graham christian

Hi Alberto.
Like all body problems it's a matter of finding out why and what to do about it.

Both Nikkyo and sankyo take time for your tendons to get used to and thus it is with tendons a matter of getting used to being stretched.

So all stretching exercises on them should be coupled with relaxing them, like a 'slow' stretch as forceful ones only lead to you putting resistance into them.

As far as feeling the pain of nikkyo and sankyo goes unfortunately the solution apart from the physical is I would say 80% to do with your own approach to it.

It is amazing to discover that when receiving nikkyo for example it seems logical to try going against it or else just wait for the innevitable. However, the solution is neither.

It's the decision to remain there with it, to not allow your mind to go againt it or indeed back away from it. To even go so far as to enjoy it.

This attitude applied you'll find you can 'give' to it so to speak and thus have less resistance. The pain then will be much, much less and the person doing the nikkyo will actually find it harder to do believe it or not.

Another point I found for people reciving good nikkyo is that at first they feel the after effects near the wrist but as their tendons get more used to it and they learn to non-resist more then the effect tends to move further and further away from the wrist up the arm. This is a good measure of progress tendon and non-resistance wise.

As for the knees smashing into the mat? Well truth be told it doesn't have to be that way. A nikkyo done that plummets the person down through the mat is a very good powerful nikkyo now it's time for the person doing it to learn a controlled one. Less damage to the opponent, more ability needed by the technician.

As far as the knees go it's a common complaint of carpet fitters. Thus there are two approaches really. Knee pads I've heard mentioned a lot and if that's the prefered solution then so be it. For me it's more to do with correct practice and a process of getting them used to the activity concerned. Overdoing it is almost always the cause apart from bad practice.

Many, in fact all of the moves of Aikido can be done from the knees however if the person doesn't learn how to move from center then they will be putting too much pressure on those knees whilst turning and thus bad practice = bad kness.

One more point. I was visited recently by a man who had done years of weight training and now had many joint problems. He wanted some Ki-atsu. I gave him some and relieved a lot of the enrgy blocks and he felt good but I advised him to see my friend for nutritional advice to aid repair and restrengthen where necessary. The point is the body needs backup when parts of it need strengthening or repairing and for bigger muscles let's say it needs extra protein to break down into amino acids to build that extra mass etc. When it comes to tendons then it's a matter of finding out what extra nutrients the body is asking you for. For example many will say calcium. Well that helps but magnesium is the nutrient which aids best in putting back the normal 'elasticity' in the tendons and indeed muscles, I think it was adelle davies who called it natures own tranquilizer. Anyway I'm sure you could have a word with a nutritionist or osteopath or someone of that ilk just for additional knowledge.

Regards.G.