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Old 02-05-2008, 01:58 PM   #1
Chris Parkerson
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Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Hey folks,

Is anyone experimenting with drills like this? If so, I would love to hear about your experience.

This drill is designed to focus and improve upon the ability to irimi and attach to uke's center through the process of parrying. From there, you can (1) use the bokken to throw (or destabilize) and cut or (2) use your hand to throw (or destabilize) while cutting with your primary hand and the bokken.

Drill Objectives
  1. The drill is done at 1/2 or 3/4 speed.
  2. Cuts are made with control for safety (you go at the level of the least experienced).
  3. You take turns feeding a few seconds of "ordered chaos" and then provide a "mistake" or "poorly constructed" attack that your partner can capitalize on.

Watch video below:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CZS0jheCUcM
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Old 02-05-2008, 05:22 PM   #2
Kent Enfield
 
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Free-form sword drills? I don't think anyone has done that before, ever.

Why use bokuto instead of just doing this empty handed, especially as in your goals you list throwing? Are you trying to develop something specifically in the context of sword work? I don't see much that's very swordy going on in the video.

At least get some eye and hand protection.

Kentokuseisei
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Old 02-05-2008, 06:24 PM   #3
Chris Parkerson
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Quote:
I don't see much that's very swordy going on in the video.
What you say is very interesting. Perhaps we are preconditioned about what is "swordy". My training partner in this video is a senior instructor in Kum Do (Korean Sword). He loved the drill.

So many things can change a practice. Assuming that all cuts must be down the torso seems to be in vogue for the larger amount of swordplay we see in Kendo and Samurai Movies. Using padding with shinai allows each practicioner to trade blows - something I just would not waant to do with a real sword and no armour.

In this drill we are using the longer battle swords and no tsuba. The length of the bokken changes things. The lack of a tsuba requires skill to avoid bashing knuckles. I suspect that without a tsuba on a sharp katana, cutting off a thumb, wrist or forearm will end a duel with real swords. It would seriously give advantage during battle.

But this drill is not about the initial strike. It is about capturing "in motion and an element of chaos" the moment when swords lock with force on force. This theme is seen in Japanese art quite often. But how often is it practiced in kata? How much is it practiced in Randori? Does anyone try to isolate the skill and find a way to focus on it under pressure so that a person's level of muscle memory can be tested?

What do you do when swords lock and someone begins to parry? Is your only weapon the sword? Can you instinctively take kuzushi through the sword. Angier Sensei and Okomoto Sensei do this all the time in their sword on sword demonstrations but it is in an ordered technique with an obvious attack that is prearranged. Men cut... etc.

It is also designed to assist the practicioner in working kuzushi through one side of the body and one hand while doing something complimentary with the other hand, i.e. one hand leads the throw and the other hand cuts with the blade in an aiki blend.

It also gives a practicioner permission to accept that kuzushi in itself is success in a fight and the throw is anti-climatic. In real fighting kuzushi alone can create an opening for a strike or cut to end the fight.

It teaches that if you irimi and parry, you need to do it with angles that cancel out the other person's blade on the inside fight. Noticed the time my buddy entered and we had a "mutual slay".

I am sure I could go on about what we learned but I would like to hear from other's experience.
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Old 02-05-2008, 08:53 PM   #4
Kent Enfield
 
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
What you say is very interesting. Perhaps we are preconditioned about what is "swordy". My training partner in this video is a senior instructor in Kum Do (Korean Sword). He loved the drill.
Without wanting to start a tangent, there's all sorts of stuff that gets labeled as kumdo. Everything from shinai kendo identical to that in Japan to stuff that you'd expect from Team Paul Mitchel.

What I mean about it not being swordy is that you're not using your bokuto as swords, at least not in what I call a "combatively rational" manner. There's lots of presenting huge suki (which aren't taken advantage of) and, conversely, lots of attacking without any real opportunity. There's also plenty of smacking the other guy's bokuto when you could have just cut him. You seem much more intent on getting body to body than on just dispatching the other.

I wasn't talking about the shape or manner of cuts so much.

Quote:
Using padding with shinai allows each practicioner to trade blows
On another tangent, if you're trading blows, you're not doing kendo (or any other legitimate weapon art that I know of), at least not doing it very well at all.

Quote:
But this drill is not about the initial strike. It is about capturing "in motion and an element of chaos" the moment when swords lock with force on force.
If you're locking swords with force on force, you're probably doing something wrong. Admittedly, it happens sometimes and it's a better situation than getting cut yourself, but your goal should not be to lock swords. You should striving to advantage yourself and disadvantage your opponent, rather than to get to a mutually disadvantageous situation.

Kentokuseisei
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Old 02-05-2008, 09:03 PM   #5
Upyu
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
What you say is very interesting. Perhaps we are preconditioned about what is "swordy". My training partner in this video is a senior instructor in Kum Do (Korean Sword). He loved the drill.
<snip>
Sword, Spear, Staff, its mostly the same.
Number one thing I'd criticize (and I see this in 99% of the vids where any kind of weapons work take place) is that the hands move independent of the body.

Before any work can be done on the "kewl" aspects of kuzushi, angles etc etc, you gottta have a connected body that's developed for weapons work. Angier, Okamoto and any other dude with skill definitely has this, on top of other stuff when they do other "tricks."

Bottom line?
Neither guys in the vid have physically connected/unified bodies.

Figure out what needs to be conditioned in the body, how it needs to be conditioned, work on it for a couple of years, then you might see some change in the way this "exercise" would be approached.

That being said, I'm pretty sure I could do some "kewl" demos where I just stand there, and you come at me with whatever sticking/trapping/entering techs and I'd be able to stuff it without moving much. (I think Kent knows what I'm talking about )
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Old 02-05-2008, 09:35 PM   #6
Chris Parkerson
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Robert,

Soooo true, unification of motion is a lifelong goal. And when you put stress into a situation, we easily resort to strength rather than relaxation and disunity rather than unity, double weightedness rather than single weightedness. As the old proverb says, "Who can be calm until the first blow is thrown?"

This was our first attempt. We did get much better over time but I never filmed it again. As in all new venues, there is initial tension in newness.

One interesting part of this event was also the season - Springtime in Ohio. The grass is quite wet from the rains and the footwork was quite slippery. It makes for wider than desired stances and over-reach during technique.

But I really don't care so much about striking poses. Just looking to keep it real.
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Old 02-05-2008, 09:44 PM   #7
Chris Parkerson
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Quote:
there's all sorts of stuff that gets labeled as kumdo.
Kent,

My partner is yudansha in Haedong Kumdo under direct tutelage of M.H. Cho, 7th Degree in Lancaster, OH.
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Old 02-05-2008, 11:01 PM   #8
Upyu
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
Robert,


But I really don't care so much about striking poses. Just looking to keep it real.
Hi Chris,

First, I want to say that what I'm about to say isn't meant in a mean spirited way.

That being said, I think the "unity" you refer to is something that I consider "coordination" of the body.

The connection I mentioned in my previous post is a result of training in a specific manner, which conditions the body to move in a certain manner. Once you've conditioned it that way, it becomes "unnatural" for it to move in an unconnected fashion, under duress or otherwise.
Of course relaxation, being accustomed to the task or exercise at hand all enhance this "body connection", but even without, it should be visible.

Next, this is only from my own experience of course,
body unification/connection isn't really a "life long pursuit." If you know how to train it, it can be developed to a usable degree within 2-3 years, depending on how smart you train, and how hard you train.

The real "meat" of the training begins after you have a connected body...that's when things start to get really funky

If you had this kind of connection (that's been discussed in other threads) it still would have been apparent in the video. That's my take on it...
but if we ever meet, and I'm wrong, the dinner for the night is on me

But,
I also have a lot of respect for you putting the video up, and trying to keep it real.

Last edited by Upyu : 02-05-2008 at 11:04 PM.
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Old 02-05-2008, 11:55 PM   #9
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
My partner is yudansha in Haedong Kumdo under direct tutelage of M.H. Cho, 7th Degree in Lancaster, OH.
Rather than sidetrack this thread and end-up it sent to the other arts ghetto, I'll just suggest that people search for haedong kumdo on other arts sites and draw their own conclusions.

Kentokuseisei
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Old 02-05-2008, 11:59 PM   #10
Chris Parkerson
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

No offense taken Ron,

I can appreciate your honesty. I too am a fan of unified motion training. Been training it for 35 adult years in Tai Chi, Hsing-I, Chi Gung, Judo, Jujitsu and Aikijujitsu. I have accomplished amazing things with it. But you can lose it in an instant and it can also degrade over time from ligament and tendon tightness- especially in the shoulders and in the pelvic girdle.

When you buy me that lunch, I will show you how you can take it from an opponent during execution of technique.

Any thoughts how to set up my specific training objectives in this drill without losing the unpredictable element or reverting back into basic sword randori where the "clench" between swords is few and far between?
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Old 02-06-2008, 12:33 AM   #11
Upyu
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
No offense taken Ron,

I can appreciate your honesty. I too am a fan of unified motion training. Been training it for 35 adult years in Tai Chi, Hsing-I, Chi Gung, Judo, Jujitsu and Aikijujitsu. I have accomplished amazing things with it. But you can lose it in an instant and it can also degrade over time from ligament and tendon tightness- especially in the shoulders and in the pelvic girdle.

When you buy me that lunch, I will show you how you can take it from an opponent during execution of technique.

Any thoughts how to set up my specific training objectives in this drill without losing the unpredictable element or reverting back into basic sword randori where the "clench" between swords is few and far between?
Gotcha, and I'll be true to my word

I haven't gotten up in age their like some of you guys, so who knows ^^;

That being said, there is an exercise you might want to consider as an extension to this training.

Take a 6foot staff, or longer (hard wood, with some flex, make sure its sturdy, no chinese wax wood).
Person A holds one end while Person B holds the other end.
Now both persons attempt to effect kuzushi on the other through the stick. (One person tries to throw down the other) You're free to pretty much use any means at all.
But basically if you screw up and start using disjointed means of manipulating the staff, you'll get thrown by the guy that's heavier or more powerful than yourself.

The stick basically helps to take out any "slack" from the body, if you want to manipulate it properly.

In the beginning it can turn into a wrestling match with lots of nasty blisters, bumps and scrapes, but body connection usage should become readily apparent, since it's the only way to control the guy on the other end of the stick.

Take the same feelings/skills and apply it to the sword drill, or empty hands for that matter.
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Old 02-06-2008, 01:02 AM   #12
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Hi Chris

I always enjoy seeing and reading other ppls perspectives on training methods it opens up new ways. The only critism I could make, in my limited experience, is sword etiquette ie. both yourself and your partners handling of the bokken.

Respectfully Roman
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Old 02-06-2008, 06:25 AM   #13
Chris Parkerson
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Roman,

You are right. I am not much of a swordsman. My training comes mainly from Escrima with internal principles gleaned from arts like Yanagi. I am pretty hard to hit/cut however. Even approaching 60 with allot of old injuries talking to me.

I train very seldom with padding. In the late 1970's my Escrima teacher used to sponsor competitions in San Diego. No one respected the stick because they had padding on.

I prefer Dog Brother's style because they keep it real. No martial weapons or pugilist style looks the same when you take the padding off.

I look decent doing Men, Do, and Kesa cuts with my Katana and bokken. I also look pretty good at the shooting range in my back yard. But a two way shooting or cutting match is quite different and everyone's plan changes once the get hit or cut.

Many people's plan changes just with the thought of getting hit or cut without protective gear. Closing on a bokken without protection is a real blast and a small enlightenment.
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Old 02-06-2008, 07:37 AM   #14
Chris Parkerson
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Quote:
Take a 6foot staff, or longer (hard wood, with some flex, make sure its sturdy, no chinese wax wood).
Person A holds one end while Person B holds the other end.
Now both persons attempt to effect kuzushi on the other through the stick. (One person tries to throw down the other) You're free to pretty much use any means at all.
But basically if you screw up and start using disjointed means of manipulating the staff, you'll get thrown by the guy that's heavier or more powerful than yourself.
I practice this method regularly. Renshi John Clodig (Yanagi Hara Ryu) taught it to me. It is great for building lower body momentum and sending it through an opponent using "small circle" kuzushi. When done properly, you do not perceive effort. You begin to trust that less is really more.

Funny how the pucker factor causes emotion to take over. When emotion takes over, the conscious mind hyper-engages. Then, your center rises. Once the center rises, a technique degrades. Your upper body compensates with physical effort that comes from the upper back and arms. Thus disunity builds like a snowball rolling downhill.

I enjoy creating drills. Most are fusions of multiple arts in an effort to challenge Yudansha who are used to one format in training. I am lucky in that I have plenty of Yudansha that hook up with me regularly to see what I will come up with next.

Some drills prove valuable, some do not. One thing I try to do is state the learning/training objectives first and then find ways to put some form of stress and chaos in the drill so that the practicioner cannot predetermine his action. Then I try to form the drill with minimal negative training. All drills have a negative training element. Traditional Randori, most of all. Most of the negative training elements in this drill were stated by our kenjutsu buddy who posted above. I would add that timidity was the biggest negative factor in the initial training. It is so easy to just cut off or break a man's thumb or try to run pasthim and bonk him on the head like you would in kendo competition. Some of the large attacks we provided were to give our partner an opening to enter for the grapple and "aiki flow" practice, so that the objectives could be trained. Some of the big cuts we presented were aborted because the uke had angle advantage and the tendency to just proactively cut off the thumb or the forearm was on both of our minds. we even traded thumb cuts at one point, laughing at how simple it could be... Much like the surprise backfist in sparring.

Any ideas on how to maintain the specific learning objectives while minimizing negative training issues would be quite welcome. Go out and try the drill as I provided it if it interests you. I would love to see what you come up with to improve it.
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Old 02-06-2008, 11:41 PM   #15
Upyu
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
But you can lose it in an instant and it can also degrade over time from ligament and tendon tightness- especially in the shoulders and in the pelvic girdle.
Hey Chris,

Well, I can't speak about the age factor exactly, since I'm not up there in years like some around here,
I realize you've got years of experience behind you, but would you consider that that maybe you're missing something in your training?

As far as I know, the tendon/ligament, and fascia shouldn't degrade too rapidly with age. If you have a proper solo training practice then it should be strengthening these facets with age (up to a point).

I've seen this in a fair number of guys with the goods across several different styles. Of course I won't know for myself for at least another 15 years or so...^^;

Anyways, getting back to the topic,
When you say small circle kuzushi/lower body momentum, do you care to elaborate a little more in terms of body mechanics? Just wondering if we're on the same page.

I definitely agree with you on the "more" is actually "less"

About your training ideas, we generally don't work out with swords.
Most of our weapons work is either based on spear or staff, and then translated over to free hands. That being said I'll give it a shot at some point. I used to do Kendo myself, but at this point it feels pretty ridiculous to train in that context...I strongly feel that the point of the exercises was largely lost ^^;

About any ideas to keep on the objective at hand...that's a toughie.
Its definitely the reason why you see so many different training methodologies out there...there's no one good answer.
It's really up to the individual though. I did find that once I "switched" over to this "rewired" way of movement, it would hold steady, even under pressure, and was generally the only thing that could save my ass when things went topsy turvy. (Full contact striking + grappling, no escrima, so you definitely have me one upped there )

Oh and finally,

I rewatched the vid,
I was definitely too harsh about the whole body connection thing. At least with regards to you. Your partner definitely made me judge way too quickly ^^;
Nice use of the dang/pelvic girdle/lower body structure, I see you keeping it intact no matter how you move. (Your partner on the other hand....let's just say that maybe you shouldn't tank for him ^^

Last edited by Upyu : 02-06-2008 at 11:49 PM.
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Old 02-07-2008, 05:36 AM   #16
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Quote:
Robert John wrote: View Post
As far as I know, the tendon/ligament, and fascia shouldn't degrade too rapidly with age.
Let me know about that in 40 years or so. Oops, I won't be around in 40 years.
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Old 02-07-2008, 06:48 AM   #17
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Chris, are you powering your sword with your right arm, methink, it's your dominant arm? seemed to me you did, but I could be wrong. Looked a bit stiff holding the sword, the tip of the sword tends to point above your partner head. also, your sphere seemed to collapse (don't know if I explain that correctly) when you draw back for the cut. 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.
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Old 02-07-2008, 09:15 AM   #18
Chris Parkerson
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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.
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Old 02-07-2008, 03:40 PM   #19
Chris Parkerson
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

[quote]Well, I can't speak about the age factor exactly, since I'm not up there in years like some around here,
I realize you've got years of experience behind you, but would you consider that that maybe you're missing something in your training?
QUOTE]

I suspect that my biggest training failure was not to have regular visits with a sports physician and a professional Rolfer.

Quote:
As far as I know, the tendon/ligament, and fascia shouldn't degrade too rapidly with age. If you have a proper solo training practice then it should be strengthening these facets with age (up to a point).

I've seen this in a fair number of guys with the goods across several different styles. Of course I won't know for myself for at least another 15 years or so...^^;[/
Age leads to death. Oh yeay, that is a tautology as time leads to age and death is an inevitability. Nevertheless, while I am not a sports physician, here is my take on the "unity of motion" thing and sports/chronic aging injuries.

Shoulder issues like chronic biceps tendon injuries can be compensated since arm leverage is the last thing you need to use in a throw. You can bypass the shoulder and even the elbow for that matter and still make "unified motion" technique work. Body throwing (without the arms) is just a reduction of techniques that are taught by throwing through 3 joints (wrist, elbow and shoulder). You can even pin your elbow to your rib cage and complete the throw (isolating the shoulder all together). What Ledyard sensei is calling the "Ikkyo Curve" can also be seen as simply connecting the humerous with the clavicle and scapula so that you can find the center of gravity in the pelvic girdle through the spine and rib cage connections. thus, one torso can throw another torso as long as this connection is made.

Chronic knee injuries can be a bigger issue. The easiest way to drop weight in a "small circle" throwing technique is to bend the knees. What if you cannot? Bending at the waist tends disunify the throw, by taking pressure off the uke's center during the throw . You can still throw with big circles using two out of the three dimensions as long as you use the circle to take the yaw out of the thorax and make it hook up with the pelvis. You still have width and depth even though you lose the element of height during the throw. Many Aikido traditions teach what I would call "wide stances" as the basic curriculum. The throws that naturally occur from wide stances are projection throws and focus on this 2 dimensional force do accomplish the major part of the throw.. Little dropping on height is necessary. But small throwing requires a drop in height of some kind and from some part of the body.

There is a Tomiki instructor in Columbus, Ohio that teaches on crutches due to a medical challenge in his legs. He found another compensation when he cannot use pure projection due to his limitations.. He throws often with the use of aiki set ups and judo "coupling" actions using his crutch like a tripping foot.

The greatest degeneration in "unity of motion" has to do with hip/pelvic girdle problems. This is where your core strength is and where your primary center of gravity resides. If you have a muscle imbalance, for instance, you most likely cannot fully single weight on one foot. And if you get into a wide stance, you cannot minimize/reduce the stance smoothly. Either way, transferring momentum/force through "weight shift" and the connection with uke will likely be disconnected and easily read as primary force..

I suspect that there is a "real world reason" (among others) to be learned when asking why "old man" style has stances where the feet are almost next to each other. Old martial arts teachers had to figure out how to throw and strike without athletic stances, using one leg to support the other without becoming double weighted and losing momentum.

Oh well such a digression. Key lesson, don't let your injuries go untreated. They come back and haunt you when you get older.
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Old 02-08-2008, 05:58 AM   #20
Ron Tisdale
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Actually, I think that was one of your best posts, Chris.

Best,
Ron

Ron Tisdale
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"The higher a monkey climbs, the more you see of his behind."
St. Bonaventure (ca. 1221-1274)
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Old 02-08-2008, 06:43 AM   #21
Upyu
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
But small throwing requires a drop in height of some kind and from some part of the body.
I agree, but specifically what parts of the body?
I'd say using the pelvis/hip girdle is only part of the equation.

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
And if you get into a wide stance, you cannot minimize/reduce the stance smoothly.
Do you mind clarifying what you mean by this?

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
I suspect that there is a "real world reason" (among others) to be learned when asking why "old man" style has stances where the feet are almost next to each other. Old martial arts teachers had to figure out how to throw and strike without athletic stances, using one leg to support the other without becoming double weighted and losing momentum.
I think there's a difference between using "athletic" stances, and doing lower/wider stances for training purposes (aka, lower basin training, which you'll find in most non-southern CMA)

Also, could you define what you mean by "double weighted".
So many people have their own definitions, (even among the chinese cma community) I just would like to understand your position better.

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
Oh well such a digression. Key lesson, don't let your injuries go untreated. They come back and haunt you when you get older.
I'll definitely take that to heart

On a different note, have you ever taken a look at statues like this, or similar? I'd love to know what your take on them would be (about their body, make, characteristics, anything that's jumped out at you about them etc)
http://www.koumatsuba.zansu.com/kongourikishi_as2.JPG
http://www.sendai-biyori.com/news/im...0722083747.jpg

I realize it seems like an unrelated tangent, but I'd appreciate it if you humor me
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Old 02-08-2008, 08:04 PM   #22
Chris Parkerson
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

I use "double weighted" in the sense that the term is used in the Tai Chi classics.

I do not think words can portray as well as video, where I move from. I have a couple of traditional techniques performed with a smaller circle than normal on Youtube at "wuweimonks". You can probably analyze the movement I am talking about there for what it is worth..

Look for:

Small Circle Gedan Ate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IPYQrVeDWY

Sankyo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQYjae0Uh5s

Small Circle Sumi Otoshi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmaHSOpWTZc

Shiho
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFgr7NgzM1Q

I have seen those figures but know nothing about them. The motions remind me of Ta Mo's 18 muscle change exercises but the faces look like warriors. What is the story you have on them?
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Old 02-09-2008, 09:16 AM   #23
Upyu
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
I use "double weighted" in the sense that the term is used in the Tai Chi classics.
Which is up for debate by a lot of people and interpreted in different ways.
Some people consider it to be two feet on the ground, or force on force, or specifically "li" on "li" (as opposed to "jin" vs "li"), or the point where you are unable to adjust your body anymore.
Personally I don't really care about which one is right or wrong etc.
But I think it would help to establish a baseline of where you're coming from if you elaborated on your specific interpretation of "double weighting," with regards to body mechanics.

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
I do not think words can portray as well as video, where I move from. I have a couple of traditional techniques performed with a smaller circle than normal on Youtube at "wuweimonks". You can probably analyze the movement I am talking about there for what it is worth..
Erm ok... I watched. First off, props for putting video up there.

Before I do an "analysis" of what you do...(I got a good idea...but I'd rather not voice it just yet ^^; ) I think there's a lot that can be established verbally, since a lot of the basics with regards to connection/jin etc are common throughout jma and cma. Since you have a pretty extensive background in cma maybe we can establish a common ground.

Let's start with posture: Do you do any work on emphasizing six-opposing forces in the body in order to maintain equilibrium in the body?

Quote:
Chris Parkerson wrote: View Post
I have seen those figures but know nothing about them. The motions remind me of Ta Mo's 18 muscle change exercises but the faces look like warriors. What is the story you have on them?
Well, honestly I think looking at these or the chinese versions of them are pretty self-explanatory.

Without going into the buddhist connotations, (which are linked to the body skills displayed in the statues) I'm going to kick it off with some quick physical descriptions:

To sum up, one is "A", one is "Un" ("ha" and "heng" in chines) -> these refer to the specific sounds.

One is the body opening, one is the body closing.
Both statues are actually a single entity, but showing different states.
Coiling throughout the body pretty obvious, and muscular development in certain areas are dead giveaways about the way that particular person trained.

That's for starters...if there's anything you'd like to add I'm all ears
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Old 02-09-2008, 11:00 AM   #24
gdandscompserv
 
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

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Robert John wrote: View Post
muscular development in certain areas are dead giveaways about the way that particular person trained.
The trapezius muscles seem pretty well developed. I'd like to look at their back.
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Old 02-09-2008, 12:31 PM   #25
Chris Parkerson
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Re: Freeform Bokken Drills to Develop Aiki Flow

I am familiar with the six harmonies
1. hand to foot
2. elbow with knee
3. hip with shoulder
4. (Yi) Mind
5. (Li) Body
6. (Chi) Energy

Yes I used to study how sounds, organs and movement were related. Not so much anymore.

Double weighted is real simple for me. 50% - 50% weight distribution on each foot. Put a plum bob under your perineum (inseam) and see where it falls. If it is in the middle of your stance, you are double weighted. Shift to one foot, if the plum bob is truly over the line of your ankle, your are close to being single weighted. 70% - 30% weight distribution is still double weighted. 90%-10% is functional enough but still not truly single weighted.

Below are a few ways I express unity of motion expressed in small circle and martial context. They will be up on Youtube for only 2 days.

Staff Drill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvLeESkA4OE

Sword Cuts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-i9hTYOFbQ

Aiki Sword Drill Level 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf7NhfgQ3Y4

Small Circle Throw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV4PqupYOns

Small Circle Throwing with Empty Hand
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prO3Xx4a9Y8
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