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Old 10-09-2001, 03:34 PM   #21
Sarah
Dojo: Aikido Shinryukan Canterbury
Location: New Zealand
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 21
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Quote:
Originally posted by ian
I think you've hit the nail on the head Jorgen:

I was asking a senior instructor what you do if someone jumps out of your hand or reacts in a completely bizzare way to your technique (such as running at you stupidly,
dropping to the floor without you doing anything or letting go and just standing there). He told me that I have to respond to what uke is doing NOW not what uke should be doing.

This same instructor used to talk about living in the present and not the past or the future - I used to think it was some hippy zen bullsh*t, but now I realise what he meant.

Just going through the motions of aikido techniques is OK for beginners, but at the end of the day we have to get to the stage where we can react to what a person is actually doing - and therefore every throw is different 'cos we are not 'doing a technque' on someone - we are blending with them such that a technique appears.

Ian
Yep. Not only responding to what uke is doing but to what they are too. I'm short. The second shortest person in my club. Sometimes people forget that they have to work with that and an attempt at iriminage comes whistling in *over* my head. Sometimes they overcompensate and end up in some strange off balance contortion half way through shionage.

This pretty much takes us back on topic as the same principles of aikido still work - off balance points, maintaining posture and all the good stuff we're supposed to be practicing is the same no matter who the uke is but different ukes highlight different weaknesses.

Then again I might just be saying that because that is what my dojo does .

Cheers
Sarah
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