View Single Post
Old 09-13-2013, 09:05 PM   #57
bkedelen
 
bkedelen's Avatar
Dojo: Boulder Aikikai
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 450
United_States
Offline
Re: Beginners should not be allowed to act as uke.

Quote:
Bill Danosky wrote: View Post
If they are, they need to teach techniques that the average 6th kyu student can use on anyone, not just someone who knows how to yield properly. Like Hiji Shime, Kote Gaeshi, Ude Garami and (of course) Irimi Nage.
The defensive tactics that are available in Aikido's curriculum surely aren't a function of which techniques you know. In fact I would go so far as to say knowing how to yield your ass off until you have a chance to run like hell is the way to go when it comes to surviving violence. Attempting to using techniques to dominate the other person, even if you are very good at martial arts, is unwise.

Because the Aikido uke role has the rather unique property of making you more durable (if you are doing it well) it is fairly underrated, particularly in the current culture of "no ukemi" as a method to proof your nage. Proofing your nage is absolutely essential, but in my opinion is something to be used occasionally for the purposes of gauging your development, rather than as your routine training mode. Several of the folks I have trained with (including some pretty advanced people) who have taken this on as a routine training mode have become stiff and have, at least for now, lost much of their grace as a result.

Last edited by bkedelen : 09-13-2013 at 09:17 PM.
  Reply With Quote