Quote:
Cliff Judge wrote:
There is a surprising diversity of Daito ryu groups, some of them are so strange that they induce cringing.
Among the reputable ones which you most likely saw videos of, they tend to be very formal. Meaning they have kata, and students spend a huge amount of time studying the kata and trying to get them exactly right to the critical eye of an authorized instructor. (The Takumakai doesn't use the term kata for this type of practice but it is what it is.)
That right there is probably why you think Daito ryu looks "better." I presume you mean crisper, cleaner technique, that "looks like it really works." There is just more attention to details that we would consider to be jujutsu or "external" in Aikido. Much less attention is paid to improvisation, spontaneity, protecting your partner, etc.
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Basically what Cliff said.
The problem with video is one often sees what they want to see and our discernment falls by the wayside. I personally get a much better feel of what's going on in a live setting - the closer to the action the better.
I train primarily in well developed kata and am looking for precise powerful technique with good posture and body positioning - I am an Ido rokyo kind of guy. When I see uke doing lots of work my hackles rise and frankly I've seen that both in aikido and daito-ryu. What one calls good or bad often depends on your benchmarks.