No disrespect intended but, I'm left wondering why you feel the need to gain people's comments/admiration from an audience regarding your grading ? You've posted this on the following sites :Youtube, Aikiweb, MAP, Budoseek, E-budo Anymore I've missed ? Gradings are subjective things and, IMHO are quite personal experiences which exist between student, instructor and the organisation they were taken within. Posting this information across the internet speaks volumes about ego. Sorry to appear negative.
Postings of this nature, as our Moderators warn time and again, lead to two responses: A polite and slightly embarrassed word or two of approval OR Lots of negative remarks I watched the grading and enjoyed the opportunity. What I saw was IMHO very good technically (praise) but I found the 5 man attacks and 4 man tanto attacks a bit silly. I've seen them done by 8th Dan masters - and they still look unrealistic. If they are a test of how you deal with pressure, fine. But the range of techniques gets compressed into two or three, constantly repeated. One Uke with a (live) tanto who knows how to attack with random slashes and thrusts is a better test IMHO than 4 who attack slowly and in turn and pose no real threat to Tori. (negative comment). Sorry, but that's what happens when you post these things.
Just to add a bit of balance to this thread (because Aikido is about balance!), I liked the movie and found it interesting and instructive.
aw shucks, I thought I was going to see Aikido in the UFC. If an Aikido BB does those moves with a non-Aikido person, they'd probably be breaking their arms before they'd flip like that.
So maybe the point in flipping (as you put it) is to exit the technique before your arm gets broken. Which allows you to continue with the practice.
