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Old 03-11-2007, 06:31 PM   #51
shidoin
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Dan what is DR's ?
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Old 03-11-2007, 06:40 PM   #52
DH
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Ignatious that was great

Booya...right on!!

Steel in cotton
Rubber coated steel
I like the steel-belted-radial feel a judo guy once called it

Cheers
Dan
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Old 03-11-2007, 06:42 PM   #53
DH
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Quote:
Matt Sloan wrote: View Post
Dan what is DR's ?
Kevin would say DR is a doctor or proctology looking for my mind.
I'd say DR is Daito ryu
Dan
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Old 03-11-2007, 07:44 PM   #54
shidoin
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

man I had to go back and read the original post again, I couldn't remember it because of all the babble. my thought is Aikido starts with waza but ends with internal. If you are just doing waza you are not doing Aikido. To make Aikido techniques effective I have found you have to let go of all thoughts, all fears, all adrenalin, ect. if you have to think about how u are going to go about taking someone out it won't work. O'sensei was able to do what he did because it was a natural reaction, he didn't think Sankajo! it just happened. My past Aikido instructor was very great, I could punch, kick, grab, for Real! and he would have me down so fast, it was like being stuck in a vortex.
Not strength was used, just speed, timing and Ki.
I think we all have internal power and we a capable of great feats but you must train your mind and spirit capable to tap into it.
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Old 03-11-2007, 08:27 PM   #55
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Quote:
Matt Sloan wrote: View Post
man I had to go back and read the original post again, I couldn't remember it because of all the babble. my thought is Aikido starts with waza but ends with internal. If you are just doing waza you are not doing Aikido. To make Aikido techniques effective I have found you have to let go of all thoughts, all fears, all adrenalin, ect. if you have to think about how u are going to go about taking someone out it won't work. O'sensei was able to do what he did because it was a natural reaction, he didn't think Sankajo! it just happened. My past Aikido instructor was very great, I could punch, kick, grab, for Real! and he would have me down so fast, it was like being stuck in a vortex.
Not strength was used, just speed, timing and Ki.
I think we all have internal power and we a capable of great feats but you must train your mind and spirit capable to tap into it.
IMO you're completely on the wrong track with your post. As Dan states every now and then, 180 degrees in the wrong direction.

It starts with internal. That's what gives it the rubbery-hard center with which all else springs.

Mark
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Old 03-11-2007, 09:45 PM   #56
shidoin
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Hey mark, can't agree with u on that one, but maybe I should be more clear. When we start to practice Aikido, we train Waza, which is external, and after many years of training if you are training properly, it becomes internal art. IMO in the beginning we try to muscle the techniques, and later we use Ki.
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Old 03-11-2007, 10:07 PM   #57
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Quote:
Matt Sloan wrote: View Post
O'sensei was able to do what he did because it was a natural reaction, he didn't think Sankajo!
Here's the real question then, do you think O' Sensei trained to become who he became by practicing Waza and then turning that "internal"?
I know a lot of people that espouse that same path even in CMA, and generally they don't get anywhere.
Even O' Sensei did a "#$t load of tanren(solo training), and I'd bet a whole california state lotto winning that that was the meat of his training. All the techniques, everything else he showed were just toys to perfect the application of the bodyskills he was developing in his body.

His technical foundation may have been daitoryu, but I'll bet the engine that drove that technical foundation and allowed him to figure out to a degree what Takeda Soukaku was doing was the solo training
And solo training is hard work...something that most people simply want to shirk...
The aikido curriculum was dumbed down and made the way it is today simply because 99% of Aikido practicioners would probably drop out. My guess is he just wanted to spread Aikido as something that everyone could practice, and didnt care whether or not the "essence" got transmited. Otherwise I think you'd see much more information on the way he trained in private
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Old 03-11-2007, 10:47 PM   #58
shidoin
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

I read his Bio, by John Stevens, O'Sensei was a mad man in his early years. he would bang his head on a boulder to harden his skull, train in ice cold water, carry lumber, ect. he speaks of a enlightening experience that he had one day in his garden, he became a golden being, and from then on he understood the true nature of life. He was a very dedicated and unique man, many people have tried to become him, but in modern days,#1 people are lazy #2 we have responsibility's and financial obligations that inhibit us to train and live the way he did back then. We can go through the motions of Aikido, but I don't think what he knew can be taught. we must find it ourselves
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Old 03-12-2007, 06:39 AM   #59
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Quote:
Robert John wrote: View Post
The aikido curriculum was dumbed down and made the way it is today simply because 99% of Aikido practicioners would probably drop out. My guess is he just wanted to spread Aikido as something that everyone could practice, and didnt care whether or not the "essence" got transmited. Otherwise I think you'd see much more information on the way he trained in private
Hi Rob,

I'm still thinking over what Ueshiba did during his "teaching" years, whether he really cared to spread the knowledge or not. But I do think that his son, Kisshomaru, was the one responsible for starting Aikido along the technique driven path.

Ueshiba is known for a few comments in his later years, such as:

That's not my Aikido

and upon seeing people doing "soft" aikido, asking them what they're doing since it took him twenty years of doing hard stuff before he could get to the soft stuff.

Mark
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Old 03-12-2007, 08:01 AM   #60
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

I am wondering why this discussion about -aikido- got banished to the new "Non-Aikido" forum. I can understand why the Baseline Skillset thread was plopped here, because it has so much reference to Chinese arts, but it's puzzling how a topic that explores the history and mysteries of the internal part of aikido would be considered "non-aikido."

Last edited by Cady Goldfield : 03-12-2007 at 08:09 AM.
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Old 03-12-2007, 08:13 AM   #61
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

I don't have any background in recognizing internal arts versus external arts. I'll leave that to those that are better educated.

However, there are certain things that I am finding which sheds some light upon aikido as a martial art in an overall sense and applies to this thread.

First:
Judo, wrestling, karate, BJJ, MMA, etc.

Have you wondered why it takes someone in aikido far longer to become proficient than their peers in other arts?

I used to come up with all kinds of reasons why this was so. But I also always wondered if there was a piece missing that might equalize things. After all, Kano didn't look down upon Ueshiba, and there were many martial artists who thought Ueshiba was exemplary in Budo.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear some saying that Ueshiba invested more time in his training than we have available. After all, we have jobs and families and etc. Like I said, there are all kinds of reasons. But, really, why does it take people in aikido so much longer than other martial arts?

Why indeed? What keeps aikido from being as viable in the same time span as judo, karate, BJJ, etc? It certainly can't be because we don't have enough time to spend because comparatively, we find other people in other arts also don't have enough time to spend. Yes, there's a point where some people who spend great amounts of time will leap ahead of all others, but comparatively, again, why does aikido trail the pack?

My answer. It's missing a critical component with the baseline skills. These skills would allow aikido to place itself among its peers, in regards to time versus skill. Please note the time versus skill part of that sentence. It doesn't mean that aikido isn't a peer among the others in the martial arts world.

Second:
Techniques.

I'm still of the opinion that techniques in aikido are an important aspect. First, they place a range and a boundary for training and learning aikido. They set a condition upon which people learn skills such as timing, distance, body placement, etc. And they create a pathway necessary for understanding Ueshiba's Aikido.

Now, with that said. Techniques also become somewhat hollow when performed in a rote manner with only the understanding of the physical aspect. Hmmm … let me try to make that a bit clearer. If you are just going through the motions of learning the technique and hoping that some day you'll glean some understanding of how to be martially effective, then it's going to take a lot of stealing techniques, repetitive effort, and some very skilled intuitive leaps. Otherwise it's just going to be some basic jujutsu that gets refined over time.

Can that leap be made? I think it can but as with my first point, it's going to take a long time and some great intuitive leaps. How many of us will be able to do that? Ikeda sensei went to Ushiro sensei to help with those intuitive leaps. Guess you can figure out your own chances from there.

If the baseline skills are added to aikido training from day one, I think you're going to have a better martial art that also follows Ueshiba's aikido more closely.

Third:
Power.

I've read that some of Ueshiba's students rolled out of his techniques because of Ueshiba's power. They would rather roll away than confront his power. Now, I've also read that people attribute that power from a purely physical perspective. Egad. Why? Think about that. Here we have an art that is training you to be as soft as possible and that model came from Ueshiba, yet his power came from a physical grip? That's about as much an oxymoron as I've seen. It wasn't his physical power they were afraid of, it was his internal power being expressed into them that they were afraid of. He was being uke and then changing roles to nage by using internal skills to neutralize their attack. They hit a rubbery hardness that exploded with internal power.

Why do you think Tenryu was unable to overcome Ueshiba? He wasn't doing techniques just waiting for Tenryu to push him over. He knew the secret skills that were the most important part of aikido. Now, did Ueshiba do techniques on Tenryu? No, he had Tenryu try to push him over. Which tells me that these internal baseline skills are a very important part of aikido. If Tenryu, through his sumo training, had the internal framework of whole body integration or whole body movement, then to me, Ueshiba must have known that also. But, yet Tenryu couldn't push him over, so there had to be more. Hence, power, or also pathways of power. Ueshiba knew how to integrate whole body with pathways of power. More internal training and above baseline skills. These are the secrets of aikido.

Fourth:
Shortcuts.

There are no shortcuts in martial arts training. Just because internal training for baseline skills creates a more valid martial art, doesn't mean it's a shortcut. There is a lot of solo training. A lot. It isn't a shortcut by any stretch of the imagination. What it does give are two things.

1. It lets people practice something outside of the dojo.
2. It lets people make those intuitive leaps a bit quicker and more easily. But only if the time in training is put in.

Mark
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Old 03-12-2007, 08:21 AM   #62
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Quote:
Cady Goldfield wrote: View Post
I am wondering why this discussion about -aikido- got banished to the new "Non-Aikido" forum. I can understand why the Baseline Skillset thread was plopped here, because it has so much reference to Chinese arts, but it's puzzling how a topic that explores the history and mysteries of the internal part of aikido would be considered "non-aikido."
Ugh. I just noticed the new forum. Yuck. "Non-Aikido"?!?

All this talk about if and how these things apply to Aikido and it ends up in "Non-Aikido"? No one coming to AikiWeb will put *ANY* faith at all in what is being said here as being part of Aikido.

Jun, many thanks for having this great site. But, is there some other name that can be used? Even, "Non-Traditional Aikido" would be better. Something other than "Non-Aikido", as that finalizes all debate and informs everyone reading that the matters discussed in this forum do not belong in Aikido. Even "Open Discussions" was a better place.

Thanks,
Mark
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Old 03-12-2007, 08:32 AM   #63
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Quote:
Cady Goldfield wrote: View Post
I am wondering why this discussion about -aikido- got banished to the new "Non-Aikido" forum. I can understand why the Baseline Skillset thread Iwas plopped here, because it has so much reference to Chinese arts, but it's puzzling how a topic that explores the history and mysteries of the internal part of aikido would be considered "non-aikido."
Hi Cady, you took the words right out of my mouth. I certainly think it's fair to put a discussion of internal aspects in a separate subsection of the forum (like Internal Aspects), but to brand it non-Aikido assumes a rather prejudiced conclusion. All that "keep one point", "keep weight underside", all the talk about throwing people with ki, how people with proper ki understanding can't be moved, how they can take their opponent's balance without visible movement by movement "inside" their body, none of it has any physical meaning. I guess anyone with ki skills is automatically not doing Aikido, which is so laughable it's hard to motivate to even discuss seriously. But it's no doubt a popular view among the 99.999% of Aikidoka without any semblence of the ki skills Ueshiba possessed, even though it's the stories of those abilities that likely drew them all to Aikido to begin with. Don't worry, if you haven't suddenly developed those abilities, just dance around for another 20 years and maybe it will happen one day. Don't think it's something you'd have to deliberately focus on. Never mind that there's nothing "natural" about the optimal swimming stroke, the optimal bicycling pedal stroke, the optimal golf swing, etc, and they all have to be learned slowly and deliberately until an unnatural use of the body becomes second nature. Just keep muddling along without focus and some day you'll wake up with Tiger Woods' skills. Whatever you do, do *not* attempt to break down the mechanics of what the top people could or can do, such that you can understand and drill those skills to be called upon at will. Do *not* work your body deliberately to create physical qualities that support reaching those goals. Nothing to see here, just move along.
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Old 03-12-2007, 08:32 AM   #64
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

There's also a new filter mechanism that allows people to block the view of any forum they don't want to see. So, this particular forum may actually be "doubley-banished" from the sight of anyone who doesn't want to postulate or consider that there is anything more to aikido than what they currently practice.

Keep on rockin' in the Free World...
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Old 03-12-2007, 08:39 AM   #65
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

I agree also. Heck, this thread even has "Aikido" in the title.....

Mark
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Old 03-12-2007, 08:47 AM   #66
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Yeah, but Mark, that could just be a "bait and switch" tactic! Put "aikido" in the title, but when the innocent reader opens the thread, it's about cheap real estate in Florida.

I got that idea from spammers.

No, it's safer to just kerplunk anything of dubious provenance (e.g. posted by someone who is not currently practicing aikido in one of the mainstream organizations) into a "Non-Aikido" forum. At least, that's how this looks to me.

I agree with Mark M. It would be more appropriate to call the forum something like "Non-Traditional Aikido" or "Internal Practices."

Last edited by Cady Goldfield : 03-12-2007 at 08:51 AM.
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Old 03-12-2007, 08:50 AM   #67
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Mark Wrote:

Quote:
Why indeed? What keeps aikido from being as viable in the same time span as judo, karate, BJJ, etc?
Viable in what way? How are you making the comparison? Each of those arts has it's own set of criteria in which to judge viability of effectiveness. BJJ in a judo paradigm typically does not do as well as well as vice versa. Same with aikido and BJJ, both seem like oil and water when you compare viability and success from each others methodologies.

It is sort of like we need to develop a framework that is generally agreed upon in which to test skills and viability. A set of conditions and test in which we could agree upon.

From there, we could view the various strengths and weaknesses of how things such as baselline skills are additive. Same wtih Judo, BJJ, Aikido techniques.

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Old 03-12-2007, 09:00 AM   #68
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Quote:
Kevin Leavitt wrote: View Post
Mark Wrote:

Viable in what way? How are you making the comparison? Each of those arts has it's own set of criteria in which to judge viability of effectiveness. BJJ in a judo paradigm typically does not do as well as well as vice versa. Same with aikido and BJJ, both seem like oil and water when you compare viability and success from each others methodologies.

It is sort of like we need to develop a framework that is generally agreed upon in which to test skills and viability. A set of conditions and test in which we could agree upon.

From there, we could view the various strengths and weaknesses of how things such as baselline skills are additive. Same wtih Judo, BJJ, Aikido techniques.
Six months, one year, shodan, etc. Take your pick, Kevin. Any timeframe at all. Heck, just using the basic training methods that Mike and Rob showed in one day (er, less than one day) and some of the students at my dojo were doing far, far better at receiving a nikkyo lock than they ever have been.

Or perhaps you think that in six months to one year, average aikido students will be of equal skill as anyone with six months training in BJJ, Judo, MMA, etc.?

Mark
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Old 03-12-2007, 09:04 AM   #69
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

I have moved this thread into the Training section. Please be sure to discuss aikido specifically and explicitly. Thank you.

-- Jun

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Old 03-12-2007, 09:12 AM   #70
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

thanks for the reply Mark.

It is good to hear a definition of viability. So your criteria is that what they had to teach increased your student's ability to perform within the context of aikido much better than before they trained with the "baseline methodology" (for lack of whatelse to call it at this point").

No, I don't think it is fair to compare methodolgies to each other. Each methodology focuses on a particular area of concentration and therefore, when comparing some will be strong in one area, while yet the other art in the other area. So, when you Say "equal skill" it cannot categorically apply as an art.

In order to do that, you'd have to develop a standardize testing/training conditions that were common and then compare outcomes...however, when you do that...it is called MMA.

Thanks for taking the time to clarify your position on viability.

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Old 03-12-2007, 09:56 AM   #71
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Quote:
Kevin Leavitt wrote: View Post
thanks for the reply Mark.

It is good to hear a definition of viability. So your criteria is that what they had to teach increased your student's ability to perform within the context of aikido much better than before they trained with the "baseline methodology" (for lack of whatelse to call it at this point").
Hi Kevin,

These baseline skills will make all those leaps of intuitive "steal the technique" type training a whole lot easier. Reading Ledyard sensei's posts will show you the logic there.

They will create better understanding of things like keep weight underside, etc. They add a function to training that, IMO, helps students progress at a more optimal pace in a martial art.

And, all the people looking at Ueshiba's vision and training to get there ... well, while the path may be different, the end vision (being able to defend oneself without necessarily harming the attacker) is the same. (I'll note here that the actual end result, IMO, is different. But that's a topic for the baseline skills thread.)

Quote:
Kevin Leavitt wrote: View Post
No, I don't think it is fair to compare methodolgies to each other. Each methodology focuses on a particular area of concentration and therefore, when comparing some will be strong in one area, while yet the other art in the other area. So, when you Say "equal skill" it cannot categorically apply as an art.

In order to do that, you'd have to develop a standardize testing/training conditions that were common and then compare outcomes...however, when you do that...it is called MMA.

Thanks for taking the time to clarify your position on viability.
Hmmm ... let's use another example.

Take a wrestler as an attacker. Take someone who has done each of the other martial arts for 6 months. The test is for each person to take the wrestler to the ground in some manner (take down, roll, fall, etc). The wrestler gets to use his skills to either not go down or take the other person down.

Then compare how well each did. So, do you think that a person in aikido will fare as well as someone in BJJ or judo or MMA? After all, aikido specifically trains to take people to the ground in either a fall or roll.

Now take someone who has had one year of training in each of the fields. Remember, we're actually keeping to something that all four (in this test, aikido, BJJ, judo, and MMA) have in common in their training syllabus.

There's a reason it's commonly stated in a lot of places that aikido takes longer to become viable than other martial arts.

However, IMO, if you add in these baseline skills as part of the training methodology for aikido, I really do think that it will be at par with all the others. And then, it'll be like you said -- some will be strong in one area while the other arts in other areas.

Mark
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Old 03-12-2007, 10:09 AM   #72
Pete Rihaczek
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Quote:
Jun Akiyama wrote: View Post
I have moved this thread into the Training section. Please be sure to discuss aikido specifically and explicitly. Thank you.

-- Jun
Man, this is becoming more like Ninjitsu, every time you blink things are somewhere else. Just kidding.

Seriously, there are obviously two camps, one that believes physical ki skills are *the* thing in Aikido, and the other that thinks it only exists in acknowledged internal arts, doesn't exist at all, or isn't a matter of body usage. A section title that leaves the question itself unanswered and neutral is probably best, or else it can go here under "internal training for Aikido" or some such.

Or not. The most important thing to note is that it's your site, and you can throw everybody off. Just wanted to applaud your patience and indulgence. It's good to note where the old axiom of martial training improving character actually holds, one does lose faith on occasion.
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Old 03-12-2007, 10:52 AM   #73
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Quote:
Mark Murray wrote: View Post
Hi Kevin,

There's a reason it's commonly stated in a lot of places that aikido takes longer to become viable than other martial arts.

However, IMO, if you add in these baseline skills as part of the training methodology for aikido, I really do think that it will be at par with all the others.
Mark
Hi Mark, I just wanted to add to that point. The following is a translation from Wang Tsung-yueh's Treatise on T'ai-chi ch'uan:

"Friends, you can gain a great deal from a very simple explanation. Let us consider, for example, a few people who have practiced T'ai-chi every day for five or six years, but who are always bested in competition. A colleague asked, "You have studied faithfully for five or six years, but why are you still not successful? Please demonstrate the Thirteen Postures so I can see." What we see in his form is "horse stances," clenched fists, a fierce countenance, and gritted teeth. He has as much strength as an ox, but his ch'i is nowhere to be seen. This is the result of practicing double-weighted. A colleague laughed and said. "You, Sir, have simply failed to understand the error of double-weightedness." Another man said, "I have been practicing without using force for five or six years, but why is it that I cannot even knock over a ten year old kid?" The colleague asked him to demonstrate the Thirteen Postures and noticed that indeed he used no force at all. However, he was floating like goose down and didn't dare to extend his hands or feet. He was even afraid to open his eyes wide. The colleague laughed and said, "You, Sir, are guilty of the error of 'double-floating.' Double-weightedness is an error and double-floating is also an error." Everyone laughed and asked, "How can we discover the true method of practice?"

Commentary:

1) This is exactly the same thing as Aikido. Neither muscular, "external" means of practice, nor blending like the breeze using no force, are "correct". Both ways are not using Ki. If you see no parallel between this story and the stories and commentaries of Ueshiba, Tohei, etc etc on this subject, then you have some serious pondering to do, or are hopelessly closed to the idea that maybe you don't comprehend what the old masters were really talking about when they talk about using Ki.

2) Internal mechanics are not easy to grasp. Evidently it was and is not uncommon for people to practice daily for years and just not get it. Without explicit research and focus on what is right and what is wrong, making progress is difficult. Not getting it, even with access to someone with real skills, appears to be the norm. The idea of getting it just by repeated practice of external mechanics is beyond ridiculous. It will simply never happen.

3) The focus of people like Akuzawa, Mike, etc is to try to distill things and/or put them into Western terms so that people with day jobs can hope to get somewhere with this stuff in a reasonable amount of time. No matter what, it will take longer to get these skills than to get usable skills with BJJ. If you want fast fighting ability, practical external arts with lots of sparring are the way to go, period. If you're interested in the skills that the old masters held in highest regard, skills that have old men doing things that young men can't accomplish, then you have to expect that to take a good amount of time.

If you want do to an art which should have internal mechanics, like Tai Chi or Aikido, yet not bother with actually learning internal mechanics...that's fine as long as you don't care about whether you get much in the way of effectiveness or interesting skills. Some people just like the peaceful mindset and hanging out at the dojo. If they're honest, they probably have the expectation that over the years they will get Ueshiba-like, which invariably will cause some form of cognitive dissonance in those willing to admit it isn't happening for them. Hence the ever-present threads about getting discouraged with Aikido, whether it really works, and so forth. Even if you don't get near the storied levels of Ki ability, it's still the most interesting part to pursue, in fact the only interesting part for me. Without that, most Aikido as practiced seems to be a few joint locks and a lot of wishful thinking. Personal choice.
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Old 03-12-2007, 11:05 AM   #74
shidoin
Dojo: Aikibuken
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Let's look at a example: I'm in the construction biz, the designer needed some pots moved about 4 feet high, very heavy! I had to carry them up a 8 foot ladder, 6 movers were there and not one of them could put them up on the shelf. I tried to lift them and they seemed to heavy for me to move. hours later she said you can put those up there can't u? I thought hmm I could barely lift them an hour ago, how can I get them up that high? well without thinking I grabbed the damn pots lifted them over my head and placed them on the shelf! Wow they said you are very strong! how did u do that? I said the mind is stronger than the body. O'sensei was able to lift heavy weight, and rip large trees from the ground with his bare hands. Like I said before forget about thinking about doing it and just do it. that is the key to Aikido.
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Old 03-12-2007, 11:59 AM   #75
Pete Rihaczek
Join Date: Mar 2007
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Re: Aikido as External Art -or- Where's the Chewy Center?

Quote:
Matt Sloan wrote: View Post
Let's look at a example: I'm in the construction biz, the designer needed some pots moved about 4 feet high, very heavy! I had to carry them up a 8 foot ladder, 6 movers were there and not one of them could put them up on the shelf. I tried to lift them and they seemed to heavy for me to move. hours later she said you can put those up there can't u? I thought hmm I could barely lift them an hour ago, how can I get them up that high? well without thinking I grabbed the damn pots lifted them over my head and placed them on the shelf! Wow they said you are very strong! how did u do that? I said the mind is stronger than the body. O'sensei was able to lift heavy weight, and rip large trees from the ground with his bare hands. Like I said before forget about thinking about doing it and just do it. that is the key to Aikido.
Well, if it were that easy to "just do it", we can all award ourselves nth degree blackbelts and live happily ever after.
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