View Single Post
Old 06-16-2011, 07:15 AM   #126
DH
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,394
United_States
Offline
Re: Basics, basics, basics

Quote:
Thomas Campbell wrote: View Post
You hope in vain . ..
Looks like your query about Okamoto's basic Roppokai exercise was lost in the dust, Keith. You might want to restart it as its own thread, or perhaps direct your question via PM to Howard Popkin, who does have solid experience with Daito Ryu Kodokai and Daito Ryu Roppokai, and is very good with analysis and explanation.

What I can say is that, from my very limited experience and understanding, Okamoto's exercise seems to tune in on some aspects of aiki age--as well as the opening moves to shiko as Dan Harden teaches it--specifically with respect to the wrists, forearms and shoulders. This version of shiko is rooted in Daito ryu, but Dan teaches it in a way that incorporates his understanding of internal connection and spiraling.
No Tom, Aiki age is but one thing happening. In reality there is an array of forces at work on contact. The arms are what you "see" in that opening move in shiko and they demonstrate some simple and yet profound measure of what is going on...on the inside. They are connected and moving with everything else, and display different qualities.
That's another compelling argument for what Hong style was saying about Chansi jin being the one jin and not peng. That the spiral contains all jins: in, out, up, down, leading, warding, pressing down, lifting etc. It's an interesting argument.
In any event, in a similar way, it's why you can feel the back of my knee and feel aiki age happening and meanwhile my opposite arm is leading and sendng someone else off in a different directon. Or you can have guys grabbing either side of you and one guy getting whipped up and off to the right and the other being sucked in and down on the left with one movement.

Anyway, one of the exercises Okomoto privately does and Howard did to me, was meant to test and display a connection and use of Kua, mingmen/ Dantian...to off someone, without the shoulders/ hands being used much at all...then...the body with the arms. As has been noted on certain other boards...these thgins are just not shown to everyone. I get a kick out of certain people who say this or that is not in an art, the information certain groups are getting from these folks is B.S. from the start. It's just more dissinformation from the unknowing, being called fact.

When it comes to perceived motion and how you manage it, there is no division of power without the driver being Dantian. If you remember the first rules of the hands returning to the body What is pulling on those hands? Without the connection, you just end up pulling like your average MAer. Once you consider what is leading/ pulling on what that aiki comes to the fore.
Going back to that Okomoto exercise; it interesting how soft it is, and how it enables you to test just the body only or the whole system. It becomes quite evident where someone's skill is at, when they are getting bounced out, depressed or popped sideways.

What is evident in the body conditioning remains consistent without change, as the application level moves forward into weapons or MMA. It's kinda neat to go from weapons, to wrist grabs, to 4oz gloves with one body method.
All the best
Dan
  Reply With Quote