This is the sixth of a series of blogs submitted by aikido students of Aikido Journal Editor Stanley Pranin who are currently training in Las Vegas.
I have been thinking about something that Sensei has said several times now during training, that is we are undergoing a reprogramming. I believe this to be absolutely true since this kind of rewiring is critical to the brain’s development of new neural pathways. What I mean is that when we are doing something new for the first time such as Aikido or playing the guitar or any new activity, for that matter, we are clumsy or slow at first. This is because we have not had sufficient time doing the new activities that will allow our brain to create new neural pathways for faster execution of the particular activity. For those who are just starting aikido who feel like this will never happen for them, think about the last time you drove your car. Did you have to think about specific tasks before you performed them? Did you have to actually think about applying the turn signal before switching lanes? I am confident in saying that you most likely did not have to actually think about such things before performing them. Well the same thing will happen in your training if you give it time and vigorous practice.
From 
The important article below on the subject of aikido injuries has been selected from the 
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Brian Kagen is an avid web researcher with a particular interest in martial arts. His training background includes both judo and aikido. He has contributed hundreds of article links over the years for AJ readers.
We have wonderful news for Aikido Journal readers! We have just released a 
A number of years ago my right ankle broke during a Saturday morning class. It was a clean break that took me off the mat for many months. When I returned to training, I started first with very slow two steps and a few sit falls here and there. There was a titanium pin through my ankle which further limited my movements. I also wore an ankle guard for additional protection. Mostly I trained asking my partner to only break balance with me. After the pin was surgically removed, it took many more months before I was up to speed, rolling and falling as I had done before. During one class a couple of months later, my sensei said I had more mobility and flexibility than I did before my ankle broke. Apparently I had learned something important.
Students came to me after class and later requesting more classes “like that one.” Another comment I had from those present that night was, “It was a fun class and I learned a lot.” I found I had to go back and replay the class in my mind to fully grasp the core of what had transpired. I realized from looking at the class in hindsight, and in light of my own experiences, that aikido as a martial art could be taught and transmitted to those with limited abilities to move on the mat. As I taught more of these classes, the classes began to develop a flow, a rhythm of their own. The martial edge always remained, but the teaching was modified to what I eventually called “a low impact” class to distinguish it from a class where the students experienced the full range of rolls and falls.
The following text is excerpted from a discussion concerning training in Daito-ryu aikijujutsu with Katsuyuki Kondo Sensei in progress on the 
The article below has been selected from the 