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Old 08-23-2002, 05:34 PM   #10
PeterR
 
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Dojo: Shodokan Honbu (Osaka)
Location: Himeji, Japan
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 3,319
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Quote:
Don J. Modesto (Don_Modesto) wrote:
Doing pristine JKA karate, I always hated watching Kyokushin. They seemed ruffians, crude and brute. I get the same feeling watching Tomiki tournaments; it's aikido ugly. But I also feel the intimation that maybe it ought to be like that more often...
Hi Don - I know and understand what you are trying to say and between you and me would leave it alone especially since Paul pipped in with How can technique be "beautiful" if it cannot work against active resistance?. Unfortunately, many of the readers of these forums might not get it.

Anyhow, I wonder how many Tomiki shiai and at what level you have seen? There really are not that many and I have yet to see a video that captures the best. Competition includes Enbu - kata demonstrations - which you are of course not referring to I hope.

I will agree that a good part of shiai isn't pretty. What do you expect when most competitors are in their 20s and cooperation is not the name of the game. As we all know skill takes time.

BUT: when you see the perfect execution of technique in the most trying of circumstance it is absolutely gorgeous. Far more attractive than some over complicated waltze.

Peter Rehse Shodokan Aikido
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