NagaBaba

Hi Lynn,
This article is based on many presumptions that I don't agree. I'll take only two of them, but there are many others:

• • First is "In the dojo, we learn techniques for the defense from external attacks. Someone comes at us and strikes at us or grabs us with the (pretended) intent of doing great bodily injury and harm." Actually, I have yet to see such attacks, whenever online or in the dojo. Instead what can be observed, is a simulation of the decrepit attack when attacker, with all his capacities, trying to help nage to do his technique. Example: instead of really hitting with his arm, attacker is offering it to nage so the technique can be executed -- the excuse for such strange behavior is a concept that uke have to participate "to achieve a harmony"…. This can be massively observed at any level of technical proficiency. As a consequence there is not fear at all as there is no threat. Also we can't really use a concept of "defense" (self or not self) as there is nothing to defend again….So your comparison with fear in real life is pointless.
• • Second is "In Aikido, we learn to get off the line". This mantra, false but very popular in some aikido circles, is completely absent in O sensei practice. On every video anyone can see O sensei going directly to control attacker center line (and his center of course) physically or not physically in the first moment of contact. That is the only way to really physically put him out of balance. This is a simple consequence of O sensei idea that "aikido is irimi and atemi". That is why we can't see him ‘defending' himself against attacks; rather, he fully controls attacker right from the beginning. So again, using word "defense" associated with aikido is not justified.