Quote:
Eduardo Jauch wrote:
Hi Graham 
When you talk about "universe law" and not impose will or control (by yourself), I can't help but see that you're talking about being only a "vessel" to a greater force (the universe).
For me, this is a "faith" view and I can't argument on this subject.
But there is one point that I think I can. The "will" subject.
Even if you're not aiming to impose your will on the uke directly, letting the universe choose the path of events, you're doing it anyway.
This is because you choose to be the "vessel" of the universe law. Doing this, you're accepting the universe law will impose it's own "will" on the uke, because uke is trying to impose their will on you. And accepting this, you're imposing your will to uke.
But this "will" that we're talking is, seems to me, a "philosophical" one. It's more concept than feelings.
I agree with you that to do aiki one must, in the contact moment, have no feelings of "imposing" anything on the uke.
But the ausence of feelings doesn't mean that your will is not being imposed to the uke...
Confusing?
Ok Rich, I got your point
And I agree.
But like I said to Graham, seems that we all are talking about different "levels" or "layers" of control and will.
This is very confusing... |
Hi Eduardo, and Rich.
Very astute if I may say so. Yes I do see my body as a vessel as you put it.
Now on the subject of 'will' I agree, along with the other word 'control' that it could be tranlated of different levels of or it could be translated as I say as absence of. Thus an interesting debate.
I liked Mary's analogy too.
Let's put it in Aikido practice terms to give you a perspective.
Drills. I drill people on these aspects from the view of self developement within the frame work of Aikido.
If a person is getting stuck and confused I would observe and communicate to check which principle is the main one they are missing causing the others to go out. Then for instance might say 'O.K. now do it with non-disturbance (without trying to control anything) Of course this is confusing to the student who hasn't done it before so he will then realize he can't so I will give him drills to that effect.
One drill would be a person standing in good posture holding both wrists of the other. He could be very stable or overtlly using force to prevent the other doing as I ask, it doesn't matter which, in fact as part of the drill it's good to test from various stances.
I then tell the student the drill is to push through the opponent in order to move him backwards until he can do it at ease without strength. Now here's the thing. I tell him to imagine, to see the 'Opponent' as a vessel full of water and his job is to move him without disturbing the water. Thus it rules out many things and many ways of doing it for they would all disturb the water.
It's very zen so to speak for it's until you let go of the need to control, until then you cannot see the difference.
So once done, even if accomplished only once from a hundred tries then the person sees and feels how different and infinitely more powerful that experience was. Now they can see and feel and have a bit more reality on Ki, self, and it's application.
Drills to do with specifics such as will and EVEN intent can be done as well. By this I mean without will and even without intent. Very zen once again and 'intellectually' very confusing.
Regards G.