prayer entry – Protective Arts

KNIFE TRAPPING

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”

REFERENCE DRILLS

Class outline Present from shomenuchi because it is more familiar to Aikidoists, but the class is just as easily presented from jodan tsuki (the line vs the point – all points are lines and lines are points). When uke strikes, nage has precisely four means to address it: Because I presented ude kimi nage asContinue reading “REFERENCE DRILLS”

SHOMEN VS YOKOMEN

We are now moving to the specifics of attack with the focus on shomen vs yokomen. Shomen should be an easy attack. Nothing could be more visually clear than a direct overhead attack. However the mechanics deserve a close internal read and we used the sword as that feedback devise. An iaito makes it easierContinue reading “SHOMEN VS YOKOMEN”