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Old 04-16-2010, 12:20 PM   #253
David Orange
Dojo: Aozora Dojo
Location: Birmingham, AL
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,511
United_States
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Re: Video definitions, "Aiki" and other terms.

Quote:
Chris Hein wrote: View Post
The demonstration you are discussing is cooperative. Just because you don't "think" it is when you are doing it doesn't change that fact. Could he do that on someone with no Aikido training, who wasn't interested in playing along? From what I can see, no.
From what I've felt in person, the answer must be yes.

The only thing, if the partner were not "cooperating" it wouldn't "look" like that. All you would be able to say was that Gleason Sensei dominated the other guy. Because if the other guy is freely oppressing him, he would have to respond freely. A "cooperative" exercise is for the purpose of understanding something isolated and specific. Once that's been absorbed, it can be expressed freely and formlessly and from what I've felt, Gleason Sensei has absorbed it and he continues to seek deeper levels of it. In any case, if you exert strength on him, he can manipulate it along the general lines of the demo clip, but if you watch it on tape, you might be hard pressed to see how he did it.

Quote:
Chris Hein wrote: View Post
This could be shown on film very easily. Do it on a street corner, like David Blaine. Ask some passers by to try your "experiment". Sounds like a lot of work, and I wouldn't blame you for not trying it. But the door is open if you'd like to try.
It would work on people who kept up a steady pressure on him and it would look like the demo clip if the uke didn't try to get tricky or slick. If he did, it would still work, but it wouldn't look like the clip, obviously.

Quote:
Chris Hein wrote: View Post
The suggestion that this stuff is impossible to show on film leads me, as an objective person, to believe what you are talking about is false.
I don't think anyone meant to say it's impossible to show on film--just that very few people will understand what they're seeing. Further, many might think they understand what they're seeing and make videos that look very similar while lacking the inner content.

Quote:
Chris Hein wrote: View Post
Again my video offer stands. If you can do something on video that I can't duplicate, I'd love to see it.
Please use that effort, instead, to visit some well-known names and lay hands on them. It will be a far better use of time and will do more for the aikido world as well.

Best wishes.

David

"That which has no substance can enter where there is no room."
Lao Tzu

"Eternity forever!"

www.esotericorange.com