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Old 04-10-2009, 01:25 PM   #12
Carsten Möllering
 
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Dojo: Hildesheimer Aikido Verein
Location: Hildesheim
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 932
Germany
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Re: Seishiro Endo Shihan - Montreal April 7 - 9 2009

Hi

Quote:
Szczepan Janczuk wrote: View Post
During more then 2 hours he presented only different exercises for connection. Not even single aikido technique.
Yes, his seminars are known for that. And people like me visit his classes exactly for that reason.
He expects his scholars to practice kata or techniques at home in their dojo.
During his seminars he teaches the movements that help to do aikido techniques the way he thinks they shoul be practiced.

Quote:
The class was structured like that: 15 minutes of explanations, 3 minutes of practice, again 15 minutes explanations 2 minutes of practice...etc.
grin So folks weren't familiar with his way of doing Aikido? He had to explain a lot?
And yes: He is talking a lot. Even if it's not 15 Minutes. Baut again an aspect we search for when attending his classes.
But usually you have a lot of time to really practice too.

Quote:
We were not allowed to grip, the only contact was by touching very lightly. That was supposed to create and maintain famous connection. Sensei said he is only interested in that kind of practice.
Yes again. I'm trying his way of doing Aikido for about two and a half year now. Endo together with Christian Tissier is the shihan of our aikikai organization here in Germany.

What you get out of this way of practicing over the time seems sometimes to be really miraculous. The poin is: Youre technique doesn't rely on the contact, the grip, uke gives you. nage himself creates the contact and leads uke the way he want's to.
I can't really describe this in english. But I experienced over the time, that those funny things Endo teaches iconsiderably increase the efficacy of techniques.

Try: katate dori shiho nage omote.Does it work, if uke doesn't grab you and just touches your wrist with his palm? (soto kaiten nage ...)

The other way round: As nage, do you have to grip uke to move him/her? To lead uke just by atari and not by gripping helps a lot. It works. Better!

Quote:
Most folks were completely lost, trying imitating dancing movements and running around tori without much sens. Uke were overreacting and were much too cooperative.
Not familiar with his style of working ...

Quote:
Even in such 'favorable' conditions it was impossible to practice as there were no clear goals of practice established.
That sounds strange to me: Normaly he is very very precice in esplaining, what is to learn, how to practice, whatfor to train this or that. Very precise!
He is teaching a very clear system. An he is teaching it systematically. Each seminar has a clear structure from beginning to the end.
Normaly it ends with applying the contact-exercises to normal aikido techniques.

Also, most of ppl practiced it first time, only few were familiar.[/quote]Ah as I thought.
Was it an open seminar or a yudansha seminar? There is a difference sometimes.

Quote:
However sensei didn't present 'user friendly' approach to his method,
I think, he expects people to be a little prepared when they come to train with him.

Quote:
he was jumping from one concept to another, once he even mentioned street application!!!!! I was horrified, how anybody could do such association with the exercises (not martial techniques) that were presented!
Those exercises are exercises. Nothing more, nothing less. But they help, to get to learn how to control an attacker much more easy.

But to experience that you have to try his way and train. I'm sorry that there wheren't enough partners to show how it works.
You don't have to like his aikido but you would have sensed why he can talk about budo.

Butttttt:
Did he say "street application"?
Or did he say "outside the dojo"???
Please remember.

He often speeks about Aikido "outside the dojo" and the doesn't mean selfdefence, but means unterstanding and living Aikido as dao.
I have him never heard talking about street application but very often about aikido as dao. Outside the dojo.

Quote:
Everybody was happily dancing around without any martial principles being respected.
Did he show atemi?

Quote:
I don't think what we did has something common with aikido.And stupid me, I brought my weapons
At the first seminar I brought my weapons too. It was like a tatoo on my forehead: "I'm a newbie". Never did it again.

I was very disappointed that first weekend. Used the same words you do. Couldn't understand why and what my teacher learned from him.

But I know it by now.

Do you like the Aikido of Yamaguchi?

Carsten
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