Timing and initiative are related concepts, especially once one steps onto the mat and is required to embody them rather than merely discuss them abstractly. In my earlier article, Jo v Bokken article, I deliberately used traditional budō terminology, rather than exclusively use concepts from George Silver, Bruce Lee and John Boyd. That choice wasContinue reading “INITIATIVE: TERMS AND CONCEPTS”
Tag Archives: axis
THE AXIS OF THE ENCOUNTER
Aikido pedagogy has a recurring failure mode: it introduces words long before it stabilizes their referents. Terms like center, connection, and timing are used frequently but imprecisely, because they are experienced with the body (somatically). The very point of practice is to refine how those concepts are felt, both individually and in a partnered exchange.Continue reading “THE AXIS OF THE ENCOUNTER”
IRIMI NAGE
In the last several classes I have focused on irimi-nage starting from ai-hanmi katate-dori. To develop precision and accuracy, I’ve emphasized how nage’s hand position determines the flow of movement. More importantly, the moment of contact defines the fixed point around which all subsequent action resolves. What do I mean? Much like tai no henko,Continue reading “IRIMI NAGE”
