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Old 07-31-2011, 07:50 AM   #19
Anthony Loeppert
Dojo: Aikido of Del Mar
Location: San Diego, CA
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 155
United_States
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Re: Aikido is Elbow Power

Quote:
Lee Salzman wrote: View Post
One thing that always strikes me as odd in a lot of videos like this, why does the back leg get dragged around like a heavy piece of carry-on luggage? How does this help with power and mobility?
It isn't the luggage it is the engine ( or as least a transmission if I'm getting my Aikido / car analogy right) and anchor (ok so cars don't anchors) at different moments.

First, for power and mobility. As the leg is kept straight the, for lack of a better word, 'slack' is out of the system. So as in all good Aikido, the movement originates at the hips so even a small 'flick' of the hips due to the nature of the leg's connection to the ground translates (extremely efficiently) into force which can be focused, like the way in the exercise show. So what is holding up whatever force you're not supposed to try to lift with your arm? That same straight back leg, you should feel the weight on the arm in the back toes.

What slows you down from a really spirited shuffle and allows the upper posture to remain consistent without making the front knee work hard? Good old, always there straight back leg.

My take on it anyway as a 3 year Yoshinkan practitioner.

Basically always on connection to the ground.