View Single Post
Old 07-13-2015, 11:47 AM   #11
rugwithlegs
Dojo: Open Sky Aikikai
Location: Durham, NC
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 430
United_States
Offline
Re: Draw out the attacks ?

I agree with most of the comments here.

My stance and structure provides certain openings. My distance provides certain openings. My movement and timing in relation to the attack restricts what the attacker can do.

Also, moving on the outside edge of someone's strength means that I get to use less strength and they feel weaker. Pick up a bag of groceries, hold it in front of you and against your core and it is easy. Hold it out to the side with your arm fully extended and the same weight feels much heavier, it's just how we're built. Easier to affect someone's balance and easier to negate their strength when they've overreached. Much easier to redirect their force.

In terms of nuanced English words - Morihei Ueshiba spoke very little English and what he did know was heavily accented. He spoke Japanese, and often used terms that apparently even native Japanese speakers had difficulty with. Stanley Pranin has some very enlightening articles on efforts to translate O Sensei. Another translator maybe would chose a different phrase than "leading out the attack" or the original phrase may have different meanings or several layers of meaning in the original lesson. I try to make it make sense for me.
  Reply With Quote