Sensei, Uke or You?

I have since I came to Japan been lucky enough to train with many different people and also the class has been with several different sensei. Everyone that I have trained with has had their own perspective. Sometimes we talk during the technique and other times we do not say much just communicating through the body movements. There is always someone doing the technique differently, because there is no one technique. The basic technique is there yes, but there is so many variables to this if you are to be able to do the technique together with uke. The obvious one is when uke´s height is higher or lower than yours, but also the small things like where is uke´s feet. You can even go deeper than that I think and see how strong is the intentions of uke. Does uke concentrate on the attack or is uke going in another direction than what you would expect. All these things is only noticeable when you look for them.

I remember one training in Norway where Bjørn Eirik Olsen sensei showed us morote-dori kokyu-ho and told us to think about where we had our focus. Do you focus on the first or the second hand of the attacker or something else when doing the technique? This showed me how much of aikido is actually in our mind and not only technique. Thus being here in Japan and training with many people in classes with different sensei makes me search inside my self for the aikido that I can do. Everyone is telling me something new or something that often is different than the last person i did the same technique with did. Who can you listen to? The obvious answer would be sensei. I also think that you have to listen to your body and doing what works for you in the given situation. At the same time we are practicing the basic technique and it has a pattern to follow.

I have decided to take all tips and help I can get and listen to it and try to adapt at the same time learning what feels right in the technique. I am willing to try what people are telling me of course, but I will reflect on it after doing the technique and then try it again with moving my focus to some other part of my body.

Anyways I hope my ramblings can make sense to someone.