Testing in Aikido is a performance art. Without overt competition there is no immediate external validation of one’s skill and achievement. A presentation of one’s understanding of the art at that moment in time, along the path of one’s development is the goal. (Tarim Kim has sound advice on knowing what you know now.[1]) That implies an objectiveContinue reading “TESTING”
Tag Archives: James Keating
ARTIFACTS OF TRAINING
I have used the phrase ‘artifacts of training’ sporadically to refer to conditioned responses that result from improper training assumptions and methods. One of the most notable is the ‘sensei effect.’ The sensei effect works on both teacher and student – the student ‘over-reacts’ to the instructor’s input (making any given technique look more effective)Continue reading “ARTIFACTS OF TRAINING”
MASTER JAMES A KEATING
The triadic structure is nearly universal. There are three levels of learning: freshman/sophomore/senior; apprentice/journeyman/master; shu/ha/ri; all triads: triskelions. Learning is progressive. First one follows instructions, memorizes patterns, absorbs variations; once the basics are mastered, one starts to learn the linkages, the theory connecting the techniques; then one starts to learn from his own practice, createsContinue reading “MASTER JAMES A KEATING”
Protective Arts 