It was nice to be on the mat last night as I always look forward to keiko practice on Wednesdays because it is the middle of the week and about that time I need a little boost to propel me to the weekend. (Red Bull just doesn’t do it for me! LOL) Last night we focused on yokomen uchi (strike to the side of the head) shiho nage (four direction throw) and really pulled it apart. And really examined the inner mechanics of the technic. I heard Sensei refer to these mechanics as internal gears at one time. I thought that was a nice description as things are happening to uke but you can’t always see them from the outside.
As we were practicing last night I remembered an old jiu jutsu adage that states “position before submission”. Meaning before you can use a submission or finishing technic (armbar, triangle choke, etc) you must be in the correct position. The same is true with shiho nage from the stand point of taking uke’s center. Before shiho nage can effectively be completed you must first take uke’s center thus unbalancing them. This unbalancing is one of the internal gear aspects that is hard to see from the outside however it can definitely be felt when applied properly. It is also hard to achieve especially if you are working with a larger stronger partner. But once uke has been unbalanced it is next to impossible for them to resist. Chocolate cake unbalances me and unfortunately fills my center but I digress! LOL What I find most challenging about Aikido is that all of these functions must work simultaneously. Proper foot placement, connecting with uke, breath, timing, and correct hand mudra (hand shapes to direct the flow of ki) must all work as an orchestra for the technic to be effective. What we examined last night was the importance of taking uke’s center to allow us the opportunity to execute the technic.
Looking forward to reading “Aikido and Words of Power” by Gleason Sensei. Got mine ordered last week and it should be here any day. That is all for now. Always open for comments or discussion as I am just trying to make way down the Budo path. Peace Y’all!
The Maestro
As we were practicing last night I remembered an old jiu jutsu adage that states “position before submission”. Meaning before you can use a submission or finishing technic (armbar, triangle choke, etc) you must be in the correct position. The same is true with shiho nage from the stand point of taking uke’s center. Before shiho nage can effectively be completed you must first take uke’s center thus unbalancing them. This unbalancing is one of the internal gear aspects that is hard to see from the outside however it can definitely be felt when applied properly. It is also hard to achieve especially if you are working with a larger stronger partner. But once uke has been unbalanced it is next to impossible for them to resist. Chocolate cake unbalances me and unfortunately fills my center but I digress! LOL What I find most challenging about Aikido is that all of these functions must work simultaneously. Proper foot placement, connecting with uke, breath, timing, and correct hand mudra (hand shapes to direct the flow of ki) must all work as an orchestra for the technic to be effective. What we examined last night was the importance of taking uke’s center to allow us the opportunity to execute the technic.
Looking forward to reading “Aikido and Words of Power” by Gleason Sensei. Got mine ordered last week and it should be here any day. That is all for now. Always open for comments or discussion as I am just trying to make way down the Budo path. Peace Y’all!
The Maestro
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