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Old 03-06-2005, 04:25 PM   #22
Mike Sigman
Location: Durango, CO
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,123
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Re: Ki Usage and O-Sensei: A Question

Quote:
George S. Ledyard wrote:
This ties into discussions, mostly on the Aikido Journal board we had with Goldsbury Sensei about whether O-Sensei actually "taught" Aikido or was a "teacher" in the way that we mean in the West. When someone takes the approach that the students will either get it or they won't, I don't think that they are "teaching" in the way that we usually mean it.
Well, another factor is that you traditionally don't give away valuable information. If a teacher knows that his heir's livelihood will depend on a martial art, etc., he'll hold back simply because he must in order to provide as the head of the family.
Quote:
Tohei Sensei influenced the whole direction modern Aikido took with his principle based instruction. As simple as they seem to be today, those principles were a revelation for many students at the Aikikai Honbu dojo who were hungry for something more concrete than O-Sensei's Shinto based lectures accompanied by physical technique.
Maybe. I don't have enough data to comment intelligently, so I won't. His principles were certainly a start, but they're not very explicative. He doesn't even mention the "intent" that is needed, but sticks to vagaries associated with the necessary "relaxation" (if you don't relax, your normal use of primary musculature will interfere with the development of these skills). If you think about it, the best way to train for Aikido, once you know how to form these body-mind relationships, is to use the simple movement exercises that are commonly done at the start of most classes. If they're done with the correct "intent", they're perfect exercises.

FWIW

Mike Sigman
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