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Old 03-24-2010, 11:36 AM   #17
Michael Hackett
Dojo: Kenshinkan Dojo (Aikido of North County) Vista, CA
Location: Oceanside, California
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,253
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Re: What is AIKI ? - fantastic video

Ahmed,

Thank you for the reply. I've reviewed the video several times now and I remain skeptical. Hakim Sensei has terrific posture and small movement, but four points jumped out at me.

At :54 Uke displays visible pain and makes sounds to suggest that he is at least uncomfortable. At that point he is simply grasping the sleeve of the gi and Hakim Sensei is hardly moving.

At 1:10 Hakim Sensei is moving a line of uke. I can understand the first uke in line perhaps feeling a pain, but the next two are reacting as if they had direct contact with Hakim Sensei. They are only holding the shoulders of the uke ahead of them.

At 1:54 Hakim Sensei performs some sort of kokyunage to extreme effect, suggesting a strong collusion by Uke.

At 2:58 Uke displays a lack of physical control and pain without being in any contact with Hakim Sensei.

I've had the pleasure of putting hands on several shihan who did incredible things. Kondo Sensei locked my whole body with a ryotedori grasp. Ikeda Sensei threw me effortlessly by merely twisting his wrist less than an inch. Matsuoka Sensei threw me by pointing at the mat and dropping his weight inperceptibly. At the time, I was so new at Aikido I didn't know that you could collude with Nage so those things really happened to me. Consequently I don't doubt that Hakim Sensei can do some amazing things, but I have serious doubts about some of the things captured in the video.

I don't imagine that I will ever get to Indonesia to feel it first hand, but what is visible on the video simply defies a rational explanation. I appreciate your attempt to explain your experience, but I remain on the roster of the non-believers.

Michael
"Leave the gun. Bring the cannoli."
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