Can hypnotism increase aikido skill?

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[jaxonbrown]

I've seen hypnotism demonstrations where people stick their arms out and someone else tries to push it down and they can't and where a woman is stretched across two chairs and a man can stand on her midsection and the woman won't bend.

I was just wondering (with doubts) if hypnotism could increase aikido skill in some ways. Maybe to help someone focus on their center. Just a thought.

[jxa127]

I doubt it would help simply because the hypnotized person is not usually in full control of his or her self. Nor do I think one could pull off while hypnotized the blending and body movement tasks that are so vital to aikido.

In other words, I don't think you learn anything while hypnotized, you just do it.

On the other hand, a guided meditation/relaxation session with visualization of aikido techniques can help. That's no different than what other athletes do to increase sports performance.

Regards,

[DCP]

I could see aspects of aikido improving because of hypnosis- the mental aspects.

Why couldn't it work? It helps people lose weight, it helps people quit smoking, and helps women with labor.

It can't help technique in a direct way, but it can help with confidence, esteem, etc.

[Qatana]

Hypnosis cannot increase your skill or improve your technique. What it can do is help you to increase any interest and focus that is already within you, and that is what will help you improve.

And i don't believe that it is possible to take a person's control away in hypniosis. most ot its commercial applications deal with exactly the reverse- helping to augment the amount of control the subject already has for example the will to stay off ( insert substance here).

Any hypnotherapist who values their license will only tell you pretty much exactly what the subject asks them to.

I don;t know about the theatrical stuff but hypnosis just won't make you do anything you breally weren't willing to do in the first place.

i'm not saying I'm an expert, this is what i have learned from experience. I'm sure someone will tell me why I'm wrong.

[SmilingNage]

A better question would be can I use my aikido to hyponotize my uke. Then I wouldnt have to fold my hakama or carry my dogi bag. Mwahahahaha

[stoker]

Okay, time to break a myth. The next time you see a hypnotist stand on a body supported by two chairs, note that the hypnotist the standing directly above the backs of the chairs. If the subject was really 'rigid as a steel bar', the hypnotist could stand anywhere he (and the suject) are balanced. The subjects body compresses enough but passes the structural stress to the chairs.

As for hyponotistm helping, I'd hate to get the pranking hyptotest who gives the post hypnotic suggestion of 'You will cluck like a chicken when entering'.

[Charles Hill]

Check out Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP.) It has a lot to do with hypnosis. Learning what I can about it has really helped me with Aikido and everything else in my life.

Charles

[Greg Jennings]

I was just wondering (with doubts) if hypnotism could increase aikido skill in some ways. Maybe to help someone focus on their center. Just a thought.
I'm much rather spend my time in focused aikido training.

YMMV,

[kensparrow]

I doubt it would help simply because the hypnotized person is not usually in full control of his or her self. Nor do I think one could pull off while hypnotized the blending and body movement tasks that are so vital to aikido.
This is a common misconception. If anything, a hypnotized person is in far greater control of themselves. Hypnosis is nothing more than a state of deep relaxation and heightened awareness. If you've ever been driving your car while deep in thought and then suddenly found yourself at your destination with no real memory of the drive, then you have experienced hypnosis!

Hypnosis can be a powerful tool for programming yourself for the unconscious responses you want to achieve. You could, for example, program yourself to become very relaxed when someone grabs you. You can do this through traditional methods too, but hypnosis can often speed up the process.

In the end, hypnosis is a lot like aikido. It looks strange and magical, but it is really just a set of powerful techniques for self change that require patient practice to master.

[justinm]

Even if it worked, would you want to do it? It is the path - the discovery - that is important to me. This sounds a little like taking the 'aikido magic pill', which was a poll some time ago.

[PeterR]

A lot of training is long term hypnotism (don't argue about semantics here please). Overcoming confidence problems is not just a function of increasing skill.

There is a big difference between a beginner who is convinced he can do ukemi and one who doesn't. Often a teacher's job isn't to teach the specific skill involved but to get the person to take the plunge.

I know hypnotism can not increase skill but it might just address certain issues which hold you back from aquiring that skill.

[Erik]

Okay, time to break a myth. The next time you see a hypnotist stand on a body supported by two chairs, note that the hypnotist the standing directly above the backs of the chairs. If the subject was really 'rigid as a steel bar', the hypnotist could stand anywhere he (and the suject) are balanced. The subjects body compresses enough but passes the structural stress to the chairs.
So how come I catch hell when I point out the same thing about the unbendable arm and the unliftable body? :)

By the way, this exercise is in one of Koichi Tohei's books.

[Erik]

Now just to surprise a few people. It's not rare that visualization is used during hypnosis. It's not just embedding commands, or the usual parlor tricks, so to speak. Visualization, particularly in the form of learning a movement has been useful, at least for me. I don't know if a hypnotic state enhances this but I do know it's something which is tried.

[darin]

I saw demonstration of ki/chi power on Japanese TV. It definately looked like hypnotism as the participants, mostly celebrities, had to go through some kind of ritual before being tested.

Now all I see is Bob Sapp on TV...

[darin]

Your Jedi mind tricks won't work on me...

[Erik]

Now just to surprise a few people.
Well, not that the point was a surprise, but I'm usually accused of not understanding the light side.

[SeiserL]

IMHO, trained in both hypnosis and NLP, there is a lot of mental training that can be done to complement the physical Aikido training. It will never replace sweat, but just training the body does not always generalize to the mind. Mental rehearsal is a major part of sport psychology used with elite athletes with very positive results.

All hypnosis is self-hypnosis.

[Ghost Fox]

A quick story.

A friend of mine who studies Aikido was sparring with a friend of his who studies Snake Style Kung-Fu (Sorry don't remember the Chinese name). He said the guy starting swaying his hand back and forth like a snake (of course). After a couple of minutes of circling each other my friend starting getting lulled by the serpentine movements of the hand, and for just a split second he stopped moving.

He had to jump back out of combat range and shake his head violently to recover his focus. When he looked at the guy he just a wicked little smirk on his face.

He said it was one of the most scarriest moments he ever had. Mine you my friend doesn't by into all this ki stuff and is very pragmatic and no-nonsense about his training.

Just something to think about.

To often we rage against those things we truly fear.

[SmilingNage]

These arent the droids you are looking for.

visualization does work. It worked for me catching the football in college. Often I find myself daydreaming(or deep though as I like to refer to it) on how the throw just a bit crisper or my technique just abit cleaner.

[SeiserL]

Remember, where ever the head goes, the body tends to follow.

[Bronson]

By the way, this exercise is in one of Koichi Tohei's books.

Had to do it on my nidan pre-test. My head and shoulders were on one chair and my heels on another. Sensei had uke sit on my hips. Sensei then came out and sat on my stomach while uke sat on my hips...I don't think I was hypnotized :confused:

Bronson

[SeiserL]

I don't think I was hypnotized: Bronson
Some would say you are excellent at self-hypnosis. Hypnosis is just a suggestible state of mind. You told your body what to do and it did it. There are many naturally occuring trance states. Some we do on purpose and some we don't.

[Bronson]

You told your body what to do and it did it.

In a way I guess I've been trying to develop my aikido somewhat along these lines. I've noticed that my (and other) sensei seem to make a commitment to their actions that helps bring success. Even if the action wasn't what was initially intended. Whatever they do, they do completely. No waffling or wishy washyness in body, mind or intent.

I hope that makes sense :confused:

Bronson

[deepsoup]

Remember, where ever the head goes, the body tends to follow.
True physically, as well as figuratively. :)

[Tony Briand]

If you're still interested in this subject, I found the following information enlightening:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/hypnosis.htm

Tony