Hi John, I think it is muscle stiffness. My student also grits his teeth when he's executing (or being uke) a technique. Fear or nerves makes it worse. He's also in his late 40's, so that contributes to the problem as well. So far we have tried:
1) concentrating on relaxing shoulders and pushing from center
2) pushing from the abdomen (like a BM even!)
3) no grabbing, just a connection through the palm and little fingers
4) extension; pushing against the wall to get the feeling of extension
5) constant reminders to "soften"
6) constant reminders to stop gritting teeth
7) keeping your butt underneath you as uke
He is trying really hard to do this! I think it is a combination of being a bit older, as well as having a stiff body naturally.
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