Graduation

This past week, on March 1st, the 1st group of students who came to Regent Park Community Aikido, did their 6th ku tests. We did it as a group experience, instead of individual tests.

There is something about the experience of testing that brings up a lot of fear, for most people -- fear of failing, of not knowing, of looking incompetent. This fear is anchored in our bodies in a way that is visceral, and usually stems to childhood experiences of being in school, and being judged.

I'm lucky, -- as the chief instructor, I get to set the tone. I believe that we need to shift how we see testing from a humiliating, scary experience, to one of shared joy, and celebration of what we are learning.

It is in this spirit that I conducted the grading. Everyone was shining! Congratulations.