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Old 10-18-2012, 06:12 PM   #67
Chris Li
 
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Dojo: Aikido Sangenkai
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Join Date: Dec 2000
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Re: Aiki vs useless waza ?

Quote:
Lars Beyer wrote: View Post
I had bad posture because I was lifting many heavy objects when I was young. Aikido changed it for the better. Later on a xin yi professor told me my posture was sort of allright.. sort of.. he said. He corrected it into "half monkey stance". It was at a seminar.
To my untrained eye it looks like the stance you, Dan and others take during your seminars pushing on eachothers arms and chests and knees. I use the half monkey stance sometimes for keeping the balance on the bus or the train. Sometimes I use hanmi, sometimes both alternating.
To my eye it doesn�t look like O�sensei is using the half monkey stance in the 1935 Asahi news film or Shirata sensei`s video of prewar aikibudo techniques.

I don�t know how to describe aiki and I don�t have a definition of aiki.
I wouldn�t even know how to use it if I had it. Maybe I would use it for keeping my balance in the company of others- on a bus or a train commuting to and from work
No, we're all monkey!

Actually, that's just some training exercises, I wouldn't take that as a canonical posture.

In any case, if you don't know what Aiki is or how to describe it, then how do you know that's what you were taught, and how are you able to comment on it?

Best,

Chris

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