View Single Post
Old 05-09-2005, 04:32 AM   #7
Dazzler
Dojo: Bristol North Aikido Dojo
Location: Bristol
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 659
England
Offline
Re: Tae No Henko Problem?

Quote:
Chris Hein wrote:
I'm not sure I understand what the problem is. Are you saying he's using his center to hold you when he grabs your wrist. If so thats good technique, and you should welcome such a partner. If you're saying he grabbing with the wrong hand, or doing anything else beyond the normal scope of the technique, then he's a bad uke, and needs to stick to what you're training.

I think Tai no Henko is probably the best physical Aikido practice. It teaches most of the ideas of Aikido movement, in two consice practice's.

Kihon Tai no Henko is an awesome way to learn how to develop full body power. How to move your hand with the force of all you're body weight behind it. I believe that the kihon version best teaches efficiency of movement. The practice is however inherently limited. If your ability to make force is not greater then the grip of uke, you will never be able move in the perscribed mannor. Example, if you weigh 200 lbs, and your uke is 600 lbs, and he represents a 600 lbs grip, it will never matter how efficiently you can move your body, he will always hold you in place. If you doubt this, put your arm in a vice on a work bench and see if you can tear the vice off the bench with Tai no Henko.

The limitation of this exercise is however addressed with the Ki no Nagare version of this practice. There is absolutely no physical limitation, it dose'nt matter if he weighs 1000 lbs, and you only 20 lbs. There is no physical connection before the exercise begins, thus no physical limitation. Nage uses the ability to trap ukes mind. To make uke go where nage wants him, it's a practice of true Aiki and represents higher Aikido skill.

With these two practice's I believe you can solve most of the riddles of Aikido.

-Chris Hein
Nice post....

agree very much that if you can master TNH you can master anything in aikido.

Turn, turn back..tenkan & irimi. Breath in and breathe out.

Kotai practice to discover the mechanics of the movement...jutai practice to introduce ki nagare and actually practice aikido.

Its all there.

I see some common ground with the style I practice here.

Incidentally ...many years ago...about 20 to be precise 2 of my friends attended a weekend course where Tai No Henka was used.

While these days it is used at the start of every one of our practices at the time is was a new form to them.

These guys went away and for about 2 years all they practiced was TNH...(they are northerners so easily amused).

Time rolled on and they are some of the top people I've met...and they attribute this very much to the grounding they established with this long period of work with TNH.

Chris is very right in his assessment of its value.

IMHO of course.

Cheers

D
  Reply With Quote