A Great Drill

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[chadsieger]

Hey Aikidoka!

Just thought that I would pass along a great drill that you can do to benefit your budo sense. A good friend and great Aikidoka showed me this a while back. I'm sure that many of you have already heard of this drill. Simply take any sized basketball/futbol(not american)/volley ball and grasp it in-between your hands at handshake position. Simply rotate the ball in any direction you choose. You can use any part of your hand (fingers, sides, backs) but try to keep it constantly moving. Try rotating as slowly as possible, then try as fast you can.
If you think of your hands "becoming part" of the ball you may find the task eaiser. This is a simple drill in "sticky hands." However, whenever you feel ready, find a smaller ball to use (softballs are not easy:D), that will also help in terms of making your "circles" smaller. In a while, if you can incorporate your hips, the movements can be applied as "soft" blocks. Pulling the chair from under the energy in your uke's strikes!
This can be done almost anywhere.
There are many other benefits to this drill that others could explain better than me.
Good Luck. :D

[SeiserL]

Minor correction, to the best of my knowledge and experience, the excellent ball exercise you suggest comes from Tai Chi. Sticky hand or Chi Sau comes from Wing Chun and is entirely different.

Until again,

Lynn

[chadsieger]

I feel that sticky hands helps all martial arts. I'll take soft sensitive hands over ones that are unable to properly blend with an attack. While enveloping an attack if stiffness can be felt, the uke now knows where you are.
By practicing this drill your hands will gain the memory/feeling/comfortablitiy of coming and staying in contact with something (ie. ball, fist). Sticky hands.
I feel that regardless of a drill's origins, if it have value in budo, it will have value at your art.

Thanks.