A recent (re)post from the excellent Art of Manliness covered The Insanely Difficult Standards of Histories Hardest P.E. Program. Brett is not typically prone to hyperbole but compared with the current physical education provided students – which is a travesty! – the observation is correct. But he has written about the Spartans, so he knowsContinue reading “ATHLETICISM”
Tag Archives: budo
IKKYO’S BUNKAI
This article is a revisit and amplification of an earlier post: Ikkyo is Makiotoshi. Makiotoshi is a capture followed with an oblique downward return along the line of attack to uke’s centerline. Essentially, the mechanics of the movement is a two-handed intercept while closing the gap to capture the attack, then the use of superiorContinue reading “IKKYO’S BUNKAI”
SWORD TAKE-AWAY: Tachidori
Testing for shodan requires demonstrating weapon take-away techniques against tanto, jo, and bokken. Simplify the phrasing and the concept we are discussing is disarms. Here is the secret: all empty hand techniques in Aikido are disarms. You have been doing nothing but disarms since your first ikkyo omote. Aikido is not an unarmed art. IContinue reading “SWORD TAKE-AWAY: Tachidori”
