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Old 04-26-2010, 01:54 PM   #16
Walter Martindale
Location: Edmonton, AB
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 802
Canada
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Re: striking in Aikido

Somewhere, you have to come up with 100% to do a full technique. If uke comes with 90%, you add 10. If uke comes with 10%, you have to add the remaining 90. If uke comes in with 100%, you don't have to do very much at all.

That said - I disagree that shomen with a sword should go to the floor - any time we've been training suburi with bokken there has been severe criticism when the tip of the blade went below the level of the handle - the wrists lose their integrity. Yes, you want to cut/punch/whatever through the target, but not in such a way that you lose control of your cut/thrust... e.g., In tsuki attacks, I try to hit the nage's spine with my fist - his/her spine usually isn't there when I get there, and if he or she isn't moving off line I "pull" the punch. Even with jabs (I'm not a boxer but I think I understand the concept) I think the punch should be aimed at somewhere deeper than the tip of the nose - say - an inch or so inside the cheek?
W
I think I think, therefore I think I am. (not quite Descartes)
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