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Old 03-20-2007, 12:36 PM   #25
Mark Freeman
Dojo: Dartington
Location: Devon
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,220
United Kingdom
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Re: Ki, Aiki, Aikido. The 'internal stuff' that never left Aikido

Quote:
Kevin Wilbanks wrote: View Post
By contrast, imagine a machine, in which the person whose arm bendability is to be tested is limited from moving in the horizontal plane by a fixed steel ring circling the middle of their ribcage - not clamped, just limited from moving more than a half inch. Now, to test their arm bendability, we'll set up two bars. One will be positioned inside the elbow set to move radially downward and toward their waist using the position of their shoulder as the rough pivot point. The other will be underneath their forearm, set to pivot roughly radially to the other bar, toward the bendee's head/torso. Each bar will be fitted with a pneumatic piston capable of exerting 5000 pounds per square inch. Do you still think any human that ever lived would be able to demonstrate "unbendable arm"?
No!

George's post's expanded on my own of what this unbendable arm 'thing' is and why it is neccessary for the correct practice of aikido. It's only a training tool to achieve a desired mind/body state. I'm not keen on the term 'unbendable' or 'trick' and your mechanical uke would no doubt prove your hypothesis. But what does that prove in itself?

regards,

Mark

Success is having what you want. Happiness is wanting what you have.
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