View Single Post
Old 09-08-2009, 06:06 PM   #99
Chuck Clark
 
Chuck Clark's Avatar
Dojo: Jiyushinkan
Location: Monroe, Washington
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 1,134
United_States
Offline
Re: Inefficiencies in the Aikido Training Method

The problem lots of people have with kata geiko is that although it is "pre-arranged form" or choreographed, it must be practiced with appropriate intent at some point. It makes it doubly hard if your partner isn't. That's one of the reasons that uke's role is taken by the senior in many traditional practice methods. When both partners are filled with the intent and are fulfilling the riai of the kata, then there is katachi and the kata is no longer "fake" or lifeless, etc. The kata is REAL even though it is programed.

A huge problem is that lots of trainees never get out of the initial stage even though the choreography looks nice/great and can be a very nice "workout"... it ain't real yet. Unless there are enough models that have made the step to kata that's filled with the proper intent and understand the riai of the kata, the level of real kata is lost for the juniors that eventually become "seniors" and "instructors" and the practice suffers.

When sotai kata geiko reaches a mature level of training, it has the appearance and feeling of "real" action. Then randori, that is "taking form out of chaos freely" becomes the test of our ability to use the forms of kata that then answer our intuitive, creative decision making, on the go, under varying levels of stress becoming the essence of budo. The continuing creation of waza that fits the needs at hand. It is a difficult practice to be sure.

Sorry for the length and rambling.

Best regards,

Chuck Clark
Jiyushinkai Aikibudo
www.jiyushinkai.org
  Reply With Quote