Aikido and Art

So, Johns been trying with all of his might to get me interested in Aikido. I know it's useful and I know it will help my judo and visa versa, but it just seems sooo boring in the beginning. I think if I can just get into the habit of doing it I will eventually grow to like it. I preferred Aikido originally, because it didn't involve me being thrown to the ground... but once I got it out of the way at Pat's I really grew a liking for judo... so I'm hoping I'll have something that will eventually switch the aikido light on in my head.

It was interesting though, John was explaining that once you knew the basic principles of Judo and Aikido, you can learn the art easier. Because it becomes more of the ideas and concepts, like 'get the heck out of the way and put your hands up' and from there you can sort of... I dunno, freestyle I suppose? Or improvise, or be able to hold my own if I was attacked somewhere. I think it would really help me in ground randori (I hope I spelled that right?) because it doesn't seem like you'll ever have a very blatantly obvious opening to do a specific move the way it was taught. Although Andi got me really quickly with a choke a couple of nights ago... I'll just have to train myself up and then attack when he leasts expects it *mwahaha*

I think that's why I like the ground randori though... it's very realistic. I'm interested to see if I can stick with the aikido though. Because John said that while judo is very instantaneously rewarding, once you do something or get something just right in aikido, it's 10 times better.

BUT ANYWAY. Back to what I was originally trying to convey. I just thought it was really interesting that he pointed out that I should focus on the basic principles and ideas of Judo and aikido first. Because it's essentially the same with art. There are the basic principles and elements of design, and they're like the commandments of art. A lot of people have trouble with Modern art and argue whether or not it's "really" art. Take a Jackson Pollock painting for example. Critics of his time said it looked like something a child could have done. Yet Pollock has key elements and principles in his painting that make it appealing to the eye. It has rhythm and movement to the piece (hence, it is called action painting), as well as varying textures, although not readily visible in the above link. It also has balance and repetition. It's these basic principles assorted in a persons own personal way, to give us such great pieces of art.

Ah, but there is always that tricky final element. Plenty of crappy paintings of seagulls and beaches exist on the walls of cheap motels across the world, but why would someone not consider it art? I think it's that emotional intuitive aspect of creating art that just was or wasn't present. When Jackson Pollock painted, he thrashed paint on the canvas, dropped cigarette butts into it, and generally got completely caught up in just the motions of expressing himself. So is it because of the basic design elements utilized or that emotional aspect of creating the piece itself that defines it as art? Did the person that painted that ugly seagull picture feel or try to express anything when painting it? And if they didn't, isn't it just then an emotional representation of their apathy towards the art? Or perhaps the artist was more tongue and cheek, and wanted to convey a severe sense of boredom in the piece?

The world may never know... O_O


John also explained to me that martial artist masters were more of a renaissance man, involving themselves in music and art. It reminded me of what my 3D teacher said about art.

"You're an artist. You don't need a reason to do sculpture or painting or installation art, you should be experimenting with it all. It's ALL art."

I just really like how closely related the two became as we talked about them (which we do a lot lol). It also makes me wonder too, is there a certain amount of showmanship/grace/emotion/monkeys in executing Judo and Aikido that makes it more appealing, or more fluent, just like with art? Or because the body is both what is the art and what is making the movements of the art, is it then indistinguishable between the act of creating and the creation itself....? If by cutting out the medium of art (canvas, clay, etc.) are you then left with art expression in its purest form?

La Première Entrée: Hypochondria, Homework, and a few Judo chops to the face

So, this is my very first entry as a blogger. woooo!

I’ve got a livejournal account, but it’s more for my friends and I. This is more like a public diary. Some people think it’s very self centered and attention grabbing to think that someone would want to read the intimate details of your life. I've always felt that it just let's people read about what most anyone else is feeling. It's the narrative of your everyday life, and that always intrigued me.

And hell, for all you know, I could be making this all up.

Whatever. I’m private about a few things, and those will be excluded, but mostly, I think I’m doing this for my own sanity. And who knows, maybe someone will get a laugh out of my posts and my personality. And we always need more people laughing in this world.

I’ll just start with things that have been worrying me as of recent.

My dad passed away two weeks before my twentieth birthday, about 7 months ago. I didnt stop crying for about two weeks straight. I wanted to get it all out while I was excused from school and work. I thought I was all right, I was so exhausted from crying that I just wanted to get back to Orlando and back to things that were familiar, back to things I could handle.

7 months later and I find myself sobbing in the girls bathroom at my cousins wedding during her Father-Daughter dance. It really surprised me at how overwhelmingly upset I got, and it kind of worried me. Now, I’ve ALWAYS been a worry wort, from as FAR BACK as I can remember… but lately, it feels almost unhealthy. I feel frail, and ill, whether physically or mentally. I’ve been thinking about seeing a therapist for it all... I found out I’ve probably been having panic attacks, usually right after I think of my dad or something particularly stressful happens.

I keep having nightmares about my eyesight failing and my boyfriend leaving me and dying in car accidents (I know these are all unwarranted and ludicrous but hey, if I lie about what I worry about in an online blog... then, well that's kind of sad) and then I can’t breathe, I feel like my head is spinning, like I’m about to pass out or just die, and I feel removed from reality and its just SO BIZARRE. I think that if I see a therapist I can kill all these weird, ‘am I going crazy, do I have a brain tumor’ worries that are almost constantly running through my head so recently.

But then I have to explain why I’m seeing a therapist to everyone, and I really dont know how my boyfriend or half of my friends would react to it all…

…I always prided myself in being the seemingly normal one of my very messed up (but loving) family.

There's also the fact that ALL I've been doing these past couple of months has been working or studying... and I'm finally starting to feel the repercussions . Hanging out with my friends more has helped, but what I really need to get back in the habit of is excercising. Dancing or jogging (or hell, drawing standing up for 6 hours) used to give me an excellent outlet for all my retarded little worries, and gave me an overwhelming sense of calm when I was done... one that I haven't felt for a long while.

On the brightside, I got a glimpse of some calm two nights ago after I went down to the Johndo Dojo (my boyfriends garage with a couple of falling mats... it's actually a pretty sweet set-up) with my boyfriend John, and his roommates Andi and Beau. We practiced some Judo (which I prefer doing to Aikido) and I really had a good time with it. The freestyle ground grappling is retardedly fun, and I actually used and noticed a couple of things we had been practicing earlier in the night, which is always a good sign, yes?

I've got to make a more earnest try at learning Aikido though. It's hard right now because I'm so busy, but once classes are out I should have time. John swears that it'll get better if I stick with it, so I'm going to trust him and see. He seems like he really wants to get me into it, whether it be because he wants to utilize my n00bness to practice his teaching skills, or he justs loves it so much he wants to share it with whoever he can(I'm the same way with art and art history).... so I'm going to at least give it an honest try.

And on that note, I should quit procrastinating my homework.

I’ll update again soon.

Happy Blogging,

Beekz

PS - Since I’ve always kind of thought of blogs as opinion columns, I highly recommend ‘30 Days of Night’. The ending was kind of dorky, and I havent read the Graphic novel, but it gave me nightmares, so it’s thumbs up in my book =)