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Old 08-19-2011, 05:34 AM   #59
ryback
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 243
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Re: philosophical or practical martial art?

Quote:
Carsten Möllering wrote: View Post
Hm...
Different styles/dojo/sensei teach very different ways to do certain techniques.

Just to give one example we deliver nakadaka ippon ken to the larynx as one basic form of atemi. On the other side there are styles which doesn't use atemi at all.

Or our techniques live from controlling uke, taking over his body and movements by the connection. Other styles of aikido even don't aim to break the balance of uke, because this would be to aggressive.

And there are countless esamples I think of understanding and performing techniques different.
So on which way of doing a certain technique do you rely for forming your spirituality of aikido?

Don't you think your spirituality is forming your way of doing the techniques?
Well...actually no, it's the other way round.I totally agree that different schools teach slightly different ways, but there is only one aikido, so the basic principles are actually the same.Little details such as the use of atemi don't change these basic principles, nevertheless let's not forget that o'sensei was teaching that atemi waza is a very important element in aikido.Breaking the uke's ballance is not aggressive if done correctly because at the exact moment that he moves you "take" him inside your sphere but in harmony with his move.You "agree" with his attack and you overextend it, thus breaking his ballance without using extra force.The same applies to the avoidance of a punch or a kick.You "sweep" what's coming in the same direction that the attack was going(no blocking), while simultaniously you make sure that you are not there anymore.That way you never resist, and if you use atemi during the technique,well..aikido is still a martial art, it has to work, its not against its peaceful philosophy.So i believe that the philosophy springs by the way aikido's techniques are "designed" to work, in accord with the attacker and not against him.And then you take that feeling and you apply it in all aspects of life...
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