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Old 11-15-2013, 12:27 AM   #5
Rupert Atkinson
 
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Location: New Zealand
Join Date: Jun 2004
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Re: Kuzushi on contact

I always find myself agreeing with Dan's points. I really like what he wrote there - it makes a lot of sense to me.

Everyone has heard of sayings like, "When moving, move like the wind; when still, be as still as a mountain." Well, I modified it for myself to: "Be a mountain moving like the wind." What I mean is, though you move swiftly, try at all times to be as solid as a rock. Heavy yet light. Immovable if I want to be, and immovable while moving, if I want to be. Not easy, but I think that is what Dan meantove, and that it is an achievable goal.

The main point in the Francis Takahashi article above Dan's comment is that kuzushi in Aikido is mostly fake. I think most here can relate to pliable ukes falling over at will - we are all guilty of it. But that is part of the Aikido paradigm and is actually one of our strengths, except that, we overdo it. We must also, I believe, 'resist' and 'force' tori to find solutions to the problems uke provides. Until you/we acknowledge that, start trying it, and begin to start facing up to your/our mistaken approach, then you/we will not progress. If you cannot test what you know you will never develop it. It's just that simple.

Last edited by Rupert Atkinson : 11-15-2013 at 12:30 AM.

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