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Old 07-27-2011, 01:17 AM   #7
Tim Ruijs
 
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Dojo: Makato/Netherlands
Location: Netherlands - Leusden
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 463
Netherlands
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Re: To expand your Aikido, you must condense it down

OK, seriously.
My teacher (and myself) has a very sober style. No unnecessary movements and focus is on basic principles, not the techniques themselves. For us, the principles are correct posture (shi sei) , distance (ma-ai) and fluent motion (kino nagare). Lessons are focused on one of these principles, so you improve that aspect and as a result improve a multitude of techniques, rather than studying a single technique and improve (only) that.
I have teached for about eight years now and find this approach works really well. People require some time to rid the idea of learning techniques (caused by our Western upbringing/schooling/etc), but after that they really enjoy Aikido more and learn/understand better.
So, yeah agreed, condense it down

In a real fight:
* If you make a bad decision, you die.
* If you don't decide anything, you die.
Aikido teaches you how to decide.
www.aikido-makato.nl
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