Quote:
William Hazen wrote:
I am still trying to wrap around the idea that somehow a TV Show of Abe Sensei has any relevance to the discussion how good his Aikido actually is...
|
I don't think that is the issue here. As Dan pointed out, it's not a question of Abe's skills or abilities, but rather what purpose does this sort of ukemi response serve? Martially? Practically?.... Which I think is a valid question and pertinent to the topic.
On the one hand, I can appreciate George's views regarding sensitivity, but OTOH, Dan's point is equally valid - i.e. rather than ingrain a conditioned/"sensitized" reflex that causes you to "jump", why not train to respond differently - changing with it and re-vectoring the attack?
Whilst I do understand the potential practicalities of eliciting a predictable physiological response by simply "waving the hand", IMHE, the degree of such response is usually quite subtle and not of the magnitude demonstrated in the previous videos.