AikiWeb Aikido Forums http://www.aikiweb.com/forums The AikiWeb Forums serves the Internet Aikido community as a repository and dissemination point for sharing and discussing the Japanese art of Aikido. en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:18:03 GMT 1 http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg AikiWeb Aikido Forums http://www.aikiweb.com/forums outrageous http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17193&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:37:59 GMT This is just outrageous. I tried calling Mr. Seagal to ask him to correct whoever the poster it but I had a bad phone number for him. Can anyone tell this person that Francis Takahashi was most defiantly not a student of Mr. Segal? In fact Takahashi Sensei was head instructor at Chicago Aikikai in 1965 when Mr. Segal was in Junior high I believe. In fact Takahashi Sensei started his relationship with O-sensei and the Ueshiba family and Hombu dojo in 1959 I think that was about the time Mr. Segal was born. http://www.steven-seagal.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9520 This is just outrageous. I tried calling Mr. Seagal to ask him to correct whoever the poster it but I had a bad phone number for him. Can anyone tell this person that Francis Takahashi was most defiantly not a student of Mr. Segal? In fact Takahashi Sensei was head instructor at Chicago Aikikai in 1965 when Mr. Segal was in Junior high I believe. In fact Takahashi Sensei started his relationship with O-sensei and the Ueshiba family and Hombu dojo in 1959 I think that was about the time Mr. Segal was born.

http://www.steven-seagal.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=9520 ]]> General Dennis Hooker http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17193 The Art of Racing in the Rain http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17192&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:30:11 GMT From The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

“Secondly, Enzo's epiphany—the thing he learns at the end of his life—is that his assumption that race car drivers have to be selfish to be successful, is incorrect. In fact, he determines, in order to be successful, a race car driver has to be completely selfless. He must cease looking at himself as the brightest star in the solar system, and begin to see himself as simply a unique aspect of the universe around him—and, most importantly, as an extension of the universe around him. In this way, a race car driver sheds his ego; his actions become pure and as powerful as the entire universe, which in turn leads to success.

Does this sound familiar to the Aikido folks out there?

(Original blog post may be found here.) ]]> External Aikido Blog Posts George S. Ledyard http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17192 Back to the chairs http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17191&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:50:38 GMT 11/20/09 f [4s, 12v] A After warm-ups, we went to chair techniques. Doing ikyo and nikyo, ai hanmi and gyaku hanmi, while sitting helped people grasp the concepts of relaxing and bringing uke to nage’s center. The first instinct is to try to pull uke, but it proved to be very difficult. When people relaxed and just let the weight of their arm “drop”, they could execute the move reasonably well. I think we will do chair technique fairly regularly, every other week or so. With the exception of two guys recovering from broken wrists, it enables everyone to participate. Doing a standing technique and then repeating and varying it from a chair does two things; it shows the chair bound they are not powerless and it shows everyone that focusing on the 5 points of technique can enable infinite variations to basic technique.
Some people are beginning to move generally much better, less speed and using the upper body, and more relaxed flow and centering.

(Original blog post may be found here.) ]]> External Aikido Blog Posts Thomas Osborn http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17191 Son of Doshu white belt? http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17190&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:53:50 GMT I don't know if I am correct but it seems to me that the son of Doshu was not wearing a black belt but a white one.

Does he have a Yudansha degree? How does this work?

Does anyone know?

Goldsbury Sensei? ]]> General arjandevries http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17190 Kevin Choate Sensei in Louisville KY, Dec. 4 - 6 http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17189&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:22:54 GMT Louisville Aikikai is very pleased to welcome Kevin Choate Sensei to Louisville. Choate Sensei is the chief instructor of the Chicago Aikikai. Choate Sensei is a long-time student of Saotome and always brings a unique and fresh view of Aikido to challenge his students. Friday, December 4, 2009 6:30PM Saturday, December 5, 2009 10:00AM and 3:00PM Sunday, December 6, 2009 10:00AM at Louisville Aikikai Cost of entire seminar is $75. Per class is $25. Class Times are as follows: 6:30 PM Friday. 10:00 AM and 3:00PM Saturday, 10:00 AM Sunday We have lodging available here at the dojo should you need it. And, or course, all affiliations are welcome. For more information, please contact the dojo at (502) 585-2454. Louisville Aikikai is very pleased to welcome Kevin Choate Sensei to Louisville. Choate Sensei is the chief instructor of the Chicago Aikikai. Choate Sensei is a long-time student of Saotome and always brings a unique and fresh view of Aikido to challenge his students.

Friday, December 4, 2009
6:30PM

Saturday, December 5, 2009
10:00AM and 3:00PM

Sunday, December 6, 2009
10:00AM

at Louisville Aikikai

Cost of entire seminar is $75.

Per class is $25.

Class Times are as follows: 6:30 PM Friday. 10:00 AM and 3:00PM Saturday, 10:00 AM Sunday

We have lodging available here at the dojo should you need it. And, or course, all affiliations are welcome.

For more information, please contact the dojo at (502) 585-2454. ]]> Seminars Mark Mueller http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17189 <![CDATA[Inoue sensei: "mysterious waza"]]> http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17188&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:09:00 GMT Can anyone translate what Inoue sensei is saying here?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO56n_mcY64

Clearly, there's more to it than 'timing', 'waza' and a few other choice words I can decipher. Be curious to hear his description of what's going on. ]]> Non-Aikido Martial Traditions bob_stra http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17188 Ikeda Hiroshi Shihan in Illinois, 12/4-6, 2009 http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17187&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:12:01 GMT Please join us for a seminar with Ikeda Hiroshi Shihan of Boulder Aikikai at Aikido Shimboku Dojo on December 4-6, 2009. The training schedule and registration details can be found on our website at www.aikidoshimbokudojo.com. Aikido Shimboku Dojo is located in Lake in the Hills, IL. All affiliations are welcomed. Space is limited so pre-registration is recommended. This is a wonderful opportunity to train with a really special instructor. For more information please contact me at lrtomoleoni@hotmail.com or call the dojo at (847) 458-9309. Lisa Tomoleoni Aikido Shimboku Dojo Please join us for a seminar with Ikeda Hiroshi Shihan of Boulder Aikikai at Aikido Shimboku Dojo on December 4-6, 2009.

The training schedule and registration details can be found on our website at www.aikidoshimbokudojo.com. Aikido Shimboku Dojo is located in Lake in the Hills, IL.

All affiliations are welcomed. Space is limited so pre-registration is recommended. This is a wonderful opportunity to train with a really special instructor.

For more information please contact me at lrtomoleoni@hotmail.com or call the dojo at (847) 458-9309.

Lisa Tomoleoni
Aikido Shimboku Dojo ]]> Seminars lrtomoleoni http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17187 Ikeda Hiroshi Shihan in Illinois, 12/4-6, 2009 http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17186&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 02:10:46 GMT Please join us for a seminar with Ikeda Hiroshi Shihan of Boulder Aikikai at Aikido Shimboku Dojo on December 4-6, 2009. The training schedule and registration details can be found on our website at www.aikidoshimbokudojo.com. Aikido Shimboku Dojo is located in Lake in the Hills, IL. All affiliations are welcomed. Space is limited so pre-registration is recommended. This is a wonderful opportunity to train with a really special instructor. For more information please contact me at lrtomoleoni@hotmail.com or call the dojo at (847) 458-9309. Please join us for a seminar with Ikeda Hiroshi Shihan of Boulder Aikikai at Aikido Shimboku Dojo on December 4-6, 2009.

The training schedule and registration details can be found on our website at www.aikidoshimbokudojo.com. Aikido Shimboku Dojo is located in Lake in the Hills, IL.

All affiliations are welcomed. Space is limited so pre-registration is recommended. This is a wonderful opportunity to train with a really special instructor.

For more information please contact me at lrtomoleoni@hotmail.com or call the dojo at (847) 458-9309. ]]> Seminars lrtomoleoni http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17186 Push Test to Nikkyo http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17185&goto=newpost Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:58:17 GMT I uploaded a new video to YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_geiIvVYBE

Here is the description of the video:

An exercise to show why we work on push tests. We typically work on push tests to outstretched arms, to shoulders, and to chest. In this video, I wanted to show a progression from a push test to a technique to show or illustrate the applied internal skill.

In this example, I'm working with a medium level push. My partner isn't trying to bowl me over, but he's giving me a decent amount of energy in the push.

First I move away quickly to show that my partner is pushing and not just standing there. Then I let him disengage quickly to show that I'm not pushing back into him.

Finally, while he is pushing, I turn 90 degrees towards him and then apply a simple nikkyo lock. This shows that I am working on internal structure to receive the energy of the push and not give up my center, structure, or balance. If I can use internal skills to, in essence, be unhindered by whatever energy or attack my partner provides, then I am free to move as I wish.

If I can accomplish that, I'm not forced to "physically move" my body to gain kuzushi or to capture my partner's center or to destabilize his structure.

Again, this is a simple example and isn't meant to show any kind of dynamic engagement. However, at a certain level, one can use internal skills in a dynamic manner under freestyle environments. ]]> Training Mark Murray http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17185 Tanden Usage in Aikido - re Tetsutaka Sugawara http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17184&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:30:39 GMT In Internal Martial Arts, Issue #6 (out of print - I don't know how to purchase today, in case anyone asks)
Tetsutaka Sugawara: Aikido and Taiji by Jayson Chung

Quote:
On a subtler level, as Sugawara (TS) performed some techniques, I noticed that his mid-section appeared more mobile than customarily seen among Aikido practitioners. In Aikido, upper body movements generally are driven by the twisting of hips and, to a lesser extent, wasit and the folding or unfolding of the hip joints, which is matched by an overall closing or opening along the spine.
In some of TS' movements, however, a more pronounced use of the waist was evident. For example, in a kokyu nage throw directed to the rear, a subtle vertical rolling of the midsection led the sweeping movements of the arms.
In seated kokyu tanden ho, TS' midsection rolled to the side and forward . . . .he showed how their pourpose was to direct his power in particular directions. He said that Aikidoists need much more tanden training. . . . "Lots of times," he said, "we use too much arm, not enough tanden."
. . . .he said Aikido movements could be more circular. In many Aikido students' technique, he explained, only the stepping is circular."
. . . .Modern martial arts are too stiff, TS feels, and, unfortunately, Aikido is not an exception. As an example, many Aikido teachers focus on the use of the hand as a blade (tegatana), but TS feesl this is too limitiing. "We should use all our surface in training, not only this edge," he said. "If the hand is hard, the palm is tight, you cannot feel anything."
. . . . Aikidoists tend to use a very strong, hard grip to grab their partner. This kind of grip deadens one's sensitivity and makes it difficult to detect partner's changes and vary one's movements accordingly.
]]> Training Ellis Amdur http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17184 Embukai Netherlands http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17183&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 07:26:59 GMT Hi, As promised; the whole Embukai in the Netherlands from last weekend. Qality is less then the Doshu movie. Three movies in total 1 hour. Enjoy (or not...) 1. http://vimeo.com/7695230 2. http://vimeo.com/7694011 3. http://vimeo.com/7692504 Hi,

As promised; the whole Embukai in the Netherlands from last weekend.
Qality is less then the Doshu movie.

Three movies in total 1 hour. Enjoy (or not...)

1. http://vimeo.com/7695230
2. http://vimeo.com/7694011
3. http://vimeo.com/7692504 ]]> General arjandevries http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17183 Nasake, an Aiki perspective http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17182&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:15:50 GMT Nasake may well mean “compassion, benevolence, sympathy or mercy”, depending on its intended usage. It may also connote feelings of “mercy”, or “tender feelings” for another, and for a variety of reasons.

A term often encountered, is ‘Bushi no Nasake”( Compassion of the Warrior), or the chivalrous or compassionate attitude prized in the samurai of centuries past. Perhaps the storied Knights of Merry Old England, or of warrior classes from other cultures, would have produced similar examples of “knightly” behavior.

The Founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, also seems to have made the concept and practice of “nasake,” a key cornerstone of validating and explaining his Aikido. The combination of his religious beliefs, his vast experiences in training and utilizing his martial skills, and of his deep inner convictions of a spiritual need for peace in his environment, have appeared to strike a chord in the hearts of many who are attracted to the Aiki Principles within his Aikido.

In the daily training environment of most Aikido dojos and systems I have encountered, the one common thread that I can identify with, is this common commitment to focus on having a benevolent regard for training partners, and by extension, to the environments in which they operate. This “habit of kindness” is indeed, a most refreshing and inviting aspect of aikido training and interaction.

For me, the most consistently effective martial art “technique” I have both encountered, and used successfully, is a genuine smile. Mistakes and misunderstandings are much more easily forgiven, even when injuries unfortunately occur. All other fundamental aspects of Aikido’s martial identity are kept in place, but still benefit greatly when training partners agree before hand, to be conservative with pace and intensity. When familiarity and trust develops, both pace and intensity may be increased with mutual consent.

How often have I been admonished, when confronted by doubt, or frustration, to avoid “speeding things up”, and to choose to be more deliberate, and focused on maintaining control over my emotions, and my responses. By employing a fuller range of motion, maintaining correct posture, and following the natural openings for both ukemi and nage opportunities, my training partner and I have a more consistently satisfying practice.

As an added benefit, I find that I have become more gentle with myself, using additional time and space to work things out within my own mind and spirit.

The valuable and desirable feature of nasake in my training, both on and off the mat, makes me happy, and my training partners as well. ]]> Voices of Experience aikishihan http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17182 <![CDATA[other names ppl give for "aikido"]]> http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17181&goto=newpost Thu, 19 Nov 2009 01:45:59 GMT Just a curiosity kind of post. When I lived at my parents house and was leaving for aikido, my parents would say "U have chop-chop tonight?" :freaky: ... another name they used, since AIKIDO is apparently a very complex group of letters, was : "You have Ikea class tonight?" :uch: ... I'd laugh but man, can't they remember A I K I D O .... 6 letters ... lol

Does anyone else have friends or family who make up other names for AIKIDO?

Thought it would be a funny topic ... bring on the "other" names for this art .... :confused: ]]> Open Discussions Chantal http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17181 <![CDATA[Suwariwaza - Kokyuho & internal strength]]> http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17180&goto=newpost Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:35:08 GMT How is internal strength related to Suwariwaza - Kokyuho? David How is internal strength related to Suwariwaza - Kokyuho?

David ]]> Techniques dps http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17180 Value of Internal Training and your Goals http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17179&goto=newpost Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:07:20 GMT Thought it best to start a new thread rather than side track the Internal Training thread away from talking about the skills. That is an important conversation to have.

I highly encourage and value doing internal training, it has been by far the best thing I have done for my self improvement in many years, so much that I plan on spending more time doing more of it.

However, I think that we need to be careful not to become intoxicated and be clear of our endstates, goals...otherwise we may not acheive them.

a little vignette:

I was at one of these "IT" seminars. I won't say which one or who was involved as it does not matter and the comments were confidential anyway...but I think this is worth considering.

This guy came up to me and asked me about my background and training as he was very interested in how I approached training and what I did.

We talked for a while about it and I asked him what art he did.

"Oh, I haven't studied any martial arts yet". I don't want to develop any bad habits and I need to get a good base in all this internal training before I start studying an art. If I start studying it, then it will just slow me down and take me longer and I will have to unlearn all the bad habits."

I asked him how long he'd been training in IT stuff he said, I think, like 7 years or something like that.

My reply:

"So, why do you want to study martial arts?"

He answered. hmmm, well...I suppose I want to be somewhat proficient and effective."

I said, "how so?" "what is it that you'd like to be able to do, fight? grapple, defend yourself...or what...or do you have another goal".

He didn't really know what to say...but agreed that this is kinda what he thought he'd want to be able to do.

I then asked him what he thought of my abilities, sans IT, since I have none.

He said he thought I was probably able to do most of those things that he agreed might be his goal.

I then asked, then why the hell are you wasting your time waiting around?

We of course, couldn't finish the conversation very well, because of the amount of separation and dissonance that was occuring in the situation...but I think he got the point.

My point is this:

I think alot of people really don't know why they are doing what they are doing and have no real objective in mind.

We get intoxicated with stuff, drink the kool aid and what not and forget what it was and why it was we started doing what we were doing.

This is not meant to discredit IT/IS at all...I beleive it is good training and is FUNDAMENTAL to mastery. However, I also think that it is a means to an end and not the end itself...and that should be kept in mind.

as in all things in life, moderation, balance, and accountability are key! ]]> Open Discussions Kevin Leavitt http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17179