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Old 05-07-2013, 08:18 AM   #57
Jonathan
Dojo: North Winnipeg Aikikai
Location: Winnipeg, Canada
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 265
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Re: does nikyo hurt?

I don't think nikyo must rely solely on pain for its effectiveness but saying it should not be at all painful seems to be throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I have never encountered a nikyo that wasn't at least uncomfortable in order to be effective. Certainly, I have never felt a nikyo that was totally pain-free that was also able to control me. Maybe I need a broader experience with other aikidoka.

I am not convinced that a pain-free form of nikyo would actually be effective against someone who was really trying to beat the crap out of you. A pain-free nikyo may appear to work in the dojo where uke has been carefully trained to respond in just the right way, but my experience suggests that such a response to a painless nikyo outside of the dojo by a very aggressive attacker is virtually nil.

My main purpose in commenting in this thread was to object to the idea that a painful nikyo must also necessarily be a poorly executed one. I don't believe this for a moment. The most effective nikyo I have ever felt was also very painful. If some wish to work toward an effective but pain-free nikyo, more power to them. They just shouldn't get on a high horse and proclaim to the rest of us that the proper and best nikyo must always be pain-free.

Regards,

Jon.

"Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend."
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