Speaking of multiple attacks brings up another misconception that aikido is a "waiting" art..there are no strikes in aikido etc... Any competent budoka shall be constantly seeking out the weaknesses in an opponent and this includes in the opponent's approach. Should he be careless or hesitant then the aikidoka shall mount a powerfulll pre-emptive attack. This misconception is down to "weastern philosophers" who have created an art to suit their beliefs. I have even heard the tern pacifist martial art. Words that are mutually exclusive. YES we would wish to control an attacker with the least injury to them BUT to do this we must be capable of seeing and seizing every opening and weakness they may display. Below I have thrown one attacker at the other and I am about to ATTACK the third who has hesitated for an instant. I think the great misunderstanding about aikido as a martial art comes from those who approach it with a received philosophy already intact rather than realise that where idealism and reality meet..there is where you must find the philosophy. A true budoka is one who has the ability to kill but CHOOSES not to.There are many who in a serious attack would not have that choice.(Chiba shihan) regards koyo
Insights Thank you for your extensive comments and insights. I will try and dwell on these in order to get the fullness of what you were saying. Its interesting how rich and broad Aikido is, yet it narrows down to the finest invisible point and love seems to appear as a binding tie, if I am to quote O'Sensei. P.S. I watched the 3 parts to the video again and enjoyed the fluidity and attentiveness of your sword movement. LOVED IT!!
Fluidity and attentiveness. There is a saying in budo that one must maintain "stillness in motion". It means that even when the body is engaged in dynamic movement, the mind must remain "calm". This allows you to take openings "almost by accident". I hope I have explained this clearly. It is sometimes difficult to put into words. regards koyo
I just watched the videos, having never seen anything of Aikido before, I found them very interesting and informative, thankyou!
koyo, i'm interested, do you spend time practicing strikes in your classes? do you assume that your students should practice strikes on their own? or do you break out bags during class? in my practice (hapkido), we do some strikes in class. but i practice at home mostly in regards to kicks and strikes, for implementation later.
All of our strikes are based on cuts with a sword or thrusts with a stick (jo) all of the principles of uniting the intention the strike momentum and body alignment are used in empty hand as in the weapon. The suburi (solo cuts) and of course the aikido techniques develop strong flexible wrists which helps make the strikes powerful. Every technique is in answer to a strike and every technique uses atemi (striking) to aid in unbalancing. Most of my guys are crosstrainers and some do circuit training in their own time so the attacks can be anything from karate to muay thai. Quick answer no BUT if one lands you DO feel it!!! regards koyo
:Aegis: The principles that Koyo describes were the basis of Kenji Tomiki's budo thinking, Mushin Magamae Kanji is hanging at Waseda and the Shodokan Dojo. The principles are as follows. MU SHIN, MU GAMAE MUSHIN Empty Mind, Not thinking, Without Conscience, Without emotion Mindless, Endless, No-mind-ness MUGAMAE Without posture, Without stance No posture, No attitude-ness
Hi Shinkei That principle has definately had an impact on how I teach/train. Example being that I shall teach a principle let's say angle of entry and unbalancing. When the students do this I do not demand that they use the specific technique demonstrated and tell them to apply "what feels natural". Usually it is a very simple and pragmatic technique. Ikkyo (ude osae) or irrimi nage (entering throw) are the ones that seam to "present" themselves the most. Such techniques..we tend to call techniques of opportunity. Makes for a more natural and spontaneous way of training. Your thoughts on this would be of interest. Regards koyo
Koyo I read out the above to my dad and he said "Bill always taught like that" I know to some that may mean nothing but to our family it is a step in the right direction my dad has actually remembered a fact, since being taken ill.
I can definately appriciate where you're coming from there koyo. Quite often in training I've seen students get very flusttered about what technique they should be doing and which side they should offer first. My answer to them was always "I don't care. Do something. Just don't stand around thinking about it all the time".
Within the style of Aikido I practice Toshu Randori also know a Randori kyogi is a great way to open the mind as both aikidoka are trying to apply aikido techniques with the other countering the techniques Visa Veras. Whilst practising toshu you cant have any pre- conceived ideas on what your opponent is going to do, you just hope that you react in time to counter the technique. The more you train the more the mind opens. One of the best Toshu men around was Takeshi Inoue who started aikido aged 12 under the instruction of Hideo Ohba & Kenji Tomiki
