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Old 05-04-2009, 03:49 AM   #15
philippe willaume
 
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Re: Thoughts on technique

Quote:
James Mockus wrote: View Post
There have been numerous times where I have almost added to the threads. The last time was the "Techniques for Self Defense" thread. Where the gist of the thread was "what technique would you use to defend yourself?" My thought on it was no technique just aikido (and trust me no one would say my aikido was of the aiki-bunny vintage) but wasn't sure how to explain it further until the other night at class.

The other night someone made the comment to me about how difficult it is for him currently to teach aikido because in demonstrating a technique you have to do that one technique no matter what Uke gives you. In his practice he explained he was working on being on being receptive to what he is given by uke. He explained that this was aiki, so one time what uke gives you may become ikkyu and the next time it could become iriminage. You accept what is given and move with it. But when instructing you needed to demonstrate the technique rather then the aiki so that people can learn the techniques.

I have always been of the mind that aikido is not and never was in the technique. If you watch the old footage of O'Sensei he would do something different every time he demonstrated but to him it was all the same, it was "aikido." He would then tell his students to go and do it. But since he did something different every time they did not know what it was they were trying to do.

O'Sensei did not have a list of techniques for aikido. That came from his students trying to put a form to something without form, in way. And don't get me wrong we need to learn the techniques because how else would practice.

Aikido to me at least comes from the interaction with uke. Being receptive to what he is putting out and moving with it not in resistance of it. I have heard it said when one gate is closed another opens. Meaning don't try and force the gate that is locked tight; work the gate swinging in the breeze. Yes, you can force a technique over and over but that is not where the beauty of aikido lies.

There is old book called the "Unfettered Mind" by Takuan Soho and in it he talks about the stopping of the mind and how dangerous it is to a swordsman. In a lot ways the thinking and focusing one technique does just that it stops the mind.
Hello
Well techniques are the foundation of you tactics and tactics are the foundation of your strategy and movement is the expression of your strategy.

I think it is daft to separate movement and technique.
You move somewhere to do a technique and doing a technique will make you move somewhere.

Regardless of where you move, or if he attack or you attack, you need to have a technique that forces him to defend so that you can gain and keep the advantage on him. So you will probably change technique. In aikido this is covered awasa, medieval fencing wrestling this is fullen (feeling) and in modern fencing "le sentiment du fer"
That being said it is true that for a given place where you move some technique are more pertinent than others. Ie if after a punch/te-katana strikes from his outside he deflect buy rolling his shouldered up as in MT cross block with a slight side step movement so that a round house is coming any time soon
Threes no point of trying any thing else than sankio (that may turn in something else) or deal with the kick if we are a little bit late.

I think having from work and working withactive resistance is a good way to pratice and discover the limit of any given position technique and in what you can change to keep control
phil

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