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Old 09-22-2009, 07:02 PM   #33
Gorgeous George
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 464
United Kingdom
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Re: Test Passing Standards - What is it?

Bruce, Ashley, Michael: i understand what you're saying about suwari-waza not being definitive....
And the case of somebody who has practised aikido for fifty years but due to age can no longer perform ukemi or suwari-waza perhaps, but is very very skilled at applying techniques/footwork etc. does show that somebody's inability in basic areas doesn't necessarily tell the whole story...

I guess what my complaint is, to try and explain it as comprehensively and specifically as possible, is that some/a lot of people never obey/practise certain things which are cornerstones of aikido: most commonly in my experience is footwork. I practise with a person who tries to make out like he's really martial and expert and so forth, who has no footwork to speak of.
He can apply nikkyo (way too harshly by the way), sankyo, etc. but he just has no footwork; what's the use in having a gun if you have no fingers (*insert a better analogy*)?
When it comes time to practise swordwork, he's not very good, because swordwork really is all about footwork (isn't it?), and i am considerably superior to him (in my humble opinion...).

mjhacker: hahaha, being a philosophy student i shouldn't have made that mistake...my apologies. Thank you for being a stickler.
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