View Single Post
Old 10-09-2012, 03:58 PM   #9
Carl Thompson
 
Carl Thompson's Avatar
Location: Kasama
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 507
Japan
Offline
Re: VoE: AWASE - The Principle of AIKI

Hello Mark

Quote:
Mark Murray wrote: View Post
1. His primary and main influence was Sokaku Takeda and Daito ryu.
2. Footage of Ueshiba into his old age shows stock Daito ryu techniques, with atemi.
3. Driscoll has a corollary here on aikiweb showing a high percentage equivalence with Daito ryu.
4. After viewing other arts, Ueshiba would state, we'd do it this way with aiki.
5. Mochizuki lamented, not the fact that Ueshiba did other arts, but rather that he pared down the Daito ryu techniques.
6. Koshinage and tanto dori did not come from Morihei Ueshiba.
7. A set curriculum of techniques did not come from Morihei Ueshiba.
As I understand it, No.1 has not been denied regarding the physical and technical side of things in Iwama. As you say, atemi is normal in the aikido Osensei taught. A high percentage of Daito Ryu is not being refuted. That doesn't mean the sword wasn't derived from Kashima or the jo didn't come from unrelated spear work. Not to mention changes Osensei made himself to the technical repertoire (moving nikyo ura to the shoulder, iriminage) etc.

I understand you keep plenty of references, so I'd be interested in the Mochizuki quote if you have it.

Quote:
Mark Murray wrote: View Post
Everything Ueshiba did after meeting Takeda, was done with aiki. Aiki being the body changing method as taught to him by Sokaku Takeda.

When Ueshiba could not be pushed over by Tenryu, it wasn't because Ueshiba knew the secret of awase. (A: I know the secret of aiki)

When asked why no one could do what he could, Ueshiba didn't answer that it was because they misunderstood awase. (A: You do not understand in yo ho)

When students listened to him, they didn't complain that they had a hard time understanding awase. (A: Floating Bridge of Heaven, heaven/earth/man, Izanagi/Izanami, inyo, fire/water, etc See Chris Li's great translations for information)

Now, if we want to talk Modern Aikido and awase, that's a whole different story. But, tossing Morihei Ueshiba into the mix with awase as "an understanding of the aspect of AIKIDO that makes it unique among martial arts" ... well, I would say that aiki is the unique aspect.
You might have educate me a little more on the terminology here: I thought IP (internal power) was the engine that is supposed to have driven the kind of strength that made Osensei immovable to Tenryu. I would equate that to kokyu-roku (teachers often say "onaka kara no chikara" - power from inside). It seems to me that the awase Alexander sensei is talking about is not kokyu-ryoku (IP). His articles on the related subject of kokyu-training have been around for years.

http://www.iwama-aikido.com/resist.html

Regards

Carl
  Reply With Quote