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Old 10-02-2002, 06:39 PM   #12
Kevin Wilbanks
Location: Seattle/Southern Wisconsin
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 788
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Quote:
Jonathan Auch (Jucas) wrote:
From my own examination I can see that I wasn't taking his balance, or getting him low enough. The problem comes with the fact that he doesn't respond to atemi, pain or commit his attacks.
Once again, I question what is meant by such statements as "doesn't respond to atemi". You step in, punch him in face really hard, breaking his nose, and this doesn't loosen him up at all, even for a second or two? A forceful soccer-style kick to the groin... no response?

The point is the same as with my response to Opher: be careful how you generalize on the basis of what is a very carefully circumscribed training situation in the dojo. What he doesn't understand or acknowledge is that his lump-like behavior is exploiting some of the dojo rules which are intended to make practice safe, civil, and useful for beginning and intermediate stages of training. Being an unyeilding and unresponsive uke is frustrating you because it is basically a behavior that is outside the rules. These rules include yeilding to mild atemi as though it were stronger, and yeilding to the application of techniques - both are done in part to assist your partner's education, in part to develop habits of self-protection, and in part to practice continually moving to tactically advantageous, reversal-ready positions.

Words are the tool you need to move the uke in question... more likely the Sensei's words. Someone needs to explain this to him in a way he can understand. His ukemi is most likely a hindrance to his partners and a potential danger to himself, even when partners are as nice as you.

If you were conditioned and trained to strike effectively, I guarantee you could loosen him up with atemi - especially with very nasty techniques such as throat strikes, eye jabs, and ear poppers. In the process, he might end up permanently disabled, so I don't recommend it.

When I encounter such an uke, I do what I can to try to signify that I could be taking his head off, and if the message doesn't seem to be getting across, I just grin and make the best of it. If I get an opportunity that seems appropriate, I may try to explain ukemi theory to them.

Last edited by Kevin Wilbanks : 10-02-2002 at 06:43 PM.
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