Quote:
Chris Hein wrote:
To me, "Aiki" is mostly about what happens before contact. Or even better, done so that there is no contact.
If my "Aiki" is spot on, I would never get into the altercation in the first place. If my "Aiki" was a little worse, I would have to use my intention to drive my attackers away. If it was a little worse then that I would have to use my "Aiki" avoid them touching me. A little worse still, and I'd have to use it to make them fall down, stumble, run into something, or hit each other. And at the very bottom end of good "Aiki" I would make sure by the time we get into contact I am at the perfect angle so that it is impossible for them to apply force to me.
After that we are into the contact range. VERY far from what I would call great or even good "Aiki". Great "Aiki" to me means being so far ahead of your attackers that they can't make physical contact.
|
Chris,
While I think that the "aiki of movement" is important, it seems to me that Aikido has been taught backwards from what it should have been (that includes the way I was taught).
Many Aikido folks have gotten quite good at "avoiding" attacks but have less than no idea how to handle the energy of actual contact. Aikido is the study of connection, yet, because of emphasis on movement, it attracts all the folks who don't really wish to connect.
I think that we should start training from the very earliest stages with static paired exercises that teach proper body mechanics and how to receive and redirect power without the need to move. Then, and only then, should we introduce movement into the training. And then the emphasis should be on how to move and still be able to maintain proper structure so that at the instant of contact, the attacker's structure is broken.
Any attempt to do an Aikido that is missing work on how to receive the energy of an attack and only emphasizes non-contact movement is hollow and lacking in proper content. Additionally, it is only touching on a very small portion of what I would call "aiki". Sure, understanding spacing and timing is important. But anyone attempting to work on an energetic level must understand how to work this stuff in the body. It is that which later allows one to project that out and effect another attacker before the touch happens.
In other words, if you can't move the energy of a powerful attack through your body properly, then you will not be able to do the light touch and even touch less Aikido you are talking about. Most folks who are trying to do Aikido of that nature are simply doing hollow movement.