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Old 05-02-2006, 12:48 PM   #83
Mike Sigman
Location: Durango, CO
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 4,123
United_States
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Re: The "Jo Trick" and Similar Exercises

Quote:
Jason DeLucia wrote:
but the purpose of the jo drill can only be appreciated through sincerity
I don't get it, Jason, if you don't mind expanding. Or maybe I just disagree. The common variant I've seen of the jo-trick is for someone to stick their arm straight out in front of them and let a volunteer try to move it sideways or up and down. It's a demonstration of the connecting power of six-directions training, combined with some force-path controls.

For Ueshiba to extend the moment-arm even further with a jo was a bit of embellishment (and maybe a little too showy, since he never appears to be able to hold it very long in the available film clips), but still part of the same trick. I see his point, as will most people who are familiar with the principles. I say truthfully, that he does a pretty good job of trying to make the extended trick work, even though I also so that his Uke's tend to be overly cooperative and deferential. But then, I have a cause-and-effect mind. How does "sincerity" have anything to do with a mechanical trick, if I may ask?

Regards,

Mike Sigman
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