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Old 11-26-2010, 08:44 AM   #37
David Orange
Dojo: Aozora Dojo
Location: Birmingham, AL
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,511
United_States
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Re: Poor posture seems to be on the rise.

Quote:
Chicko Xerri wrote: View Post
Why is it that today there are so many pics and video showing high level Aikidoka, Japanese and Westerners with obvious poor posture during the execution of even the most basic of techniques. Understanding of Timing and Distance has obviously been poorly stressed. Where are the teachers,(Shihan) supposedly overseeing and keeping the Foundations of O'sensei in tact.
Chicko,

Interesting that you should bring this up. It's something I was struck by recently in watching some videos on YouTube. The instructor is apparently at least 5th dan, an American, with a lot of students and he shows himself doing various techniques. But I was amazed to see that he has really bad posture.

He does the thing where he throws uke and uke gets up and instantly reattacks, gets thrown, gets back up and reattacks and gets thrown, over and over.

But in each case, from the very beginning and through every technique, the guy is bent forward at the waist--as if anticipating the attack and trying to be "in", already, before he starts moving. This was a bad habit that I always pointed out to students in Japan. One fellow had that very bad habit of leaning forward while waiting for the attack. You could make him fall over with a good feint, though he was pretty good with most of the techniques, otherwise. And that satisfied him enough that he never worried about this fundamental flaw in all his techniques.

I watched a number of YouTube clips from the American teacher mentioned above and just couldn't believe it. The teacher does have a pretty broad technical repertoire, but with his posture so strange, he has to use a lot of physical power to effect his techniques. I'm sure he'd say he's not using strength, but he has to be using a lot of strength just to keep from falling over. If he weren't obviously a very strong guy, he couldn't do the techniques at all in that fashion.

I thought about posting a comment on an aikiweb thread or sending the guy a PM, but I just sensed that he would not take it well. So I decided to chime in here.

The fact is, if you're not standing stock-still and absolutely upright when the attack comes, you're telegraphing your intent and seriously limiting your options for movement, making yourself vulnerable to a feint: you're so committed to moving in a certain way that if uke doesn't follow through with the attack, you can't help continuing with your own move, and then he can clock you.

I appreciate your bringing this up. It's one of the most important considerations in aikido.

Best to you.

David

"That which has no substance can enter where there is no room."
Lao Tzu

"Eternity forever!"

www.esotericorange.com
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