protectivearts

SINAWALI in AIKIDO

This morning was a focus on the basic sinawali pattern at first merely to learn the drill. There are numerous online references to help remind you of the basic pattern. YouTube is an amazing resource if you can discern the true from the false. Techniques and tricks that once were only taught in person and at seminars thatContinue reading “SINAWALI in AIKIDO”

KI-MUSUBI

Linguistically, Japanese sounds exotic, which (like most things in life) is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing because a Japanese phrase like ki-musubi forces non-Japanese speakers to pause mentally and to question seriously whether or not we understand the concept. Translated, ki-musubi is ‘to tie ki.’ Now the curse of aContinue reading “KI-MUSUBI”

AT CLOSE RANGE: Shomen and Yokomen

First warm up with a new pattern – shomen practice with a step-cut, slide-cut, step-cut to get out of fixed patterns; disrupt habits and the facile assumptions. Then yokomen with the same step-cut, slide-cut, step-cut. The tempo is quick beat cut, cut – you are advancing through space – your first cut misses and yourContinue reading “AT CLOSE RANGE: Shomen and Yokomen”