Thread: Ueshiba's Aiki
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Old 11-17-2011, 03:13 PM   #538
graham christian
Dojo: golden center aikido-highgate
Location: london
Join Date: Oct 2010
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Re: Ueshiba's Aiki

Quote:
Dan Harden wrote: View Post
Hello Graham
I always call it IP/aiki. Internal power or strength is created from a balance of ki in yourself. From there you create aiki between you and someone else.
A quick study of that is Ueshiba's discussion of Heaven/earth/man. Where he notes that after you can manifest the energy between heaven and earth staning on the golden bridge do you release the mountain echo.
This is a well known concept and has to do with a balance of opposites and what it does to your body to remove slack and be full and stand suspended, thus any force-in "echos" back-out. Kuzushi on contact that can then be manipulated.

I am not much for tricks. Once you know how these things work there are many ways to display them. Some prefer to use power displays. I occasionally do that too. But power displays while profound and exceptional (and Ark is very good) are not where I am at. I prefer a softer approach-don't show them your power and dissolve their strength while entering in. Ark can do more than those videos show. We are only discussing what he chose to show in a particular video.

Yes I have-not in Aikido though.
Again it is more important not to get hung up on individuals. There are others who can do these things, some accent one type of work others do another, some are better than others. The real question is where are we and what are our skills. To be in an aiki art and to demonstrate a profound lack of understanding, and any real ability to display these high level skills is simply sad.
Dan
O.K. I like that differentiation IP/AIKI.

As far as heaven and earth goes, well that's a new description to me re:force in echoes back out. Not my description but interesting showing me more of where you're coming from. Balancing opposites also different to my view on aikido aiki or should I give mine it's own name? Maybe I should call it uni/aiki (universal aiki)

I agree that once you know the basics on the different things you can them demonstrate these tricks. For me each and every one is merely a training tool and not for display purposes as they give the wrong impression and usually attract the wrong people.

Now your where are we comment. This I find interesting and more to my liking. To be an aiki art.

Now those you mention as doing these things, some accenting one type of work and others another. That implies different aspects of aiki done by different people to varying degrees of ability. That I could agree with.

I could say that in the field of Aikido I too look foreward to seeing more ability in that broad side of things. Personally, my (whatever you want to call it) uni/aiki I find very lacking.

Regards.G.