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[B]Open Discussions: Kenbudo vs. Kali vs. European edged arts[/B] - 54 Replies
From: thomas_dixon on 6. Jan 2005, 01:52am
Have you ever sparred with small knife?
[B]Training: The significance of training "intent".[/B] - 8 Replies
From: L. Camejo on 6. Jan 2005, 02:37am
Lyle and Ian hit the nail on the head regarding how I am feeling about this as well. I believe that the foundations of effective technique and continuous readiness to apply technique should be inculcated from a very early stage and improved as one moves higher in rank. At shodan one should be already highly adept at this.
I have also met situations where lack of aggression is far more commonplace than knowing and practicing how to constructively apply and utilise aggression or intent rather. I've found that for many, especially female students, the desire to "not be aggressive" or not put the proper degree of martial intent behind a technique results in a poorly executed technique or a technique that has very good technical form (if done against a very very compliant Uke), but is not given that extra energy to have it work when Uke is resisting even lightly, even though the physical form of the technique is sound.
On the reverse side, when these same students apply correct intent, their technique takes on a sort of life of its own, enticing Uke to move in ways that cause the resulting technique to be even more effective, if sometimes lacking the technical precision. Of course as Yann indicated, it is important to practice at the intense and not so intense levels as well to gain from the different aspects of training.
As said before, safety is always paramount and any training methods employed should conform to the tenets of good safety practices first imo.
Lyle from his sword training example alludes to what I was referring to of Musashi's statement in the Book of Five Rings that I mentioned in my first post. In correctly utilising intent towards an objective (eg. applying effective technique or quickly resolving the conflict) every movemenet we make (physical, mental or otherwise) should be made with this objective in mind and achieving it. From the initial aspects of engagement before physical contact is made, right through to adapting and applying counters in the event the initial technique fails, to instinctively knowing when to disengage from the attacker when he has decided to give up on the attack (if one is seeking resolution and not to immobilise the other person), every move we make should give us some psychological advantage, better tactical position or put us in a place where attainment of our objective is that much closer - "Every movement must be made with the intent of cutting down the opponent" in Musashi's lingo.
This is what I was getting at in my initial post. Although we speak of Mushin in Aikido, imo it is not a "passive" state where we wait for the attacker to indicate what technique is best, but putting ourselves on a mental and physical footing where we are "actively" scanning, sensing and looking where these openings might be and via mu gamae moving instinctively and naturally in ways that bring the achievement of our objective closer with every step.
Is this making sense? It's late and I need some sleep.:) What do you think?
LC:ai::ki:
[B]General: HoW many hours should I practice daily?[/B] - 12 Replies
From: Colbs on 6. Jan 2005, 02:50am
Get yourself a bokken and practice. Keep the number of cuts small to begin with - say 10 in the morning and 10 in the evening, that way you don't train in the bad habits so much. As your cuts get better increase their number. The errors that creep into your cuts should get picked up and worked on in class.
Of course I assume you're doing weapons in class (at least sometimes)...
Aikido is a sword based art, all the postures and movements come from sword, by practicing sword you will improve your open-hand techniques as your posture and movement improves.
[B]General: How sweet is this?[/B] - 12 Replies
From: xuzen on 6. Jan 2005, 03:26am
Can't help but notice her posture:-
1) Fingers are open and exudes strong Ki flow.
2) Back foot firmly planted on mats, strong kamae.
3) Body posture looks strong and confidence; not intimidated by burly man with thick specs and headband.
To summise; She has potential to excel in aikido. Just my observation based solely on the pix above.
Boon.
[B]Teaching: Is aikido suitable for children.[/B] - 6 Replies
From: Jim Sorrentino on 6. Jan 2005, 04:23am
Greetings All,
I realize that there are some very competent aikido instructors out there who are doing good things with children. All the same, I do not think aikido is appropriate for young children, for at least two reasons. First, aikido techniques, even applied gently, put stress on the joints. As many former gymnasts and ballet dancers can tell you, too much stress on the joints at an early age often leads to trouble later on in life. Second, aikido is a complex art. Even disciplined, motivated adults find it quite challenging to learn. In my experience, younger children do not yet have the ability or the motivation to concentrate at the level necessary to gain anything from the average one-hour aikido class.
But more important than the physical impact or the mental challenges, there is the ethical question of teaching martial arts to children. Study of the martial arts, like the study of any other art or discipline, can produce wonderful effects on the student's character. But I believe that teaching young children martial arts is like teaching them to drive: it puts them in possession of power before they are mature enough to use it responsibly. Some teachers will say that they teach the ethical use of martial techniques, but I would not want to depend on the developing moral compass of a child outside the dojo; it's just way too likely that the child will want to try out this new-found knowledge on the other kids!
Rather than martial arts, I recommend introducing children to disciplined physical activity through more conventional sports and arts (such as soccer or tumbling), in which there is a far more well-established tradition of teaching children. If the child continued to show interest in the martial arts, I would hold that out as a future reward for good behavior and a helpful attitude around the house and with other children and adults --- in short, the child would earn the right to train in the arts. It seems to me that is closer to the spirit of Japanese martial traditions: if someone wanted to study at a dojo, it was necessary to present a letter of introduction to the instructor which vouched for the prospective student's dedication and good character. Unfortunately, this tradition never caught on in the USA.
In my own dojo, I set a minimum age of 14, which is just slightly below the age requirement for driver education. The teen and at least one parent must watch class before the teen may join the dojo, and at least one parent must watch the teen's first class. I encourage parents to visit the dojo at any time. The teens practice with the adults, and I and the other yudansha keep a close eye on these interactions.
After 5 1/2 years, my dojo is relatively new. About a dozen teens have come through the doors, and I have noticed that almost all of them have schedules that are far more demanding than I had 30 or so years ago. Very few of them have the time or the will to commit to pursuing proficiency in anything, let alone aikido. I've always looked at aikido as "graduate-level" martial arts practice, though (I know, I know --- that's another thread), so it does not surprise me that junior high school kids are not up to the task.
Jim Sorrentino
[B]General: Aikido Frauds[/B] - 225 Replies
From: Bronson on 6. Jan 2005, 05:15am
Hey no problem...this should be a group effort ;)
Bronson
[B]Open Discussions: Pressure points techniques[/B] - 5 Replies
From: Bronson on 6. Jan 2005, 05:26am
Well you can start with the [URL=http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-32,GGLD:en&q=George+Dillman]GOOGLE RESULTS[/URL] for George Dillman....only about 74,200 results :freaky:
Bronson
[B]Teaching: Is aikido suitable for children.[/B] - 5 Replies
From: Lyle Laizure on 5. Jan 2005, 12:54pm
I have taught children ages 5 and up at my sensei's dojo and now in my own. It is very rewarding and eye opening. Age is really a good indicator as each child is an individual and will respond differently. I have had children start that I didn't think would make it but have done fabulously and vise versa. As a rule I tell parents to have the child try a couple of classes before paying for classes. If the child likes it at this point then I allow parents to pay the monthly dues etc. I don't however push a uniform until the child has been in class for a couple of months or at the very latest before the child tests for their first belt.
I also insist, and I think this is the most important thing, that parents sit in on at least one class to see what we do and how we do it. Obviously everything won't be covered in one class but the parent can determine to a small degree how classes are run and will lessen the likelyhood of a parent being aggressive with you when "little Johnny" tells mommy or daddy that you whacked them in the head for not paying attention. It also helps the child feel more at ease during the first class but you can't let the child run to mom or dad when things get tough either. You would be surprised how many parents don't have the "time" to sit in on a class.
I have taught in both situations, a childrens only class and a mixed class. I think having a childrens only class is nice but having a mixed class has tremendous advantages. PM me if you would like more info.
Getting started is the most difficult aspect of teaching children. Once you have one or two that have a few of the basics down it will become considerably easier as children teach themselves.
[B]Training: The significance of training "intent".[/B] - 7 Replies
From: Yann Golanski on 5. Jan 2005, 01:37pm
We have good days and bad days. At times, I want to just have a bash and bounce myself and others off the Mat. Then intent and "aggression" are there. At other times, I want to see connections, threads and themes in what I do. Taking the technique slowly and working out what basics are used here and there. Those two are different training intensities but are both worthwhile -- at least for myself.
Certainly the higher the grade that faster and harder you can apply technique because they know how to get out of it without hurting themselves. Sometimes, we do get hit and bruise but after all, we are doing a martial art not dancing. Those things are part of the package.
Of course, safety is paramount in whatever you do not just in Aikido. I remember a thread about Aikido driving back in the olden days of the board -- OK, not that olden.
[B]General: Diffusing a fight?[/B] - 15 Replies
From: SeiserL on 5. Jan 2005, 02:46pm
Do a search on violence deescalation. used to be a lot of material avaialble.
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