View Single Post
Old 10-19-2012, 11:01 AM   #148
HL1978
Dojo: Aunkai
Location: Fairfax, VA
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 429
United_States
Offline
Re: VoE: AWASE - The Principle of AIKI

Quote:
David Soroko wrote: View Post
The short and somewhat useless answer is "everything". The longer answer is that in the seminar no waza has been taught so when I say everything is different, I mean that I don't see how the waza demonstrated
in the video arises or is related to the drills from the seminar. I have asked similar questions on this thread:

http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showpo...0&postcount=69
http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showpo...1&postcount=75
http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showpo...9&postcount=83
http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showpo...8&postcount=90

so have a look.
I've never met Dan, though I have met up with people who have, so any information I have on what he teaches is second hand. I believe he has taught more aikido-centric seminars, so perhaps with that audience makeup, it might be more apparent? I assume he probably would say that you need to apply the principle of whatever he worked on in push-tests, strikes etc to your aikido practice, and that you could presumably utilize it in pre-scripted waza as a limited means by which to develop it, even if waza itself isn't the ultimate goal.

I know for myself, as I study a number of arts, that attending IS seminars, the drills and focus did not look immediately applicable, to my kendo/iaido practice, nor to ground fighting, since we never quite did anything that replicated the motions of cutting, nor submissions. That being said, the fact that people got unbalanced on contact, was rather attractive and seemed unlike what I'd seen which was the result of timing, pain compliance, really good form or collusion. Then its up to one's self to figure out once they understand the principle, and see if the same movement is present in certain people who are acknowledged to "have" it and how to rewire how you move yourself..

Obviously, having never met nor seen Dan, I'm in no position to judge if he is doing what Ueshiba is doing, but I think its pretty clear that he is not advocating the approach most people have to martial arts. I think a question to ask those who have had experience with Ueshiba is to ask, them if he achieved what he did through superior technique and timing or if there was something else they seemed to think was in action (whether it was his religious experiences or something else) and perhaps use that as a measuring stick.
  Reply With Quote