Quote:
Alberto Italiano wrote:
behind the humour there is a serious issue Ibb.
You just refuse to see it, and I can't open the eyes of somebody who wants to keep them closed.
Dojos, Aikido dojos, would benefit immensely from randori as standard practice.
You just refuse to see that simple point: we are (dis)educating our paying pupils deluding them into the very dangerous and false confidence they can defend themselves against a determined opponent who is somewhat combat savvy.
As for my answer, you were mentioning my 40 yo joints - on my nose, eyebrows, and chin have landed the hooks and jabs of 6 feet tall black boxeurs. I was just stating that I haven't such concern with my joints as you seem to have. However, I do would be considerate with those of the others - but since you were mentioning mine, that's where my joints stand.
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Albert,
This is a common problem who come to Aikido from competitive backgrounds. What usually happens is that their fundamental settings make everyone in the place uncomfortable. Great pressure will be brought to bear until you either change how you act or go away. Either will restore harmony in the dojo. Aikido people tell themselves all sorts of stuff about how dangerous what they do is, hwy we don't compete, etc. Most of it has little grounding in reality, at least the way they train. What they say might actually be true, if they actually had the skills, but in most cases, it's just wishful thinking and an excuse to not be better at what they do.
It's like listening to someone telling you why you don't resist at a certain point in a technique because you are open for an atemi. Except that you know that they could take their best shot and not do anything other than be annoying because they've never actually worked on their atemi. It's just symbolic with no grounding in reality.
You have hit and been hit. That puts you in a reality zone right from the start that most Aikido folks have not experienced. My wife came from a competitive fencing background and she continues to have issues with Aikido people because they can't actually handle it when you really attack. At fifth kyu she had her way with a San Dan in bokken class with Saotome Sensei. She was told to attack, so she ATTACKED. The poor fellow caved every time, much to Sensei's amusement. He kept telling the poor fellow, "Ha, ha ha, you died!"
The fact of the matter is that most Aikido people do not really know the difference between an attack that is really committed and one that is devoid of actual intention to strike. Nor do they have any notion of how a fighter will stand in the eye of the hurricane to fight for the center line in a fight. They are all too busy getting out of the way, which they've been doing in the training since day one. Their mindset is essentially escapist and anyone who really attacks will dominate them.
Then, after you've mauled them, they will tell you that you aren't very spiritual and your energy body isn't very sensitive (this actually happened to me).
That said, Randori isn't the only answer. Not even the most important. If you want to really develop great aiki, there is a huge amount of work to be done which has nothing whatever to do with practical application. The Kata of Aikido should be targeted at developing and understanding of specific principles which, if you are busy focusing on free application of technique, you will certainly never become aware of. There is a reason that virtually all traditional Japanese martial arts were kata based. The problem has been that, unless the person you are training with actually understands what the kata are intended to do, what the "ura" of the kata are and not just the "omote" of the kata, then it all becomes stultified.
Anyway, good luck finding what you need. Everything you have said has been noted by virtually all experienced martial artists when they have entered a typical Aikido dojo. You will not be happy until you find the atypical dojo and teacher. This may entail moving, depending on where you are.