Thread: Relaxing
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Old 03-14-2009, 08:45 PM   #15
George S. Ledyard
 
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Dojo: Aikido Eastside
Location: Bellevue, WA
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Re: Relaxing

Quote:
Leif Summerfield wrote: View Post
Relaxing...what a wonderful paradox!
I was training at hombu dojo with Endo sensei. He kept saying "see, I'm relaxed" just as he'd throw his huge uke.
I decided then an there that western denotation of "relax" is different than Eastern denotation.
I would say that this is true. Muscle tension is just one of the myriad forms tension takes in both our minds and bodies.

Quote:
First, relaxing I think has almost nothing to do with muscle relaxation.
Actually, it does have to do with muscle relaxation. Your muscles should be "soft" throughout technique. Kuroda Sensei showed this over and over at the Aiki Expos. He didn't really teach waza, he taught body mechanics. He'd come over and throw your partner while you felts his arms. The muscles which you'd expect to power the technique did not fire at all... completely relaxed. Endo Sensei is the same way.

Quote:
It's more a state of pliability to your posture. Endo Sensei could move in any position he wanted to when "relaxed", but he had enough muscular force to be able to lift, move and throw his uke (me at the time).
It wasn't muscle power. It was a combination of the body's structure in proper alignment plus the use of the connective tissue (ligaments, tendons, and fascia) to provide flexible and relaxed power transfer. There has been a lengthy discussion on the Non-Aikido Martial Traditions forum.

Quote:
Actually, it isn't muscle power
As Mike S, Dan H, and Rob John have been saying, if you want to take this out to the limit, you have to do some sort of conditioning work to develop your internal structure. There is a wide range of skill on the power side of this issue. And definitely different types of power depending on what training you do.

George S. Ledyard
Aikido Eastside
Bellevue, WA
Aikido Eastside
AikidoDvds.Com
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