Thread: Best randori
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Old 06-03-2007, 03:35 PM   #3
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Dojo: West Wind Dojo Santa Monica California
Location: Malibu, California
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Re: Best randori

Quote:
George S. Ledyard wrote: View Post
One of the best I ever saw was from a student on her Nidan test. I have no idea what happened, I truly think the kami came down and possessed her. It was three people with shinai attacking and no one touched her (and not for want of trying). She even acheived the Holy Grail of a weapons randori which was to get one the ukes to totally nail one of the other ukes... It was the finest Aikido she ever did before or since. I thought I was looking at a changeling.

Anyway, at my dojo we have put a lot, and I do mean a lot, of time into randori work. I have a video manual out on the subject which was the product of over fifteen years of randori intensives. So i sort of have a "developed palate" when it comes to this subject. There is a fabulous Randori by Shioda Sensei in the documentary Budo:The Art of Killing. There are some films of the old All Japan Aikido exhibitions in which Saotome Sensei did some amazing stuff; he was pretty famous for this in his day.

But the best stuff I have seen in person would have to be the two randori that Matsuoka Sensei did at the Expos. You can see these on the DVD's available sold on the Aikido Journal site. They were works of art and far superior to any of the randori done by the folks of much higher Dan rank. Full speed completely unrehearsed, every movement decision, the perfect one.

The other best one I have seen was also at the Expo. Kayla Feder Sensei did a fabulous randori in her demo. Also spontaneous an unrehearsed. It was a gem.

Since we have spent so much time on randori, my students were really appreciative of these two teachers. I'm not sure that a lot of the folks watching appreciated how really wonderful they were. But to those who have spent a lot of time studying the principles involved, it was obvious that these two teachers were in total command of those same principles.
Matsuoka's was excellent and I would like to add Pat Hendricks to that list. I have seen her Randori a few times and you can feel her focus,commitment, and power. If you know any woman who have doubts about Aikido's effectiveness against much larger men Sensei Hendrick's Randori answers that question with a powerful yes! LOL

William Hazen
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