Hello True Aiki readers! I am pleased to present the latest VLOG on Tandokudosa 7 & 8, arms. It had been long enough since I had filmed and edited that:
a) I had to take several takes
b) I messed up the filming
c) Had to film again on a separate day
d) I messed up the filming again
and
e) I found that my editing skills had become rusty
Nevertheless, I was able to put a video together that contains the essential elements I hoped to communicate.
I’d like to give a BIG thanks to Tom Wharton for his cooperation and participation in filming that and even more importantly for being my long time student, training partner and friend.
Also, I would like to thank all of those that contributed to True Aiki in the past via PayPal, and in particular to the loyal Patreon supporters who’s funding has sustained, and continues to sustain True Aiki’s existence and growth into the future.
There is much more to share. I am looking forward to doing so.
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9 Comments
fred veer · October 13, 2019 at 12:05 pm
thanks Allen, good material to study.
fred
Steve · October 14, 2019 at 10:21 am
Great vid!
I’m a bit confused with opening the elbow.
Is creating a force from the elbow part of your intent that causes the point of contact to remain neutral and spiral, or is their force met orthoganally at the elbow and combined into a resultant vector?
Thanks!
Allen Dean Beebe · October 14, 2019 at 3:50 pm
Yes. Think of kagura mai. The central “neutral” point is the point of contact. Both ends move. In this case either end could be considered an elbow. If one elbow moves on one side the elbow on the other side moves equally and opposite.
The ends of the kagura mai are what people see. They don’t see the middle or feel the middle, especially when done correctly. That is why doing “Aiki” at the middle is such a hard place to begin. It is difficult to replicate what one cannot see or feel.
One last very important thing. While kagura mai at the point of contact is cool and all. Remember YOU are supposed to be Kagura mai. That is ALL of YOU. Until one has that, one isn’t the center of the universe, just a magician in a sideshow! 😉
Steve · October 14, 2019 at 11:35 pm
Very interesting!
Thinking about the effect on uke, do you think at least part of it’s due to the fact that there’s no resistance feedback, their sense of proprioception is confused?
Thank you. 🙂
Allen Dean Beebe · October 15, 2019 at 12:12 am
Yes. Since there is no resistance feedback their sense of proprioception will likely become confused. However, a pertinent question is: For how long?
Much of grossly visible effect on uke is due to far more mundane reasons. Remember, this stuff is simple. It just isn’t obvious or easy.
In the case trained fighters, especially where weapons are involved and margins of error decrease, the visible effect on uke is much more difficult to detect. This being the case, If you aren’t a trained fighter, especially where weapons are involved, fighting a trained fighter, the advantage gained is much more marginal.
This is why context is so important. While person “A” may be the best in the dojo, that doesn’t make them the best in the country or the world. Also, person “A” could be the best X in the world, but not at all skilled in the context of Y. These things are important factors to consider.
Furthermore, Internal Power and Aiki exist on a continuum. There is a continuum of internal power development and a continuum of ability to manifest Aiki. In other words, having internal power doesn’t mean that one has the “most” internal power, or even a “significant amount” of internal power. The same can be true for the manifesting Aiki.
There are SO many people in the world at any given time that to assert that person X is the best is ludicrous. To make such a claim is to claim that one knows the relative ability of all individuals on earth at the moment that the claim is made.
It is best to remember that even if person x was the best in the world, and person x was one’s teacher, that has very little bearing on one’s own ability. That is the important question. Is your ability enough to meet your need, or desire?
Ask most individuals noted for being very good and I’ll bet that most of those individuals will answer, “No.” They want to continue to improve. That certainly was true for Sagawa, Ueshiba and Shirata.
As for me, well that isn’t really a fair comparison. I am perfect. To compare one’s self to me will only make one feel inadequate and sad!
Allen Dean Beebe · October 15, 2019 at 12:15 am
I always feel inadequate and sad when I compare myself to my self-perception!
Steve · October 15, 2019 at 2:15 am
Lol, we all need goals right? I think even O’Sensei said this old man must train and train!
Cheers!
Steve · October 17, 2019 at 9:51 am
Allen, when you say all of you should be Kagura mai, practically does this mean the spiral comes from the ground / gravity through your body?
Thank you. 😊
Allen Dean Beebe · October 17, 2019 at 7:10 pm
One’s mind/body uses normal force, and gravity to produce a spiral(s) (complimentary oppositional forces with a stable center) propigating from the ground through the extremeties of the body. The most common problem people face while tryng to create yin/yang around a neutral point of contact is that they are attempting to do this with a body/mind that does not have a stable center and therefore cannot express true yin/yang of the dynamic neutrality of a Yin/Yang created central point.
This isn’t a critisism, rather, it is where everyone begins.