One of my disappointments with having a kidney transplant was not being able to train in Aikido while in recovery. I was very close to my Nidan test (second degree black belt) and felt good about the material. In my last class, Sensei asked me to demonstrate how to do counter-attacks from two different attacks. I was able to do them successfully. My friends said that I looked ready. Little did I know that that was my last class before surgery.
Now, I am on sabbatical.
I am not even sure if I can train again.
Some people have said that I may need to quit my martial arts training after I get a kidney. Others (nurses, teachers) say that being back on the mat is possible. Aikido is unique in this instance because it is generally not a full contact martial art. Sure, we occasionally punch or strike, but if one does the techniques correctly, the strike is avoided.
I miss being on the mat, and I hope to be back on it as soon as I am ready. I will use my sabbatical to really get to know and organize the material for my test. By the time I am back, I will be mentally ready. Physically? I hope so.
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| Me on my Shodan (1st degree black belt test). Nidan next? |
If that does not happen, I think I need to be ready for the next chapter of my life. Aikido has taught me to be present, be in the moment. In the last seminar that I attended in our dojo, our Division Leader, Pat Hendricks Sensei had brought her calligraphy as a present to our sensei. One of it is “Founder,” and she was hoping that it would inspire us to find our own niche in Aikido. Maybe that will be my path.
Onegai shimasu.
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