Ask sensei to demonstrate "at speed"?

Thanks Shany,

It is my philosophy that you have to attack like a bear, giving it all you got. That has nothing to do with the argument about to cooperate or not to cooperate. A dedicated full attack means as the tori you experience full body chaos. But, Aikido techniques if do correctly are designed not to injure. And good Ukemi is a vital skill to prevent injury. A full on attack scares some people because they fear injury, and they will not commit to the attack. Understandable. People are afraid so they figure the energy they put into the attack will be the equal to the energy they receive and will be injuried. But that is not true, I see more injuries when people don't attack fully, like a wet fish attack, because they don't use that receiving energy from the Sensei for their ukemi which protects them. Not having the energy in their ukemi often makes it difficult to do proper ukemi and that results in injury. I say folks, full speed ahead!

At the risk of sounding magically metaphysicial tye-dyed, what I mean by "energy protects," is that the absorbed energy by the uke coming from the Sensei's technique is momentum for ukemi. That by absorbing the energy it is used in various ways to help with doing good ukemi or assisting in good ukemi. As an uke you have to accept the energy of the technique will help you in your ukemi. The more your give your energy in a commited attack the more energy your get back that helps with ukemi. The less energy you give means less energy is gotten back and the extra momentum isn't there to protect you. You have to work harder and be more conscious of your ukemi. You have to make sure your ukemi will protect you.

Just to be clear, nothing I am suggesting has anything to do with "wet fish attacks", being scared, or anything else like that.

Hey Shany, what you describe in your subsequent posts sounds quite reasonable to me.

Best,
Ron

The original poster posited a very important question. There are those amongst the higher ranks who have terrific form and know the techniques inside and out. And would have their asses handed to them in a real fight. Then there are those who may not have the form or know as many techniques but can take a punch and give it right back.
We often don't take the time to recognize this IMO.
Their are those who study aikido as a martial art with the emphasis on art. And those who study it as budo.
In this case, you happened to meet an artist who doesn't want his brushes broken.

OSU

Philip Burgess wrote: Thanks Shany, It is my philosophy that you have to attack like a bear, giving it all you got. That has nothing to do with the argument about to cooperate or not to cooperate. A dedicated full attack means as the tori you experience full body chaos. But, Aikido techniques if do correctly are designed not to injure. And good Ukemi is a vital skill to prevent injury. A full on attack scares some people because they fear injury, and they will not commit to the attack. Understandable. People are afraid so they figure the energy they put into the attack will be the equal to the energy they receive and will be injuried. But that is not true, I see more injuries when people don't attack fully, like a wet fish attack, because they don't use that receiving energy from the Sensei for their ukemi which protects them. Not having the energy in their ukemi often makes it difficult to do proper ukemi and that results in injury. I say folks, full speed ahead!

Absolutely right! How many times have you had to flip because shite wasn't giving you any and it would mean an injury to yourself if you didn't. Or vice versa.
I continuously tell juniors that learning to take the fall will make everything so much easier.

There's an ex-brown belt karateka where I train, and he once attacked me full speed with a chudan tsuki. I admit I was caught completely of guard, but it was good to discover that I had developped a get-out-of-the-line-of-attack reflex combined with gently pushing the arm aside. I do not, however, want to know the worlds of pain I'd be in if I hadn't evaded that attack...