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Old 11-27-2010, 01:53 PM   #37
Michael Hackett
Dojo: Kenshinkan Dojo (Aikido of North County) Vista, CA
Location: Oceanside, California
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,253
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Re: YouTube: Golden Center Sword

I think I've mentioned this before, but I had the privilege of doing a session with Homma Sensei at the 2005 AikiExpo. Homma Sensei picked up a jo and held it horizontally. He explained that Aikido can be represented by the length of the jo, with one end being the "aiki bunny dance" and brutal. bone crushing martial technique on the other (and I am paraphrasing here). He ended his discussion by saying that both ends of the jo were poor Aikido, but a practitioner had to be able to move back and forth along the jo to truly practice Aikido. As he spoke, he made it clear with the path of his hands that the movement in the art was within the middle half or third of the jo. My understanding was that either extreme was something to be avoided and what he said rang true for me, given his lineage with Toyoda Sensei through Tohei Sensei to O Sensei.

Michael
"Leave the gun. Bring the cannoli."
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