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Student
Interview with Ashley
Scholefield
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the end of the year just around
the corner many students attention
is turned to the up coming gradings
rather than festivities.
One
student in particular who will
be grading in December is Ashley
Scholefield from the White Rose
Aikido dojo in the UK. Ashley
will be taking his Shodan grading
and we managed to catch up with
Ashley to find out just what
is involved in this milestone
of gradings…
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| MI:
Your age and rank? |
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| Ashley
Scholefield:
I am 28 years old and currently hold 1st Kyu
(Brown Belt) ranking in Aikido. |
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| MI:
Length of time you have been practising Aikido? |
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| Ashley
Scholefield:
I have been practicing for around 3 years
now. |
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| MI:
You are preparing for your Shodan grading
in December, when did you find out about that? |
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Ashley
Scholefield:
I first found out from my Sensei, Shane
Riley at a social gathering after a
seminar with Shihan Cottier.
He said to myself and one other student
who graded 1st kyu with me, "if
you knuckle down and work hard I can't
see any reason why you shouldn't grade
for Shodan in December".
I
have since asked Sensei Riley if he
is happy for me to take Shodan and
he said there is no problem.
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| MI:
Do
you feel it has come at the right time
or do you feel you could do with more
time? When is the right time? Do you
ever feel like you are good enough to
hold a Black Belt?
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| Ashley
Scholefield:
I feel that it is as good time as any.
I have prepared and worked hard on the
syllabus and have been training very
hard over the last few months to ensure
I am up to standard. I am sure that
Sensei Riley would tell me if it was
not the right time. I think more time
is always good but you could say that
to yourself everytime you are up for
examination, if you did then you would
never grade! |
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| MI:
How has it affected your training pattern? |
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Ashley
Scholefield:
I feel I am training harder now then ever
before. I am also very self critical of
all my techniques. I could do Ikkyo for
example and feel it was no better than what
a beginner could do! Other students watching
would say it was good, controlled and powerful,
but because of my strict personal training
regime leading up to Shodan, I seem to be
analysing myself more and striving for perfection.
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| MI:
Is there particular things you have been focusing
on more with the grading in mind? |
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Ashley
Scholefield:
Yes. I am focusing more, firstly
on control. This is a very important
part of a Shodan examination.
It is what is looked at probably
more than correctness in technique.
Secondly,
posture and ma-ai. This is another
part of my Aikido I would like
to portray on the mat. It is very
difficult to "just |
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do
it" on a grading. This is why if
you focus on the things you would like
to make shine, such as control, posture
and ma-ai, everything else should slot
into place. Hopefully!!
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| MI:
Do you know what is involved in the grading? |
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| Ashley
Scholefield:
Within the White Rose Aikikai there is a grading
syllabus to follow, however, Sensei Riley
has very high standards and will throw other
things, which may not be on the syllabus into
the examination. These are things, which he
knows you have done, but he may just be taking
you a step beyond the basic requirements for
Shodan to enable him to decide whether or
not you are eligible to hold the Black Belt
rank within his association. This is a good
thing because if you are successful, you know
you have earned it and Sensei has recognised
that you have in fact reached what he perceives
the standard of Black Belt. |
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| MI:
Have you spoken to others at our dojo
that have taken the grading to ask advice? |
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Ashley
Scholefield:
Yes. A very good friend of mine has
recently graded to Shodan. I ask him
all the time such things like, How were
your nerves, what did you do to keep
your breathing controlled etc...
All advice is good, however, it does
not matter how much advice you receive,
your own personal experience of Shodan
will be very different to anyone else's.
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| MI:
Do
you think it is harder to mentally prepare
for the grading than physically prepare for? |
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Ashley
Scholefield:
IYes definitely. Only a week ago I had
2 very bad sessions where nothing was
going right.
This seriously set my confidence in
myself to a new low and I did not know
how to deal with it until the following
week when I had a reasonably good couple
of sessions. I then realised that I
was being far too self critical and
said to myself that Sensei
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Riley
would not allow me to take this examination
unless he believed I could pass.
I did a very vigorous randori where
Sensei threw at least 5 sets of 3 uke's
at me one after the other. I have also
done quite a bit of live blade work
at the end of class all of which Sensei
has said well done or looking good.
It is always uplifting to receive praise
from your Sensei but even more so when
you are nearing Shodan.
This
is all part and parcel of mentally
preparing yourself for Shodan and
yes, it is very taxing but if you
can get an even balance of mental
preparation then the physical side
of preparation will follow. If you
are mentally strong then you will
also be physically strong.
I
still am very nervous about performing
my Aikido in front of not only Sensei
Riley but also Shihan Ken Cottier
as well. He had studied under O'Sensei
himself before his passing so will
my Aikido be good enough in his eyes.
These are all things, which are going
through my mind, but I have to mentally
prepare myself for this because there
is nothing, which I can do about it
now. I have to go out there and do
what Sensei Riley has taught me and
by doing that calmly and in control,
I think Sensei Riley and Cottier will
be happy with my performance.
Sensei Cottier is only an observer
on the grading committee, but it would
be nice to impress him as well.
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| MI:
With only a few weeks to go do you begin to
ease down on your training or is it all the
way till the grading date? |
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| Ashley
Scholefield:
No. All or nothing in our club. I feel
if I ease down my training then I will
have wasted valuable training time where
I could have practiced techniques, which
I struggle with. I do believe that you
can do too much and burn yourself out,
but you only take Shodan once (I hope)
and if you do not put in your all then
why should your Sensei consider you
for such a senior rank. |
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In
my view, I want to go into this examination
to pass so to ease down on my training is
an absolute no no at this stage.
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| MI:
What would a successful grading mean
to you and your training? |
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| Ashley
Scholefield:
It
would mean that I have shown I am more
than competent in the basics of Aikido
and to wear a Black Belt would mean
that my journey through Aikido has just
begun.
My
personal feelings would be that of
shear delight. I have worked hard
and I do believe that if I pass than
all that hard work will have paid
off.
I don't want to fool anyone into thinking
that wearing a Black Belt is not a
dream come true because it would be
but as time goes on, a Black Belt
means something different to when
I first started Aikido.
At first I thought it would be great
to walk around wearing a Black Belt
but now it has become a personal thing
and to be awarded it would mean that
I have achieved the standard I have
worked so hard for. Also it is one
more step on the ladder to become
an instructor, one of the goals I
have set for myself on my journey
through Aikido.
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| MI:
Many
thanks to Ashley for speaking
with MI Magazine and we will let
you all know how his grading went
in the New Year.
Best
of luck Ashley
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by
Paul Swainson
© 2005 MI Magazine
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