Thread: 6th kyu forever
View Single Post
Old 03-09-2016, 05:56 PM   #16
rugwithlegs
Dojo: Open Sky Aikikai
Location: Durham, NC
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 430
United_States
Offline
Re: 6th kyu forever

Quote:
Clare Din wrote: View Post
I've asked Sensei for a critique of how I was doing so far. He said he wanted to see more flow between techniques and better footwork...I don't know what I'm doing wrong and when I do something right, I don't know why it was any different than what I was doing wrong...I'll likely never have a quick first step to get my arms up in Ikkyo because I'm 48, not 20-something or even 30-something, and I'm not athletic and have never had lightning fast reflexes...
I have some yoga experience, less than you, but I do remember my yoga teacher telling that that yoga (maybe just her yoga, I can't say) was about take opposite extreme postures so that the normal everyday felt better and more easy. I liked the idea.

When I teach Taiji and Aikido, I do mention what my teaching of these arts focuses on - exploring everyday normal. Not to everyone, but I see dancers and gymnasts and yogis come on occasion and I offer this to help them understand the difference. While this set of postural principles came from "How do I hit someone harder?" It's also how do I have better balance, how do I generate more power for heavy doors, heavy grandkids, groceries.

The postures in, for example, the Sun Salutation are good Yoga but poor martial arts - even the Warrior poses are for flexibility and strength but don't explore good posture for combat.

There are variations and disagreements out there, but for me:

Feet should never be so far apart that I cannot completely and easily shift 100% to the other foot at any time. No jumping, no gathering up energy to step. Can you always lift one foot off the ground without adjusting your posture in any way? There should be no sense of a stretch. It should absolutely never feel like a workout to get off line or close the distance. IMO

The back should be upright and flat, with any push on my shoulders going to my feet. No thrusting the chest upward. No straight locked joints anywhere - dancers, figure skaters, gymnasts in particular have years of training for super dramatic minimal base and straight legs with the chest thrust outward. It is beautiful. Every part of every posture for combat should feel like power is still in reserve.

If you have a combat integration, shifting your weight on the soles of your feet moves your entire mass forward and backward. Good integration is more muscles in a single movement working together, and the body's entire mass (or as much as possible) behind it with no joint held in an extreme position. It ain't pretty. But at 46 I am able to arrive faster than some of the 16 year olds and 26 year olds I get to play with because I try to start in one piece, and when I arrive I try to be all in.

Good integration means all joints are already aligned to move so it really is faster. Already in one piece means there is no adjustment, no step to start to develop structure for power because I try to be there already from the start, no need to think about blocking as my hands are already there. Lately I try to set the pace.

Just some random thoughts. Telling yourself you will never be faster, that you're old and slower - might mean you are mentally refusing the lesson that could make you faster and stronger. Than anyone in the world? No, but can you be faster and stronger than untrained you; or are you truly at your absolute peak of your abilities?

A gymnastics example - a gold medal can mean permanently getting crippled by landing pretty. Martial Art training is different.

Sorry for the length. this is what I give to students who have similar background to you. I hope it helps, even if you don't stay.

Last edited by akiy : 03-09-2016 at 08:36 PM. Reason: Fixed quote tag
  Reply With Quote