I wrote the following in a response on Facebook and then decided I can use it here!
TDD #6 – 10 are all about tenkan. Tenkan in place, stepping tenkan, 360° tenkan in place, 360° tenkan switching feet. Huge kua work. Tons of tissue recruitment work. Full body spiraling and bowing. All dantian driven of course. All requiring greater and greater intent to make all that happen naturally.
In the end though, “turn and transform” is a in your body thing, not an outward form.
Think about it. Isn’t “turn and transform” a description of what is happening in the Yin Yang symbol?!?!
So, bottom line, learn to tenkan you and all “how do I put this back into Aikido? Will be answered.
Hard Truth: If your Sangenkai practice doesn’t fit into your Aikido practice, it (your former Aikido practice) was probably never really “Aikido” practice in the first place!
Of course there is always the (likely) possibility that one’s understanding of either Sangenkai or Aikido practice isn’t, or wasn’t complete.
No biggy. If one is improving, the implication is there was some understanding (causing growth) and some imperfection (leaving room for improvement.) Imperfection is the human condition, and improvement is rewarding. So, win! Win!
My Sunday morning in-bed ramble ❤
So there you go! A kiss and a promise of more to come 😋
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5 Comments
Rob Vercouteren · August 12, 2018 at 5:35 pm
The training and practice fits perfectly Allen, my paying attention was and is sucking big rock! I think my sensei told me a zillion times. 🙁
Thanks again for all the effort and sharing.. humble rei. (also for the Sangenkai sensei)
Allen Dean Beebe · August 13, 2018 at 2:53 pm
Thanks Rob!
adarsh · April 4, 2020 at 1:52 pm
Hi Allen,
I follow you blog regurlary and I was just re-reading this above article where you have mentioned that all movements from tdd 6-10 are dantian driven. But In those videos i did not see any emphasis on dantian though I could see lot a of spiral movements. Could you clarify on this?
Another question is though one can do spiral movements without dantian, how does one do spiral movements using the dantian? Also how can one differentiate these two movements while looking at a practitioner?
Allen Dean Beebe · April 30, 2020 at 1:20 am
If you have developed a dantian than all TDD will likely be dantian driven. If you have not developed a dantian, then it will be very likely that NO movements will be dantian driven. I did not emphasize dantian driven movement because I am assuming that most readers will not have developed a dantian, and for those that have, it isn’t necessary to mention using it because they will likely use it regardless.
As far as spiral movement goes, if one has developed a dantian and one spirals, it will involve the dantian. Most folks think that they are spiralling when in fact they are shearing. I drill bit that shears is no longer a drill bit. Most folks think they are spiralling when in fact not all parts are moving as one. Again, a drill bit with sections that do not move, is not a drill bit.
As far as differentiating by looking goes, there are tells (like a visible shear) but feeling is way more telling. Consider this, if a drill bit is turning, and you touch it, your finger will travel. If a person is spiralling, and you touch them your finger (hand, whatever) should travel in the same manner as the drill. (And I don’t mean moving the drill up and down causes the movement, the spiral causes the movement, even though the drill can move up and down as a whole as well.)
You have really hit the nail on the head as far as figuring out who really has something going on, and how much.
Lots to work on!
adarsh · May 3, 2020 at 1:44 am
Hi Allen,
Thanks for replying. I was under the assumption that practicing TDD would automatically develop dantian. Guess I have to work on that.