YouTube: Yoshinobu Takeda, 2004

Here is an Aikido video of Yoshinobu Takeda (8th dan, Aikikai, Aikido Kenkyukai International) teaching at a summer intensive workshop in 2004.

What are your thoughts on this video clip?

-- Jun

The overly-compliant uke detract from the demonstration. I can just see skilled karate-ka or judo-ka watching this and laughing derisively. And perhaps rightly so.

Jonathan Hay wrote: The overly-compliant uke detract from the demonstration. I can just see skilled karate-ka or judo-ka watching this and laughing derisively. And perhaps rightly so.

Let them laugh, they also laughed when they saw Ueshiba moving with compliant uke.
In no way they are right.
I think Takeda is maybe the best of Yamaguchi Saigos students.
His ability to let people move in the way he wishes are remarkable.
It's true that his ukes are compliant, but in some way it is self protection. His movements can be sharp as a sword.

Markus Rohde wrote: Let them laugh, they also laughed when they saw Ueshiba moving with compliant uke. In no way they are right. I think Takeda is maybe the best of Yamaguchi Saigos students. His ability to let people move in the way he wishes are remarkable. It's true that his ukes are compliant, but in some way it is self protection. His movements can be sharp as a sword.

I think Ueshiba Osensei probably had no problem demonstrating an art that he didn't want stolen with compliant uke but according to many of his direct students, that was not what he expected in regular training. That's not to say teachers like Takeda aren't entitled to do their own thing.

Carl

Carl Thompson wrote: I think Ueshiba Osensei probably had no problem demonstrating an art that he didn't want stolen with compliant uke but according to many of his direct students, that was not what he expected in regular training. That's not to say teachers like Takeda aren't entitled to do their own thing. Carl

I haven't seen Takeda in regular training, only in seminars. But I heared he teaches basics as any other teacher.
People like him are often reduced to one aspect of their aikido.

Carl Thompson wrote: I think Ueshiba Osensei probably had no problem demonstrating an art that he didn't want stolen with compliant uke but according to many of his direct students, that was not what he expected in regular training. That's not to say teachers like Takeda aren't entitled to do their own thing. Carl

Maybe Takeda has his own private Iwama :-)

Let them laugh, they also laughed when they saw Ueshiba moving with compliant uke.

Oh? I don't recall hearing any stories of other martial artists laughing at OSensei's martial skills...

His ability to let people move in the way he wishes are remarkable.

Perhaps. But the video clip certainly didn't make that clear.

It's true that his ukes are compliant, but in some way it is self protection. His movements can be sharp as a sword.

Again, this wasn't much in evidence in the video clip. Self-protective or not, his uke were rather too responsive, I think.

You don't see in that video how well he really controls uke, takes their center, or how much relaxed power he creates. He threw me harder than anyone ever to that point or since.

I bet you being a "compliant uke" for this guy would make you ridiculously strong in short order.

I bet you being a "compliant uke" for this guy would make you ridiculously strong in short order.

That's what happens when you're the only one doing all the work!

Jonathan Hay wrote: That's what happens when you're the only one doing all the work!

Ah, you think he did not have to do any work to get where he is?

Markus Rohde wrote: Ah, you think he did not have to do any work to get where he is?

Not wanting to speak for Jon but... we both had Kawahara Yukio as shihan in our backgrounds.

I suspect that Takeda sensei did a LOT of work to get where he is.

It's really hard to say just how much of the uke grunting and groaning with big ukemi is "real" here, and how much is being overly compliant, but I wish Kawahara was still alive - he didn't like uke dancing for him, and the very rare instances I was thrown by him I assure you I wasn't cooperating, apart from trying to punch his lights out (at his request) - man did I hit the ground hard. Harder than when I was getting NAILED by judo people such as Doug Rogers (1964 Olympic Silver Medal, godan) or some of the folks who knocked me around in Tokyo. Unfortunately Kawahara didn't like people taking video of his teaching.

To me, it looks like Takeda sensei's demonstration is depending a bit too much on uke doing what was expected of them rather than actually trying to give nage a good solid strike... I could be wrong, but...

Just another way of keiko.
I guess Takeda knows others, also from own experience...

When he threw me, I didn't have the feeling he really cared if I was compliant or not.
He just moved, and l was thrown.

An absolute farce. This is why aikido is beginning to generate a bad reputation.

Ah, you think he did not have to do any work to get where he is?

No. That's not what I meant at all. My comment was aimed at the work an overly-compliant uke has to do to be overly-compliant and how it can allow nage to move rather more easily and comfortably than he would be able to with a person less familiar with the ukemi and less motivated to make him look good.

I expect Takeda sensei had to work just as hard taking ukemi for Yamaguchi sensei as his own uke have to work taking ukemi for him.

As I said, I am only making comment on this one video clip. There very well may be other clips where Takeda sensei doesn't have such helpful uke and is able, therefore, to demonstrates his power and control over his uke much more clearly.

Regards,

Jon.

There seem to be people here that train with this instructor. I am curious to know what ideas he is trying to get across in the demonstration?

Jonathan Hay wrote: As I said, I am only making comment on this one video clip. There very well may be other clips where Takeda sensei doesn't have such helpful uke and is able, therefore, to demonstrates his power and control over his uke much more clearly.

"Power" is a thing you never can see on a video.
One can make an exerted face while throwing people around, and his uke likes to be smashed down on the mat and makes a loud noise.
So everybody says, wow, what powerful people, but in reality maybe there is nothing then muscularity.

How I said before, Ueshiba also was criticised because it looked like fake when he threw people without touching them when he was old, and also in younger times it was said that he only let his own compliant students take ukemi for him.
His skilles were doupted by people like Yukioshi Sagawa for example, you can read it in "transparent power".
But Ueshiba is a myth.

"Power" is a thing you never can see on a video. One can make an exerted face while throwing people around, and his uke likes to be smashed down on the mat and makes a loud noise. So everybody says, wow, what powerful people, but in reality maybe there is nothing then muscularity.

Well, even if the power is largely muscular in origin, it is still power.

How I said before, Ueshiba also was criticised because it looked like fake when he threw people without touching them when he was old, and also in younger times it was said that he only let his own compliant students take ukemi for him.

I see. So, this makes it all right for Takeda to do the same?

His skilles were doupted by people like Yukioshi Sagawa for example, you can read it in "transparent power". But Ueshiba is a myth.

No, I'm quite sure OSensei existed. He is not a myth.

This is the same Takeda whose dojo is known for having a tradition of an "everybody takes ukemi again and again until they can't get up" kind of practice. I dunno how long I would last.

Maybe that's taking things too far in one direction for some, but I think Aikido works better on that end of the scale than whatever it is compliance-haters think is better...I'd ask for youtube clips but I am pretty sure all we'll see are examples of another type of compliance..

Walter Martindale wrote: Not wanting to speak for Jon but... we both had Kawahara Yukio as shihan in our backgrounds. I suspect that Takeda sensei did a LOT of work to get where he is. It's really hard to say just how much of the uke grunting and groaning with big ukemi is "real" here, and how much is being overly compliant, but I wish Kawahara was still alive - he didn't like uke dancing for him, and the very rare instances I was thrown by him I assure you I wasn't cooperating, apart from trying to punch his lights out (at his request) - man did I hit the ground hard. Harder than when I was getting NAILED by judo people such as Doug Rogers (1964 Olympic Silver Medal, godan) or some of the folks who knocked me around in Tokyo. Unfortunately Kawahara didn't like people taking video of his teaching. To me, it looks like Takeda sensei's demonstration is depending a bit too much on uke doing what was expected of them rather than actually trying to give nage a good solid strike... I could be wrong, but...

I've trained with both (and got my black belt from Kawahara Sensei). Apples and oranges. Can't be compared.

The question that pops into my head is always: "Would this style of aikido work with a non-compliant uke?"

Kawahara: DEFINITELY (as in scaaaary).
Takeda: No, and I don't think he would do remotely the same stuff if attacked in real life (at least I hope not).

I guess it depends if the answer to that question matters to you or not. For a lot of the Kenkyukai folks I really think that they believe it is the wrong question to be asking. It's a different set of goals and values, where the question of "martial effectiveness" doesn't really come up a lot.

To each their own. I know I had a lot of fun at the seminar I attended with Takeda Sensei, but I wouldn't choose it as my every day practice. I chalk it up to the luxury of living in a mostly peaceful society.

Conrad Gustafson wrote: The question that pops into my head is always: "Would this style of aikido work with a non-compliant uke?"

Every so called "style" of Aikido is just a way to realize specific aspects of keiko

Watching such kind of keiko, on should not ask whether that stuff would work out in the streets.

One should ask which apects of aikido it trains and how one could benefit from doing such keiko from time to time.

Every so called "style" of Aikido is just a way to realize specific aspects of keiko Watching such kind of keiko, on should not ask whether that stuff would work out in the streets. One should ask which apects of aikido it trains and how one could benefit from doing such keiko from time to time.

Exactly.

I see blending and perfect timing.

There is a good reason not to put videos of yourself up or allow filming.

You will always be judged by what others want to see - not what you are trying to show.

If you are going to get esoteric - be prepared to be ridiculed.

Conrad Gustafson wrote: The question that pops into my head is always: "Would this style of aikido work with a non-compliant uke?"

This question reduces to an interesting one, that I think illustrates one of the challenges Aikido has that is particular.

"Would this style of Aikido training look the same with unfamiliar ukes who were not used to it?"

(Show me a non-compliant uke, I will show you someone who just needs to be hit and cranked a bit to encourage them to relax.)

We all know we're practicing the same martial art. We are pretty sure there are different levels of understanding and focus on the principles between styles, groups, and dojos. But people seem shocked, at times, to realize how diverse training methods and attitudes toward budo are out there.

I think this goes back to Takeda's travelling seminar style of transmission. The shihan demonstrates, the students attempt to imitate. If the shihan were teaching each individual student hands-on, there would be no question that if you stepped into a different dojo you'd have a completely different experience.