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Old 02-18-2007, 02:17 PM   #111
Brion Toss
Dojo: Aikido Port Townsend
Location: Port Townsend, Wa.
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 104
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Re: Ueshiba taking Ukemi

Quote:
Ellis Amdur wrote:
Great post, Brion. One question arises - if the conventional method of taking ukemi in aikido is just the sort of "innovation" that you caution against. It's not that old, and could be considered something quite alien, not only to DR ukemi, but to most jujutsu as well (excepting the circus-like performances,and "trained" responses Dan mentions, which were probably rife in earlier days as well).

Best
Thank you for the kind words. I am sorry if I seemed to caution against innovation; what I was talking about was avoiding mistakes masquerading as innovation. As I asked in my previous post, "...how do we know when innovation is called for?"
Aikido's ukemi is innovative in the long context of martial arts practice. But it has been around long enough, I believe, to qualify as traditional (that is, multi-generational, and of coherent structure, among other things).
Aikido itself is an innovation, so I am hardly standing on an ancient platform here. It is also radical (and check that etymology), but its practices by now have sufficient weight and momentum, and have been worked at by enough talented people that I was only suggesting that any tinkering, let alone significant departures, need to be considered carefully.
With any luck, Aikido in a few centuries will be largely unrecognizable to the likes of me. This will happen if people, working with what they were given from Ueshiba's time, can build on the art, making true innovations.

Regards,

Brion Toss
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