Thread: Good distance ?
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Old 03-26-2013, 03:25 AM   #14
lars beyer
Dojo: Copenhagen Aikishuren Dojo
Location: Denmark
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 282
Denmark
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Re: Good distance ?

Quote:
Dan Richards wrote: View Post
Lars, if you're in DK perhaps you're studying Nishio Aikido. In that first irimi entering movement, the foot can be placed so lightly as to be immediately available as a kick. Nishio doesn't step into that front foot in the first irimi and atemi application. Just touch it on the ground as light as a kickstand. The weight is still on the back foot. After the atemi is delivered - which could also include a kick from the irmi foot, then the weight can transfered to the front foot.

Watch his opening movements and atemi strikes. He'll strike uke and still have the weight on his back foot, and the front foot floating.
Hi Dan,
Thanks for your reply.
Yes, it´s interresting to watch Nishio sensei and the way he goes about entering and his application of atemi.
I did study a little bit of Nishio aikido and I also studied with a group that was partly inspired by Nishio sensei but rooted in the aikido as it was practised back in the 1960´ies an 1970´yes in Denmark.

I went to a 6 day easter seminar back in 2003 or 2004 taught by Arisue sensei, I believe it was the first
one that Nishio sensei couldn´t teach himself due to his declining health, so I never had the chance to meet him in person.
I had no experience whatsoever in either Jo or Ken and needless to say
iaito work.. so being at this seminar was 6 days of sheer confusion on my behalf, very interesting and a great learning experience. :-)
I have a lot of respect for Nishio sensei and his work, trying to remold, so to speak, what he had learned into his own style of aikido must have taken a tremendous effort and great skill. Also reading some of the interviews with Nishio sensei that has been republished recently over at Aikido Journal he seemed to be deeply dedicated to resolving conflict and he seemed like a very generous and very fine person indeed.
There has been a number of seminars in Denmark where people from different aikido styles come together and try out other styles. I believe it´s a great oppertunity to learn from others and find inspiration this way as well.

Somewhere around the same period of time 2003-2004 I started practicing aikido as taught by Morihiro Saito sensei by one of his high ranking students in denmark, Ethan Weisgard sensei, and I believe I have found what I have been looking for in terms of Aikido.
I love the clear and methodical teaching style, the straight forward approach to technique, and I love the emphasis on weapons practise and etiquette and the particular dojo has a good mix of great people from all walks of life, artists, musicians, army people, firefighters, engineers, businessmen, teachers etc. and a good mix of female and male practitioners. There´s also quite a lot of people from abroad training with us so we tend to teach in english to accommodate for that. The dojo and the people are almost like a second home and family to me so aikido is very much about human interaction to me.

Best wishes
Lars
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