In the past several articles, I have argued that Aikido’s strength and aesthetic lies not merely in technique, but in deportment: the cultivation of calm, structural integrity, and presence under pressure (shizentai). I have also raised concerns about how knives are addressed within Aikido training, our treatment of tanto-dori is under-developed given the realities ofContinue reading “KNIFE TRAPPING”
Tag Archives: geometry
STRONG SIDE BACK 2
I owe the allocentric framing entirely to Mark Hatmaker. In his most recent post (The Orthodox Fighting Stance, part 2), he introduced the neurological language that gives shape to a phenomenon fighters adopt reflexively; the preference for placing the dominant side to the rear when the stakes rise. Hatmaker wrote that this posture “turns offContinue reading “STRONG SIDE BACK 2”
8 1/2 COUNT KUMIJO
This is a refinement of the kihon 8 count kumijō by Takumi Suzuki. The purpose of the refinements are pedagogical as well as practical. Contrast the explication of the kihon version (linked above) and the refinements are evident. The traditional sequence (and its bunkai) is as follows: Reset to start the sequence again. Takumi addsContinue reading “8 1/2 COUNT KUMIJO”