The sword in aikido

Thank god, then you don't see ANY of my flaws, right?

I still like to analyze my flaws from pics and vids, it helps me to focus on things to improve, and makes me somewhat more self aware. I'm sure there are negatives to that too...

The funny things is when you see newbies (like me) critiquing senior folk from pics on websites...there were a couple of non-sense threads like that on AJ for a while. But then there was the really long karate people with katana thread on e-budo...now THAT was funny!

Ron

Ron Tisdale wrote: Thank god, then you don't see ANY of my flaws, right? Ron

Just too many, where does one begin.

Like Peter said. it's very difficult to analyze pictures of others.
That picture is so late that I can't even be really sure what angle of cut you made or if you actually suceeded in cutting through. Doesn't look clean though. But that's fairly tough to do without a pegged mat while doing what looks like a crosscut.


I think it is worthwhile looking at pictures of yourself because you can remember how you felt. The picture can sometimes just confirm what you suspected or really motivate you to change because of how silly you look.

Craig

or really motivate you to change because of how silly you look.

Yeah, that one!

I believe it was a horizontal cut (I forget the name of that particular stance and cut just now, though we do use it in the Doshinkan version of Hashugiri). I just about made it all the way through the goza, but the lack of focus or hasuji or something made the cut end in pushing the small amount of remaining fiber rather than cutting it. It didn't help that I over cut way past the target...this particular school focuses on never over cutting as it leaves great big whopping suki...kind of like the one you see above.

Ideally, even without the spike, the bottom piece after the cut should still be on the stand The instructor did that with all sorts of different cuts...some of the students managed it too. I don't think I ever did though...

Ron

Ron Tisdale wrote: It didn't help that I over cut way past the target...this particular school focuses on never over cutting as it leaves great big whopping suki...kind of like the one you see above.

yes, in general and certainly for us, you never want to cut way past the target for the reason you give. One of the things you learn in iai is to cut with power but still leave yourself in a position to respond immediately if they successfully evade your cut. Horizontal cuts I find the most difficult to maintain proper hasugi. I wonder sometimes if I am fighting muscle memory from swinging a baseball bat a lot as a kid.

You are right not having a peg there for a good cut is more a mental issue. A peg makes it a little more easy to make multiple cuts on a single target though but it won't stop a bad cut from launching the target off the stand.

As to comparing test cutting to board breaking as mentioned earlier in this thread, it reminded me that while I was in Tokyo last November, I happened to catch an early morning show which was doing a news bit on a local club that was about 15 years old. It was like a gym and they all had shinken. The whole practice was test cutting of all sorts. Men and women (talk about babes with sharp swords!). As I recall they called what they do Toh-Do. It does sort of bring up the same image as would a karate dojo that only practiced board breaking.

best,
Craig

Ah...board breaking...."bowrds dont hit bock"...and neither do goza...

after I get more of a clue to the aiki-buki-waza taught where I train, I'm going to give iai a proper shot. I've always liked it (from my occational exposure), but can't seem to maintain the practice of each separately. Not to mention several friends now completely uninterested as far as aiki-ken goes after stints in iai. I'd like to avoid that myself.

I have an easier time keeping the daito ryu and aikido separate...although my teachers might not be as sure about that as I am...

Ron (really likes the chokes in Daito ryu... )