Quote:
Marc Abrams wrote:
If you study what the criteria are, you can do things to not fit a "victim profile." ... I believe that the study of Aikido is not easy and takes long to be able to effectively utilize because you are essentially re-programming the person to respond to an attack in a manner that is different than what one would typically do.
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There are reflexive mechanisms aswell as perceptual manipulations exploited in aiki (and esp. evident in kokyu tanden ho) that bear on points made in
this lecture. -- esp. beginning at @ 4:33
I have often pointed out to students that the most obvious cue for a "not-prey" signal to a would-be predator is rather basic -- and very hard to unlearn signalling "prey".. Essentially, "prey" prepares to flee - "not-prey" is actually more prepared to fight, while not seeming to care about any fight.
"Prey" tense, lift their CG to enable omnidirectional mobility. "Not-prey" relax, lower their CG, gain stability, and are ready to fight but seem unconcerned with the possibility of attack. These systemic postures biomechanically predispose or potentiate different suites of reflexes to fire more easily than others.
I say "not-prey" because being a predator is yet a third thing. Only predators seem ready to fight, basically, a threat display to ward off competition for a kill. There may be deep reasons O Sensei forbade competition.