Pardon me if I missed your phone call - I've been slightly groggy and napping in the afternoon this week. But my mornings are superlative -

All week is "kangeiko" at my Aikido dojo. Kangeiko is winter training - each day, starting at 6.30am, practicing Aikido in a cold room by candlelight as the sun rises. It is beautiful - the quality of early morning light and crisp air. The camraderie of early risers. And these techniques we are practicing - something like walking around an incoming blow, warding away fists with a minimal amount of energy and force. Like dancing, like diverting, like much of Aikido. Then we practice sword combat, with wooden "bokken" learning to match our partners moves and energy. I have a hard time restraining myself with the wooden swords - I get excited and I like to practice hard.

There are no competitions in Aikido, tournaments and the like. But there are belts, useful as signs of experience when practicing. My teacher says that white belts (beginners) are the most deadly of all people on the mat, since they have the least experience with not hurting people during practice. Fortunately, I may soon appear less deadly - next Saturday I'll be tested for my green belt.

Speaking of white belts, I was talking to a friend from college in Las Vegas and we had this joking dialog:

How might a white belt in Aikido respond during a mugging?
"Here, put down that gun and grab my wrist."
"No, no, grab it with the other hand."
"There we go - now it's on!"

(That joke has probably existed before)