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Old 11-29-2012, 07:47 AM   #1
MM
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Body Type

I'm quoting from another thread because the subject I'm introducing here is different.

Quote:
Mark Johnston wrote: View Post
O-sensei looked like a pit-bull when he was younger (that is under 60), he must have worked out.
Quote:
Christopher Li wrote: View Post
Sure, there's nothing wrong with it - it's just tricky to work with the internal stuff. Perhaps I should have said "it's tricky enough that I wouldn't recommend it for anyone who's really interested in Internal work" until they get to a certain point in their training.

Best,

Chris
Let me preface this by stating I agree with Chris completely. Having said that ...

I've been wondering lately about the body style of IP/aiki people.

In certain areas, a person's body is more of an inverted pyramid. A whole lot of upper body strength that is not proportional to the lower body. Pro weight lifters sometimes showcase this kind of body.

On the flip side, we hear about Chinese arts where it's supposed to be a pyramid, with the lower part of the body (legs mostly) which should be highly developed but not being proportional to the upper body.

Ueshiba's self portrait seems to take a third road. If we look at Ueshiba after his Daito ryu training, he portrayed himself as having muscles in the upper body with a large belly. I'd guess that his lower body (legs mostly) was just as developed.

If we look to the A-UN statues, we see something similar, except not as large a belly as Ueshiba portrayed. Ueshiba could have been portraying how his dantien felt relative to his body, thus giving him a larger belly in the painting.

Do we have a body that's sort of two pyramids, one upper, one lower, all connected by a large dantien? Two triangles, with tips touching and a circle connecting both?
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Old 11-29-2012, 08:56 AM   #2
phitruong
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Re: Body Type

Quote:
Mark Murray wrote: View Post
Do we have a body that's sort of two pyramids, one upper, one lower, all connected by a large dantien? Two triangles, with tips touching and a circle connecting both?
pyramid bottom, inverted pyramid top, sphere in the middle?

"budo is putting on cold, wet, sweat stained gi with a smile and a snarl" - your truly
http://charlotteaikikai.org
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Old 11-29-2012, 09:04 AM   #3
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Re: Body Type

Quote:
Phi Truong wrote: View Post
pyramid bottom, inverted pyramid top, sphere in the middle?
Yeah.
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Old 11-29-2012, 09:47 AM   #4
Cliff Judge
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Re: Body Type

Quote:
Mark Murray wrote: View Post
If we look to the A-UN statues, we see something similar, except not as large a belly as Ueshiba portrayed.
Which ones are you referring to?
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Old 11-29-2012, 02:29 PM   #5
mathewjgano
 
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Re: Body Type

Quote:
Cliff Judge wrote: View Post
Which ones are you referring to?
I'm guessing he means the ones on Chris Li's blog describing reverse breathing (humanoid; not komainu).

Gambarimashyo!
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Old 11-29-2012, 02:32 PM   #6
Chris Li
 
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Re: Body Type

Quote:
Matthew Gano wrote: View Post
I'm guessing he means the ones on Chris Li's blog describing reverse breathing (humanoid; not komainu).
And here they are! There were different statues in part 2.

Best,

Chris

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Old 11-29-2012, 02:35 PM   #7
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Re: Body Type

Quote:
Christopher Li wrote: View Post
And here they are! There were different statues in part 2.

Best,

Chris
I was just searching through your blog for those! Thanks, Chris!

Gambarimashyo!
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Old 11-29-2012, 03:32 PM   #8
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Re: Body Type

Quote:
Christopher Li wrote: View Post
And here they are! There were different statues in part 2.

Best,

Chris
Oh yeah! The ones at Horyuji. Those look particularly martial, although I am given to understand that there is no martial gravitas or character to the temple. There were a few buddhas at the Sanjusangendo in Kyoto who had some interesting body types.
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Old 11-30-2012, 12:46 PM   #9
Mert Gambito
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Re: Body Type

Seems the choice of shape for the dou in most samurai armor -- barrel shaped vs. upside down pyramid -- says a lot, particular this type (i.e. nio-dou -- why aren't these the features of a muscular young stud if the armor is meant to project a sense of martial power on the battlefield?):



Mert
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