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Old 10-29-2012, 07:39 PM   #5
jbarros
Dojo: Pasadena Aikido
Location: Los Angeles, Ca
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 11
United_States
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Re: How small is your aikido

I find small Aikido to be where it becomes magic, but also where it is most brutal.

I am a beginner, as of yet unranked, (should be taking my 6/5th test in December =) ) but every time i try to do Kotogashi, I want to bring it up, I want to twist at their elbow, which completely eliminates the power of the technique, and the pressure on them. Doing the small circle forces them to have good ukemi or hit the ground unpleasantly.

Especially for someone like me who came to Aikido after decades (wow... now I feel old) of other martial arts, looking for a less violent means of blending and dealing with an attacker, it seems like every bit of my humanity screams at me to do the larger, prettier big circles, but every time I make myself use the small, subtle movements, I fall deeper in love with the efficacy and beauty of Aikido, even when it's not as visible from the outside.

respectfully,

-- James
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