************************************************************************** AIKIDO_L DIGEST 1. ================== *************************************************************************** CONTENTS ======== 1. Training styles - gotai, jutai,ruytai 2. responsibility 3. Stimulation and awareness 4. Seidokan Aikido 5. Aikido principles and techniques *************************************************************************** 1. TRAINING STYLES ==================== The training of the aikidoist can take several different forms depending upon the objectives of the teacher, the goals of the training program, or the proficiency of the students. gotai ----- One method of training is characterized by slow, "static" practice. In this type of practice the uke uses all of his/her power to force the nage to find mistakes in the specific techniques that they are practicing. This method of training is known as the gotai (hard/static body). jutai ----- Another method of training the aikidoist will experience can be described as flexible or "soft". The training will have the characteristic of a more "alive" training session in that full contract or "the spirit of the attack" is given to the nage. In this type of training the nage does not wait for the uke to settle into the particular attack but will begin the technique at or just before the moment of contact. In this training style the students will perhaps have to work a little harder, using their aerobic system rather than their anaerobic muscular system. This training is known as jutai ("soft"/flexible body). ryutai -------- The third type of training that can be described is the moving or "flowing" type. In this method of training the student works on the flow of the technique itself. This can be viewed as not being primarily concerned with the technical aspects of a particular movement, but more so, with the movement and body relationships created by a particular movement. This training is very fast and very alive. Both partners have to realize the potential for injury during this experience and have to remain totally alert at all times. This type of training is ryutai ("flowing" body). Greg Olson E-MAIL -- UHDGO@MSU.OSCS.MONTANA.EDU *************************************************************************** 2. RESPONSIBILITY ================== There is nothing wrong with postulating about the power of technique and the ability of one person to have dominion over another with regard to Aikido or any other budo. Indeed it is their right, and part of the growing process, for students to speculate about these things. It is part of the discovery process wherein we ascertain what the art is, who we are and how we function within the art. But as we are speculating let us not forget the harsh realities that we are sometimes forced to face. Accidents and even death happens on occasion. Some are avoidable, others are not. We should be ever mindgul of the responsibility we have for each other without losing the edge of a budoka. We practice a martial art that redefines war as peace and we must be resolute in our quest to fulfill that doctrine. Sometimes we talk about ability to injure, amim and even kill. We use words that make us think and help us resolve issues within ourselves. Sometimes though we are faced with a tragedy that over shadows all the words and gives us pause to reflect on how lightly at times we use them. Let us reflect on the occasional calamity that such words embody. FROM THE PAGES OF ATM " Ann Sasaki of Sacramento, who practiced Aikido for ten (10) years, is now paralyzed from the neck down due to a fracture of the C5 vertebre which she sustained during Aikido practice. dennish@FREENET.SCRI.FSU.EDU ******************************************************************************* 3. STIMULATION AND AWARENESS ============================ Jim Tummins Throughout our normal lives we spend most of our time in a very stimulated and excited state, both mentally and physically. In our culture, activity is rewarded. Consequently we may never realize how stimulated we are. Caffeine and alcohol are probably our most used drugs; one is used to stimulate, and the other to relax. We work hard and we play hard. Even when we sit down to relax, it is usually in front of a television for more visual and audio stimulation, albeit passive. Being constantly excited and stimulated has some side effects. We rarely get the opportunity to truly rest and relax. (Resting gives our bodies a chance to heal and rejuvenate.) Much of our attention becomes habitually focused on a single object or objective, to the exclusion of all others. Constant stimulation results in becoming numb to the stimulus. More stimulation then requires stronger stimulation. While these qualities help us to be productive, if there is not a respite from this excitement, we become fatigued, and can lose our appreciation of our larger objectives. Being heavily focused on our career can come at the expense of our family and community. This highly stimulated state in the practice of Aikido can be quite dangerous. Keiko frequently involves physical stimulation. A baseline state of intense stimulation can reduce one's perception of pain, increasing the probability of injury. Keiko also involves hard practice in a confined space with many other people. If attention is focused too tightly, we become acutely aware of our partner and possibly ourselves, but lose awareness of others. We may be too focused on one aspect of our partner (their eyes) and lose awareness of another aspect (their breathing), thus misjudging the timing and nature of an attack. In more acute cases, we may be thinking of a problem at work when our partner attacks, and not even respond to the attack. When this combination of circumstances occurs, our effectiveness in performing a technique decreases, while the opportunity and likelihood of injury increases dramatically. Relaxation exercises and techniques will reduce our level of stimulation and excitement. Regular practice will both increase our effectiveness as martial artists and reduce the chances of injury during our daily practice. Focusing Awareness ------------------ Mentally and physically relaxing begins upon entering the dojo. Upon entering the dojo, focus your mind on where you are and the purpose of your study. During warm-ups, extend this exercise by becoming mentally focused on the specifics of your stretches. How tense/relaxed are your muscles in each part of your body? Are they becoming more relaxed as warm-ups progress? Do you find that your thoughts are wandering away from the warm-ups, or outside of the dojo? If your thoughts do wander, gently pull them back to the here and now. The sense of focus developed during warm-ups should be extended to the entire practice session. Listen to the instructor very carefully. Pay attention to each movement and to their choice of words. Do you find that you are mentally reviewing the day's events as you sit in seiza? Can you remember what the instructor said at the beginning of his or her explanation? Do you understand how their explanation of a technique relates to what you were last doing during practice? As practice progresses, you may find that you have forgotten about your concerns outside of the dojo. At first, they may seem quite distant and unimportant. Soon they may cease to exist. Diffusing Awareness ------------------- Diffusing awareness may seem to be the opposite of focusing awareness. This is the process of becoming aware of as much as possible in the present. This state can only be accomplished when you have control over your thoughts, and your mind has become quiet. While you are waiting for an attack, wait with unfocused eyes and relaxed attention. You should be able to see and be aware of your partner, aware of their balance, their breathing, and any movement. You may have the feeling that there is great chaos in the room as other groups continue their practice. You should feel calm and unmoved. In this frame of mind, you may find that you "know" when your partner will move before the attack begins. You find that you have ample time to respond. Simultaneously, you are aware of the position of other people on the mat, and know the safest place to throw your own partner. Exercises --------- Learning to control your awareness while on the mat is very useful and will enhance your technique and practice experience. This process can be strengthened by performing some daily exercises. Choose a time to sit alone in a quite place. Begin by consciously relaxing your muscles, beginning with your hands and feet and working inward through your arms and legs. Pay attention to the process, forgetting about whatever was on your mind when you began. Be sure that you have released as much tension as possible. After physically relaxing, become aware of your breathing. Avoid controlling your breath. Breathe through your nose in a relaxed manner. Begin counting your breaths, counting from one to four. After reaching four, begin at one again. If you find that you have lost the count, begin counting at one. If any thoughts besides the counting appear, gently return to counting. After approximately 10 minutes (in the beginning), stop counting and continue to breathe in a normal and relaxed manner. Slowly become aware of how your body feels, the temperature, and any sounds. Spend a few minutes becoming aware of your environment, becoming passively aware of all around you. End your session by very slowly beginning to stretch and move about. You may find that you want to lengthen your practice as you become more proficient. Taking it with you... --------------------- You should find that these exercises enhance your practice. You may find that your Aikido technique improves considerably. This is because you will acquire the ability to control the "noise" that you naturally bring to the mat with you from your daily life. There will be less distraction and you will find yourself controlling your movements and awareness. You may experience less fatigue and more energy. A side effect may be that you find your normal working patterns enhanced. Stress will be reduced, and the ability to concentrate on the task at hand will be enhanced. The control developed over your level and type of awareness will allow more efficient use of your time when active and stimulated. It will also allow you to see another, more relaxed, side of life. Bring a balance to the very active and stimulating lifestyle in which you normally live. As an added bonus, you may find that you enjoy sunsets more! ****************************************************************************** 4.SEIDOKAN AIKIDO ================= Most of this is courtesy of Mitch Paskin and Ross Robertson (derived from Kobayashi Sensei's texts). Errors resulting from poor editing and interpretation of their texts are strictly my own. Laura Hague The motto for Seidokan is "earnest, sincere, and realistic." This is derived from the kanji for "sei" (alternatively pronounced "makoto") means "fundamental truth." Seidokan therefore emphasizes an approach to Aikido which requires continued honest evaluation of both technique and philosophy. In particular, Seidokan follows the line of tradition of O'Sensei which encourages ongoing refinement of the art to accommodate a modern way of life. Technique as taught by Seidokan Kancho, Roderick T. Kobayashi, tends to utilize movements which are very small and economical. While Kobayashi Sensei encourages his students to discover an aikido which is truly their own, he nevertheless stresses the importance of doing away with the extraneous and focusing on that which works. Effective technique which manifests the principles of oneness and "loving protection of all things" is the goal of Seidokan practice. Seidokan Aikido technique is characterized by its emphasis on range of effectiveness and getting off the line of attack. A lot of Seidokan technique draws an attacker outside of his 'range of effectiveness'. That is, nage leads uke off uke's one-point and into nage's range of effectiveness (close to nage's hara) where nage is strong and uke is weak. This is important in both tenkan and irimi techniques. Just as important is getting off the line of attack, which both protects nage from the attack and leads uke's ki into nage's range of effectiveness. The objectives of Seidokan Aikido are to study the philosophy and the arts of Aikido and further develop them to best suit the modern way of life. Seidokan Aikido emphasizes the attitude of training. The students and the instructors grow together at Seidokan Aikido dojos. The students learn the fundamentals from the instructors and the instructors gain deeper understanding of Aikido while sharing their knowledge with the students. Through earnest, realistic and sincere training, the students of Seidokan Aikido will learn the true meaning of Aikido. The Seidokan Aikido World Headquarters is located at the Aikido Institute of America. It is directed by Kancho, Rod Kobayashi. Seidokan Aikido is organized to share the most up-to-date developments and to provide a framework for individual development of its members. Seidokan Aikido is not a federation of dojos governing the operations of member Aikido dojos. Each dojo may make up its own rules an regulations without interference from Aikido Institute of America. Any Aikido dojo, with its chief instructor's consent and after a thorough understanding of the goals and principles of Seidokan Aikido, may apply for a dojo membership. SEIDOKAN AIKIDO WORLD HEADQUARTERS c/o Aikido Institute of America 8206 Hondo Street Downey, California 90242 Phone: (310)861-0043 ******************************************************************************* 5. AIKIDO PRINCIPLES AND TECHNIQUES =================================== The way you take uke down makes the technique, and the pin used makes the principle. However, certain pins are so strongly assiciated with certain take-downs that the names have come over too. When I teach ikkyo, I always be sure to say that you can do any take-down and use any pin in any combination that is appropriate, and this particular sequence is ude osae ikkyo. Geoffroy CMCL Saulnier E-mail: gsaulnie@mcs.dundee.ac.uk Principles ----------- Ikkyo - first priciple - arm opened more than 90 degrees and pinned flat on the mat or with the writs on a knee so as to have more room to press the elbow down into for the submission or break Nikkyo - second principle - arm held over the back, palm facing up, held between nage's 2 arms. Take uke's hand towards his head for submission or break. Alternatively - pin similar to ikkyo, but using a torsion motion of the elbow towards nage, and the hand away from nage, with the wrist at 90 degrees to the arm. Sankyo - third principle - arm held over back, more vertical than for nikkyo, palm facing nage, held between nage's 2 arms (nage's hand may hold uke's for extra control). Again, take the arm towards uke's hed for submission or break. Alternatively - standing near uke's waist facing their head, block shoulder with inside foot, and push that knee into uke's hand, torquing the arm as you move your hips in. There are other variations where you entangle uke's arm with one or both of your legs to get you hands free and maintain control... :) Yonkyo - 4th principle - arm is flat on the mat and is bent at 90 degrees at the elbow and the forearm is pretty much parallel to the body, the elbow being pushed forward vie the forearm. Pressure is applied to the points on the inside and outsied of the forearm or submission (almost guranteed not to work when you really most need it, so...) but the pin works because the position of the arm locks up the shoulder, making it impossible for uke to put enough strength in the arm to move you, and so they can't stand up. If things aren't going your way, stick your knee on uke's shoulder, in the joint, and let you weight do the work... :) Gokkyo - 5th principle - arm is bent 90 degrees at the elbow, the back of the hand is flat on the mat, the fingers pointing away from uke's body, and the elbow is vertically above the palm of the hand. Apply you weight to the elbow for submission or break - and the shoulder pops out really easily in this position. Be sure to drag the back of uke's hand along the tarmac if you're having a bad day (c'mon - it's a joke :)) It is often used against knife attacks and the knife is often removed using the outside foot... Rokkyo - 6th principle - uke is kneeling or flat on their front, their arm is extended in front of them, and passes under nage's arm-pit into their hands. Let you weight come to bear on the elbow for submission or break. B4 getting to the pin, though, you can run along towing uke, and then drop on the arm - *crack* :( techniques ---------- ude osae - attacking the elbow - what y'all know as ikkyo b4 the pin kote hineri - hypersupination of the wrist - what y'all know as nikyo b4 the pin *forgot* - forearm is vertical and is rotated towards uke's opposite side via the front ot their body - what y'all know as sankyo b4 the pin tekubi osae - the forarm is vertical and is used as a sword cutting shomen through uke - what y'all know as yonkyo (yeah - there are pressure points in there too, but I find it stupid to rely on them...) b4 the pin *forgot* - the arm is locked straight and the wrist it bent at 90 degrees - the shoulder is the driven into the ground as your hips move forward - what y'all know as gokkyo b4 the pin hiji kime osae - the arm is straight, passing under nage's arm-pit, the palm and the elbow both facing up. Lower your body as you move forwards and uke will go down. fast enough, and uke will just stand there while his arm goes down - probably the satrt of a bad day... - what we`all know as rokkyo b4 the pin *