Welcome to AikiWeb Aikido Information
AikiWeb: The Source for Aikido Information
AikiWeb's principal purpose is to serve the Internet community as a repository and dissemination point for aikido information.

Sections
home
aikido articles
columns

Discussions
forums
aikiblogs

Databases
dojo search
seminars
image gallery
supplies
links directory

Reviews
book reviews
video reviews
dvd reviews
equip. reviews

News
submit
archive

Miscellaneous
newsletter
rss feeds
polls
about

Follow us on



Home > AikiWeb Aikido Forums
Go Back   AikiWeb Aikido Forums > Language

Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history, humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.

If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced features available, you will need to register first. Registration is absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 11-28-2012, 02:21 PM   #1
Jim Sorrentino
 
Jim Sorrentino's Avatar
Dojo: Aikido of Northern Virginia, Aikido Shobukan Dojo
Location: Washington, DC
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 249
Offline
It Had to Be Read

Greetings All,

I have often struggled with the challenge of describing what it is that I do when I do aikido, whether I am speaking with another practitioner, or someone with no martial arts background. I believe that budo in general, and aikido in particular, is experience. When using words to describe it, stories, rather than textbooks, seem to offer more illumination into the essence of that experience. Therefore, when I come across a story that contains a technical account that is clear, concise, and elegant, I make note of it. I offer the following passage for your appreciation. In a few short paragraphs, it illustrates irimi, atemi, kuzushi, shisei, waza, zanshin, and (of course) aiki. If any of you have found similarly worthwhile episodes in other works of fiction, I hope that you will share them here as well.

Sincerely,

Jim
The words sort of lingered in the stillness. He got the impression, Ed Howells said, that Shane meant just what the words said. He wanted to buy Chris a drink. He wanted Chris to take that bottle and grin at him and drink with him.

You could have heard a bug crawl, I guess, while Chris carefully laid down the cards in his right hand and stretched it to the bottle. He lifted it in a sudden jerk and flung it across the table at Shane.

So fast Shane moved, Ed Howells said, that the bottle was still in the air when he dodged, lunged forward, grabbed Chris by the shirtfront and hauled him right out of his chair and over the table. As Chris struggled to get his feet under him, Shane let go the shirt and slapped him, sharp and stinging, three times, the hand flicking back and forth so quick you could hardly see it, the slaps sounding like pistol shots.

Shane stepped back and Chris stood swaying a little and shaking his head to clear it. He was a game one and mad down to his boots. He plunged in, fists smashing, and Shane let him come, slipping inside the flailing arms and jolting a powerful blow low into his stomach. As Chris gasped and his head came down, Shane brought his right hand up, open, and with the heel of it caught Chris full on the mouth, snapping his head back and raking up over the nose and eyes.

The force of it knocked Chris off balance and he staggered badly. His lips were crushed. Blood was dripping over them from his battered nose. His eyes were red and watery and he was having trouble seeing with them. His face, Ed Howells said, and he shook a little as he said it, looked like a horse had stomped it. But he drove in again, swinging wildly.

Shane ducked under, caught one of the flying wrists, twisted the arm to lock it and keep it from bending, and swung his shoulder into the armpit. He yanked hard on the wrist and Chris went up and over him. As the body hurtled over, Shane kept hold of the arm and wrenched it sideways and let the weight bear on it and you could the bone crack as Chris crashed to the floor.

A long sobbing sigh came from Chris and that died away and there was not a sound in the room. Shane never looked at the crumpled figure. He was straight and deadly and still. Every line of him was alive and eager. But he stood motionless. Only his eyes shifted to search the faces of the others at the table. They stopped on Red Marlin and Red seemed to dwindle lower in his chair.

Shane, by Jack Schaefer, 1949

I mistrust all systematizers and I avoid them. The will to a system is a lack of integrity. Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2012, 07:22 AM   #2
Mark Mueller
Location: Louisville Kentucky
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 165
Offline
It had to be watched

Jim, Great post...Inspired me to go out and get Shane.

I often return to this clip for inspiration of martial demeanor and prowess....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2o3QWwwQLI
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-01-2012, 12:44 PM   #3
James Sawers
 
James Sawers's Avatar
Dojo: Oak Park Aikikai, IL
Location: Chicago, IL
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 157
United_States
Offline
Re: It Had to Be Read

Perhaps you guys have heard of the sci-fi book "Helm", by Steven Gould. There is a
lot of aikido in this book. The author is also an aikidoist. The author describes a few aikido fights in the book. Every few years we try to pass it around our dojo. Once I got two copies back.....don't know how that happened...??
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2012, 10:07 AM   #4
Tom Verhoeven
Dojo: Aikido Auvergne Kumano dojo
Location: Auvergne
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 295
France
Offline
Re: It had to be watched

Quote:
Mark Mueller wrote: View Post
Jim, Great post...Inspired me to go out and get Shane.

I often return to this clip for inspiration of martial demeanor and prowess....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2o3QWwwQLI
Thanks fot that clip - did not know the movie.

Spencer tracy - nice throw, great actor!

Tom
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2012, 04:34 PM   #5
lbb
Location: Massachusetts
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 3,202
United_States
Offline
Re: It Had to Be Read

I liked Helm, although I found the aikido scenes very awkward when they got into the details. For someone who doesn't know aikido, a detailed description of kotegaeshi won't get the idea across; for someone who does know aikido, a more superficial description will do. Very enjoyable book otherwise though.
  Reply With Quote
Old 12-02-2012, 06:20 PM   #6
James Sawers
 
James Sawers's Avatar
Dojo: Oak Park Aikikai, IL
Location: Chicago, IL
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 157
United_States
Offline
Re: It Had to Be Read

There is another sci-fi book called "Anvil of the Heart", by Bruce Holmes, that involves a lot of aikido. I read it in the middle eighties, I believe, and it has stayed with me. There are not too many books involving aikido out there.
  Reply With Quote

Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Mike sigman's internal strength parameters- Have you guys read this; really! ChrisHein Non-Aikido Martial Traditions 135 11-21-2012 01:03 PM
Learning to read energy Robert Jackson General 5 02-21-2007 05:30 PM
Got tired of seeing " Aikido Work?" Read this pls. aries admin General 8 08-14-2002 02:04 PM
Tom Read Sensei in Eugene, OR TomW Seminars 0 01-07-2002 01:40 PM


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 08:37 PM.



vBulletin Copyright © 2000-2024 Jelsoft Enterprises Limited
----------
Copyright 1997-2024 AikiWeb and its Authors, All Rights Reserved.
----------
For questions and comments about this website:
Send E-mail
plainlaid-picaresque outchasing-protistan explicantia-altarage seaford-stellionate