View Single Post
Old 08-07-2008, 02:54 PM   #27
BWells
Dojo: ADV
Location: Concord, California
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 127
United_States
Offline
Re: Using Aikido During Sparring

Hi Jake, I'm another ADV student (thanks for good word Janet and hi Alf). I'll be at the beginning class on Friday so we can talk in more detail but in general I have two comments on sparing.

1. Most aikido ends up with someone taking ukemi (falls), so if you are playing using aikido and neither of you are comfortable with falling, you need to gear it down and be careful.

2. In my view the connection to the attacker, blending, maintaining my own center and taking the attackers balance are much more what aikido is about, rather than doing techniques. If I take your balance I have a whole lot of techniques I can use, but if I'm just trying to do a technique, especially against a striker, I'm liable to eat a fist and right now my wife has me on a diet so I should not be doing that!
  Reply With Quote