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Old 05-09-2003, 01:25 PM   #4
Doug Mathieu
Dojo: Aikido Bozankan
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Join Date: Apr 2002
Posts: 64
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Hi Dave

I've been at Nidan for a year now and been training for 12 years total. I don't think I would consider myself at the stage of an Artist.

I still work hard at applying correct body movement, breathing, flow and connection.

I have noticed occaisional times when bits of the artist might peek out.

1. Sometimes we play with an attack and try to figure out how we might do a particular technique against it that we haven't done. Eg: Koshinage from Ushiro RyoKatatori.

2. I have a friend who is a Yondan in Shotokan Karate. Several times a year myself and a few others visit with them and he gets us to watch one of their Kata's and see places where we might use an Aikido technique instead of the the Karate one in it. Its very interesting and I notice it makes me think of Aikido principles and I try to be "creative" which is an aspect of being an artist.

3. Randori/Jiyu Waza. I practice sometimes with a friend at another Dojo and lately we have done some Jiyu Waza where I pick a technique and he attacks anyway he wants. He continues his attacks until he runs out of ideas. I know what I am going to try and do but don't know until the last minute what attack to defend against. Its really fun and hard. Sometimes it felt like somethig came out totally unexpected and was nothing I had specifically trained at.

I think these are glimmers of what you are getting at. I agree wholeheartedly that eventually once the tools are learned we can turn to artistic expression. I might add the tools need sharpening to be useful consequently we can expect to always practice the basics or the artistry will degrade and it could be easy to think we have the tools ready when in fact they aren't.

This is an enjoyable idea to explore intectually and in practice. Thanks Dave
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