@MrPinoy91 The connection that allows aiki to manifest makes the attacker's superficial intention irrelevant. Yes our goal is benevolence toward all. If your attacker is truly attacking you he will attack your center. If he is merely trying to cut your arm or hand, keep them outside the range of his effectiveness. I have a feeling that they knife arts you are describing are defensive, anyway, and you are not going to attack anyone with a knife yourself are you?
@cantwait2look, the effectiveness of all aikido depends on a center-to-center energetic connection. If that is established and maintained while one turns off the line and enters it can not fail (though we can fail to maintain connection for a number of reasons)...
i think i got the idea: you're saying give the uke a "wrong" idea of where my center is, by simply relaxing and accepting, taking the knife just like an extension, not as an extra threath?
@riveraluciano I'm not sure I would use those words. When we can allow the ki to flood out from us to the other person it is really giving your center to him, not deceiving him. When he unifies with our center through this kind of ki connection uke instinctively feels that his attack has been completed. As he has achieved his fundamental goal (to connect with your center) he will willingly follow that connection to the floor.
@Kakushitoride ahhh i see now, i'm sorry i'm just a bit skeptical about Ki, and sometimes it is hard for me to see it the way you do, but i'll get used to it as i watch the videos :), thank you!!!!!
@riveraluciano I don't blame you for being skeptical. I would have a hard time believing it myself if I hadn't felt it. The thing to understand is that ki is nothing special, it is the most abundant thing in the universe and the basis for all creation
With respect, I do not get why the uke is very compliant. Note that I have never trained in the softer form of aikido. While I believe that the techniques work in subtle ways, shouldn't the uke have more integrity than just falling over with the softest pressure? Shouldn't there be some sort of absorption in ukemi before falling over? Seems to be great sensitivity training by the way.
I understand why it is hard to believe that either of us (as uke) in this video are not just falling down, but we really are giving as much intent to stab our partner during the successful connections as in the unsuccessful ones.
We talk about nage creating resistance when he tries to execute a throw. This stabilizes uke. We see that if nage disappears, uke maintains his balance and counter attacks. But when we support uke he will easily follow his natural trajectory to the floor.
Thank you for the reply but what do you mean by "supporting" uke? If you support him, won't he just get back up? I agree with the rest.
And I'm not sure if I made my questions understood. An example of what I was talking about before is something like on 1:13. Uke could have turned then continued with a left punch to the face, or perhaps while his hand was up, his elbow could continue forward. I may be wrong but I would very much appreciate a simple explanation.
1st question: If you stand next to a wall and push against it, you will feel resistance from the wall grounding you. The harder you push the more your feet will push into the earth. Resistance to an attack stabilizes the attacker.
Back away from the wall 8 ft and push. Without the wall within reach you would fall over and hit the ground - except that instead, your reflex takes over at feeling unbalanced and you catch yourself -go into self-defense mode. Evading induces re-set and re-attack.
Now stand 5 ft away and push. You will be leaning against the wall, out of balance yet not feeling it because the wall is now giving support more than resistance. If the wall suddenly moved away you would fall and catch yourself, but if the wall slowly moved away it would continue to support you as you were lowered to the floor. you would not feel it as resistance or lack of support so you would be able to safely go to the floor on your own intention.
In our aikido we want to uke to continue his trajectory to the floor because he never feels unsupported or opposed.
2nd: Uke may do anything in his attack, including a left punch to the face, but our practice shows us that if we maintain a center-to-center connection with non-constricted ki flow it doesn't matter how the attack continues. Every committed attack can be harmonized with.
Why Patrick did not continue his attack is because the connection was a solid and authentic support.
I would have a hard time believing that Patrick was not just giving up there if I had not felt what I am describing first hand. It certainly looks in the video like he is just going along with me. But I can assure you that I will never just go along with Patrick, and when he connects the proper way I find myself on the ground without feeling a thing. I insist he be as ruthless as I am because we are more interested in finding true aiki than in being "successful" in every throw.
I was with Kanshu Sunadomari Shihan when this 85 year-old man who must weigh 100 lbs at most have an uke dancing up in the air having grabbed his wrist. I asked him through translators "What if he lets go?" "He can't let go" was his response. Indeed, the connection was so positive and true that even though the uke was as unbalanced as he could possibly be, the connection gave him the awareness that his primary goal - to strike the Shihan's center - had been achieved. Hard to explain in words.
umm.. that was VERY well-explained (with words!). Seriously, I'm looking now, but if you haven't written a book on this, you should. Your relaxed, conversational communication style is incredibly helpful for those who need some of the the understanding before they are able to accept the teaching.
I've been looking at lots of this stuff. I'm in no position to judge your technique, but your teaching ability is uncommon. Please keep explaining everything!
With much respect I truley dont understand Aikido...I have been in martial arts for 15 years and have been practicing Aiki Jujestu for 14 years and I am also a cop for 5 years...I sorry but Aikido will get you killed on the street...Its a great art just not practical for real life....I realy dont understand why people do stuff that does not work...But each is to their own and I respect owns own art...Its just not for me.
It is true you don't understand Aikido. Aikido is a truly effective martial art "on the street." It is not for you because you haven't developed an understanding of the concept of harmonizing or the purpose of non-violent conflict resolution. Police techniques tend to be about force. The reality "on the street": after gang members, the group of individuals who are killed by other humans the most are police officers. If you can understand why that is you will be closer to understanding aikido.
I dont understand Aikido, but I do understand AIKI....I am a Nidon 2nd degree black belt in Aiki jujitsu and you are right I dont understand non-violent conflict resolution...If someone try's to hurt me you can bet your ass I'm going to devastate him...If he has a knife I am going to disarm him and break his arms so he will think twice about stabbing someone else He will remember me forever..I'm not much into harmonizing. You have my respect because i could not practice your MA..
When the purpose of two people is to devastate each other, chances are that at least one will be devastated. Whoever thinks he can say with certainty who will escape devastation ignores common sense. No one enters a fight to the finish convinced he is going to be devastated (except those who are suicidal), yet one (if not both) always is.
Wanting to destroy attackers is a fear-based response. To choose the path with the goal that no one be harmed requires the courage to transcend fear.
When fear is transcended there is no desire for retribution or teaching a lesson because of an understanding that violence is a cycle perpetuated by continual need to dominate.
Practicing aiki-anything without harmonizing is like calling oneself a swimmer while never getting into the water, as ai is the essence of aiki. When one practices aiki there can be no conflict by definition. When there is no conflict there is unification, when there is unification nothing can be destroyed.
as for fear...Fear is a good thing. I think of fear is my own personal alarm system that tells me something is wrong..I have not been in a fight that i was not fearful The difference is that I can control that fear because I am comfortable with it. It is just my body letting me know something is not right. Fear keeps you alive its that simple. Most people wont touch a rattle snake because they know its dangerous. Same thing applies here. You just have to be in control of yourself at all times.
I agree with you that fear is natural and can be beneficial. I meant that we must transcend the fear response. Once we know a rattlesnake is dangerous it doesn't help to have an automatic fear response to the snake. We can recognize that it is dangerous, but if our response is to devastate the snake because it bares fangs, we run a higher risk in engaging it in combat than we do respecting it and harmonizing with its need to feel safe.
Kakushitoride thank you so much for your answers and shearing your thoughts in are discussion. This truly proves how much of a gentleman you are although its obvious we have different opinions on self defense i have noticed that we do have something in common. In fact i can see that we both believe that the only thing you can control in a fight is yourself..but just because you are meaner then another in a fight does not mean your without self control.
We are in agreement about the need for self control. In our practice we seek to take that to the deepest levels. Our belief is that true victory is victory over oneself, particularly when our self is making judgement calls about whether someone deserves to feel pain or be injured by our actions.
I think you would agree that it is a mistake to attack. Therefore when others attack us it is a mistake. The essence of sound moral principle is treat others as you would like to be treated. Because we acknowledge that we are imperfect people prone to err, we prefer when others don't punish us for making mistakes but guide us gently to our truth, so we are dedicated to refining our aikido to embody the description by the Founder of Aikido as "the loving protection of all things."
We don't expect anyone to follow any specific path just because we feel it is right for us, though we do believe that it is inevitable for everyone at some point to come to the conclusion that unification is more powerful for achieving peace than conflict.
For us it is the most obvious thing in the world that the best form of defense is to have no enemies, especially ones who have broken arms from first attacking with a knife and conclude that a firearm will work better next time.
If you don't mind, could I ask a few questions? These questions are just my own curiousity in response to what I see on the web sometimes. They are sincere, and not an attack in anyway...1. How long have you trained aikido? 2. What style is this that you are demonstrating (yes, I hate "stylinzing things"), 3. What other history do you have in the martial arts?
I ask these things to get a better understanding of what you are demonstrating. And though I dislike "styles", we all have history.
2. Ironically just got back from ASU Winter Intensive where Saotome Sensei repeatedly stated he has no "style" just aiki - works for me!
3. Began at ASU dojo for 7 years, followed by 13 years at an independent Ki Society off-shoot, after which I founded new dojo with my late sensei's son while continuing to seek instruction from a variety of teachers. Was a member of Seidokan and Doshinokai during those times, but...
(continuing quick answer, lol)...also received highly influential teaching from Sunadomari Shihan and his protoge Hamada Shihan, Saotome Shihan, Palmer Sensei and Ikeda Shihan (coming full circle back to Aikido Schools of Ueshiba with those last three sensei). Also have found great instruction from Heiny Shihan and plan on training more with Choate Sensei. Prior to aikido- western fencing (foil and epee).
My widest departure from current intructional influences are based on my search for...
...aikido that is martially sound while adhering absolutely with the practice of ahimsa. My goal, still light years away from where I am now, is to find aikido which heals situations without inflicting ANY discomfort whatsoever. Many of my instructional influences have the luxury of less restrictive goals. Because of my desire to practice absolute ahimsa in my aikido there are some things they do I cannot, but up to that point the principles we employ are identical. Thanks again!
Ma-ai as I understand it is a function of connection. In other words, for me, ma-ai is created by a proper center-to-center connection rather than being something on which to focus. Once the proper center-to-center ki connection is established the ma-ai will naturally come about.
We have been studying the nature of the ki connection specifically for about 5 years now and have seen it to be subtle, vast, and powerful, which I'm sure you also have seen. We have found that this connection can be made unequivocally by merely paying attention to one's partner while in the optimum ki flow state.
I totally agree! I was always told simply "safe distance" and I have taught it like that. But after the initial attack I try to demonstrate centering through connection. This can be touching and not. It can be difficult to explain for me. I've trained for twelve years and I feel I am only scratching the proverbial surface! Thank you!
I was taught the same, but I have been removing language from my teaching that promotes the idea of separation from uke. Keeping a "safe distance" implies a disconnection from one's partner whereas ma-ai is more "breathing room" for uke's constricted ki extension to be expressed.
I totally agree this can happen without physical contact. I have heard both Saotome Shihan and Palmer Sensei describe connection in terms of "magnetic" energy, as magnets don't have to touch to affect one another.
Hi, I've been watching your videos and find them very useful in helping me in my aikido studies, what you say makes sense and is explained in a way I can understand. Thankyou for your videos, I look forward to seeing more :-)
wow I can say that you had a really good teacher to be so good yourself, however I think in a real situation with a heartbeat over 175 hps it wouldn't be so easy to just accept him. Aiki requires specific state of the mind that can be achieved in many years of practice. And somthing other to ask whatever we do wherever we go we must not forget that this is a martial art so it's parent is the sword so shouldn't our movments come from the sword moving?
I'm not sure I can really agree with your assessment of me, but you are right about my teacher Don O'Bell whose son is also in this clip.
You are also right about this not being easy under the stress of a real attack, but what would be? That is why we practice! However, as difficult as it may be, the extension of ki, whether from acceptance, compassion, gratitude or some other expression of ki, will make it much more likely to produce an aiki resolution than with those things missing.
As for the movements coming from the sword, they still do, even though they are constantly evolving (in accordance with Osensei's edict) into things that may look less like the original.
If you look carefully you will see the foundation of these movements are not gone from the essence.
Assessment isn't the right word it was more like a question :) I too practice aikido from about 8 years and the strange thing is that with the years passing in hard training I feel myself more novice than I was when I first entered the dojo :D (no explanation why ) Whatever I would really like to see some clips with boken or jo. I belive that the only true way to learn something is through weapon practice. Best regards from Bulgaria :D
The late Don O'Bell Sensei was to me a visionary of ki mechanics and happily his son feels that we are taking his study to the next level to which he would have gone.
We don't work with bokken as much as we do with jo since I haven't been able to use a sword in a way that does not involve some form of violence! You can see a couple of jo clips on our "channel." They demostrate a way of using a jo as a way of supporting the attacker on his way to the ground.
All of us in our dojo have found that our practice of aikido as a hard style martial art had brought us to an impasse at which we could only train to be faster, stronger, better placed for leverage, etc, and that ultimately we felt something was missing.
We also were individuals who decided that the infliction of pain or the forcing of our partner to fall were not things that ultimately represented our interpretation of Osensei's arguably most quoted descriptions of aikido as the "loving protection of all things" or the way to "make the world one family."
However, none of us feel comfortable with aikido as a "dance."
We have sought purity in our intention to embody what we feel is the absolute non-violence we find in Ueshiba's teaching but in the context of meaningful and sincere attack.
Some of what you witnessed in that clip was slow moving but fully intentional center-seeking knife ukemi with no intention at all of falling from a throw.
We had all passed our dan tests demonstrating knife take aways and hard throws from knife attacks, but while giving ukemi even at this level I knew there was a certain unspoken collusiveness, not out of dishonesty but out of a lack of real understanding of ukemi, especially as to how it contributes to the unfolding of aiki.
As a result, if the aiki resolution we expect is always for uke to hit the mat, we are forced to throw. But the truth of the matter seems to be that when someone other than an aikidoka wants a demonstration of aikido, it is extremely difficult to do it, because they know intuitively that the moment they commit to an attack they are at their most vulnerable.
At the same time, even someone in a commtted attack, if they feel grabbed, pushed, pulled or put into a joint lock will react unconsciously, usually by withdrawing their own ki (and the attack in the process), followed by a different or renewed attack - unless of course we trap them and injure them through a hard-ending technique.
When we faced up to this dilemma in our respective practices, we were forced to observe that these truths were well known to each of us, but that we were unable to continue believing that our techniques were going to BOTH be effective in the context of a real attack and live up to the ideal of loving protection of our partner.
Call us purists or idealists, and maybe we're crazy, but we believe that Osensei, though a visionary and a masterful one at that, was not doing anything that he didn't expect us all to be able to do. All the first hand accounts of Osensei, especially in his later years, related the feeling of finding oneself on the mat without a hint as to how it happened. What we believe is that Osensei truly embodied that which he described in terms of the spiritual nature of aikido.
Studying all your videos I'm completely impressed.
My question for this knife attack Sensei is what if the knife attackers is not going for your center, but is just slashing around to hit something.
Is the answer that we should openly attract him to our center by generating
Benevolent Ki from the start? will the attacker be immediately drawn to our center
even if his intent is our throats. In Filipino and other knife arts they are taught to cut the arm and other parts besides your center.
MrPinoy91 1 year ago
@MrPinoy91 The connection that allows aiki to manifest makes the attacker's superficial intention irrelevant. Yes our goal is benevolence toward all. If your attacker is truly attacking you he will attack your center. If he is merely trying to cut your arm or hand, keep them outside the range of his effectiveness. I have a feeling that they knife arts you are describing are defensive, anyway, and you are not going to attack anyone with a knife yourself are you?
Kakushitoride 1 year ago
No sensei . haha. knives are used for cooking.
;)
MrPinoy91 1 year ago
@MrPinoy91 ha!
Kakushitoride 1 year ago
learning Ki, and have a basic understanding of the concepts--took me 15 years.
how does this work at high speed?
cantwait2look 1 year ago
@cantwait2look, the effectiveness of all aikido depends on a center-to-center energetic connection. If that is established and maintained while one turns off the line and enters it can not fail (though we can fail to maintain connection for a number of reasons)...
Kakushitoride 1 year ago
i think i got the idea: you're saying give the uke a "wrong" idea of where my center is, by simply relaxing and accepting, taking the knife just like an extension, not as an extra threath?
riveraluciano 1 year ago
@riveraluciano I'm not sure I would use those words. When we can allow the ki to flood out from us to the other person it is really giving your center to him, not deceiving him. When he unifies with our center through this kind of ki connection uke instinctively feels that his attack has been completed. As he has achieved his fundamental goal (to connect with your center) he will willingly follow that connection to the floor.
Kakushitoride 1 year ago
@Kakushitoride ahhh i see now, i'm sorry i'm just a bit skeptical about Ki, and sometimes it is hard for me to see it the way you do, but i'll get used to it as i watch the videos :), thank you!!!!!
riveraluciano 1 year ago
@riveraluciano I don't blame you for being skeptical. I would have a hard time believing it myself if I hadn't felt it. The thing to understand is that ki is nothing special, it is the most abundant thing in the universe and the basis for all creation
Kakushitoride 1 year ago
but if we can control ourself we can controle others through ourself.
pimphics 2 years ago
If we can control ourselves there will be no need to control others.
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
With respect, I do not get why the uke is very compliant. Note that I have never trained in the softer form of aikido. While I believe that the techniques work in subtle ways, shouldn't the uke have more integrity than just falling over with the softest pressure? Shouldn't there be some sort of absorption in ukemi before falling over? Seems to be great sensitivity training by the way.
frozenicelolly 2 years ago
I understand why it is hard to believe that either of us (as uke) in this video are not just falling down, but we really are giving as much intent to stab our partner during the successful connections as in the unsuccessful ones.
We talk about nage creating resistance when he tries to execute a throw. This stabilizes uke. We see that if nage disappears, uke maintains his balance and counter attacks. But when we support uke he will easily follow his natural trajectory to the floor.
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
Thank you for the reply but what do you mean by "supporting" uke? If you support him, won't he just get back up? I agree with the rest.
And I'm not sure if I made my questions understood. An example of what I was talking about before is something like on 1:13. Uke could have turned then continued with a left punch to the face, or perhaps while his hand was up, his elbow could continue forward. I may be wrong but I would very much appreciate a simple explanation.
frozenicelolly 2 years ago
1st question: If you stand next to a wall and push against it, you will feel resistance from the wall grounding you. The harder you push the more your feet will push into the earth. Resistance to an attack stabilizes the attacker.
Back away from the wall 8 ft and push. Without the wall within reach you would fall over and hit the ground - except that instead, your reflex takes over at feeling unbalanced and you catch yourself -go into self-defense mode. Evading induces re-set and re-attack.
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
Now stand 5 ft away and push. You will be leaning against the wall, out of balance yet not feeling it because the wall is now giving support more than resistance. If the wall suddenly moved away you would fall and catch yourself, but if the wall slowly moved away it would continue to support you as you were lowered to the floor. you would not feel it as resistance or lack of support so you would be able to safely go to the floor on your own intention.
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
In our aikido we want to uke to continue his trajectory to the floor because he never feels unsupported or opposed.
2nd: Uke may do anything in his attack, including a left punch to the face, but our practice shows us that if we maintain a center-to-center connection with non-constricted ki flow it doesn't matter how the attack continues. Every committed attack can be harmonized with.
Why Patrick did not continue his attack is because the connection was a solid and authentic support.
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
I would have a hard time believing that Patrick was not just giving up there if I had not felt what I am describing first hand. It certainly looks in the video like he is just going along with me. But I can assure you that I will never just go along with Patrick, and when he connects the proper way I find myself on the ground without feeling a thing. I insist he be as ruthless as I am because we are more interested in finding true aiki than in being "successful" in every throw.
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
I was with Kanshu Sunadomari Shihan when this 85 year-old man who must weigh 100 lbs at most have an uke dancing up in the air having grabbed his wrist. I asked him through translators "What if he lets go?" "He can't let go" was his response. Indeed, the connection was so positive and true that even though the uke was as unbalanced as he could possibly be, the connection gave him the awareness that his primary goal - to strike the Shihan's center - had been achieved. Hard to explain in words.
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
umm.. that was VERY well-explained (with words!). Seriously, I'm looking now, but if you haven't written a book on this, you should. Your relaxed, conversational communication style is incredibly helpful for those who need some of the the understanding before they are able to accept the teaching.
I've been looking at lots of this stuff. I'm in no position to judge your technique, but your teaching ability is uncommon. Please keep explaining everything!
sonsofdon 2 years ago
With much respect I truley dont understand Aikido...I have been in martial arts for 15 years and have been practicing Aiki Jujestu for 14 years and I am also a cop for 5 years...I sorry but Aikido will get you killed on the street...Its a great art just not practical for real life....I realy dont understand why people do stuff that does not work...But each is to their own and I respect owns own art...Its just not for me.
mcrcomics 2 years ago
It is true you don't understand Aikido. Aikido is a truly effective martial art "on the street." It is not for you because you haven't developed an understanding of the concept of harmonizing or the purpose of non-violent conflict resolution. Police techniques tend to be about force. The reality "on the street": after gang members, the group of individuals who are killed by other humans the most are police officers. If you can understand why that is you will be closer to understanding aikido.
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
I dont understand Aikido, but I do understand AIKI....I am a Nidon 2nd degree black belt in Aiki jujitsu and you are right I dont understand non-violent conflict resolution...If someone try's to hurt me you can bet your ass I'm going to devastate him...If he has a knife I am going to disarm him and break his arms so he will think twice about stabbing someone else He will remember me forever..I'm not much into harmonizing. You have my respect because i could not practice your MA..
mcrcomics 2 years ago
When the purpose of two people is to devastate each other, chances are that at least one will be devastated. Whoever thinks he can say with certainty who will escape devastation ignores common sense. No one enters a fight to the finish convinced he is going to be devastated (except those who are suicidal), yet one (if not both) always is.
Wanting to destroy attackers is a fear-based response. To choose the path with the goal that no one be harmed requires the courage to transcend fear.
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
When fear is transcended there is no desire for retribution or teaching a lesson because of an understanding that violence is a cycle perpetuated by continual need to dominate.
Practicing aiki-anything without harmonizing is like calling oneself a swimmer while never getting into the water, as ai is the essence of aiki. When one practices aiki there can be no conflict by definition. When there is no conflict there is unification, when there is unification nothing can be destroyed.
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
Thank you again for your input and knowledge...
mcrcomics 2 years ago
Thank you for your sincerity in continuing the conversation!
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
as for fear...Fear is a good thing. I think of fear is my own personal alarm system that tells me something is wrong..I have not been in a fight that i was not fearful The difference is that I can control that fear because I am comfortable with it. It is just my body letting me know something is not right. Fear keeps you alive its that simple. Most people wont touch a rattle snake because they know its dangerous. Same thing applies here. You just have to be in control of yourself at all times.
mcrcomics 2 years ago
I agree with you that fear is natural and can be beneficial. I meant that we must transcend the fear response. Once we know a rattlesnake is dangerous it doesn't help to have an automatic fear response to the snake. We can recognize that it is dangerous, but if our response is to devastate the snake because it bares fangs, we run a higher risk in engaging it in combat than we do respecting it and harmonizing with its need to feel safe.
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
Kakushitoride thank you so much for your answers and shearing your thoughts in are discussion. This truly proves how much of a gentleman you are although its obvious we have different opinions on self defense i have noticed that we do have something in common. In fact i can see that we both believe that the only thing you can control in a fight is yourself..but just because you are meaner then another in a fight does not mean your without self control.
mcrcomics 2 years ago
We are in agreement about the need for self control. In our practice we seek to take that to the deepest levels. Our belief is that true victory is victory over oneself, particularly when our self is making judgement calls about whether someone deserves to feel pain or be injured by our actions.
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
I think you would agree that it is a mistake to attack. Therefore when others attack us it is a mistake. The essence of sound moral principle is treat others as you would like to be treated. Because we acknowledge that we are imperfect people prone to err, we prefer when others don't punish us for making mistakes but guide us gently to our truth, so we are dedicated to refining our aikido to embody the description by the Founder of Aikido as "the loving protection of all things."
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
We don't expect anyone to follow any specific path just because we feel it is right for us, though we do believe that it is inevitable for everyone at some point to come to the conclusion that unification is more powerful for achieving peace than conflict.
For us it is the most obvious thing in the world that the best form of defense is to have no enemies, especially ones who have broken arms from first attacking with a knife and conclude that a firearm will work better next time.
Kakushitoride 2 years ago
Great demonstration of the connection between uke and nage. This is the best demonstration I have seen of responding to intent, not just action.
epiphanied 3 years ago
If you don't mind, could I ask a few questions? These questions are just my own curiousity in response to what I see on the web sometimes. They are sincere, and not an attack in anyway...1. How long have you trained aikido? 2. What style is this that you are demonstrating (yes, I hate "stylinzing things"), 3. What other history do you have in the martial arts?
I ask these things to get a better understanding of what you are demonstrating. And though I dislike "styles", we all have history.
kyushoaikiguy 3 years ago
Thanks for the inquiry.
Quick answers:
1. Twenty-five years
2. Ironically just got back from ASU Winter Intensive where Saotome Sensei repeatedly stated he has no "style" just aiki - works for me!
3. Began at ASU dojo for 7 years, followed by 13 years at an independent Ki Society off-shoot, after which I founded new dojo with my late sensei's son while continuing to seek instruction from a variety of teachers. Was a member of Seidokan and Doshinokai during those times, but...
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
(continuing quick answer, lol)...also received highly influential teaching from Sunadomari Shihan and his protoge Hamada Shihan, Saotome Shihan, Palmer Sensei and Ikeda Shihan (coming full circle back to Aikido Schools of Ueshiba with those last three sensei). Also have found great instruction from Heiny Shihan and plan on training more with Choate Sensei. Prior to aikido- western fencing (foil and epee).
My widest departure from current intructional influences are based on my search for...
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
...aikido that is martially sound while adhering absolutely with the practice of ahimsa. My goal, still light years away from where I am now, is to find aikido which heals situations without inflicting ANY discomfort whatsoever. Many of my instructional influences have the luxury of less restrictive goals. Because of my desire to practice absolute ahimsa in my aikido there are some things they do I cannot, but up to that point the principles we employ are identical. Thanks again!
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
Nice video. Would you categorize this as a basic exercise of ma-ai?
cradlecoffer 3 years ago
Ma-ai as I understand it is a function of connection. In other words, for me, ma-ai is created by a proper center-to-center connection rather than being something on which to focus. Once the proper center-to-center ki connection is established the ma-ai will naturally come about.
Thanks for the question!
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
Great answer! I can tell you that I think you are on the right track. The Ki connection is something you can feel and sometimes see. Keep posting!
cradlecoffer 3 years ago
Thanks for the compliment.
We have been studying the nature of the ki connection specifically for about 5 years now and have seen it to be subtle, vast, and powerful, which I'm sure you also have seen. We have found that this connection can be made unequivocally by merely paying attention to one's partner while in the optimum ki flow state.
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
I totally agree! I was always told simply "safe distance" and I have taught it like that. But after the initial attack I try to demonstrate centering through connection. This can be touching and not. It can be difficult to explain for me. I've trained for twelve years and I feel I am only scratching the proverbial surface! Thank you!
cradlecoffer 3 years ago
I was taught the same, but I have been removing language from my teaching that promotes the idea of separation from uke. Keeping a "safe distance" implies a disconnection from one's partner whereas ma-ai is more "breathing room" for uke's constricted ki extension to be expressed.
I totally agree this can happen without physical contact. I have heard both Saotome Shihan and Palmer Sensei describe connection in terms of "magnetic" energy, as magnets don't have to touch to affect one another.
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
...and thanks for sharing your thoughts and insights.
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
Hi, I've been watching your videos and find them very useful in helping me in my aikido studies, what you say makes sense and is explained in a way I can understand. Thankyou for your videos, I look forward to seeing more :-)
LonePineRyu 3 years ago
I am really glad to hear that these clips are having a positive effect on your training! Thanks very much for letting me know...
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
wow I can say that you had a really good teacher to be so good yourself, however I think in a real situation with a heartbeat over 175 hps it wouldn't be so easy to just accept him. Aiki requires specific state of the mind that can be achieved in many years of practice. And somthing other to ask whatever we do wherever we go we must not forget that this is a martial art so it's parent is the sword so shouldn't our movments come from the sword moving?
sunreaper2 3 years ago
I'm not sure I can really agree with your assessment of me, but you are right about my teacher Don O'Bell whose son is also in this clip.
You are also right about this not being easy under the stress of a real attack, but what would be? That is why we practice! However, as difficult as it may be, the extension of ki, whether from acceptance, compassion, gratitude or some other expression of ki, will make it much more likely to produce an aiki resolution than with those things missing.
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
As for the movements coming from the sword, they still do, even though they are constantly evolving (in accordance with Osensei's edict) into things that may look less like the original.
If you look carefully you will see the foundation of these movements are not gone from the essence.
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
Assessment isn't the right word it was more like a question :) I too practice aikido from about 8 years and the strange thing is that with the years passing in hard training I feel myself more novice than I was when I first entered the dojo :D (no explanation why ) Whatever I would really like to see some clips with boken or jo. I belive that the only true way to learn something is through weapon practice. Best regards from Bulgaria :D
sunreaper2 3 years ago
The late Don O'Bell Sensei was to me a visionary of ki mechanics and happily his son feels that we are taking his study to the next level to which he would have gone.
We don't work with bokken as much as we do with jo since I haven't been able to use a sword in a way that does not involve some form of violence! You can see a couple of jo clips on our "channel." They demostrate a way of using a jo as a way of supporting the attacker on his way to the ground.
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
We will have to make some clips featuring a ki response to jo attacks, but haven't as yet.
By the way, thanks from California for writing from Bulgaria!
And I know what you mean about discovering how much more there is to learn before the next time you realize how much more there is to learn! (smile)
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
I dont mean to be rude, but is this for real? Is that how you train in your dojo? Or is this some kind of esoteric study?
leeattey 3 years ago
Answer: it's both!
All of us in our dojo have found that our practice of aikido as a hard style martial art had brought us to an impasse at which we could only train to be faster, stronger, better placed for leverage, etc, and that ultimately we felt something was missing.
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
We also were individuals who decided that the infliction of pain or the forcing of our partner to fall were not things that ultimately represented our interpretation of Osensei's arguably most quoted descriptions of aikido as the "loving protection of all things" or the way to "make the world one family."
However, none of us feel comfortable with aikido as a "dance."
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
We have sought purity in our intention to embody what we feel is the absolute non-violence we find in Ueshiba's teaching but in the context of meaningful and sincere attack.
Some of what you witnessed in that clip was slow moving but fully intentional center-seeking knife ukemi with no intention at all of falling from a throw.
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
We had all passed our dan tests demonstrating knife take aways and hard throws from knife attacks, but while giving ukemi even at this level I knew there was a certain unspoken collusiveness, not out of dishonesty but out of a lack of real understanding of ukemi, especially as to how it contributes to the unfolding of aiki.
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
As a result, if the aiki resolution we expect is always for uke to hit the mat, we are forced to throw. But the truth of the matter seems to be that when someone other than an aikidoka wants a demonstration of aikido, it is extremely difficult to do it, because they know intuitively that the moment they commit to an attack they are at their most vulnerable.
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
At the same time, even someone in a commtted attack, if they feel grabbed, pushed, pulled or put into a joint lock will react unconsciously, usually by withdrawing their own ki (and the attack in the process), followed by a different or renewed attack - unless of course we trap them and injure them through a hard-ending technique.
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
When we faced up to this dilemma in our respective practices, we were forced to observe that these truths were well known to each of us, but that we were unable to continue believing that our techniques were going to BOTH be effective in the context of a real attack and live up to the ideal of loving protection of our partner.
Kakushitoride 3 years ago
Call us purists or idealists, and maybe we're crazy, but we believe that Osensei, though a visionary and a masterful one at that, was not doing anything that he didn't expect us all to be able to do. All the first hand accounts of Osensei, especially in his later years, related the feeling of finding oneself on the mat without a hint as to how it happened. What we believe is that Osensei truly embodied that which he described in terms of the spiritual nature of aikido.
Kakushitoride 3 years ago