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Old 01-19-2007, 08:26 AM   #131
George S. Ledyard
 
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Re: Baseline skillset

Quote:
Erick Mead wrote:
I have only ever wanted Mike to explain how to reconcile force resistance inherent in "bouncing" energy off the ground with aikido's inherent prinicple of non-resistance.

You do what you train to do. Training for resistance in Aikido is antithetical to its fundamental purpose and prinicples. That does not mean there is no force involved in the interaction.

I have personally struggled to eliminate my native resistance, at first veering toward sheer avoidance of force, wrongly, as Mike properly criticizes in some aikido training that is out there (but wrongly assumes that I do) to, finally, connected non-resistance, which has been my considered model of training since I left Hawaii. I blame it on the beer after practice.

Shioda's chosen kihon dosa, in my limited understanding, have that precise point, that these principles are in the waza. The care in performance of the shape of kihon waza in Iwama practice which I know far better, was of a similar vein. There are two routes available to you without resisting his force. You can also just as easily send the force of uke on a path to Heaven as to Earth and that energy is equally spent in the process. The kihon of the various systems all have these principles within them, if one is mindful and attentive to what is happening when you do them.

A wave is a translated rotation (irimi/tenkan).

Ever watch two dissimilar sized waves intersect in opposite directions? The smaller wave peak causes the larger wave peak to rise upward (ten) and break prematurely, while the smaller wave disappears from view for a moment and then passes on through hardly disturbed.

There is the visual sense of some sort of rebound force that "forces" the larger wave to suddenly rise up and break (like it had been "bounced" off the planet). And notably this occurs when the smaller wave is. momentarily, no longer apparent. But it is not a resistant spring rebounding from one against the other. It is really a joining of inherent form and energy together. The substance of the two waves are literally identical (ki-musubi) at the time of intersection, only their forms of motion are differnent.

Even though they are opposed in direction -- irimi/ tenkan principles allow the smaller to so exalt the greater that it moves beyond its capacity to maintain control. This sort of interaction is done all the time in kokyu tanden ho exercise.

Conversely, if the trough of the smaller wave hits the peak of the larger as it begins to break (attack), the peak of the larger wave drops down (chi=earth) and the incipient break or attack is snuffed out almost instantly, like it fell into a hole in the earth. Its energy evaporates upon contact. Both waves are resting their weight on the earth -- neither one is crushing the other by resisting against the supporting earth.

Do both -- ten-chi -- at the appropriate time. Neither one is resistant.

Mike is focussed on the ground, and in a mode of weight bearing different (i.e.- resistant) than that suggested by Shioda's explanation of chushin principle by centering on the big toe. Ground is not the only principle in play, nor do its uses require training that involves resistance to force.
Eric,
This very much sounds to me as if you have defined Aikido only by its aspect of redirection of the force applied by the attacker. But that aspect alone is incomplete.

There are really three aspects that combine to make up our art. First is the aspect of accepting, joining with and redirecting the force of the partner / attacker. The second aspect is developing ones own power and being able to transfer it to the partner / attacker in a way that does not collide with their structure. But the third aspect is taking ones own power and applying it to the attacker in a way that it does hit the structure. This is the basis for atemi waza.

It practice, obviously one cannot do this to ones partner. So what you have is methods of practicing the energetics without any injury to ones partner. Hence, these "bouncing" type techniques. O-Sensei did them, Shioda was famous for them. Shioda once knocked a guy out when he grabbed Shioda Sensei's shoulders from behind. These are demonstrations of the power available for atemi in a real confrontation. Saotome Sensei does these kinds of tecniques frequently. He can shoot me back about five feet when I grab him with a pulse like this. He is totally relaxed when he does it. In no way is this a form of resistance, it wouldn't work if it were "resistant". But it isn't martial application either. It is a demonstration of the power done in such a way that it doesn't injure the partner. That same power applied in a martial application would be a fight ender.

I find that folks tend to get attached to one aspect or another of the art. This is usually based on what their notions of the philosophical underpinnings of the art would be. Folks really into the peace and conflict resolution ideal tend to focus almost exclusively on the soft redirection of force aspect. Almost universally they tend to not understand or even deny the existence of the power aspect. Especially in the form in which you take your power and apply it directly to the attacker as in atemi.

The folks who are more interested in the martial aspect of the art tend to focus solely on trying to be powerful without understanding that the only way to get to the power that Mike is talking about, which the Aikido greats clearly had, is by relaxing and developing the soft aspect of the art. They do everything "hard" and they never develop the kind of explosive power that Mike has been talking about.

It's as if people are apt to say "I really like Yin, I'm not interested in Yang" or visa versa.

Of course people are free to do whatever they wish in their training but if they wish to develop their Aikido using folks like O-sensei, Shioda or Saotome Sensei as a model, then one has to broaden ones focus to include all three aspects of the art.

Last edited by George S. Ledyard : 01-19-2007 at 08:32 AM.

George S. Ledyard
Aikido Eastside
Bellevue, WA
Aikido Eastside
AikidoDvds.Com
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