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Old 07-14-2014, 02:20 PM   #32
jonreading
 
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Re: Demonstrating aiki, demontrating aikido.Same thing ?

Quote:
Cliff Judge wrote: View Post
I disagree that internal power is a "prerequisite" of aiki. They are just two different things. I suppose if you are an internal power type you are going to see things in Saotome Sensei's material that makes sense in that light, but he really doesn't teach anything about internal power, and internals are not a requirement to make most of what he does work.
Denier.

This is currently above my pay grade, but I am working on it. If internal power is integral to "ki", then "aiki" would necessarily have "ki" (and internal power). I am still waiting to hear how internal power squares up to "ki", but my guess is they are related, if not synonymous.

I am convinced Sensei is doing internals and doesn't even distinguish it - it's just what he does and who he is. Same with Ikeda sensei. While possibly a topic for another thread, I don't think there is anything wrong with doing good jujutsu and I don't think you need internals for doing them. But without aiki, you're doing a different art - even if it looks the same. I think the question is actually at what point do we consider technique without aiki to cease being "aikido". There has to be some level, because when we begin, clearly no one is doing aiki - we are trying our best to not trip over our feet. We still call it aikido, but at some point the expectation shifts beyond jujutsu.

Or... can aikido function without an internal component?

Somewhat bending back around to my distinction that we have a problem if the only instance in which we can demonstrate "aiki" is by doing jujutsu waza... Maybe the only thing we are demonstrating is jujutsu.

Jon Reading
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