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Old 04-13-2010, 12:00 PM   #198
rroeserr
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 27
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Re: Video definitions, "Aiki" and other terms.

Quote:
Mark Murray wrote: View Post
Personally, I wouldn't explain it that way ... but in theory it's close to how I'm looking at things. Mostly, I wouldn't explain it that way because I'm trying not to activate bicep or tricep muscles at all, even together. Course, I might be trying to get them to the microsecond pre-stage of movement.

In other words getting my brain to send the signal that I want to pick something up. My hand grabs the object and at the very microsecond that my biceps would physically contract to lift, I don't let them do that but keep them at that pivotal point. At the very same time, I'm getting my brain to send the signal that I want to push that object down and at the very microsecond that my triceps would physically contract, I don't let them do that but keep them at that pivotal point. Contradictory forces using both biceps and triceps, without the actual physical contraction of those localized muscle groups. But, yet not really the actual physical extension of them either.

Same concept with the ki unbendable arm trick. You imagine a flow of water going out your arm. What really makes that work? You're sending a signal to the brain to "push" something outward but not really letting your muscles contract physically to finish the job. Except, as I mention, you have to have contradictory forces going, so outward is only 1/2 of the "intent" needed.

How do the arms tie in to the body? The shoulder area. Which, for me, is a huge obstacle because of muscles wanting to physically fire and get in the way. Once localized muscle groups (for example pecs, or biceps or quads) fire and physically contract/expand/whatever, that restricts "ki flow" as some would say. Intent outwards and inwards, from and to the spine. The shoulder joint, in that contradictory force does not get pulled outward nor does it get jammed inwards by force. That shoulder joint becomes the connection point for the arms to the upper cross.

Rinse and repeat with entire body. Structure.
If you look at a lock like kote-gaeshi done properly it goes all the way from your wrist (forearm), scapula, to your spine, hip, and on down to the ground. So basically you have just been wound up, and if you stay relaxed it goes right through your shoulder. You can take your hara and unwind yourself. I think that's what your supposed to be doing in the wrist lock warmup exercises. Anyways part of me thinks that a component of internal power is moving yourself using a similar mechanism that Don Angier called commutative locking - just in reverse.

Later,
Robert