YouTube: Ki in Aikido? (Y. Takeda sensei demo)

By coincidence I sent a column on no-touch aikido to Jun before this thread started and I go into it in some more detail in that. But in the meantime let me make a couple of points about taking the ukemi for no-touch aikido. I know Watanabe Sensei much better than Takeda Sensei. He uses at least two ki techniques that I'm aware of - he could be using others too. They are not difficult concepts. I believe Takeda Sensei is doing something similar but he never did the no-touch aikido to me in the couple of times I took ukemi for his technique in Kamakura.

The first is timing and intention. If you go to open a door and just as you grab the handle the door opens away from you your body movement follows the movement of the opening door as you try to catch the handle. That's kind of how Watanabe Sensei leads your ki. And if the door spirals upwards and away from you suddenly you find yourself on your back.

The second is disturbing your ki - breaking the flow. Just as you are about to open the door if a dog jumps at you from the side you will pull up suddenly and protect yourself from the dog, thoughts of opening the door having become less important. Watanabe Sensei does that with movements and atemi of various kinds - some of them very subtle.

By the way both of these teachers have got very powerful relaxed aikido when they don't do the no-touch stuff. But I think Watanabe Sensei enjoys playing with the energy.

I don't really take the no-touch ukemi. Sometimes I deliberately changed the tempo or the direction of an attack to disturb Watanabe Sensei's technique and he seemed to relish that even. If the attack has got some energy and direction he seems to be able to use it. I have never fallen for him or any other teacher unless I was thrown and he always manages to throw me. And he's such a nice approachable guy too - like a cuddly bear. I don't mind about the other stuff. If that's what he wants to do it's fine with me.

Thanks for all of your comments.
but no one has answered what is the purpose, reality behind this clip?What did Sensei try to demo?

Danh Phi Ngoc wrote: Thanks for all of your comments. but no one has answered what is the purpose, reality behind this clip?What did Sensei try to demo?

Maybe this is a way of training the ukes to do ukemi.

David

Danh Phi Ngoc wrote: Thanks for all of your comments. but no one has answered what is the purpose, reality behind this clip?What did Sensei try to demo?

Haha. I think the opinions expressed about the reality behind this, is that the guy doesn't have magic powers, and what he's doing is an embarrassment to the name aikido; but a few people/one person(?) argued that he was using the power of his mind to make a load of people who had the 'mindset' of earnestly attacking him fall over.
So he tried to demo his mental powers, is the best/only explanation given, I think.

Don't worry about it, dude: there are a few people doing this kind of thing - just focus on doing aikido: it's irrelevant right now - you get ki balls at 12th dan, by which time it'll all make sense.

I think the opinions expressed about the reality behind this, is that the guy doesn't have magic powers, and what he's doing is an embarrassment to the name aikido

Thanks..

Some might take umbrage at my having such a strong opinion - but when one publicly presents something, one is inviting comment, be it praise or critique. Otherwise, do not present.

Very elequently stated, I concur.

Train well,

Mickey