I think I am over graded!

[Aikilove]

I was talking about physically unrealistic, insofar as I don't believe someone "on the street" would do a stepping punch as opposed to a reverse punch (i.e. they don't step through with the same leg as hand that is punching).

Really? Then I must have dreamt about the time two men attacked me.
Both first took a step and punshed (first guy) with same hand and kicked (second guy).
Btw. I stepped aside and they both fell down. So much for "on the street they don't this and that." Oftentimes they do!

/J

 

[shihonage]

Really? Then I must have dreamt about the time two men attacked me.
Both first took a step and punshed (first guy) with same hand and kicked (second guy).
Btw. I stepped aside and they both fell down. So much for "on the street they don't this and that." Oftentimes they do!

/J

Indeed, a part of Aikido is to MAKE the person take a step forward in order to attack, by maintaining proper distancing. If they don't have hostile intent, then they won't bother catching up to you, but if they are hostile, they'll have to speed up and attempt to close the distance quickly and attack at the same time. A lot like the stylized Aikido attack in nature.

 

[TDWoj]

Oh and one more quick question: What do you do when your sensei "reinvents" techniques, or changes them to something you believe to be fundamentally incorrect?

It depends on whether the "reinvention" is actually a "rediscovery" based on a seminar your instructor recently attended. That's what usually happens when our instructor goes to a seminar. We get used to doing things a certain way in our dojo, then we go to a seminar, and then suddenly we're practicing the same technique a little differently. It's difficult at first because it's different and sometimes it doesn't make sense, but do it often enough and it does.

For example: our dojo changed the way it taught ukemi. For the majority of the people, it actually works well (as usual, I'm the exception); the falls are softer, and there's less likelihood of injury. We do our ukemi the "Donovan Waite" way; in fact, somewhere around, we've got an instruction video Sensei Waite made that I think some of our more technologically savvy people are going to put onto a dvd so people can borrow it to watch at home.

What we also have in our dojo is more than one instructor, and each one has his or her own way of teaching basic techniques, like tenkan/taisabaki. One instructor uses the "holding a tray of drinks" apprach; another prefers to add atemi.

If you are doing aikido, I'd suggest going to at least 2 aikido seminars per year. I can't recommend it strongly enough. Where do you live? Maybe those of us here can help you choose a good one that will be in your area.

 

[Gronk]

Again, more food for thought, thanks guys.

It's hard to explain jus how our instructor was changing things here in a few words, but as someone also said, we have 2 different teachers, so I can take bits from each one and this seems to work fine so far.

Is a good idea about the seminars, although they are never mentioned in our school, either cuz no one knows about them or they aren't held in the area. I live near Sydney Australia, so there might be some held in the city, will have to look into it. I may also see if there are other schools around for me to take a look at and see if I can train with them once in a while too, if for no other reason than to have different partners.

Aikilove: cool story about the two guys attacking you too, way to deal with them!

Thanks all, and Merry Christmas!

 

[shihonage]

I finally found a way to put into words why Seagal's way of dealing with "quick attacks" is not something he invented and that was in fact already a part of Aikido.

Remember how you react to a midsection punch with "mune tsuki kotegaeshi" ? The hand that goes on top of uke's arm as you tenkan... well, the connection between your hand and uke's arm is made long before then. Its just not yet physical - but it CAN be.

Your hand is already positioned to be blocking and deflecting his arm with the slightest movement of your torso toward uke. You do that EITHER WAY, with standard kotegaeshi you start with that deflection and turn and do a complete tenkan. If the attack is lightning-fast, all you can do is the initial deflection and irimi.

That initial deflection is the safeguard that keeps an Aikido practitioner from getting bonked in the diaphragm by some of the more enthusiastic punchers. No matter what, you can deflect.

 

[Connie]

I do aikido from 2001. i train ones a week for one hour. In a few weeks from now i go for my green belt.
So ones a year i gaduate.

Love Connie

 

[Aikilove]

That's great connie! Do your dojo only have training once a week or don't you have more time?

/J

 

[Connie]

its only once a week. i wish it was more.

love connie

 

[shihonage]

By the way, I just purchased Robert Koga's "Practical Aikido, Volume 1" DVD where he explains how to modify basic techniques like kotegaeshi to deal with punches which are delivered with speed and at shorter distances.

This man was teaching police for many years and it is clear that he's both very familiar with classical Aikido technique AND has practicality on his mind.

 

[matt.m]

Just a thought

I train in Moo Sul Kwan Hapkido and Tae Kwon Do. It seems to me that every style has it's traditional and fancy schools. The school I train at is traditional in the aspect that the Great Grandmaster who founded the school was one of the first students of Wha Kwan Wha. Wha was one of the original 11 students of Choi himself.
My father who is a master in Hapkido holds Usheiba and Aikido in very high regard as well as cross-trained a little in Aikido has said that the main problem is that the untrained do not know the difference as beginers on what is traditional and what is nonsense buy your black belt kind of stuff.
The message that is resounding loud and clear on this blog is training, everyday in some fashion. Do the best you can and go from there.