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Old 04-21-2013, 07:51 AM   #35
graham christian
Dojo: golden center aikido-highgate
Location: london
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 2,697
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Re: Has anyone surpassed O'Sensei?

Quote:
Ewen Ebsworth wrote: View Post
Graham,

Drawing out your opponent's/uke's attack in order to apply a particular waza is high level from my understanding and is something Yoshinkan Aikido uses from the dvds I have on this style of Aikido. It's something which I think is important in real life. A truism in the martial arts is fight your own fight. I see this principle in randori - the way you move, avoid, deflect and redirect the attacker's force and energy is in a way making them fight your fight. Unfortunately I don't think the way this old video of O'Sensei from 1935 is filmed, is the best example of this.
Hi Ewen.
It sure is high level for watching O'Sensei is watching high level of course. There are so many pluses in the video, enough for a book but to stick to the point of drawing out the opponents Ki and causing the shape of the attack both then I see it throughout the video.

In the first part from knees he is causing the persons 'reaction' which he then takes. That's pretty standard. In the tachiwaza he is both drawing out and leading. In the kokyu he is doing it even more pronounced and indeed he does randori there too. With the 'spear' and 'sword' the way he does it cannot be done without doing so. Hard to see maybe and hard to find someone from whom you could experience it too and get reality but nonetheless to me and so in my opinion it shines out clearly.

When you do Randori of course it looks like avoid, deflect and redirect etc. but you will find it goes beyond that eventually. Then there is no avoidance or deflection but pure motion causing the actions of the attackers giving them no choice but to act as you desire. That's high level randori. That's the 'magic' of Ueshiba's Aikido.

My thoughts.

Peace.G.
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