Today Rich Sensei lead the class and started off with some Atemi practice. We got some practice on striking two phonebooks in order to work on our Shomenuchi, Yokomenuchi and Menutski strikes. We are working on giving honest attacks and not being "sacrificial lambs" as the Sensei's call it!! This will help us all to have better practices as both Uke and Nage. When we all train genuinely we all learn correctly and avoid bad habits.
Rich Sensei was at the Saotome Sensei Seminar with Mike Machie and myself last weekend. He went over some of the principles and techniques that were shown at the seminar to pass some of it on to the other students. We went over the seemingly "magical" connection principles that Saotome Sensei went over. (We also had a special guest student from Russia who was here for a month and practiced with us) We spent time going over the one finger connection idea where you push down on their hand which is set like a waiter holding a tray of dishes. When they push down on their hand they mimic this "wave" motion I mentioned earlier (or pulses) to draw in their energy. This establishes a connection with their energy and if done correctly you can actually raise their hand up just by pulling your own finger up into the air. I liken it to an analogy Tracy Sensei gave us. Whilst doing Shomenuchi Ikkyo (a favorite of mine) your connection with their arm for a momentary time is like placing a stable table in from of someone and just as they go to lean down on it you pull it away and they crash down. You pulse this energy or resistance to their own energy and just as their mind begins to think their is opposition and continue to force through, you pull that "table" away, as you Tenkan around behind them and the Ikkyo lock takes over as you spiral them to the ground.
Afterwards we worked on Jo technique and Kata 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJqElAyzcck
I really enjoy doing Jo Kata's with Rich Sensei. It seems like such a simple or humble weapon and can be many household items such as a broom, mop, or walking stick. We worked on water shedding, which is the blending (not blocking) movement in which their strike is NOT resisted but redirected along the stick and past your body. We worked on the rest of the kata and were reminded that whenever you strike with the Jo you have to twist the staff in your forward hand.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Shomen'uchi Ikkyo, Nikyo, Sankyo Variations
Today Tracy Sensei lead the class. We worked on variations of Shomenuchi Ikkyo and changing the grip from Ikkyo to Nikyo and sankyo.
We worked on Shomenuchi Ikkyo initially and focused on entering their circle and planted our leading foot behind the attacker. Once this has been accomplished and their space has been entered, Ikkyo Undo captures the Uke's energy with one hand under the elbow to control the arm and assist in capturing their energy and center.
After working a bit on Ikkyo grip, we moved onto "Shomenuchi Nikyo", which was utilized in "Ura" (around the backside or closed side), where once the attacker is brought to the ground the Nage should be in control of their arm with his trailing hand having slid down their arm towards the wrist to maintain control of the arm. This downward redirection should never be released at this point or they may stand up on you. Nage should now be in their solid stable "horse stance" from which the leading hand now rotates to Nikyo grip and draws the arm up to the inner shoulder and chest area, maintaining this hand above the Uke's shoulder is key. This allows the application of Nikyo and then stepping behind Uke, Nage can continue to rotate around their backside and pin them.
Finally, we worked on Shomenuchi Sankyo, which was done "Omote" (front or open side). The technique continues from capturing their arm at the open side and stretching them out as you take a step backwards and slide your hand down to their fingers and capture them. After obtaining this grip you push into them as if punching them (analogy given by Mark Sensei) which pushes them onto their back hand. Once there the grip can be switched to sankyo and then they are drawn out and finished with a slice to the back of the neck with the open hand thus stretching them out. Then Nage switches stance with the inner foot being under their shoulder allowing for the Sankyo pin.
We worked on Shomenuchi Ikkyo initially and focused on entering their circle and planted our leading foot behind the attacker. Once this has been accomplished and their space has been entered, Ikkyo Undo captures the Uke's energy with one hand under the elbow to control the arm and assist in capturing their energy and center.
After working a bit on Ikkyo grip, we moved onto "Shomenuchi Nikyo", which was utilized in "Ura" (around the backside or closed side), where once the attacker is brought to the ground the Nage should be in control of their arm with his trailing hand having slid down their arm towards the wrist to maintain control of the arm. This downward redirection should never be released at this point or they may stand up on you. Nage should now be in their solid stable "horse stance" from which the leading hand now rotates to Nikyo grip and draws the arm up to the inner shoulder and chest area, maintaining this hand above the Uke's shoulder is key. This allows the application of Nikyo and then stepping behind Uke, Nage can continue to rotate around their backside and pin them.
Finally, we worked on Shomenuchi Sankyo, which was done "Omote" (front or open side). The technique continues from capturing their arm at the open side and stretching them out as you take a step backwards and slide your hand down to their fingers and capture them. After obtaining this grip you push into them as if punching them (analogy given by Mark Sensei) which pushes them onto their back hand. Once there the grip can be switched to sankyo and then they are drawn out and finished with a slice to the back of the neck with the open hand thus stretching them out. Then Nage switches stance with the inner foot being under their shoulder allowing for the Sankyo pin.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Saotome Sensei Seminar at Shindai Aikikai (Orlando)
A few things discussed:
Before I go on trying to explain what I thought I understood at this seminar from the man who trained under Morehei Ueshiba (Aikido Founder) here is a video of each:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxxb2ctulEs&feature=related O' Sensei
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mDv85KPpKI Saotome Sensei
Comparing Aikido to Chess:
The rules of chess are easy to learn, the application of these rules to "win" the game by placing the opponent in chess takes many years of study to discover new ways to achieve this goal. It is similar to Aikido in that the different "techniques" and locks of Aikido: Shihonage, Ikkyo, Nikkyo, Sankyo, Yonkyo, Kotegaeshi etc are the "rules" of Aikido and what can be used. The actual application of these to the uke's Atemi's (Attack): Shomanuchi, Yokomanuchi etc are what can take countless years of training to "master" and then re-learn when new things are discovered in the application of Kokyo (Spiraling Motion) and capturing of ones center.
Another comparison made was that the connection principles taught by Saotome are like the theory and principles of physics. These are the "basic" (I use basic very loosely, since it may be basic to Saotome Sensei, but it is very difficult to actually master this :-P) ideals and principles one must grasp to appropriately solve physics problems, and conversely apply techniques to the opponents in order to capture their energy, center and so forth.
There were a lot of people using extraneous arm power and not maintaining a relaxed focus with their center being the power source as we are so often drilled about at North Florida Aikikai (NFA). I am sure I was a perpetrator of this method as well but made a conscious effort most of the time to keep my arms relaxed, connected to my center and use my hips and core to move and redirect the attackers energy.
Some things I realized with assistance from Masura and Fasen sensei (as well as others on the mat) during practice was that there is a sort of bounce (or wave) in the techniques shown by Saotome that "invites" the attacker in drawing their energy to you and allowing it to be redirected without hindering it. One technique involved preventing your body being lifted by pointing your fingers down and placing your mind and focus at your finger tips to stream your intention and the attackers energy into the ground. Another example was the moving of 4 or 5 people anchored together. Trying to move the arm and not the entire group proved futile. Rather, accepting in their energy and "inviting" it in allows for a kokyo (as in all techniques and principles I have seen) to draw out any slack and allow for them to be moved to the outside of their box of stability. (This was explained to me by my fellow student Mike from what a former student at NFA student, doing his doctorate, had told him (Muy Thai was his name I believe). The box outlines where their feet are positioned the back heel being one corner and the front foots toes being a diagonal corner. Connecting these two in a triangle constructs a box (or rectangle). Moving their center outside of this box instantly results in their loss of balance. It's true, try it out!!
Meridith's Nidan test was quite an astonishing sight to see. Her and Melissa maintained constant Mai'i (presence) and focus on one another, never breaking their gaze from one another. She executed, in my humble and inexperienced opinion, beautiful and amazing big circle aikido from shoriwaza and standing. Her bokken and jo kata were very fluid, and executed more as one motion, then steps one, two, three etc. as we have been told to eventually graduate to in class. The randori part of the test was amazing to observe as multiple weapon opponents were thrown in the air by this small woman (in comparion to her much larger male attackers).
All in all the Saotome seminar was an amazing experience and quite an eye opener to the intricacies of aikido that I have yet to experience or understand.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Recap of Aikido "Understanding" thus far from North Florida Aikikai (Tallahassee)
Initial Note: All outlooks on principles and understandings of Aikido are only my own at the current time of the post and are not to be taken as correct or incorrect, just my own at the time. They will absolutely change as time goes on and I come to understand something differently and will be interpreted in my own understanding in order to post something of value for myself.
Working with a fellow student at NFA I was told about using a wave motion starting from about the elbow region, maintaining relaxed and lowered shoulders to allow the lower half of the arm to resemble that of an ocean wave drawing onto the shores and then cactching the opponent on the "receding tide" part of the wave effectively drawing in their attack and allowing you to relax your arms to your center as the opponent continues past you into an ukemi roll and you move on to the next attacker.
We spent a lot of time on Tuesday's class going over uke's giving a "genuine" attack in the form of a Shomen strike. The sensei's said a lot of our attacks as Uke were lacking in energy, mine especially. I have been trying to understand how to give a good attack to Nage but have not picked up on it too well. Tuesday's practice with Mark Sensei really helped me to develop a better understanding of delivering a "energy-full" yet controlled attack.
From my exam for 6th Kyu I proven a general understanding of the following techniques at my testing level:
Working with a fellow student at NFA I was told about using a wave motion starting from about the elbow region, maintaining relaxed and lowered shoulders to allow the lower half of the arm to resemble that of an ocean wave drawing onto the shores and then cactching the opponent on the "receding tide" part of the wave effectively drawing in their attack and allowing you to relax your arms to your center as the opponent continues past you into an ukemi roll and you move on to the next attacker.
We spent a lot of time on Tuesday's class going over uke's giving a "genuine" attack in the form of a Shomen strike. The sensei's said a lot of our attacks as Uke were lacking in energy, mine especially. I have been trying to understand how to give a good attack to Nage but have not picked up on it too well. Tuesday's practice with Mark Sensei really helped me to develop a better understanding of delivering a "energy-full" yet controlled attack.
From my exam for 6th Kyu I proven a general understanding of the following techniques at my testing level:
- Tenkan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s77tJ6XGiNg
- Shomenuchi ikkyo and irimenage
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgoM_xrveO4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pth5aX0nIzs - Menuetsuki kotegaeshi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB01hhonf8Q
- Katate dori shihonage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfuwPVOfGZ8
- Yokomenuchi shihonage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5BYCtOWhBM
- Kokyu tanden ho http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sSSQ7VJIJw
(ura means to perform the technique to their back side, omote means to the front side)
The pronunciation of each "attack" follows the form of uke's attack followed by nage's reaction to uke's attack: such as Shomenuchi ikkyo. Uke focuses on giving a "genuine" and "honest" Shomen strike while nage reacts with an ikkyo (first technique).
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