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Old 10-24-2012, 09:01 AM   #284
Carl Thompson
 
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Location: Kasama
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Re: VoE: AWASE - The Principle of AIKI

Quote:
Lee Salzman wrote: View Post
Note the specific point there - "... AWASE is more dynamic. The defender uses his own body movement to merge into the attacker's power. ..."

Whereas, the concept of aiki being espoused here does not require movement. It does not require merging into the attacker's power. With aiki, you are merely being you - you were being you before the encounter, you are being you during the encounter, you are being you after the encounter. It is just that, through tanren, you have changed what "being you" means so that anyone who encounters you is encountering a body infused with aiki. Perhaps closer to what Mr. Alexander calls above a "perfect balance", except it does not require a stance or a holding a static position or hanmi, nor does it require moving - whatever you do, it is infused with aiki.
Thanks for taking the time to examine the article and I appreciate the attempt to cross-reference it with a good account of IP/Aiki. I've never trained with Alexander Sensei or his main teacher, but from other teachers associated with him, I get the impression that the "using his own body movement to merge" part is the deployment of a forged aikido body, and that in itself is done according to the principle called awase (aka: musubi). I think the connected training for the deployment of kokyu-power, along with it's tanren is the issue some IP/Aiki practitioner have .

If you don't mind, I have a couple of questions about the body you described (that does not require moving because everything is infused with the AIKI). If someone throws a punch at you, do you move? If someone cuts at you with a bladed weapon, do you move? If you do move, how disconnected can your movement be from the body, minds and intent of the attacker(s)?

Regards

Carl
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