View Single Post
Old 06-06-2007, 03:31 PM   #16
Marc Abrams
Dojo: Aikido Arts of Shin Budo Kai/ Bedford Hills, New York
Location: New York
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,302
United_States
Offline
Re: Technique of running around nage

David:

That video clip was a demonstration and it allowed the spectators to be able to observe many things that happen with Aikido. Had it been done at high speed, much would have been missing for people to observe.

That being said, I think that there is a lot of relevance to practicing in that manner. First and foremost, it takes a lot of training to become sensitized to not tensing and stiffening up when being attacked. Techniques that are executed by beginners in a fast manner are typically done rough-house style because they have no idea as to how they have violated certain basic aiki principles that do make the techniques work at any speed. Equally important is the necessity for the uke to learn to be pliable and respond to a technique. This allows the uke to learn how to stay safe, later to learn to the escape the technique and finally to be able to reverse a technique with a technique. For the nage, learning big movements helps to teach energy patterns that once ingrained, can remain in absence of big movements. I have not found a way to teach big energy movements without first getting the students to make big movements. I am clear that as they get better, they will increase their speed and the movements will become smaller and more subtle.

The reality is that a person who attacks hard and fast to someone who is really good at aikido typically ends up hurting him/herself because of an inability to recognize what is happening and respond in a safe manner. For example, many kokyu-nages typically result in the uninitiated catching the ground with the face. Bad for teeth, good for dentist's earnings. My teacher recently said that if you move properly, you typically do not need to do a technique. Your initial, proper movement (some aspect of atemi necessary in my opinion) typically results in a person becoming so off-balance so as to fall.

I believe it is important to have students attack sincerely. Hard, rough-house practice by beginners typically masks the training that they really need to make aikido work in a "martial" manner. It is not uncommon for me to have to demonstrate Aikido working with someone seeking to attack me in what ever manner that they choose. I prefer to have students who know the rudimentary basics in safe ukemi be the ones to attack for their own safety sake. Sometimes a novice needs to feel it work by experiencing more pain than should be necessary.

This is simply the manner in which I am teaching Aikido and reflects the Aikido that is taught to me by my teacher. I make no pretense that the way that I am doing it is "The Way." What ever floats peoples' boats is fine with me. The only "Aikido" that I do have a problem with is the version in which the students are brutalized based upon some sadistic tendencies of that particular teacher. I say this having spend a significant amount of time in hard arts and wrestling. NONE of my teachers hurt their students like I have heard and seen some Aikido teacher do to their students.

marc abrams
  Reply With Quote