Mike Lee wrote: "What aikido association or group do you belong to?
This is beginning to sound highly fraudulent. I think that various aikido associations, "Black Belt" magazine, and the town of Midland, Texas should be warned."
Mike: I belong to the Aikido Association of America-a hombu affiliated dojo. My study of pressure point and atemi applications in aikiddo is my own study and has nothing to do with my organization-freedom of speech and all that American stuff.
There is nothing fraudulent about it and I'm not sure if that was in jest or serious. The article has been accepted, I do live in Midland TX and I am the aikido dojocho at Ta Ch'u Academy.
Located thoughout the aikido literature are considerable references to atemi waza and sparse descriptions by O'Sensei's students of what "appears" to be pressure point strikes. I did considerable research for the article although I had to condense it down considerably to meet Black Belt Magazine's publication criteria. It was initially about 10,000 words-I had to cut it to about 3500.
|