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Old 08-13-2013, 09:58 AM   #14
RonRagusa
Dojo: Berkshire Hills Aikido
Location: Massachusetts
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 824
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Re: Is ki just good physics?

Quote:
Phi Truong wrote: View Post
i would disagree with this. as the uke for Ikeda sensei a number of times, he had no problem of dropping me on my ass whether i wanted to not. i mentioned above about his concept of "kata". essentially, visualize the technique, be it ikkyo or kotegaeshi or shihonage or whatever, before contact made. i have followed this approach and it worked quite well. and when i said visualization, i don't mean..oh my left hand needs to do this, my right foot need to do this, and ....ooo wait my head need to turn this way..... the example that Ikeda sensei mentioned was like a cookie cutter. you use the cookie cutter to stamp the shapes of the cookie. to form the cookie cutter ahead of time (visualize) and not wait until you make cookie, then try to start getting out a sheet of metal and forming the cookie cutter. and the forming of the cookie cutter, kata, happens in fraction of a second. of course, like verything we do, this required training, lots of training. however, the visualization happens before the technique execute, actually, before contact was made.
That might work for demonstrating an idea, but in the heat of the moment (such as during randori) when you have no idea what uke is going to do, having to visualize a technique (cookie cutter or no) will cost you valuable time. Not only that, predetermining what you are going to do in a given situation leaves you in the lurch if uke does something you aren't expecting. It just seems like a lot of extra work that costs you time. My own preference is to be in the moment trusting that my years of practice will enable me to appropriately respond no matter how uke behaves.

Quote:
Phi Truong wrote: View Post
based on your statements, would that mean ki = mind/body coordination?
Ki is evidently manifest when mind and body are highly coordinated, yes.

Quote:
Phi Truong wrote: View Post
the mind will it, and the body execute it?
Yes and no.

Yes, the mind must use the body to realize intent. However, with a high degree of coordination the 'mind will it, body execute it' loop operates on an unconscious level because the interval separating 'think and do' is too small to notice.

No, a highly coordinated mind and body act as a unified whole, not separate parts.

Quote:
Phi Truong wrote: View Post
want to throw something in here. the new fighter jet designed with very high degree of instability which required a fast computer to make constant minute adjustments. the new jet fighter cannot be flown manually by any pilot. since its brain (computer) and its body (jet fighter plane) are highly in sync, wouldn't that mean the new jet fighter plane has high degree of ki?
Torturing the metaphor some, but looked at as a metaphor then yes.

Ron

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