View Single Post
Old 07-02-2010, 01:56 PM   #76
DH
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,394
United_States
Offline
Re: Transmission, Inheritance, Emulation 18

I would agree with pretty much all of those points, Ellis.
And comparisons are a waste of effort. I made comments in one of my earlier posts about an idea of mine; that in an era of seasoned bujutsu guys, and in a culture used to seeing good bujutsu, there had to be a reason OTHER than just more "good technique" for these various individuals to stand out. Those people were seeing all manner of waza continuously. I remain convinced it was IP/aiki. As you noted there are certain indicators that stick out.

My main points on Takeda's musa shugyo in order to have gotten it, are more along the lines that IP/aiki is a stand apart skill. Skills he demonstrated in his youth just like your Masaki example. It stands to reason those skills are going to empower techniques you learn moreso than the techniques empowering your IP/aiki. That's why I refer to it as the cart before the horse.
As you note as well in your later remarks- IP/aiki is changing how you do things, if not the waza themselves. I think in Takeda's case it went a long way in actually creating waza. Since we're talking personal anecdotes; in my case it became an agent of change where techniques really don't matter to me anymore. There was a universality to movement I developed for my IP/aiki in freestyle who's efficacy is so constant; regardless of weapon or venue that it makes technical considerations secondary, if at all.

One note on mountain echo.
Here's a thought.
Consider the force coming in to you- going to ground and back out to the point of contact.
Consider you having a developed hara that is supported by the ground constantly. The force goes to hara and out to the point of contact.
Now consider your body being so conditioned and developed that each part of you that is touched is full and a duality of "ground" is present in every square inch of you. Sort of like a bell resonating.when you are touched...you ring, or "echo" back to them. No trip to the hara, no trip to ground, everything is just...there. bong!
Consider being able to cast it and fill the tip of your spear
Consider that you have a field of awareness outside of you that he touches before he touches you........

There is a universality to it but not all movement principles are the same.There are guys who take that power and rely on the power aspects of it. To me that it is not the way. I wouldn't want to move like some people I have seen, and I would never move.. same side, hand and foot. There are systems of movement (in this case I believe Takedas model) that fit seamlessly into a full range of weaponry and unarmed work; both traditional and modern without changing a thing. I don't think that it is the case with all systems or arts.

Anyway, I have some more thoughts on the book and on points that Peter's review raise, but I am going fishing.
See ya later
Dan
  Reply With Quote