time. You can run or participate in an event, meeting or training, virtually and no-one has to go anywhere. The basic package is free to use for 40 minutes. There is also a professional package available for a monthly fee and that gives you unlimited time.

Also my book Mutual Mindfulness is based on research into the principles of excellence in Aikido, many of which can be utilised in life in general. Would you like to discover how Aikido can teach you how to build rapport with others and how to avoid conflict?

This was a real “Aha” moment for me when I discovered how this principle maps across into our lives.

This book also has lots of easy to use personal development strategies, stories and quotes. http://amzn.to/2ZE9nvt

If you are a person who is interested in discovering more about how Aikido can teach you about these ways to improve your life, I have now switched my business online and for anyone interested I am offering a free coaching session so just drop me an email at: patbergin@hotmail.com to schedule time for a chat.