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Atemi at all?
In my early training, we were taught atemi. Uke was expected to protect themself, especially with any atemi thrown toward the face.
However, over the years, we have dropped atemi completely from our training. This is because too often the atemi became a substitute for poor timing.
Also, it has been my sense for some time now that atemi can lead to a very "non-Aiki" mind-set. Perhaps we need to shift from the idea of "quick percussive strikes" (atemi) more toward leading Uke to a safer place.
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