|
I can't remember exactly what I clicked in the pole, but I think atemi ranks very high in aikido. As many have said, we should look to O'sensei for the answer to this. He always used atemi and stressed it. As my sensei, who trained with O'sensei, has told us, O'sensei always used atemi in his technique. Atemi should become a natural part of your aikido, but atemi itself is not aikido. The atemi is not meant to put the attacker down (although sometimes it might), but is meant to disrupt the attackers energy so you can more easily apply your aikido. I go with that line of thinking.
|