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Old 04-30-2006, 11:32 AM   #60
tedehara
 
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Dojo: Evanston Ki-Aikido
Location: Evanston IL
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 826
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Re: The "Jo Trick" and Similar Exercises

Quote:
Kevin Leavitt wrote:
So really sounds like Yoga can do the same thing for you right?
Koichi Tohei's theory of mind and body coordination is based on the yoga teachings of Tempu Nakamura. However Mike is correct, in that this is not the yoga you'll see at your local community center.

Quote:
Kevin Leavitt wrote:
To me just sounds like proper body mechanics etc. correct?
What are proper body mechanics? How can you objectively verify that? K. Tohei uses ki testing to verify if the practitioner is keeping mind and body coordination. The Ki Society is the only group that originated this type of testing.

Quote:
Kevin Leavitt wrote:
...If I understood this COMPLETELY though to a fairly degree of proficiency though, i'd be a damn good fighter though right? Logic would seem to follow?
By developing mind and body coordination you would be using your body at it's most efficient level. By calming your mind you would be able to avoid "performance anxiety" that occurs in a real life confrontation. Training in a dojo is different than confronting cold steel. That is the time you need to have complete control over yourself.

Quote:
Kevin Leavitt wrote:
Therefore, if Saotome sensei understood and could demonstrate this better than I, then even at his age he could probably defeat me correct?

Or do the other factors such as speed, agility, body weight..all play a factor in this? OR do they represent the "imperfection/error" in someones skill? Does this make sense???

I mean if I was a perfectly efficient model, then all these things would be irrelevant correct?
In a real life confrontation, everything counts. Not only the physical and mental condition of the fighters, but perhaps the environment or the position of the sun in relation to them could be crucial.

Quote:
Kevin Leavitt wrote:
I think that why we do martial arts over say yoga is that martial arts teaches us how to "gap" these inefficiencies. If we did not have them...then we could become martial artist simply through studying yoga right?

Let me know if I am a complete idiot here!
The promise of traditional Japanese arts is to teach it's practitioners how to have a calm mind in a relaxed body. But the expression of each art is different. Most yoga is done though static postures. The martial arts by it's nature, is done though movement. Yoga is usually practice by an individual. Most styles of martial arts are done by two or more individuals. Each art has it's own principles and techniques. It is up to the practitioner to make the art come alive.

It is not practice that makes perfect, it is correct practice that makes perfect.
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