Avid lovers of Aikido

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[EKoba]

I attended today's keiko. There were twenty some who came to practice, three junior high girls included.
The weather was just good, not too hot although it was sunny. It was a little chilly for people who didn't practice becaue of a strong storm-like rain and wind we had yesterday.
Our sensei started with the ushiro-ryote-dori, grapping both hands from behind. First he showed how to do iriminage: "With your hands upside when grapped, pulling them up to the height of your face to loosen the graps, then sliding your front foot backward to your partner's side, grap his neck and make him turn, then throw him by putting your arm under his jaw against his throat.
It is a dangerous throwing technique if it is excuted with full strength. The opponent will hit the back of his head and will lose consciousness or might die. I think that there is no way of defending yourself from this attack even if you are really good at ukemi.
All the techniques are actually very dangerous. They were originally invented to defend yourself from various attacks, and if needed, even to kill your opponent. I am glad that we are not being taught to get others by applying the Aikido techniques.
You have to be very very careful when you do kote-gaeshi (wrist twist). It can easily break your partner's wrist.
Our sensei from the very beginning, almost five years ago, and repeatedly told us to loosen your wrist-twist very quickly when your partner slaps his thigh or the tatami mat with his hand.
Because of his instructions we are practicing all the techniques without having any fear, sometimes smiling at each other or chuckling while being thrown down or pinned down. But once in a while we need to remember that they are really dangerous.:hypno:

[John Kelly]

I think I know what you are getting at here. I liken it to riding in a car. We often travel at superhuman speeds in close quarters with other vehicles and think absolutely nothing of it. It takes but a split second shift or bump and cars will go flying into heaps of wreaked slag and destruction. It happens all the time, and yet, we carry on, mostly oblivious. The same applys to aikido. It is good to practice joyously, it is essential to practice with trust, because these techniques are very dangerous. We often take for granted the thin line between the comfort of a good pin and the excrutiating pain of a broken collar-bone.
Every action carries some risk. Aikido may be more risky than some activities, but it is worth it for me.

[jennifer paige smith]

I think I know what you are getting at here. I liken it to riding in a car. We often travel at superhuman speeds in close quarters with other vehicles and think absolutely nothing of it. It takes but a split second shift or bump and cars will go flying into heaps of wreaked slag and destruction. It happens all the time, and yet, we carry on, mostly oblivious. The same applys to aikido. It is good to practice joyously, it is essential to practice with trust, because these techniques are very dangerous. We often take for granted the thin line between the comfort of a good pin and the excrutiating pain of a broken collar-bone.
Every action carries some risk. Aikido may be more risky than some activities, but it is worth it for me.

Thin line and all.......
It is riskier for me to walk around 'asleep' in this world than to practice aiki.

[Mark Uttech]

Thin line and all.......
It is riskier for me to walk around 'asleep' in this world than to practice aiki.

Very well put!

In gassho,

Mark