View Single Post
Old 02-07-2008, 09:15 AM   #18
Chris Parkerson
Dojo: Academy of the Martial Arts
Location: ohio
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 740
United_States
Offline
Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Quote:
If you want to capture or connect, then, personally, I would use the taichi sword approach. if you hold something hard in your hands, then you need to be soft, and vice versa. When we locked sword in kenjutsu, our approach usually included "pop" the other guy, slide back and cut down at the same time. The "popping" action could be timed so that you hit the other guy with the back of his own blade. but then it's kenjutsu, at least what I learned, where the only rule is whatever sticks out you slice it off. interesting exercise though. food for thought. thanks.
I love the wrods you use: "capture and collect". That was the essence of the drill. I saw, I think it was Obata Sensei doing a "sticky sword" aiki-style performance on Youtube about a month ago. I cannot find it anymore. Capture and collect. YES.

In my opinion, "Poping is the tactical element you would add in real life". For instance, I used poping in this video as a tactical element to dislodge uke's hand from the handgun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96JQhiXRkw4

I also use small circle "poping" to create koppo (joint breaking) right before a throw occurs (at the point when kuzushi is at its highest point and the uke can not defend against it).

I totally agree, poping creates a space for the sword to cut better. The issue for me is how to train "floating" uke through the "capture and collect" phase until it reaches the highest point of Kuzushi?

I am attempting to reverse-engineer the blade on blade throw that Angier Sensei, and Okamoto Sensei do so wonderfully. I may not arrive, but the journey is the best part. There is allot of learning to be had in the exercise.

Quote:
if you hold something hard in your hands, then you need to be soft, and vice versa.
Nice quote. I try to allow my feet to begin the cut, my hips to direct the cut and my hands follow with the fine tuning. Good insight on using the wrong hands for the final lever in one or two m of the cuts. I noticed that was when my feet could not move closer together, thus my effort drifted to the upper body and then to "primary" force (nearest the point of the cut) rather than secondary force (some place above or below the cut).

My sword cut is not a centripetal arc as is used in many styles. It is specifically a Yanagi cut that is centripetal in nature. My Kumdo partner is caught in between the two. His traditional arc cut was difficult to use on the longer swords. Notice how he tries to keep his hands close together as done with the smaller katana. perhaps mine are a bit wide even for the longer sword. But in cutting, it really works for me quite well. I get allot of juice in my men cut. Perhaps I will video it at some time with some form of audio or visual comparison that can be readily distinguished.
  Reply With Quote