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Old 12-13-2010, 08:46 PM   #45
Tony Wagstaffe
Location: Winchester
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,211
United Kingdom
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Re: Tales and Phantasies of Aikibunny

Quote:
Walter Martindale wrote: View Post
Well, I'm finding that after only 17 years my wrists are getting tender and don't like doing those back of hand or ridge-hand push-ups.

Physical fitness and general strength? Absolooteley!!! Yes, I know that's not how to spel it. 8-)

I used to get criticised for being too strong when I started Aikido but then lately I hear about how O-Sensei had a crushing grip and was kinda solid when he was younger... What exactly is wrong with being strong? I can learn to do the movements without much force or strength, using movement and flow to effect a technique, but if I can do pull-ups, dips, bench press, split squats with light weight (say 60 kg) and so on, what's wrong with that on top of "light" technique? Won't it make the light technique that much easier to do for a longer time, and won't it give me the option of blasting through a movement if (say) it's in situ?

My judo sensei was training in the Kodokan around the time Isao Okano was All Japan Champ. At 80 kg, he was the lightest of the era to win - after all it's an "open weight" competition - vide Yasuhiro Yamashita.
Dave (my sensei) said that he asked Okano what he did for his strength training - answer "Just Judo".. A few weeks later, Dave caught Okano in the weight room bashing some prodigious amount of steel around, and asked - "I thought you didn't do weights" - answer "this is also judo"... Photos from Okano's books - he was not a skinny little fellow - Tank, perhaps - similar in proportion to images of O-Sensei when he was in his younger years...
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Ssssshhhh!!
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