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Old 04-13-2010, 01:34 PM   #203
ChrisHein
 
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Dojo: Aikido of Fresno
Location: Fresno , CA
Join Date: Apr 2005
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Re: Video definitions, "Aiki" and other terms.

Mike,
I'm not sure what you mean by disagree, or rather what it is you are disagreeing with. The guy who wrote the article seems to be making a statement about how "Ju" is not soft. I would agree with that. A bow (from bow an arrow) has what I would call "Ju", yet it is in no way soft. Soft is a horrible description of "Ju" in my opinion. If you'd like to know more on my thoughts on "Ju" http://www.aikidostudent.com/content/?p=149 . Ju is not soft it's yielding like a willow tree (coincidence?).

As for "Ju" relating to internal arts I also think the man who wrote the article is correct. However what I would call internal and what you might call internal are perhaps different animals.

Josh,
I could only read the first part of the article, so I don't know if there is more I need to read. But from what I read in the first part describing "hijinobashi aiki" I would say he's talking about what has been called "out reaching". The ability to feel into someone's body, feeling how their structure aligns and adding just a bit to it to achieve the results you are looking for (locked elbow, kuzushi, etc.).

I do this with my students while we apply nikyo from the shoulder. I move through their bodies locking them up as I go. Moving from my feet to their feet with feeling, taking the slack out of each joint as I go. At first my students do the same thing as Hakaru Mori was describing. First they do it badly. Then they try and copy me exactly, it still doesn't work. Eventually the thoughtful ones get what I'm talking about and can do it as well. Seems magical until you understand it, like most things. I think this principle is not "Aiki", that doesn't mean that it's unreasonable to call it "Aiki" I see how the word could fit it, that's just not what I call it.

To the others,
if you don't feel you are stigmatizing anything as "just Jujutsu" don't worry about it. I just got the feeling several times that there was a stigma forming around Jujutsu. Maybe I'm off base, and if it doesn't pertain to you, ignore it.