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Old 01-26-2001, 07:04 AM   #14
Sam
Dojo: Kyogikan Sheffield
Location: UK
Join Date: Jan 2001
Posts: 90
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This is probably the biggest argument people who practise different types of aikido can have.
I practise tomiki aikido. Therefore I support randori or 'free-play'
I can understand why traditional students do not agree with the idea of competition. But it is not really competition as someone trying to beat another person at all costs as you would imagine. This is not what tomiki sensei intended. The philosphy is that when you apply a technique to somebody who does not want that technique to work they will move to render it ineffecive (do not read as strength or aggressive wrestling) this movement makes another technique more appropriate (rather than trying to force the technique to work) because the position of each player has now changed. This now is free-play - you may have experienced it during jiyu-waza by accident. Free-play is all competition is. Tomiki sensei went to great lengths to refine the rules of free-play to make it seem as un-competitive as possible whilst enabling students to learn throught its practise. This is the idea of introducting a tanto to generate initial movement - it is a learning tool. As a Professor of physical education at Waseda University Tomiki sensei was in a unique environment in which to study the benefits of free-play
This is what I teach and I believe it opens the mind of the student. Of course randori is only the next step after learning appropriate technique in a formal environment.
I know that some of you will always be horrified at the idea of free-play, but please view it as it was intended and not how you imagine it to be.
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