jonreading

For the sake of my sanity and the thread, I am going to give the benefit of the doubt to the techniques we practice as having a training purpose. Randori allows us to practice some important aspects of training that we don't get in our regular kata training. I am questioning the methodology by which we "teach" randori.

As a continuation of this observation, physical endurance is a critical component of most sports. We run until we get tired. Then we run some more. Then we learn how to move our feet in the proper direction to improve our leg strength and speed. Then we run some. I haven't even mentioned a sport and it doesn't matter because all sports require strong running skills. But, the amount of time I spent running in any of the sports I played was always consistent with it being the most important activity I could do. I might hit in the cages for 20 minutes, but I would run for 45. I might spend 30 minutes at the range, but I spent 60 minutes carrying my bag running stairs. Usually, sports training methodology matches the goals of the coach directing the training.

Randori is one of the exercises we do that is closer to physical exercise than a lot of our kata, so it's a good conversation piece. IF randori is about not caring whether you are tired or not, then our physical fitness should have been trained long in advance of testing whether or not we get tired (and as a continuation of that training). But, I think the evidence is in how we train. I don't think most of us train in such a manner that our physical fitness is demonstrated in randori.

Here is the usual randori timeline:
Sankyu - "Sensei, what's randori?"
Nikyu - "So, zombies chase you and you run away from them until sensei says, 'stop'?"
Ikkyu - "Wait, this is on my test?"
**Seminar**
**Seminar**
**Seminar**
Shodan Test - "Take a breath, we'll continue when you are ready." "Hai, sensei."
Shodan - "Shoot, I need to do this again on my nidan test? Well, I will just bring a bunch of friends to my test and it will be easier..."

Everything can't be the most important. I am critical of things because we have a published doctrine of importance that we test against. Nowhere on any teaching criteria I have ever seen of aikido prioritizes cardiovascular endurance. Yet one thing that always comes up about randori... endurance on the mat. Now, some groups are more fit than others, and I know there are exceptions. I specifically am critical of testing a student for a trait that aikido has otherwise never prioritized in any formal manner.

"Okay, now for the BBQ portion of your nidan test.""Umm. Sensei... what are you talking about?""Guest instructor is from Texas and prioritizes a sloppy red sauce BBQ over smoked meat. Outside is a grill and 20lbs of meat. You have 60 minutes to cook." "But Sensei, we never did this is class." "Well, I am trying to impress our visiting guest, so we will indulge him in this request."