Thread: Vantage points
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Old 01-08-2013, 09:31 PM   #265
DH
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,394
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Re: Vantage points

Quote:
Patrick de Block wrote: View Post
Chris,
While leafing through the book to find this Explanation no. 11, I saw a photogragh on page 45 of Hisa Takuma and in the caption is written '... the reciprocal balancing of forces in the body ...' Intrigued I read the whole 'Explanation no. 10'. I won't quote it here, it's too long, but do read the two passages in italics on page 46 again. When I read on about 'Dual opposing spirals' and its explanation given by Mert Gambito and just having read 'Explanation no. 10' I think I have an idea what is meant, also by looking at the pictures provided.
If I would summarize the post by Mert Gambito as: 'So the 'dual opposing spirals' are muscular connections inside of the body, and Dan's method, is a way of using these muscular groups.
Of course everyone is "using muscle." In and of itself it is a meaningless phrase.
1. It is "how" we are using them
2. What tendon/fascia has to do with it
3. The undefined quality of intent that most here really don't understand and cannot manifest

Leaving out the details of discussing what dual opposing spirals actually are I would offer in a rough outline that it is a whole body movement from the feet to the top of the head, using a sophisticated use of the legs, qua, waist, dantian, back and arms that takes years to master. Depending on where you touch someone; it offers no-force. It absorbs, projects, leads, suppresses, follows, deflects, or any combination of all of them...at once.

As we often say its like sticking your finger in a Quisenart (blender). It gives no-force, it receives no-force.
It is the embodiment of in yo. It is the living aiki. Hence Ueshiba saying the mystery(s) of aiki are revealed in this one movement.

Anyway, back to intent and yin and yang. It is so very hard to really get down, yet paradoxically rather easy to show. I do one example of someone touching or grabbing my arm and I shut off and move normally. Then I turn on intent driven yin and yang supported movement and the guy instantly feels aiki. Outside they look like identical movements. One Shihan made me do it over and over and then on him...over and over.
I am not being coy or playing games it's just all but impossible to explain on the net and people struggle trying to do it in person. But interestingly enough, entire martial systems are named or have intent in the title of their name. Ueshiba and Sagawa both discuss it as well as any number of lesser lights.
So
1. The seriously good guys for generations in China all wanted their arts named after intent.
2. Rickey and Bobby from the suburban mall dojo want to argue that those Chinese guys are full of crap.

Er....uhm....I'm going with the Chinese guys.
Dan
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