Thread: Stealing
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Old 08-14-2005, 07:55 AM   #1
tedehara
 
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Dojo: Evanston Ki-Aikido
Location: Evanston IL
Join Date: Aug 2000
Posts: 826
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Stealing

Walking past an Aikido dojo, I looked in as I went by. Inside an instructor was showing a kokyu-nage from yokomen. I'd never seen that particular technique before. Thinking about the kokyu-nage, I realized there could be a problem with the ma-ai (distance) as the technique was performed.

At the end of class later that week, I demonstrated the technique to my Sensei. I asked him if he had seen it, and if there was problem with the ma-ai. He had seen the technique and agreed there could be a possible problem with ma-ai, which was why the uke needed to be stretched out when the technique was executed.

Some people would describe this as stealing a technique. I've always thought of the concept of stealing as Chinese in origin. I first heard it used by Tai Chi students. However, this idea has crept into some aikido vocabularies.

I've always been uncomfortable with this expression. Whatever happened to old fashion learning? Why are we paying for instruction and then describe it as "stealing"? Even the word stealing, has many bad connotations to it.

I would describe the above incident as a trained observer seeing a technique demonstrated. Later, this observer reproduced the technique along with analysis. I wouldn't call that stealing. I would call that learning.

It is not practice that makes perfect, it is correct practice that makes perfect.
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