************************************************************************** AIKIDO_L DIGEST 6. ================== *************************************************************************** CONTENTS ======== 1 ON THE DIFFERENT NAMES FOR IMMOBILIZATIONS 2. Looking after weapons 3. correcting other people 4. Work or play 5. the hut 6. Improving reaction times 7. the Aikid Butt switch *************************************************************************** 1. ON THE DIFFERENT NAMES FOR IMMOBILIZATIONS =========================================== From: Andy Tate The name of the basic immobilizations (In our school, the basic ones go from one to ten) are descriptive in nature. Now, the order of these immobilization varies somewhat from one school to another. I will list the way I have been taught. The First immobilization stands for a principle of Aikido which can be best described as "ude osae" or "pinning of the arm". Since "ude osae" is the first of many principles taught in Aikido, it is the "first" lesson or "first teaching" which is the literal meaning of Ikkyo, where "i" means "one" or "first" and "kyoo" means "teaching" "principle" and so on. The Second immobilization, which illustrates a second principle or teaching is called 'nikyo' (ni meaning two or second) and illustrates the notion of "ude mawashi" or "turning of the arm". The Third immobilization illustrating a third teaching or principle of Aikido (sankyo, san meaning three or third) is known fully as "tekubi osae" or "pinning of the wrist". The Fourth immbilization (yonkyo, yon meaning four or fourth) is descriptive of the principle of "tekubi hineri" or "twisting of the wrist". The Fifth immnolization (gokyo, go meaning five or fifth) is descriptive of the principle of "irimi osae" or "pinning with the irimi principle, irimi which needs to be described fully later on). ***************************************************************************2.2 2. Weapons Maintainance ======================= From: Lewis Alderton > > hi i am newish to aikido and have just bought myself new weapons ,what i > wanted to know is what is the best way to look after them,i have been > told that i should oil them regularly. > does any one know? my weapons are of white oak. > Give them a good going over with raw linseed oil. I usually give mine 3-4 oilings before I use them and then again every 6 months. It'll change the colour slightly but should help to stop them warping ( and prevent the dreaded aiki-banana tsuki ). I tried with boiled linseed oil once but it didn't get absorbed by the wood as well - don't be tempted to use a vanish tho', it'll chip off and cause splinters - as a lowly kyu grade once found out the hard way. Louie - ( The Aiki Anaconda - in answer to Trish's query ) From: Chung Jayson C A good oil fills the wood cells near the surface with resins, whatever they are, making them solid and impervious to penetration by moisture. These cells serve as a moisture barrier, helping to keep the interior wood at a constant humidity, which prevents warping and cracking. Vegetable oils do a good job, but you can also use a clear or natural-color oil wood finish (Watco Danish, Minwax Antique, etc.) from the hardware or building supply store. These have synthetic resins for more hardness. Something formulated for floors, though unnecessary, will make you feel extra tough. Scuff up the grip areas with medium or coarse sandpaper if it feels too smooth. You can wipe a refresher coat of oil on every year or five, if you feel like your weapon wants it. The oil finish won't resist dinging as well as a good polyurethane varnish, but then it'll never come off like varnish will. Besides, if you don't have dings, people will think you're a lightweight. In fact, after the finish is dry, smack the weapon all over against the front steps for awhile. Then bury it in the yard for a week (you did put a real good finish on it, didn't you?). When you dig it up, rub the weapon hard with a cloth to rub some dirt into the oak pores, making it look nasty. Be sure to twist the handle hard in your hands for awhile to grind in the soil good and dark there. Now your weapon is suitably prepared for practice. Jayson *************************************************************************** 3. COrrecting other people ========================== From: Rocky Izumi "To give a person one's opinion and correct his faults is an important thing. It is compassionate and comes first in matters of service. But the way of doing this is extremely difficult. To discover the good and bad points of a person is an easy thing, and to give an opinion concerning them is easy, too. For the most part, people think that they are being kind by saying the things that others find distasteful or difficult to say. But if it is not received well, they think that there is nothing more to be done. This is completely worthless. It is the same as bringing shame to a person by slandering him. it is nothing more than getting it off one's chest. To give a person an opinion one must first judge well whether that person is of the disposition to receive it or not. One must become close with him and make sure that he continually trusts one's word. Approaching subjects that are dear to him, seek the best way to speak and to be well understood. Judge the occasion, and determine whether it is better by letter or at the time of leave-taking. Praise his good points and use every device to encourage him, perhaps by talking about one's own faults without touching on his, but so that they will occur to him. Have him receive this in the way that a man would drink water when his throat is dry, and it will be an opinion that will correct faults. This is extremely difficult. If a person's fault is a habit of some years prior, by and large it woun't be remedied. I have had this experience myself. To be intimate with all one's comrades, correcting each other's faults, and being of one mind to be of use to the master is the great compassion of a retainer. By bringing shame to a person, how could one expect to make him a better man?" --Yamamoto Tsunetomo in HAGAKURE (trans. W.S. Wilson) *************************************************************************** 4. WOrk or play ================ From: Steve Zimmerman Arizona Ki Society, Scottsdale "The Master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both." Zen Buddhist text *************************************************************************** 5. The hut ========== >>>>> "Michael" == Michael White writes: Michael> It's true, it's true, I tell ya ! Not only is the `Hut' Michael> in many respects a spiritual home of Aikido for many of Michael> us in the UK but also a haven for the fashion-conscious Michael> Aikidoka/jin. Is the "Hut" still in its original form? It's been 15 years since I last visited this place. I must admit I do remember it as being at the extreme of high-tech fashion .. I don't think :-). For the uniformed majority on the list :-), the Hut is a dojo behind a pub near London, and is indeed the birthplace of Aikido in the UK. It was the original home of the Renown Aikido Society. This was the first group of Aikido folk in the UK, taught by K. Abbe-sensei and consisting of Williams, Foster, McFarland, Allen, ... - all the UK Aikido teachers with 30 - 40 years of experience. It became the home dojo of the Institute of Aikido back in the 70s and is obviously still going strong ... Ah, isn't nostalgia wonderful :-) ******************************************************************** * Kevin D. Jones * * The Ki-Aikido Center of Northern California * * 5437 Central Avenue, #10, Newark CA 94560 * * (510) 796-6754 * ******************************************************************** %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% I debated whether or not this should goto e-mail or stay on the list. I decided that since I'd be interested in seeing this if I wasn't a principal in this discussion, I'd copy the list :-). >>>>> "Michael" == Michael White writes: Michael> Kevin, If you were to return and see the "Hut" for Michael> yourself I don't think you would have a problem Michael> recognising the old place. That's a polite way of saying Michael> that I don't think an awful lot has changed in those Michael> fifteen years. :-) Well, I don't think it had changed in the 15 before that, so I suppose I'm not surprised :-). Michael> However, I Michael> think I am right in saying that there is at least one Michael> regular member of the "Hut" lurking around somewhere. (Aside: If that's true, can anyone who knows Eric Savins (I'm assuming he's still practicing) drop me a note.) Michael> As far as the UK Aikido teachers you mentioned, Ken Michael> Williams is still going strong (perhaps the Ki Aikido Michael> people on the list could give more information on his Michael> activities), I suppose that I'm the logical person to do that :-). Sensei Williams is still heading the Ki Federation of GB, which is now an independent organization with dojos on at least 3 continents, and still going strong. If I've got my dates right, this year is his 40th anniversary in Aikido. These days, most of his focus is on teaching for "daily life" and much less on the martial aspects of Aikido - although that's still in his experience set, of course :-). Michael> Haydyn Foster is still the principal coach Michael> of the Institute A wonderful person for those who don't know him. For years, he was the Chief Instructor of a national Aikido organization but still worked as a skycap carrying bags at London Airport. Talk about not becoming too full of your own importance :-). When I practiced there back in the early 80s he was still very active in his teaching despite only having one lung! Michael> Recently we have suffered the sad loss of Michael> both Ron Russell and David Timms, both long-standing Michael> members of the Institute. That's unfortunate. Dave Timms was a long time influential figure in the British Aikido Board, the official "controlling body" for Aikido in the UK. Ron Russell was the first teacher at the Reading University Aikido Club - which has a presence on this list. I sometimes think it's a great shame that there is not more information extracted from the "old timers" about the history and conditions of the early practices in their countries - before they are no longer around to provide the information. I've spent many hours listening to stories, mainly from Sensei Williams but also from the Institute folk, about the early days in the UK and I found it fascinating. I'm sure the same is true of folk in the US - and we have at least one "real old timer" on this list (right, Bill :-)). Sadly, we're losing these people, like Terry Dobson, and this history is in danger of being lost forever. I think it would be a wonderful idea for someone to write a book, along the lines of the AikiNews "Prewar Masters" interviews, but concentrating on the early gaijin students in their owns countries. So who do we know who can write ... Michael> Hope that answers some of your questions, Thanks indeed. ******************************************************************** * Kevin D. Jones * * The Ki-Aikido Center of Northern California * * 5437 Central Avenue, #10, Newark CA 94560 * * (510) 796-6754 * ******************************************************************** **************************************************************************** 6. IMPROVING REACTION TIMES ----------------------------- 'Ugur TAsdelen' writes: > >snip% > "--I want to react more quickly against attacks --" >snip% Back when I was a 2nd or 3rd kyu I had the same feeling. At that time a fellow aikidoist and now friend made me aware of a very important concept having to do with reactions during a confrontation. At that time my friend was a bouncer at several all night bars and often experienced conflict. I still remember is answer to me when I asked,"How could I increase my reaction time in a confrontation?". He said, "You don't have to be fast, just be on time." When I thought about it, he was right!! We practice all the time, relaxation, breathing, and mai-ai. Your timing will come from your sensitivity to mai-ai. Motion seems to slow down when you are relaxed, mostly because you are able to focus on the problem at hand. And of course your breath connects the whole process. My friend said this to me as well, "You don't know how good you really are". He was saying that our training allows us to react infinitely better than most people. Our bodies know what to do without having to put our minds to the task. This is the point of our training. So if I am to suggest an exercise to increase you reaction time. It would be to practice breathing from center and focusing on center as often as possible. Good Training, Stan Rimdzius Internet: srimdz@tgf.tc.faa.gov ************************************************************************ 7. The Aiki Butt switch ======================= Friends of mine at Pikes Peak Aikikai, in Colorado Springs, explain this experience by describing the "Aiki butt switch." (I have mentioned this on the aikido-l before, so some may remember this.) The switch completes the circuit while you are sitting, so you can watch, understand, see what is going on. As soon as you stand the circuit is interrupted and you can't do what you saw, can't remember what you saw, can't do what you see in your mind. Debbie Kranzler Boulder Aikikai Boulder, CO