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Old 02-09-2008, 06:55 PM   #26
Upyu
Dojo: Aunkai, Tokyo
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 591
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
I am familiar with the six harmonies
1. hand to foot
2. elbow with knee
3. hip with shoulder
4. (Yi) Mind
5. (Li) Body
6. (Chi) Energy
Well, you posted two sets of "harmonies". The first three being the external requirements that help to create the bodies "frame" in the beginning, and the second being internal harmonies.

The first three are pretty straight forward.

The second three... 5. "Li" doesn't even mean "Body" -> it's "strength".
I think the version you were trying to shoot for was
Xin with Yi, Yi with Qi, and Qi with Li(actually "jin")
Some version of the harmonies will arbitrarily replace the parts with "blood/circulation" etc. Doesn't matter since they generally mean the same thing physically.

Alright...nit picking over.

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
Double weighted is real simple for me. 50% - 50% weight distribution on each foot.
Why would you say that 50-50 weight separation is a "bad thing"? I can think of one reason why it could be wrong, but again, it would only be due to the use of inefficient body mechanics being used. (specifically with how an incoming load settles in the body). If the load is distributed properly in the body, having 50-50 weight separation is the "same" as 70-30 or 90-10.

<snip video>
I'd say that while I see a lot of the first set of harmonies in your video, I don't see any from the second. You're using a coordination on the saggital plane, effected through the legs and hip girdle (on a smaller scale of course, I see why you call it small circle), but it's still fundamentally based on the first set of harmonies. It's weight transfer, small,compact weight transfer at that, but I still don't see any physical "connections" in the body being used.
I see harmonization/coordination, but no actual connection throughout the body, which is what has to be present, before the "internal harmonies" are even mentioned.

Another clue that we're talking about completely different things is "six directions".
I assume you've been doing lots of zhang zhuang, qi qong exercises etc...
Six directions (sometimes called eight directions), refers to 3 sets of opposing forces which cause the body to stay in constant equilibrium. Its a trained skill, and basic to all internals (there's definitely no "here's my take on it" for this one, either its there or its not).
You have up to down (everyone pretty much knows this one), extending through the head and relaxing down, front to back, and side to side. Basically a piano wire of relaxed "tension" holding the body together.

But then again, I could be wrong, video does lie

Here's an interesting thought problem. It looks like you're all about progressive resistance training, so I assume you've done some grappling/ground work as well.

Person A) mounts person B).
Person B) is under Person A), with his hips controlled. Very nasty position to be in (Every UFC jock's favorite GnP position).
Strictly from a "laboratory" view, do you think it's possible for Person B to effect Person A with a strike that has a respectable amount of power?
For the moment, let's disregard the fact that your face would STILL probably be rearranged even if you could land a couple of shots from the bottom of the mount

(Btw, all this will tie back into the statues, the development of their body etc etc)

Maybe Mike or Dan would like to comment later.

Last edited by Upyu : 02-09-2008 at 06:58 PM.
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