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| Student
Interview with Ashley
Scholefield |
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This
month MI Magazine talks
with Ashley Scholefield
from the U.K. Ashley trains
at the White Rose Aikido
Dojo. Read how Ashley
became interested in Aikido
and he views his training
and Aikido in general…
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| MI:
Can I begin by asking your age, style, rank
and current school? |
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Ashley:
I am 28 and I currently hold 1st Kyu (Brown
Belt) rank in Aikido Aikikai through the White
Rose Aikikai.
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| MI:
How did you get into Aikido? |
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Ashley:
Well, I was at the sports center and saw
a leaflet for Aikido. I have always been
intrigued with martial arts, in particular
Aikido, after watching aikido demonstrations
on T.V I always said to myself, "if
I see anywhere that does Aikido near where
I live then I would try it". So I did
and I immediately fell in love with the
art and have practiced ever since.
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| MI:
How long have you currently been training? |
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Ashley:
I have been training for just over 2 and
half years.
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| MI:
Who is your main instructor? |
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| Ashley:
My main instructor is Sensei Shane Riley
6th Dan. |
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| MI:
For you what has been the hardest thing in
learning this art? |
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Ashley:
There have been two things I have found hard
in learning Aikido. The first is developing
your center and ki. This is something your
instructor cannot give to you. You really
have to begin to understand Aikido and its
principles to know within yourself how to
develop both your ki and your center.
The second thing I have found hard is fluidity
and movement with technique. This is something
your instructor can give to you, however it
is hard practice and time that will bring
this essential part of your Aikido to life. |
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| MI:
How often do you train? |
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Ashley:
I train twice a week, sometimes three times.
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| MI:
How
important is the philosophical side
to learning Aikido? |
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| Ashley:
I feel this is as important as learning
the practical side. Without knowing
the philosophy of Aikido then all you
are doing is learning to fight. Yes
Aikido teaches you self-defence, but
also Aikido teaches you harmony and
discipline, both of which you can take
out into everyday life. Aikido is not
about hurting people or going out on
a Friday night to " test your skills",
Aikido brings confidence and calmness
and without learning the philosophy
behind it, you will find that your Aikido
will not work as effectively as it should,
may you come to need it. |
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| MI:
What would you say is the hardest part
of learning Aikido? |
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Ashley:
Learning Aikido is very difficult as a whole.
Some may say it is one of the most difficult
and complicated martial arts in the world
to learn.
The practical side of aikido is difficult
whatever your rank because you are always
learning, however going back to your previous
question, I would say the philosophical and
spiritual side is the most difficult. You
really do need to understand the principles
of Aikido otherwise you will never be able
to bring it together to be as effective as
it should be in both the self defence and
spiritual sides. |
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| MI:
If you could change a part of your class what
would you change and why? |
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| Ashley:
I would not want to change any part
of my class because the quality of instruction
from Sensei Riley and his fellow instructors
is second to none. I have trained at
a few different associations within
the UK and not one of them have come
close to the white rose. You will never
receive instruction at the white rose
from anyone whom is less that 3rd Dan.
We are very fortunate to have such high
ranking instruction all the time. I
would never want that to change that. |
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| MI:
Do you see the Aikido you practice as a martial
art or as a way of life? |
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| Ashley:
In the beginning I did see it as a martial
art. But as you progress and start learning
the principles it does become a way of life.
I have had discussions with Riley Sensei about
this very subject and I have always said that
if I don't train for a week or two due to
holidays, I start to become anxious and irritable
because it has been my way of life since I
started and I have never missed a training
session in all that time. It is not an obsession,
however it has become a part of me and when
that happened, Aikido stopped being a "martial
art" to me but a way of life. Aikido
will always be a martial art but to the practitioner
it will always be a lot more. |
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| MI:
If you were in the position of teaching how
would you teach differently to how you were
taught? |
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Ashley:
It is funny you should ask that question because
I went to Cornwall to train a few weeks ago
and they asked me to teach them some weapons
work.
Anyone who says teaching is easy has never
got up there and done it! Being in the position
of teaching, to me, was a very surreal experience
indeed. It seems like only yesterday I was
walking into the dojo in my track suit and
receiving my very first Aikido lesson, and
now here I am wearing Hakama stood in front
of Dan grades been asked to teach the 31 count
jo kata. My first reaction was HELP!! But
as I got into it I found myself taking on
a lot of Riley Sensei's ways of teaching.
The way I explained the movements were clear
and confident just like Sensei Riley teaches.
I am sure when I do become an instructor that
I will adopt my own ways of teaching, but
at this stage in my Aikido I can only see
one way and that is the way of my instructor. |
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| MI:
Would you like it if Aikido had competition? |
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| Ashley:
No, Aikido is not about who is better than
who and who can beat who. It is about you
and what you want to get from Aikido. You
can not take the spiritual side of Aikido
out onto the competition mat. All you have
out there is your opponent and the desire
to win a trophy. This takes the philosophy
of Aikido away from the art and as a result
you end up with another fighting art with
score tables showing who is the best. Sorry
not for me. |
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| MI:
What are your goals for the future in developing
your Aikido? |
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| Ashley:
My goals are to continue training to get as
much understanding in Aikido as possible,
for me. Also to eventually become an instructor
and as Riley Sensei and his instructors are
doing now, pass on my understanding of Aikido
onto the next generation of Aikido practitioners.
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| MI:
What would your definition of Aikido be? |
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| Ashley:
My definition would be, whilst maintaining
fitness and stamina; Aikido defines confidence,
awareness, self-motivation, spirituality and
personal defence. Whilst Aikido gives you
all these things you can be on one hand a
very pleasant, gentle and easy going kind
of individual, and on the other hand you can
be a very confident but dangerous individual,
if the situation arises. |
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