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Old 08-29-2011, 08:51 AM   #3
Mark Freeman
Dojo: Dartington
Location: Devon
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,220
United Kingdom
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Re: How do Akikai Aikido students learn about KI?

Quote:
Alex Megann wrote: View Post
I think you will find in general a huge variety of ways of practising as well as of teaching under the Aikikai "umbrella".
Hi Alex,

My guess is that this may be true for most, if not all styles of aikido. I hope to find out on my proposed journey next year.

Quote:
My personal experience is that within the Aikikai "muscling thru it" is generally regarded as bad aikido. I don't know your level of experience, but in my opinion it is not always easy at an early level to tell the difference between technically excellent aikido, aikido performed with inner power, and aikido where uke falls too easily (either to make tori look or feel better or simply through habit).
True, I can't imagine any style where muscling through it would be considered anything but bad. Why use effort when you don't have to.

Quote:
My only time watching a ki aikido class (just one sample, so it is probably not representative) was disappointing - after all the ki exercises in the first part of the class I was expecting superior aikido, but what I did see was surprisingly scrappy and looked pretty ineffective. However, I have been in a couple of classes with Koretoshi Maruyama Sensei (ex-Ki Society), and found him deeply impressive, As I said, there is a lot of variation wherever you go.[
What level was the teacher, at the class you visited? what were they lacking? and what was it about Maruyama, that you found so impressive?

Quote:
I'm not sure either what you mean by "how to apply KI". I'm not convinced that Tohei Sensei's guidelines and the exercises he taught are the same thing as what is often referred to on AikiWeb as "kokyu skills", but that's a whole different discussion.
I agree, "how to apply ki?" is a very broad question, which I am not sure can adequately explained anyway, using only words, it HTBF as they say.

I've been following the arguments over what constitutes kokyu skills on these boards for years, probably best to leave that can of worms with the lid on for now.

regards,

Mark

Success is having what you want. Happiness is wanting what you have.
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