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Old 01-23-2012, 09:31 PM   #102
hughrbeyer
Dojo: Shobu Aikido of Boston
Location: Peterborough, NH
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 653
United_States
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Re: "The goal is not to throw"

But bringing this back to the point of the thread.... If I "try to throw" uke, inevitably I'll reach out of myself to make them go down. I'll compromise my structure trying to disrupt theirs. If I think I am "doing to uke" rather than "doing with uke" I'm inevitably going to start trying to manipulate them. In fact, "now you're trying to manipulate me" is rather common feedback for me to give partners who have given up on finding the internal connection and are ... just trying to throw.

So I don't think the advice is bad as such. I just think it's been totally misinterpreted. Of course you're imposing your will on the situation. How else do you improve it? But how you improve it is not by running around with your hair on fire but by being the most connected and centered person in the room. Then other people conform to you without even being aware of it.
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