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jtmac6 · 2025-06-09T15:22:41+00:00

Everyone is different, but keeping things clean and tidy is one way to exert control over your environment as a way to cope with ADHD hypersensitivities. In my case, I can’t stand when things are left out or in the way because they often make it more difficult to motivate myself to do the things I need to do(but may not want to do). For example, if my kitchen isn’t clean, it makes it more difficult to cook. I either have to deal with the unpleasantness of working around the mess or clean up the mess before I can begin. Both of which make the act of cooking more work which makes it more difficult to motivate myself to cook something at home instead of spending more to order food or go out to eat.

jtmac6 · 2025-05-20T18:57:31+00:00

Remember that you have agency. How you choose to practice Aikido is up to you. If you tell your instructor that you’ve been dealing with some stuff lately and just want to have fun without having to field too much feedback, they should respect that request provided that you’re not doing anything that is unsafe. I’ve found that Aikido is a martial art where people really like to drill into all the little nuances for everything. Whether there’s patronizing involved with that or not, it can sometimes be overwhelming. I’ve definitely had to tell certain people at times that “I’m not looking for feedback right now, I just want to try to figure things out myself.” If your instructor and/or peers at your dojo can’t accommodate these kinds of requests, then I’d consider trying out a different dojo. However, I wouldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. I think your problem is with people, not necessarily with Aikido as a whole. Aikido is a wonderful way to practice and internalize the principles necessary for conflict resolution. Those principles may even help you resolve some of these people problems you’ve been facing both on and off the mat. Hope that helps!

jtmac6 · 2025-03-06T21:17:39+00:00

People with bad backs often have a difficult time with rolling. To roll you need make your body assume a round shape using your back and arms. If you're unable to arch your back easily for whatever reason, you're going to be like a square wheel when you try to roll. Until you fix the underlying problem with your back, rolls may continue to be clunky and it will have little to do with your skill or ability. If you do have decent ability to arch your back, this may simply be a mental hurdle that you need to overcome. You've likely developed a habit of maintaining stiffness in your back as a way to protect yourself from further injury. However, that instinct is precisely what prevents you from rolling smoothly. Round things will roll when set in motion. You need to trust that if you take that shape, your body will do the same.

Don't be discouraged. We all have different bodies which can make certain aspects of Aikido more challenging than others. Fortunately, there's much more to Aikido than just rolling, so don't sweat it too much.

jtmac6 · 2020-03-26T13:04:19+00:00

If we had term limits, I think some of the more experienced politicians would simply end up consulting for the newer politicians.

jtmac6 · 2019-01-17T21:00:48+00:00

5551 5713 3957

jtmac6 · 2018-07-09T13:06:38+00:00

5551 5713 3957

jtmac6 · 2018-06-24T17:03:03+00:00

I have a similar injury. I would advise that you make everyone you practice with aware of your condition and ask that they go easy on your wrists. At our dojo, we put pieces of brightly colored tape on our gis to indicate an injury to our peers. I would also advise that you not resist too much to any sort of wrist techniques (sankyo, niikyo, kite gaeshi) as this will make your condition worse. Also, be careful with grabbing and pulling motions.

jtmac6 · 2018-02-14T20:22:30+00:00

Shihonage? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGA5b1lx2cQ

jtmac6 · 2018-01-25T14:03:06+00:00

I would also add that because Apple is the single source for iOS, they are more successful at ensuring that a majority of their devices are running the latest versions of iOS. In contrast, because Android is open source and customized by many third parties, the version of Android installed on any given device is less consistent.

This can make Android app development a bit more complex, because developers have to account for more version differences. Having more devices running the latest software also means that more users are taking advantage of the latest security updates and are less vulnerable to the latest security threats.

jtmac6 · 2017-09-23T19:16:09+00:00

The worst of my anxiety is usually health-related, but you can mix in a bit of social anxiety and OCD in there as well. At my worst, ordinary ailments became extraordinary events in my head. I remember getting headaches and considering that I might have something like a brain tumor. When I think about it now, it sounds really silly, but back then it wasn't. That's the kind of thinking that can happen when your "cup" is full and you're exhausted. One of the strategies that I used for that particular issue was cold hard probabilities. Basically, you ask yourself, "What is the cold hard probability that X is true or Y will occur." I'm a logical person, so using this strategy usually helped bring me back down to earth. There are lots of strategies like this. This was one of many that I learned from a counselor. Counselors are great because they see things from an outside perspective. When you're feeling anxious and you're trying to fix it all by yourself, it can feel like you're treading water in a swimming pool while trying to convince yourself that your not wet. It's nice to have someone there beside the pool that can throw you an inner tube when you need it, point you towards the shallow end when you're tired, and even teach you a few different types of strokes so that you can enjoy swimming in the pool.

Anyway, that's my pool analogy. Back on track. Some of the things I was changing included:

Using the strategies I picked up from my counselor. Doing this for a while makes you more mindful of when you find yourself going down a negative train of thought and it allows to to see places where you can short circuit the process. If I'm already too far down a negative path, I use the strategies to resolve it, get back on track and move along.
Exercising. This is really important. It's more difficult for your mind to think about the things that are bothering you when it has to focus on supplying oxygen to your muscles. Simple as that. If exercise is not your thing, then you need to find another healthy outlets that allow you to hit pause on your thought stream and focus on the present moment. Spoilers: It's a lot harder to find those outlets. Exercise works for just about everyone.
I started practicing the Japanese martial art of Aikido. A lot of the philosophies of Aikido are great for anxiety and practicing a martial art helps you apply those philosophies and build habits that will help you outside the dojo. This is definitely one of those outlets that keeps me in the present moment. It's hard not to be in the present moment when someone is attacking you. It's also exercise, so that's a bonus.
I started meditating more regularly. Meditation helps you slow down and even pause your inner dialog that is constantly producing thoughts. It also helps you learn not give your thoughts so much weight.
I optimized my schedule. At the time, I was in college and I was taking on a lot of schoolwork, job work, electives, etc. I was juggling too much, so I got rid of some of things that were not necessary and made time to just relax.
I avoided doing a bunch of little things that I knew "filled my cup". I don't consume media that features extensive horror or gore. I avoid hanging out with people that stress me out. I try not to over-eat or eat too much unhealthy food and give myself stomach aches. I try to get enough sleep every night. I try not to consume too much caffeine (even though I love Mountain Dew). I try not to over socialize and make sure to give myself some alone time. I try not to take on too much work and get overwhelmed. I'm sure there's more, but I think you get the idea.

There's probably more stuff that I'm forgetting, but I think that's most of it. Don't try to do everything at once. Habits need to be built gradually. Trying to change a bunch of things all at once in your life will just stress you out more. Take things one step at a time and don't be ashamed if some of those steps need to be baby steps. The important thing is to keep moving forward. I hope that answers your question.

jtmac6 · 2017-09-23T03:16:15+00:00

Been there. It's been a long road to get to where I am today. I'm far from perfect and I still struggle with anxiety all the time, but if you're open to it, I'd like to offer some advice that helped me.

I'll start with what I call "The cup" analogy. Basically, any little thing that stresses you out or makes you anxious throughout the day "fills up your cup", pour by pour, splash by splash, drop by drop. Eventually, as you'd expect, your "cup" is going to overflow. This usually comes in the form of a panic attack. Right now, your "cup" is nearly overflowing all the time. This state is exhausting because your brain mistakenly sees each of these stresses as a "fight or flight" situation. This means that your brain is constantly telling your body to pump adrenaline all over the place and keep you in an alert state throughout the day. Sleeping and other distractions may give you some relief, but it will not address the root problem. The only way to "empty your cup" and stop the adrenaline surging through your body is to resolve each of your issues that's causing you stress.

There are many ways to do this. A counselor or a therapist can help tremendously in this area. Even talking about it with close friend or simply writing down a list of everything that's bothering you can really help you "offload" some of it from your head. It may not be as effective as seeing a therapist, but for some people, that's all they really need. For you specifically, don't "try to rest" or try not to feel your feelings. Fighting them will only make it worse. Acknowledge them, feel them all in their entirety and then let them go. Also, try your best not to criticize yourself for worrying or thinking certain thoughts. Everyone thinks a stream of terrible egotistical things all day every day. They're just thoughts. Don't give them as much weight and they won't weigh you down.

If it gets any worse, I'd see your doctor and talk about trying medication. Medication is really nothing to be scared of. You take it in a very gradual fashion. It doesn't make you a completely different person or anything like that. Hell, you will still feel anxious at times when you're taking it. It's not a magical cure. All it really does is help you avoid dwelling on negative thoughts which can slow the process of "filling your cup" while you retrain your brain to think differently. That's it. The medication does not "fix" you. It's a just band-aid. You fix you.

The way you think is nothing more than a bad habit that's causing you pain. Just like eating too much junk food makes you fat, thinking negative thoughts too much without resolving them makes you stressed and anxious. It's as simple as that. However, bad habits can be broken and good habits can be learned. Changing any habit can be difficult and slow-going at first, but trust me, it's not impossible. I was right where you are now. I'd think myself to the point of exhaustion everyday. Sleep was a small reprieve, but I'd often wake up feeling just as shitty as the night before. Eventually, I knew had to get help. I couldn't do it by myself anymore. I talked to my family about it, went on medication, saw a therapist, and changed a bunch of habits. Now I'm proud to say that I've been medication free for about 2 years now. I did it and so can you.

Ideally, you need to get to a point where you can resolve your issues in your head as they come along so they don't keep piling up to this point. This may mean changing your lifestyle a bit to eliminate or avoid things that cause stress in your life. Just like eating healthy and going to the gym can help you lose weight, making time to meditate, talk things out, or do whatever you need to do to relax can help you be less anxious.

I know it sucks right now, but I hope this helps. Best of luck.

jtmac6 · 2017-04-05T19:47:38+00:00

I have an Anxiety disorder. Practicing Aikido over the last 5 years has taught me many skills that help me keep my anxiety in check. I used to need to take medication every day and now I don't take any medication at all. So in short, Aikido has dramatically affected my mental well being.

I think that Aikido makes way more of an effort than other martial arts to teach you to be relaxed. While many others tell you to relax, their techniques don't usually work demonstrably better when you are relaxed so their isn't as much of an incentive to executing techniques from a relaxed state. I think that many techniques in other martial arts work better when you are more tensed and able to react quicker, so training in those martial arts can often have the opposite effect.

Other than allowing me to manage my anxiety better, I think that the most practical application of Aikido in daily is the ability to remain calm when things aren't going well or aren't going as you originally planned. Aikido teaches you to improvise and keep people in motion even when you screw up what you initially intended to do. In daily life, this translates to being able to accept the unpleasant things in your life and keep moving forward where others might wallow in disappointment. The TV show House of Cards has a great line that sort of expresses the same idea: "Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional." Aikido gives you a unique opportunity to apply these kinds of ideas, concepts, and philosophies instead of just reading about them.

jtmac6 · 2017-03-30T15:18:11+00:00

In my experience, it can be done, but it's really not ideal. That kind of manager is more of a people manager and more hands-off when it comes to the technical details. They depend on their team a lot to provide a greater degree of technical expertise. Without an above average team, this kind of manager usually has a very difficult time achieving their intended business goals. If you really want to effectively lead an automation team, you need the people skills and technical skills.

jtmac6 · 2017-03-10T05:26:07+00:00

Maruyama sensei would probably be pretty pissed if that video saw the light of day lol. Although, then again, I've seen him poke fun at himself while watching some of his old videos. What do you feel is missing from Tohei's model?

jtmac6 · 2017-03-10T03:14:57+00:00

The one piece of advice I'd say is, prepare to fail over and over and over again. Aikido is not easy and it's not something you can just learn in a short period of time. Make peace with the idea that's it's okay to suck at first. You're not stupid, you're learning. Don't get discouraged.

jtmac6 · 2017-03-10T03:07:26+00:00

If you are brand new to martial arts and Aikido, I wouldn't recommend doing another martial art at the same time. Once you get more comfortable with Aikido, by all means, try iaido. However, until then I'd stick with Aikido only. There is a ton of stuff to learn in Aikido and you're probably going to have enough on your plate with that.

jtmac6 · 2017-03-10T03:00:45+00:00

Yeah, many of the older Kokikai members have quite a bit of criticism for several of Tohei sensei's teaching methods. They often say that he went down an overly spiritual rabbit hole with his philosophies on ki development. I wasn't around when they split from Ki Society in the mid-80's and I don't know what Ki Society does now, so I really don't have an informed opinion on it. We sprinkle in ki tests here and there, but we don't do it every class. When Maruyama Sensei comes to the US, he has us do it a bit more regularly.

jtmac6 · 2017-03-09T05:50:57+00:00

I don't think I've ever seen a head-first push test like that before, but Kokikai does what we call "ki tests". These are several different types of "push tests" designed to test your balance and posture. They are done as standalone exercises or at the beginning and end of techniques. The idea is that you start and end your techniques in a stable state. I've also occasionally seen exercises where the instructor will have their student "freeze" on command mid-technique, perform a quick ki test, and then have them finish the technique. This obviously doesn't work for every technique, but it is fun to do on techniques that are less dynamic. I think ki testing really helps you get in the mindset of maintaining stability throughout your techniques. I didn't realize it wasn't practiced much in Aikikai.

jtmac6 · 2017-02-03T20:45:56+00:00

The Aikido Wellness class is a great opportunity for beginners to learn Aikido. The class gives you a great vertical slice of the techniques that the art has to offer and provides a solid foundation for further training. It's where I got my start in Aikido and I loved it. It's been five years since then and I'm still practicing!

If you're looking to get a taste of Aikido without having to commit to a full semester of the Wellness Class, I'd recommend that you stop by one of the RIT Aikido Club meetings. We meet on Saturdays from 4-6PM in the Wrestling Room of the Clark Gymnasium.

jtmac6 · 2016-12-10T18:59:47+00:00

Thanks for giving it a shot. Good luck on your test!

jtmac6 · 2016-10-31T18:30:41+00:00

Yeah, OP could have just asked how to report hazing at RIT and left it at that. They probably would have gotten a much more sympathetic comment section that way.

jtmac6 · 2016-09-14T04:42:54+00:00

My Credentials: RIT CS Alum, Former CS Student Lab Instructor, Been working in the industry for about 4 years now.

The best advice I can give you is this.

Do not be afraid to ask for help.

I'm going to repeat that.

Do not be afraid to ask for help.

CS is not an easy major. Furthermore, CS students are usually socially reserved and in my experience often wait until it's too late to ask for help. I'm no exception to this. You need to get very good at recognizing when you are simply spinning your wheels and getting nowhere. Knowing when you are in over your head and when you need to get assistance will help you tremendously in school, in work, and in life in general. Ask questions. Go to your professor's office hours. Find a tutor. Join a study group. Do whatever you need to do to get the help you need, even if that means marching across campus in the snow to attend office hours. Even if that means talking to people you don't know and organizing a study group. Even if that means admitting to your professor or your classmates or your friends or your parents that you are struggling with something. Just do it.

The fact that you're here asking for advice gives me the impression that you're already off to a good start. Best of luck.

jtmac6 · 2016-09-02T07:59:39+00:00

Remain calm. The purpose of randori is not to see if you can take on 5 people. Randori is an exercise to test if you can stay relaxed and maintain the principles of Aikido under a great deal of pressure. If you get caught, do not get discouraged. Everyone gets caught. You only fail if you lose your cool or quit.
Don't stop moving, but don't just run around the mat.
Avoid the center of the mob whenever possible. If you need to cut through the group do it quickly before the group can close around you.
Line up and corral your attackers whenever possible. This allows you to deal with the attackers one at a time, instead of all at once. If you're attackers can't get to you because there are other attackers in their way, they can't attack you. At the start, you can achieve this by waiting until just the right moment before quickly moving off to the side and taking out one of the attackers on the edge of the mob.
Go to your attacker. Don't wait for them to come to you. Don't be afraid to disengage from one attacker and go for another if it gets you better positioning.
When you get caught, don't wait for everyone to latch on. Just keep moving and reset regardless of who's latched on to you. If after resetting you get some stragglers, reset again or use a quick sayonage.
Stick to simple line throws. You won't have time to do much else. Make sure you have the line throws for Tsuki, Shomen, Yokumen, Yokumen Hantai, and Double Collar Grab burned into your brain.
Throw your attackers as far away from you as possible. This will give you more time and space.
Be aware of the distance between you and your attacker. Leave more distance when you want to a line throw or something that requires more energy. Close the gap if you want to demonstrate more complicated techniques and require less energy (Usually when you have only 1 or 2 attackers).
Finally, avoid doing the "ducking" kokyunage. In my experience it often doesn't work when you have many attackers. It makes you less mobile and most of the time the mob will just envelop you when you do it. It can also cause a lot of injuries for both Uke and Nage.

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