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Old 06-04-2013, 06:09 PM   #24
JP3
 
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Dojo: Wasabi Dojo
Location: Houston, TX
Join Date: Mar 2013
Posts: 290
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Re: The Role of Uke in Aikido Training

Ledyard Sensei, this is going to sound like a trolling question, and I apologize in advance for it.

In the initial post you mentioned that uke should strike nage at any point in the technique during which uke "can" strike nage, which I understand .... for higher-lavel practice.

Simple question, based on your own instruction of students. About when, or after what benchmark, do you allow the uke this "freedom" to actively counterattack with a "strike?"

Not to be funny, but what I, personally, do with my students is make a stupid game-show buzzer noise for auditory input as I touch them in the vulnerable location (tacticle input) and/or wave a fist about in their face or other vulnerable area (visual input), but... I've been at this for decades and I've no clue when it came easily and automatically, i.e. "when I wouldn't hurt anyone."

Any idea as to what to watch for to open this up to a student base?

I find it interesting that the kanji character for kuzushi illustrates a mountain falling on a house.
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