View Single Post
Old 07-31-2011, 06:34 AM   #16
graham christian
Dojo: golden center aikido-highgate
Location: london
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,697
England
Offline
Re: Aikido is Elbow Power

Quote:
Carsten Möllering wrote: View Post
I think it should. As far as I understood what I heard and read about it - I'm not doing Yoshinkan aikido, only met some people - hiriki is something which is included, or at least should be included always in any style of aikido.
I think it is just that different teachers focus on different terms and different methods of teaching to express and teach their certain understanding or interrests.

To be sure I looked it up again this morning in "Total Aikido" of Shioda Gozo. We don't to his two exercises shown there to be fundamental training methods. But I think, we always practice and train what they want to teach.
Or better what I think they want to teach: Transfering your (breath) power from the tanden (often referred to but not identical with "the hips") into and through your arms.

As a simple, practical advice we often say: "Don't lift your hand with your arm. Let uke have/hold your hand and lift your elbows with your hips (there is a connection). And have some energy just in your fingertips."
There is much more to say and learn about the tanden, the shoulders, especially the legs. All this is involved.

But as far as I understand hiriki is about the whole body being connected and transferring power through the elbows. We have our hands relaxed alway and we very seldom grab uke. So what I understand as elbow power is always part of our aikido.
And working with the sword it simply is what moves the sword. Not the hands, not the shoulders.
Hi Carsten.
I agree. Not having trained in Yoshinkan I havn't maybe had it as a basic principle as they do but I do understand and use it as you describe. This comes about through two reasons from my training.

1) The continuous use of weight underside.
2) Leading Ki.

Of course people pointing out all the time that it's based on all parts being connected applies to all moves so I don't get the significance there. It should be taught from day one.

There are many aspects to the use of the elbow the most basic being it should not be sticking out except when leading. This as you say is especially important in sword work.

In the early days my teacher would hit the elbow with the bokken every time it wasn't tucked in. As far as cutting goes I think you'll find it's not only the elbow that leads but together with the knee and foot.

For me in tight situations the elbow is merely as if I have a short arm and so is like using tegatana.

Regards.G.