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Old 07-16-2008, 04:13 PM   #112
Aikibu
Dojo: West Wind Dojo Santa Monica California
Location: Malibu, California
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,295
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Re: Seiseki Abe Sensei video....whats going on here?

Quote:
Allen Beebe wrote: View Post
So I was thinking . . .

I find George's statement to be true that sword work enhances connectivity. (I would state that it provides a unique training environment in which to learn how to connect and/or disconnect at will.) In fact just about all of our taijutsu is prefaced by sword work or some form of pole arm work. The benefit that weapons work offers non-weapons work is due, I believe, to the decreased tolerances physically, technically and mentally for error allowed within good weapons work.

However, of these three, the mental benefit is probably largely a beneficial byproduct of delusion. In other words, for example, in sword work, one's physical and technical performance and accuracy may increase due the changed physical demands brought by the presence of a well handled sword. Interestingly, one also often derives benefits of enhanced mental performance do to type of training. However, in the case of mental enhancement, it is brought about by the PERCEPTION and EVALUATION of the changed physical reality brought by the presence of a sword. In other words, the mental reality changes and is enhanced due to a change in mentality (perception and evaluation) not necessarily due to physical change itself. Consequently, while one may require physical change in order to adapt physically, one does not necessarily require physical change in order to adapt mentally. (Although in the above example, one can see where it can help force the issue.) Of course the punch line is the mind/body differentiation is really a product of perception/evaluation as well.

I'm reminded of the story about Takeda Sokaku getting tooled by a faster Karate guy when he (Takeda) used jujutsu to fight him. He then solved his problem by rationalizing that the Karate guy was faster than his jujutsu, but his (Takeda's) Kenjutsu was faster than the Karate guy . . . so he came back and did Jujutsu like AS a Kenshi and tooled the Karate guy.

Don't know if this belongs here. The repost of George's comment prompted the posted string of thought . . . while I sat on "the throne."

Jun: Please feel free to do what you will with this. I flushed afterward!
Which is why in our case Shoji Nishio took O'Sensei telling him "Aikido is the Sword" seriously enough to develop his own expression of Aikido around it. Everything we do is based on the Sword or Jo and I see a huge difference between those branches that follow this training philosophy and those that don't.

No worries Alan and Jun One of the few places I won't take my laptop is the bathroom or the bedroom. LOL

William Hazen
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