Next Internal Training Seminar?
 

Hello aikiweb world,

I am very interested in finding out about the next internal training workshop or seminar. Im very interested in Dan Harden, Mike Sigman, or Akuzawas systems in particular, as I would like to focus exclusively on building up the proper foundation for later skills.

I thought I read somewhere that Dan Harden was holding a seminar in Florida next month? Ive searched for it, and cant seem to find it, so I think I may have dreamed it up..

Next to that, is there anyone in or around northwest Florida area that focuses on training these methods? anyone that has trained with Dan, Mike, Akuzawa, etc?

I just want to put work into something that will give results.

Re: Next Internal Training Seminar?
 

Hi Brett,

I can't help you with where these guys might be delivering their next training, as I am on another continent.

When you say you want to focus exclusively on building the proper foundation for later skills, what does that mean? What art do you practice at the moment? Are you looking to enhance what you already do or are you looking to practice these skills in isolation of a particular MA.

Of the three guys you mention, I have been to one of Mike's workshops. I proved to be a very useful weekend for me and well worth the time cost and effort. Mike presents what he has in a very clear, systematic and engaging way. Although what Mike does is deeply rooted in the Chinese systems, for me it translated very well into my understanding of how aikido works. It also gave me a really useful language to help explain to my students, what is actually happening in the mind body system, when in a state of co-ordinated movement.

My question is, I wonder how much someone would gain from visiting these guys, if they are not pretty profficient in something like tai chi or aikido already? Also If you have practiced anything which has built up a muscle memory that includes the use of your shoulders to make something work, you are going to struggle putting Mike's material into practice. That is the one 'lightbulb' moment I had at the workshop. After many years of practicing ki aikido I thought that I had already achieved a pretty relaxed set of shoulders, but I found a level beyond (thanks Andrea;) ) which I continue to build on today.

Good luck with you search for a suitable seminar, I would love to get some hands on time with Dan at some point (when are you coming to Europe Dan? c'mon you know you wanna:) )

regards

Mark

Re: Next Internal Training Seminar?
 

Hi,

I don't know about Florida, but the push hands and pole standing aspects of the following seminar in Princeton, NJ will likely be of interest to people interested in internal martial arts ideas. At least two people I know who are very good Aikidoka have found Zhang Yun's approaches to taijiquan beneficial to their Aikido practice. It is also useful for attending in order to get a picture of a highly skilled practitioner of a traditional internal approach. This may be more useful in the Seminars forum, but wanted to reply to the message below. Also, I am not involved in organizing the below -- there are email links for more information. I hope to be attending.

Re: Next Internal Training Seminar?
 

Mike Sigman will come to Atlanta at the end of January. Check out the thread I started a few minutes ago in this forum.

Re: Next Internal Training Seminar?
 

Thank you guys.

Mark, I posted this in the non-aikido martial traditions because I am not a student of any particular style at this point. After a long mild curiousity with martial arts, I started to read up more and more on traditional arts. Style does not matter to me, I am more interested in the training that each individual had to go through to become as legendary as some of the greats were.
The more I looked into chinese martial arts, the more I read about foundational exercises that developed internal strength such as post standing, silk reeling, etc. This fascinated me and I tried to find out as much as I could about these methods but only met with veiled explanations or unwillingness to teach real training.
I have basically just been trying to get as much as I can out of yiquans foundational zhangzhuang stance training, xingyis santishi standing, some bagua circle walking, and a few walking drills. I am probably butchering them and doing more harm than good, but I practice it here and there trying to keep to the principles and try to feel certain things. Its fun to me, until I can find a legit teacher willing to teach someone willing to put in work.
So I just want the nitty gritty grimey grunt foundational basic work that builds a solid foundation of skills to build on and add to later down the line when I can find a good teacher (regardless of style, no perference for me) with skills they can teach others.
It could be a teacher in judo, boxing, bjj, taiji, bagua, xingyi, aikido, daito ryu, karate, wrestling, whatever as long as it works.