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Old 03-06-2013, 07:39 AM   #38
Marc Abrams
Dojo: Aikido Arts of Shin Budo Kai/ Bedford Hills, New York
Location: New York
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,302
United_States
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Re: The Empty Body

Quote:
Gary Welborn wrote: View Post
Graham
Chris Li comes from the Islands were Tohei was King for a long time. Most of the early Aikido folks that Chris learned from were Tohei trained........so Chris likely knows, has felt, has practiced, has been the principles that you talk to as your source at some time during his many years of training.

I took ukemi for Tohei Sensei more than once here in California when he came to our dojo to teach an even class for just the dojo. I have felt and trained with several of the instructors who came with him, some from Japan and others from Hawaii. Tohei was a very powerful individual, was like running into a wall, was like a moving solid sphere, his movement produced results from that turning sphere. It worked for him, it was very effective on us and none of the folks that came with him were like that.

I did all the ki exercises......I could do them at the level they were being presented and taught.......As I reflect back now I was not taught the steps needed to find motion in stillness or stillness in motion. I was not taught how to establish up and down...side to side or front to back stability. It was not presented. I was told to keep one point...not taught the steps to get there. I moved on.

It has only come to me lately as a gift that maintaing one point is really pulling out from center in all directions and learning how to maintain that. Solo practice with paired practice to check your progress.

It was never about Tohei not having something....rather it was about how it was passed along.

Just me.......fish or cut bait.....

Gary
Gary:

1) Graham does not belong to Ki Society and has no direct experience with Tohei Sensei.

2) His teacher did not belong to Ki Society either. At best, his teacher might have attended some seminars taught by Tohei Sensei.

3) His assertions regarding this subject matter cannot be substantiated in any manner, shape or form, despite repeated attempts from many different people to try and get him to do so.

4) Many of his ideas are based upon questionable translations from Japanese sources, that he then applies his own unique interpretations to.

Since this thread is about Tohei, solo practice and internal training, the value of people's opinions and interpretations of Tohei's ideas and teachings, without any substantial base of REAL training and experience with Tohei Sensei, is obvious to all. Bait is a good term and has many meanings with this person.....

Regards,

Marc Abrams
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