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Old 12-12-2013, 04:53 AM   #3
Dazaifoo
Dojo: Chikushino Rental Dojo
Location: Fukuoka
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 51
Japan
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Re: Musings on a Hawaii IP Seminar

Quote:
Lee Salzman wrote: View Post
So the question is, if the content of IP/aiki work is so distinct from what your aikido training focused upon, then what things, more specifically, within your aikido training had you been spending most of your time on and why do you feel they did not impart to you what this material did, in a weekend, no less?

So, more or less, as a theme: what can you say about aikido, as it is, that is not built upon nor expedient for the instilling of IP/aiki that you saw?
To answer the first part of the question, I practice, as many Iwama folks do, the triumvirate of taijutsu (always with the essential tai no henko/morote dori kokyu ho), ken suburi, and jo suburi. This part of our training is the Riai of our school, and it sometimes comes across almost as an article of faith, a nembutsu if you will. Through diligent practice of these three essentials you will in time be able to release the state of Takemusu Aiki where the techniques just flow from you in an unlimited manner. After the seminar, I now feel that these three methods, as they are presently practiced, are insufficient for developing the type of dantien necessary for creating IP and manifesting Yin and Yang in the body. Without such a properly developed dantien, there can be no Aiki, the manifestation of Yin and Yang (or In and Yo if you prefer) from any point of contact. Additionally, there is no framework for the development of intent, which really is the heart of the matter and the true driver of all of these endeavors.

What is needed is a retrofit of these methods. People need to meet and feel teachers who can attain kuzushi on contact so that they learn how to manifest the techniques correctly and not just as rote mechanical levering, and then they need to practice the methods for being able to develop the kind of body that automatically destabilizes an opponent. Now, I know that there are certain individuals in the Iwama fold who are aware of IP and have incorporated it into their own training. I've seen enough dog eared copies of Mantak Chia's Iron Shirt Chi Kung and The Wandering Taoist lying around under beds and as bathroom reading material to know that they know. Why they don't feel like sharing, I don't really care to speculate on. But now that I think about it, some have shared. This past weekend I learned an exercise very similar to one I was shown by my instructor way back in 95 or 96. And his Aikido was truly awesome. Granted, I never practiced the exercise at home because I was under the impression that all I really needed to do was to practice my taijutsu, ken suburi, and jo suburi. Gee, don't I feel like a dumb butt.

Last edited by Dazaifoo : 12-12-2013 at 04:55 AM. Reason: Damn you autocorrect
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