AikiWeb Aikido Forums - View Single Post - No touching aikido, ki extention, fakes ukes?

Marc Abrams · 02-05-2009, 01:58 PM

Watching those clips was watching conditioned attackers who did not attack with any real intent to attack. Their ukemi was self-imposed and collusive in nature.

Teaching sensitivity to energy should be an important aspect of training, but not if it is learning how to take an unrealistic dive. I have genuinely tried to grab Okamoto Sensei (Daitoryu Roppokai) and this 82 year old man with a slight, almost imperceptible move had me on the way down to the ground. I have tried to kick and punch Ushiro Sensei (Shindoryu Ushiro Karate) and having been sensitized to energy knew that I was moving into a world of hurt, but I WOULD NOT take a dive. I have adjusted strike vectors and have done ukemi to avoid further strikes from him to minimize the hurt. Both of these guys have the real stuff. NONE OF IT is the "no touch" collusion that people develop as a unhealthy byproduct of energy sensitivity training.

My students get an earful from me each and every time they attack in an insincere manner, or they take ukemi in an insincere manner. This teaches bad habits that only become realized when it is too late! I spent an awful lot of time focusing in on the fundamentals of energy work in my teaching of Aikido, because when that foundation is there, techniques REALLY WORK!

It is most unfortunate that good emphasis on the energy fundamentals of our art so often times get mixed in with collusion exercises that lead to people getting hurt when a real attacker does not play by the collusion rule book.

Just my 2 cents!

Marc Abrams

02-05-2009, 01:58 PM	#19
Marc Abrams Dojo: Aikido Arts of Shin Budo Kai/ Bedford Hills, New York Location: New York Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 1,302 Offline	Re: No touching aikido, ki extention, fakes ukes? Watching those clips was watching conditioned attackers who did not attack with any real intent to attack. Their ukemi was self-imposed and collusive in nature. Teaching sensitivity to energy should be an important aspect of training, but not if it is learning how to take an unrealistic dive. I have genuinely tried to grab Okamoto Sensei (Daitoryu Roppokai) and this 82 year old man with a slight, almost imperceptible move had me on the way down to the ground. I have tried to kick and punch Ushiro Sensei (Shindoryu Ushiro Karate) and having been sensitized to energy knew that I was moving into a world of hurt, but I WOULD NOT take a dive. I have adjusted strike vectors and have done ukemi to avoid further strikes from him to minimize the hurt. Both of these guys have the real stuff. NONE OF IT is the "no touch" collusion that people develop as a unhealthy byproduct of energy sensitivity training. My students get an earful from me each and every time they attack in an insincere manner, or they take ukemi in an insincere manner. This teaches bad habits that only become realized when it is too late! I spent an awful lot of time focusing in on the fundamentals of energy work in my teaching of Aikido, because when that foundation is there, techniques REALLY WORK! It is most unfortunate that good emphasis on the energy fundamentals of our art so often times get mixed in with collusion exercises that lead to people getting hurt when a real attacker does not play by the collusion rule book. Just my 2 cents! Marc Abrams