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Old 01-02-2007, 08:43 AM   #26
Ken Zink
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

Quote:
Jorge Garcia wrote:
You originally called him your teacher's teacher. Who was your teacher and what art did he do? What art are you doing?

Jorge
My teacher is Kimbal Anderson Sensei here in Boise, he started training with Barrish 20 years ago and was basically a live in uchideshi (spelling?) for a year. But he went there specifically to learn Koto-Dama. I've met Barrish sensei 3 times, for a yearly ceremony but in those instances he never taught like he did in the video. However with Kimbal sensei I have seen and experienced things similar in nature.
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Old 01-02-2007, 12:35 PM   #27
mriehle
 
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

I know Barrish Sensei by reputation. I know several people who have trained with him. Whatever he says, he is kind of a "ki-monster" by all accounts.

In other words, he's tapped into something very powerful that works well for him. I've never actually met or trained with him, but the people I train with who know him have told me enough about him for me to form one conclusion, especially now that I've seen this video (or at least parts of it):

Your mileage may vary.

A lot of what he does will work every time when he does it, but won't work at all when someone else tries it.

This doesn't surprise me much. It's not the first time I've encountered someone like this. My experience of Koichi Tohei Sensei was very much the same: what he was doing was very real and "works". But for me to try to do the same thing ignores the fundamental fact that I am not Koichi Tohei.

FWIW: I've also experienced Aikido with the kind of power I see in the video. I've also experienced people who think they can do it but actually can't. It's not easy to tell which is which from a video, but I tend to believe what I'm seeing in this particular video. But I wouldn't recommend someone go running off to train with Barrish Sensei based on it.

There are lots of good reasons to train with Barrish Sensei, but this video isn't one of them.

In any case, I certainly appreciate his calligraphy on the wall at my dojo.

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Old 01-02-2007, 07:26 PM   #28
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

If you all may humor me for a minute, so that I may make this point, what if you looked at the video and forgot about the ending of whatever waza he was doing, instead concentrating on the beginning of that waza. This is not an unusual request, after all, since we have all realized it is the beginning of every waza that determines (as a natural consequence) what happens in the end. In other words, if you get the beginning right, be it a fencing match, a knife fight, a fist fight, an arrest, whatever, you are pretty much assured that whatever happens in the end will mostly likely not only happen but happen in the best possible way. So forget for the time being how the uke are landing, their "consequential" direction of travel, their height, and/or the degree of rotation in their breakfalls. Additionally, forget trying to look at each waza as if it is a narrative of sorts, as something with a successive middle and ending. Instead, just focus on the beginnings -- noting that there is in fact a total disregard for middles and endings altogether in the demonstration -- seeing that it is really all about beginnings, about multiple beginnings.

If you look at each beginning, aside from the natural movement (with others have already rightly noted), you will see that some very high levels of "awareness" are present (my word for what I am seeing). In my opinion, one doesn't have a shot at any waza -- aiki or otherwise, but especially aiki waza -- without this level of awareness being developed. Meaning, if one wants to talk about real, this, for me, is where that debate should happen -- especially in a demonstration. In other words, just because a guy does hard, fast,and logically applied koshi nage in a demonstration, it don't mean he is real (i.e. can apply it under live, aggressive, and violent conditions). However, if there is this practitioner out there that has developed this level of awareness, heck, it almost doesn't matter what he/she does -- it's pretty much guaranteed to work (even doing nothing). So, from that perspective, it's real.

I suggest starting with the blindfolded demonstration -- seeing how the timing and placement of his beginnings (e.g. when/where entering, when/where striking, when/where turning, etc.) is actually occurring at a level rarely (if ever) seen before. That skill alone, I would suggest is, is enough to make any martial artist, whatever their slant, say "Whoa!" From the blindfold demonstration, go back to the other demonstrations -- where he is doing jiyu waza -- and you will see this same example of skill, time and time again.

Based on the uke reactions, I feel this is what they are trying for, and actually developing. I think, once they get this, they sort of don't care what is actually happening. Perhaps we should not either.

As a side note: Having our slant on Aikido be geared toward law enforcement applications, I would say in some respects we are at the opposite side of where Barrish is on the Aikido spectrum. However, not only for the reasons mentioned above, I can admire what he has accomplished with his practice -- even being motivated by it -- because I can also chime in with Peter here. I too have worked with one of his students in the past. His Aikido is not at all like mine -- not at all. However, it is very clear that he is very skilled and I would allow him to teach at my dojo any day of the week. He has that same natural movement -- moves very much like his teacher (me seeing Barrish for the first time here in this video just now). Additionally, he is one of the nicest gentlemen I have ever met.

Last edited by senshincenter : 01-02-2007 at 07:29 PM.

David M. Valadez
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Old 01-02-2007, 10:05 PM   #29
Jorge Garcia
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

David,
I think I agree with you. The movement and positioning was really good. It was somewhat enjoyable to watch.
Jorge

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Old 01-02-2007, 11:11 PM   #30
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

Spacing was excellent. For all the fluff there is something there that would make me worry about being the uke. But my ukemi skills stink anyway.

Jerry Miller
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Old 01-02-2007, 11:45 PM   #31
Erik
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

Can't say I visit these parts much anymore but funny I'd find this. This must be 15 years old as I first saw it somewhere back in the late 80's or early 90's. Anyways, onto good old Barrish.

There was "unquestionably" major tankage that flowed around him. I saw people flip their ass into the air from 5 or more feet away. Some would flop around on the ground "unable" to get up until he "released" them. Thing is, I could throw those uke's around like that too and I wasn't no black belt then much less a "ki master". It's just how it was around him so the flopping was, well, flopping. Additionally, I know lots of people want to believe in ki, and Barrish clearly did, but it wasn't his great ki powers doing it, it was the environment and people fooling themselves.

Now, to offer a personal evaluation is somewhat hard. First I was a relative beginner, maybe 2nd kyu if I recollect correctly. Secondly, I was in a school where the teachers kind of bought (one a lot) into the whole thing. That being said I don't remember ever being thrown by him like his students in that video were. He would actually get in and throw me just like everyone else did, if anything, he used more force than you'd evpect given this video. And, I'd really have liked to have gone after him about 10+ years after I got the chance. It would have been a better test. But, he did throw you, if you didn't flop, or probably more accurately, he figured you wouldn't flop.

Two other things about Barrish are that he was a training fanatic and he had an ego the size of Mt. St. Helens (prior to it's erruption). The guy would literally do a seminar for 5 hours straight with no major break. So, you'd train a bunch, then you'd talk where he would, just about every time, mention his new facility and the 900 waterfalls the place possessed. It'd be train-waterfalls-train-talk about Barrish-train--waterfalls-Barrish-train.......it used to drive me nuts after about the 33rd time I heard about the waterfalls. But, he was in great shape, he was dedicated in his own way to the art and practiced a ton from what I heard.

It should also be noted that as far as I know he had no lineage in that he taught himself. I don't know if that's correct, for certain, but I've never heard a thing about him having a direct teacher. He just sort of annoited himself an aikido guy, formed his style and started issuing rank. Actually, I doubt that's even his real name. He doesn't exactly look like a Koichi.

Anyways, in conclusion, from the perspective of a 2nd kyu at the time, it was almost all flopping, but, he had some skill too. Overall though there are an awful lot of other people I'd go to for training before him.

Last edited by Erik : 01-02-2007 at 11:50 PM.
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Old 01-03-2007, 12:12 AM   #32
Erik
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

David, for the record, I saw nothing of him to indicate that he had this heightened awareness that you speak of. It appears that way because of the floppage. When you don't have to worry about application, and it was clearly a non-issue most of the time around him, things get a whole lot easier. For instance, it's really easy to just extend into someone when you know that they'll just spin off your extension and not block it to the side and nail your ass. Literally, anything he did provoked a major reaction in those guys and with ukes like that anyone with even a smidgeon of skill winds up looking like the second coming of O'Sensei.
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Old 01-03-2007, 12:49 AM   #33
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

Hi Erik,

I can concede it is easier to do things like Irimi when you know the person is going to flop around for you, etc. That is very true. However, I was speaking more about what even comes before that. For lack of better words, I am referring to that moment in space/time when you "feel" your opponent is about to attack and so you move, because to wait more would have you reacting and thus moving too late. I'm referring to being sensitive - having a capacity toward being sensitive - to that space/time in person-to-person engagement where you start to blur (i.e. make meaningless) the line between initiating movement as nage and "inspiring" uke to attack. Regardless of whether Barrish is entering with a strike, entering to deviate laterally, or entering to turn, he is for the most part always commencing that given tactic within the pre-space/time of every move uke does - where the move is almost more thought in uke's mind than it is actual movement in his body. Now, uke can be coming in with a feather to tickle his nose or with the hottest stripper on his shoulders, but that isn't necessarily going to make it easier to be sensitive to this moment at which all aiki waza presumes sensitivity. Heck, I imagine he could do it just by saying the word "now" with his eyes shut every time uke goes from having his hand by his side to raising it up in the air. The saying of "now" is hardly martial, however, the the capacity to say "now" at that time/space, the sensitivity behind it, is key to any martial application - in my opinion. If you watch Barrish, watching when/where he moves, regardless of what he does or doesn't do, you can see he is moving in light of this awareness/sensitivity. For my money, in my experience, that is pretty impressive - so much so I am drawn to that part of the video and less so to the fact that the uke's are taking prat falls.

thanks for writing,
d

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Old 01-03-2007, 02:30 AM   #34
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

Either that or he moves whenever and his uke's are responding to him. I've seen that happen before.

And yeah Erik, I was going to mention the koichi thing. It weirds me out when caucasians take on too much japophilia - taking on a japanese name is at the height. We're not japanese so why pretend to be? It's one step away from LARPing.

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Old 01-03-2007, 08:13 AM   #35
Ron Tisdale
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

David, good to see you posting and to read your thoughts. Hope all is well. I will take a second look at the video, with what you said in mind.

Not that it's important, but isn't Barrish African American? At least that's what I thought I heard...as to the name business, if you are practicing as a shinto priest, wouldn't that be expected? Not my schtick...but hey...what ever floats your boat...

Best,
Ron

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Old 01-03-2007, 08:16 AM   #36
Ken Zink
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

If you go to 20:20 in the video where he has them all holding there hands together and watch the second guy from the right a few times and notice how his body reacts during that fall, I just can't possibly see how someone could fake that and have it look the way it looks. If you are going to put your body almost vertical and keep it there for a couple seconds you would have to have a base that could support you, but even then it would look like your weight was resting on you. However it looks like what he is demonstrating there, that Uke has no control over it.
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Old 01-03-2007, 08:54 AM   #37
ChrisMoses
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

Quote:
Kenneth Zink wrote:
If you go to 20:20 in the video where he has them all holding there hands together and watch the second guy from the right a few times and notice how his body reacts during that fall, I just can't possibly see how someone could fake that and have it look the way it looks. If you are going to put your body almost vertical and keep it there for a couple seconds you would have to have a base that could support you, but even then it would look like your weight was resting on you. However it looks like what he is demonstrating there, that Uke has no control over it.
I like how right before that he uses his magic jo to ki blast them...

I don't see what you're seeing with the guy 2nd from the right. I can do that pretty easily, he's just delaying his descent becuase the other two are in his way. If you can do a pushup, you can learn to do this.

Sorry, I'm just not a fan of Larry, I know too much.

Chris Moses
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Old 01-03-2007, 09:14 AM   #38
Erik
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

Quote:
Michael Fooks wrote:
Either that or he moves whenever and his uke's are responding to him. I've seen that happen before.
Bingo! It's incredibly easy to look good when all you have to do is sense the movement while knowing that wherever you go and whatever you do it's going to be safe and it's going to work. Then, all you have to do is maintain form and you'll look like a stud.

As to the blindfold drill. Consider that he's working in a small space, where he roughly knows where his attackers will be (they make lots of noise too), and all he has to do is wave his hands and they'll fall or move in very conditioned patterns. It's a parlor trick which anyone with moderate skill, those kinds of ukes and some time spent with the drill could pull off.

David I understood what you were saying and I never said he didn't have any skill. I'm just saying that the results he achieves are not warranted by his skill. His ukes flopped and flopping ukes make what you think you are seeing possible.

Last edited by Erik : 01-03-2007 at 09:18 AM.
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Old 01-03-2007, 11:27 AM   #39
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

Quote:
Michael Fooks wrote:
And yeah Erik, I was going to mention the koichi thing. It weirds me out when caucasians take on too much japophilia - taking on a japanese name is at the height. We're not japanese so why pretend to be? It's one step away from LARPing.
hahahahahahahahaha larp'n
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Old 01-03-2007, 12:26 PM   #40
senshincenter
 
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

I guess one is always free to label things "moderate", etc., but in my experience, based upon what I was seeing, neither moderate skill nor small confines, nor even knowing where one's attackers will be, will account for one being sensitive to that time-space of aiki-initiation.

Additionally, from my point of view, he's not moving with his uke matching his pre-action - as you see all kinds of places (and which was mentioned by others here). He's doing something else, which is why you rarely see folks that move and then have their uke match them try such things blindfolded. They just don't do that, for the obviousness it brings to such assigned timing responsibilities (i.e. having nage standing with their arm reaching out a second or two before uke even begins to think about what to do).

If someone wants to really investigate this, one can film about 45 seconds, straight, with no editing, from a single camera, in as small a room as they would like to have, having at least moderate skill, having their uke's do their utmost best to match their timing, and see if they can demonstrate the same skill I am suggesting is present in Barrish. This is one more way a person can discover for themselves what is present and/or not present in the video - a way outside of differing opinions.

If a person has watched the video in the manner in which I suggested, and then they still see some sort of parlor trick (of one kind or another) in regards to the sensitivity issues I am discussing, not much left to discuss then. One says it's there, another says it's not; one says it's hard to manifest, another says it's not; one says it's a parlor trick, one says it's not. Well, not much left to discuss. :-) Either way, I respect your opinion and acknowledge that it is one of the possible interpretations. Thanks for sharing it. Much appreciation.

dmv

David M. Valadez
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Old 01-03-2007, 01:07 PM   #41
Erik
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

David, I'm gonna bow out as well. I intentionally don't post here or even visit much anymore and would just as soon keep it that way.

Two last comments.

I probably shouldn't have used the word parlor trick. It doesn't quite describe what I meant. Doing what he did is a skill, in my opinion, it's just not something I believe he can pull off without compliant and conditioned ukes. Like I said, I could get those people flopping around when I worked with them including keeping them from getting up with my "ki". As to the other part we'll just have to agree to disagree.

Lastly, it's largely irrelevant. I'd be surprised to hear that he's even teaching anymore.

And with that I'm out. See ya all in June when I make my next post.
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Old 01-03-2007, 01:44 PM   #42
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

Probably couldn't do many of those on a resistant opponent.

Especially at 354-357.

And what is with all the grunting/huffing and puffing/acting from some ukes? Even after they just get their arm touched? Cmon.

And the women at 1750 and on are clearly acting/exxagerating the effect of the techniques.

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Old 01-03-2007, 02:08 PM   #43
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

Hi Erik,

Well thank you again for the post. I do see what you are saying. It's good you said it - since all points of view should be considered. That is always best in my opinion.

Take care, talk later then,
d

David M. Valadez
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Old 01-04-2007, 08:48 AM   #44
Aiki LV
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

I've trained with Barrish Sensei twice. At the time he would come to our dojo once a year for a seminar. This was about twelve years ago or so......I have not seen him since around that time period. At that time he was very physical not so ki oriented, tough and more on the jujitsu end of things. It is interesting how much people can change. I don't really have feelings one way or the other about what he is doing now. If it works for him great more power to him.
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Old 01-04-2007, 08:55 PM   #45
SteveTrinkle
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

"Koichi Ideta Barrish sensei & sensei. Barrish is the soke of Ideta ryu Aikido, and is the Guji of Tsubaki America Grand Shrine"

At least as per this site: http://www.murakumodojo.org/pictures.html
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Old 01-05-2007, 07:24 AM   #46
DarkShodan
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

I think it's a load of bologna!

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Old 01-05-2007, 09:51 AM   #47
Don_Modesto
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

"I think it's a load of bologna!"

To my surprise, I quite liked much of what I saw in the vid.

Yes, the UKE were too enthusiastic, and I would call their UKEMI style "tanking". But I also saw that Barrish was solid and his timing was exquisite, a point I think David V. was making. (I've seen this before, solid teacher, flaky UKE. Curious correlation, but the other occasion was a guy all brass-tacks teaching at a rather fey liberal arts college...)

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Old 01-05-2007, 11:26 AM   #48
mriehle
 
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

Quote:
Don J. Modesto wrote:
I've seen this before, solid teacher, flaky UKE. Curious correlation...
You know, this is one thing that's been bugging me in this discussion, but until you made the above statements I couldn't put my finger on what, actually was bugging me.

I've seen this before as well. With a teacher who is very strong, sometimes the experienced ukes have learned to protect themselves to the point where they're tanking all the time. Especially if the strength is ki.

I see it, sometimes, with my teacher. He has that kind of wave-the-hands-and-wham-you're-down energy sometimes. So I sometimes see students clearly tanking. It bugged me at first because it undermined my confidence in his Aikido. Now it bugs me because it's unecessary.

There seem to be two reasons why students do this with him:
  1. They think they're doing him a favor or showing him respect.
  2. They're afraid of the fall.

The first, IME, is just muddy thinking. The two or three people I've met like this don't really appreciate it. They will correct blatantly incorrect ukemi especially if it puts uke at risk, though. I think what sometimes happens is someone who's been corrected for doing something stupid overcompensates.

The latter I have a bit more sympathy for. I've, personally, been thrown into some pretty alarming falls because I came in with strong, determined energy and found it, um, redirected. I find it kind of fun when it works out like that, though, but I guess I'm kind of an Aikido geek.

(Remembering one attack when he was demonstrating irimi nage and I came in fully intending to take him to the mat. When I realized I'd leveled out in the air at about four feet up I actually started laughing. Laughing your way into a high fall like that is a Bad Idea... )

As a teacher I've actually had students do these things to me even though I'm nowhere near that level. It can be a real problem. It's one of the reasons I like to regularly work with Aikidoists who are not my students. I can't always tell when my students are tanking and if they do it starts to affect my Aikido as well as theirs.

This would be one concern I'd have with a teacher whose students tank like that. How long have they been doing that? If it's been awhile, he's probably not as good as he was when they started doing that. Unless he's got other students who don't tank. Also, if it's not a fear thing, I worry about what he's teaching his students in terms of ukemi.

As for Barrish Sensei, I think my favorite quote of something he likes to say in classes would be, "Arrive organized". Apparently it's a hot button for him that some people just stand there and receive the attack rather than preparing and actively dealing with it.

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Old 01-05-2007, 11:55 AM   #49
Chuck Clark
 
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

A large part of the this problem is that attacks are hardly ever "tested" because eveyone gets lazy and assumes that uke is supposed to "lose" anyway. Uke's job should be to cause a problem for the tori to solve and if their balance/structure/center/sente, etc. is taken, affected, disturbed, etc. they should remain active doing their best to recover their ability to continue to fulfil their intent to attack and be "dangerous." Of course, this must be done within appropriate levels of force, speed, skill, etc. to fulfil the training agreement at the moment with regard to ability, etc.

Instructors and teachers should be especially mindful of testing their uke in teaching situations. It is too easy for all of us to become lazy, complacent, or carried away with our own ego. There are several ways to test each other unexpectedly to be sure that our training is achieving what we intend. Uke has the hardest role in the training relationship. It's one of the main reasons that in serious embu, the senior person usually takes the uke role.

Chuck Clark
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Old 01-05-2007, 04:20 PM   #50
Shipley
Dojo: UBC Okanagan Aikido Club
Location: Kelowna
Join Date: Jun 2000
Posts: 94
Canada
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Re: Crazy Ki demonstration by Barrish Sensei

I teach up in the BC interior, and I get the chance to train at Barrish sensei's dojo about three-four times a year. This does not make me any kind of expert on him or his aikido, but at least my misconceptions are reasonably up to date .

Some true things from above -

The dojo is beautiful, as are the grounds
Barrish sensei's sense of timing is exquisite
Barrish sensei is very strong
The ukemi bothered me
Barrish sensei really does do an awful lot of sword cuts, as well as misogi in one of the colder bits of water I've set a toe into, all the way through the winter, regularly breaking ice to do it.
His aikido is different in many ways than one would find in a typical aikikai dojo, but interesting and powerful.

Some things that I see differently than what was stated above

He is still teaching very regularly
If he's part African-American, it's not obvious to me, though I wonder why that would matter
He does not expect or need uke to be compliant. I am strong, in shape, and take people seriously when they ask me to attack them. I feel solidly thrown by him, and more than solidly pinned at the end of the throw.
I have not run into an ego problem with him. He is always friendly, welcoming, and humble when we are chatting.

These are all my personal experiences only, and I'm staying away from any conjecture about things that I haven't experienced myself.

I will say that I have a great deal of respect for Barrish sensei as a martial artist, and I look forward to visiting every time that I get a chance. I've been lucky in that I have been able to train seriously with a number of different instructors from a number of different lineages due to a few moves over the years, and I've gotten peripheral looks at many more through seminars and visiting schools when I'm traveling. I've enjoyed all of those, and gotten a lot from all of them, and have learned to love the diversity that aikido presents.

Barrish sensei's aikido is very strong, and very different. I struggle each time I'm there to figure out what is going on, and take home a fairly diluted version of what was presented. He has a very regular group of people who train there who train seriously, and who are very helpful as well. He also, to my observations anyhow, actively models his life after O'Sensei's, trains hard, and imparts what he's learned to his students well.

My sensei (the sensei that I started training under, and still consider my sensei) is one of Barrish sensei's students, though with a background in Tomiki aikido before then. Barrish sensei awarded me one of my promotions personally. I say this as a disclaimer so you do not accept my statements as unbiased. As many have said before, drop by and train there sometime to make your own opinion. People visit there regularly and Barrish sensei and his students are a very nice bunch, and quite welcoming.

I've thought a long time before posting this, and I hope it was, to some degree anyhow, helpful.

Cheers,

Paul
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