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Old 12-12-2002, 09:16 AM   #1
akiy
 
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Simple, but not Easy

Hi folks,

I've often run into things in aikido which I could label as, "simple, but not easy."

What sort of things have you found in aikido that are simple, but not easy?

-- Jun

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Old 12-12-2002, 09:29 AM   #2
diesel
Dojo: Tenshin
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Re: Simple, but not Easy

Quote:
Jun Akiyama (akiy) wrote:
Hi folks,

I've often run into things in aikido which I could label as, "simple, but not easy."

What sort of things have you found in aikido that are simple, but not easy?

-- Jun
I know when I first started, tai no tenkan was simple, but not easy..

Now it seems to me that all the techniques are simple, but I am making them not easy by thinking about them.. In all seriousness, right now, yonkyo. Simple yes, but not easy for me to find.

Seeking out mushin..

Eric
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Old 12-12-2002, 09:30 AM   #3
Thalib
 
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The movements or techniques in Aikido are all non-complex, at least it should be. Basically, all the movements are simple.

Take any kokyu nage for example, the technique is quite simple right, but when one starts to do just the form then nothing happens.

It is not the movement itself that made the technique works. There are many principle behind it, it is then put into a physical form. The principle itself is also simple, but very hard to apply it physically, mentally, and spiritually if it gets to that.

When I have to die by the sword, I will do so with honor.
--------
http://funkybuddha.multiply.com/
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Old 12-12-2002, 09:55 AM   #4
MikeE
 
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I subscribe to the KISS (keep it simple, stupid) approach with Aikido.

Aikido should be like walking and breathing. That's the hard part.

In Aiki,

Mike Ellefson
Midwest Center
For Movement &
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Old 12-12-2002, 01:39 PM   #5
Jucas
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Ukemi.... after all you are just falling, what should be so hard about that.

  • Like a rotten log half burried in the ground.
  • My Life which has not flowered.
  • Comes to this sad end.
-Minamoto Yorimasa
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Old 12-12-2002, 01:43 PM   #6
Williamross77
 
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the principles Mune mushin & agatsu, thats it for me, all the rest of my problems revolve around those.

in Aiki
Agatsu!!
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Old 12-12-2002, 02:08 PM   #7
Col.Clink
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Re: Simple, but not Easy

Quote:
Jun Akiyama (akiy) wrote:
Hi folks,

What sort of things have you found in aikido that are simple, but not easy?

-- Jun
For me, it was executing techniques and movement on my "bad" side, I mean, learning to defend AND move on the opposite side, so simple, but not so easy.

Now things are easy, but not so simple!!



Rob

"Excess leads to the path of Wisdom"
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Old 12-12-2002, 07:43 PM   #8
Bruce Baker
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In reply to the question, the simplicity of being gentle by using no force, but then using the correct technique makes less force more efficient, so using less efficient movements are incorrect, but then the practice is more difficult instead of easy by usiing the incorrect movements, but then trying to correct with less force in the correct movements is hard. (OUCH! That hurt thinking about it.)

Then getting the transition of techniques without getting ahead of the uke or nage is simple, but then I want to do something very non-aikido so I either freeze up in an attempt to control these bad habits or get behind so I get comments of being too strong, or get ahead and get lambasted for being too fast and forceful.

Or ... Simple things you don't have to pay attention to if your partner is more practiced, or if they don't resist, but it sure ain't easy some days when you have to hurt some people because they are using more muscle or more resistence than needed.

I surely like practicing with the older, more experienced practitioners of aikido... at least they know enough to laugh, or speak up. Sometimes they even have the same problem, so, indeed, we laugh at our failings, but enjoy the practice all the more.

How can something as easy as simple practice come out to be so hard? Go figure.
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Old 12-13-2002, 03:04 AM   #9
happysod
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Rather than list techniques and stances (large list, would probably be easier to say aikido and leave it at that) the hardest bit is leaving the tube journey/work day behind at the start of class - should be simple, but some days my mind's just not in the training groove.
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Old 12-13-2002, 08:01 AM   #10
SeiserL
 
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Re: Simple, but not Easy

Quote:
Jun Akiyama (akiy) wrote:
What sort of things have you found in aikido that are simple, but not easy?-- Jun
Falling down

Breathing

Relaxing

Until again,

Lynn

PS: I sure wish there were a spell check on these post, some mornings I am all thumbs,

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!
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Old 12-13-2002, 01:23 PM   #11
Doug Mathieu
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Hi Jun

I think you are refering more to techniques that are complex vs. simple. Eg: Tenchi nage omote is not complex but I find it for me to be very hard to do right the bigger and stronger uke is. Whereas Kaitenage ura can be more complex but I find it easier to do than the tenchi nage.
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Old 12-13-2002, 03:50 PM   #12
Richard Elliott
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Breathing. I feel when I've got that down, I will have accomplished something big.

Respectfully, Richard
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Old 12-14-2002, 12:41 AM   #13
Williamross77
 
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Oh yea and teaching the tankan movement and meaning to "initiantes"... that is the perfect simple thing that is so difficult.

in Aiki
Agatsu!!
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Old 12-16-2002, 06:11 PM   #14
Paula Lydon
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Hi Jun,

My first and foremost difficult 'simple' thing to do is relax. Whenever I can achieve that state--however briefly--all the other principle seem to fall into place. And so I continue (probably for the remainder of my training career) to work on that.

~~Paula~~
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Old 12-16-2002, 09:48 PM   #15
Edward
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My biggest problem is breathing. Sometimes I realize that I start suffocating because I forgot to breathe while doing a long technique

Also relaxing, which can easily become limp and floppy. Finding the right amount of relaxation has also been for me one of the simple but not easy things about aikido.
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