View Single Post
Old 06-02-2003, 02:55 PM   #2
Janet Rosen
 
Janet Rosen's Avatar
Location: Left Coast
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 4,339
Offline
I am not prepared to pass judgement on a situation I did not see.

I will say that for most of us aikido is very much a martial art and it is one that does indeed include atemi.

A few thoughts:

It sounds as if the initial student did not take the attacker's balance before trying to "do a technique." In general, aikido training at basic levels is taught as a kata, in which one tries to do the technique as shown by the instructor, regardless of whether or not uke's energy is appropriate to this technique. In this sense, it IS a cooperative undertaking: uke will try to give the type of attack that will elicit the type of technique to be worked on. In more advanced, non-kata type training, nage will not have any technique in mind and will act in response to the energy of the attack.

If my uke simply roots and stands still, I very often do the same, since as far as I am concerned, we do not have an attack. If I am able to begin to discern a pattern of movement or energy in uke's grab, then I will connect and work with that.

I don't know if any of this makes sense to you....

Janet Rosen
http://www.zanshinart.com
"peace will enter when hate is gone"--percy mayfield
  Reply With Quote