Ye so do i, all my friends parents went out and bought vhs and we had to be different and go with beta. Oh well ill sort out something, i have a digital camera now. but all my iwama pics are in 7 x 5 prints. I believe we both have a common student who trains with both of us sometimes, wee scott. who trains under mike flynn. scott is a good mate, he and i are the only to guys from edinburgh who where prepaired to visit the other dojo's and be a family, but as usual most anit interested. oh well. im going through to glasgow next sat to meet and train with Mike flynn. We both have a mutal friend in California. Pat hendricks.
Yes I know everyone you just mentioned and respect them all.Wee Scott has trained at the makotokai quite a few times. Don't you just HATE politics :bang: :bang: :bang: regards koyo
I certainly hate them, but im also responsible for my own ignorant beliefs in the past. ive grown since then but it can be hard to keep out of the politics, even though i do hate them. There is a lot of bad stuff out there giving aikido a weak image, this dont help. Im lucky in the postion i am, to be separate from any org in the uk. im comlpetely independent with my own connection to Iwama. its not so easy for schools who come from big orgs. :Angel: trying to be
Thats the big problem in this crap city, 8 Aikido dojo,s nd nobody talks to each other, i gave up trying mate. i think we have 4 aikikai based schools and they dont even talk or do anything similar to each other. No one is studying weapons here properly either.
Thit is the reason for this thread. Maybe others will find something of value in our discussions. About AIKIDO rather than PP. (politics and personalities) Back on track. Have you noticed that many attempt to "take hold" to unbalance rather than cut off balance first then grip.? regards koyo makotokai .co.uk (always a welcome there)
Thanks, this is helpful to me. When I do these exercises in the past, after a while my thumb starts to get tired. I realized I must be doing something wrong.
AS uke to Chiba shihan I had to mount countless attacks on an impenatrable kamae.It seamed pointless yet I had to find the spirit to keep attacking time after time. Soon you spirit begins to wain and you are BANGED to the mat for loosing that spirit. Down 9 up8. You realise that you are in a confrontation, not with Chiba shihan, but with your own self imposed limitations. It is like tempering a sword too hard and it breaks too soft and it will not "take an edge." Few of todays martial artists want such training. A competative confrontation with an opponent is easy compared to a personal confrontation. In a confrontation with an opponent much can be concealed. Confronting yourself nothing is concealed.A difficult task that few care to take on. regards koyo seen this one before!!
KAMAE The kamae used in aikido is sankaku ho (triangular kamae) this comes from traditional swordsmanship and demands that the centreline be protected at ALL times. Those trained in weapons know this however I have often seen aikidoka facing attack with no protection of the centreline at all. Attacking a properly presented kamae is most difficult causing the attacker to strike "around" the kamae leaving suki (openings). Also the realisation that you may (will) be struck if you present any openings makes for a more realistic attack. Mobility is a fundamental principle of aikido /weapons training. Moving the entire body when we mount or come under an attack, however it is imperative to retain the protection of the centreline during the execution of a technique. Below slipping in (irrimi) on a straight jab the handblade still protects the centreline even though it was the irrimi which countered the jab. Instinctively the opening given by the jab is seized and an atemi to the ribs executed. The follow up technique which shall be delivered without pause (the atemi executed on the move) can be any of the immobilisations or any irrimi throw. The angle of entry is important it must not bee too wide. This is the same angle of entry used in the kumi tachi (sword exercises) and awase (blending). regards koyo
Without doubt the most important kuden (oral instruction) I ever received was from Saito shihan. This being "The secrets of aikido lie in the triangles." This changed my approach dramatically. Also "Most omote techniques are INITIATED by the aikidoka." (no waiting to be attacked) More and more I see large circular movement in aikido that leaves countless openings. No use of atemi (There are no strikes in aikido tec.) THis tendancy destroys the martial efficacy of the techniques. Below the irrimi and defence of the centreline spoken of in the last post. This time during tachi waza (sword training) regards koyo
Definitely with you with the triangles... as I've said before. And as for atemi although my school (in the UK) was good we never really practiced atemi as such. My sensei always said, "Of course you should always hit them on the way in," and would usually demonstrate with a light strike... but when we did it we never got to rpactice at full speed. Of course, putting a full power atemi into the mix wouldn't be too good for uke without protection, but it was only through sparring with other styles that I realised how much atemi can change the dynamics of your move itself and uke's reaction. Anyway, I digress. We did do a lot of two-person stick and bokken suburi for varying maai and stepping in (triangular pattern all the way) and striking various targets (lightly of course)... sometimes with a throw on the end. Very useful and very important. BTW, one reason I don't type much on this forum is because somebody's usually said what I wanted to (often you, Koyo! or Upyu in his obnoxious way! )... but anyway... here's an interesting article which again, somebody else wrote (there are plenty of points I don7t really agree with... if I have time I'll pick up on them tomorrow or the day after)!
And here's a great article, which I do agree with... Do you know this guy Yoshimine, Rob? Does Akuzawa Sensei? I think he's of Sagawa's deshi. Excuse the typos, I cut n pasted from somebody else's ropey translation.
Hi Mr Punch My thanks for the above articles. I am most busy at the moment and have only been able to skim read them but they hold much of value. I shall read them at length and no doubt learn much from them. Again my thanks regards koyo Edit Just read both of those excellent articles.I think that the major problem for many modern day aikidoka is the ignorance of the statement AIKI WO HAZUSU which means that in combat (and training) we must avoid aiki. Avoid training in such a manner that there is no sense of danger, there is no initial confrontation. The term awase is better in that it means to blend with the intention of breaking aiki, controling distance, breaking timing and rythm. In effect asserting control and denying the attacker those elements that make effective technique. As for use of atemi all students at the makotokai are taught to defend the centreline during attack and as you say it leads to a more pragmatic manner of training. Atemi does not only strike at the attacker's suki but "engages" the other hand bringing it under control and offering possibilities for a whole new range of techniques. Again my thanks for the most interesting posts. regards koyo O SEnsei triangular entry (no sword)
Awesome article There's some real gem's in there, and the way he talked sounds like Yoshimine was Sagawa's student. I'll ask Ark and see if he knows who he is. Of course the whole how to engage a person headon without clashing with their force is the "trick" that requires a lot of rewiring of the body. That metal stick Sagawa swung was no joke either...12kg if I recall? And he swung that sucker about 300 times a day with one hand at the age of 85+ until he threw his back out from training too much around 90. Anyone who thinks that it was only "muscle" is an idiot if you ask me. The bodies been conditioned a certain way to pass power... would any 80 year old be able to swing something like that with one hand using sheer muscular conditioning only? For that matter, any 20 year old, weighing about 130lb soaking wet Ark often says that Sagawa said that power comes from your "Elbow on out". While Takeda Soukaku would say, "Te naki mono to kangaeyo" (Act as if you are armless <when you execute the techniques>)
This photo shows Saito shihan with a suburi ken. The tsuka is so wide that you cannot get a "tight" grip on it and the blade so heavy you cannot "take it's weight" with your shoulders. Indeed it is impossible to cut incorrectly with it (if at all). Kendoka friends once gave me a bokken that was made of light balsa wood. The weight barely registered when held in the hand. Cutting with it was a weird experience. Eventually you had to cut "like you had no arms" and use only your internal kamae.In effect you "let the sword go" "Throw the sword ,let the weight (there was none!!) pull you along and retain "an iron rod" through your spine. A session that truly made you think about where the power comes from and how to direct it. regards koyo
Taking someone on directly without clashing with his strength to me means cutting directly through his INTENTION to attack. I find it difficult to explain but as you suddenly move "though" him , although the posture "glides" over the distance there is no feeling of movement in the kamae. When struck like this uke' feet tend to remain trapped and the upper body (and spirit) completely unbalanced causing him to "spin where he stands." To those watching it can appear quite brutal as it is also applied very fast. So difficult to explainThe "instruction" given is atemi (strike) with your kamae regards koyo
Bad ass! I'd love to get my hands on a sword like that. I like the description you threw out there Koyo. Here's another one. "Iron rod" could be miscontrued as being inflexible? How about 100,000 Rubber bands all bound up in the spine? It's at once hard "gou", but deceptively flexible, always desiring to return to its original shape.
Hi Upyu Point taken. From a swordsman point of view iron is seen as the flexible backbone of the sword while steel is seen as the cutting edge. Imagine a swordsmith setting out to "make" a martial artist. He would first choose the best material (martial arts are NOT for everyone. Only those with the proper attitude determination and spirit) He would then place the material in a fire heat it and pound out the impurities (basic training)Having done this the steel is added . marrying the two elements togethrer (hard and soft) Then the steel is given it's cutting edge. The sword (student) that results from this process has the flexibility of a strong centre, body and muscles plus the cutting edge of fighting spirit awareness and decisveness. Only those who have gone through this process may call themselves martial artists. regards koyo
Nice posts. Question about weapon principles. Do any principles change or are intepreted differently for double-edged weapons opposed to the single-edged katana?
Hi Rebel The single edged katana is used as though it were double edged. A simple turn of the wrist reverses the blade.Example Chris has just executed an upward cut with the blade a turn of his wrist and the blade shall reverse and be capable of cutting downward as though it had two edges. Although the open hand atemi are identical to sword cuts. Other than the basic kamae it is more the principles of timing, distancing and decisiveness from the sword that relate to aikido empty hand techniques. regards koyo The four Japanese gentlemen observing are all 8th dan kendo. They congratulated the boys on their demonstration. (they did me proud) Note for Mr Punch Mr Gleeson is incorrect in stating that sword principles disappeared from aikido on the death of the founder. Perhaps in the Honbu but Saito shihan the keeper of the Aiki shrine in Iwama taught the sword and stick legacy of O Sensei.It is still taught particularly in what is now known as Iwama aikido.
Dont think Mr gleeson could be any further from the truth about the founders aikido. Weapons where barley ever taught in the honbu anyway, apart from the classes Saito was asked to teach, buki waza was really only demonstrated a the honbu, unlike Iwama where they wher taught daily every morning, just like today.
