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Originally posted by Kat.C
We did this pin again at the end of class last night and I was working with a guy much larger than me, I had alot of difficulty taking him down. To keep him pinned I had to lean right over him and put all my weight that I could into it. I did not have enough reach to keep my back straight like most of the others, if I had kept the correct posture I would have been unable to hold him down. Am I missing something?
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The part where you do not need to "hold him down" is what you seem to be missing, but I'm just guessing.
It seems that you need to be in better position, and then you need to be centered and NOT touching uke at all, but rather your hands should be "hovering" just above Uke's shoulders, and the inside knee in uke's armpit.
Again, it's not really a matter of martial practicality, or even so much a true test or question of whether Uke can or cannot escape some other way, but an exercise in "proper centering". However, try this and you'll see that Uke does find it much more difficult to "escape", than if you were trying to hold uke down with your upper body strength. In fact, actually touching or connecting with uke's shoulders makes it easier for uke to get up and throw nage at the same time. Remember, this isn't Judo and it isn't about fighting, grappling, strength or struggling, it's Aikido and it's about the resolution of conflict. For uke, trying to sit up from that "control pin" at the end of Kokyu ho should be like trying to stand up while lying underneath a car.
The question here is almost pointless, because one may as well be asking why two people would be facing each other sitting in sieza while grabbing each others' wrists in the first place. The answer will always be---IT'S AN EXERCISE TO DEVELOP ONE'S CENTER!!! Either the sensei didn't mention this while teaching or someone isn't listening in class.
Anytime one runs into this problem where they have to ask, "Well what's the point of this?? I could get out of this easily. hmmmph. Bah!! I just don't see the use in this when I could just run away or let go or (insert whatever technique here)."
Here's the formula--
Subtract the need to "fight" or struggle. Subtract the notion that one is in competition with one's partner. One is NOT. Just forget all that. Subtract the need to use strength to "make a technique work". That isn't Aikido. None have any practicality in Aikido and therefore only hinder one's learning. Then add awareness of center. Multiply dexterity, agility, timing, and endurance by a factor of (who knows?). What is left is hopefully something that resembles Aikido or at least the path to Aikido.