View Single Post
Old 09-15-2013, 06:43 PM   #7
robin_jet_alt
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 716
Australia
Offline
Re: Japanese, Aikido word- for leading?

Quote:
Chris Hein wrote: View Post
Thanks for your responses!

I'm not trying to go off topic here, but you really peaked my curiosity. I often hear the term Kokyu (呼吸) meaning breath, as more a metaphor for extension. Like the breath extending out of the body as a metaphor for extension of the body as a whole. This made sense to me, as techniques we see like kokyu ho and kokyu nage involve lot's of physical extension. However When breaking the word kokyu apart it seems the Kanji are 呼-request 吸-absorption. This would seem like the word "kokyu" would have more to do with taking in, than extending out.

Do you find this to be the case in the common usage of the word? Is the martial usage different than the common usage? Does the word have a true "in and yo" quality where it can mean both at the same time, like breathing?

Not speaking Japanese, when I hear the word "Kokyu" I first think of extension of breath and second of the inhalation of breath. But the word itself seems to be more directed towards inhalation. I'm very curious!
The following link seems pertinent to this discussion. Specifically look at the last few paragraphs where he talks about breath power and receiving power into the body.

http://members.aikidojournal.com/pub...h-robert-john/

We've been playing with this sort of thing in the dojo a lot lately and we've been achieving some pretty incredible things.
  Reply With Quote