Shobu Aiki Dojo

Mochizuki Minoru on Aiki

2011-12-08T10:18:00.002-06:00

From the Aiki News 1986 Friendship Demonstration (video for sale at aikidojournal.com):

"What is aiki? Each person has a different theory on this, but in aiki you harmonize your ki with the ki of the opponent. How?... an opponent has ki ready to attack you and you get ahead of him. This is aiki. You harmonize your ki exactly with your opponent's attacking ki. Then you proceed one more step to a rational place to defeat him. In this way the technique is applied in a flash. You perceive his attacking ki quickly and immediately deal with it in an appropriate manner. This is the way of aiki... of aikido."

Kanaya Hirotaka

2011-12-01T10:59:00.000-06:00

Aikido teacher and cancer survivor. Apparently he just randomly shows up at various aikido dojo in Korea and throws everyone around. The surgical removal of major portions of his stomach and liver don't seem to have negatively affected his aiki. Cool principles shown in the video.

Keiko 9/13/11

2011-09-14T11:02:00.000-05:00

Attendees: Matt, David (yours truly)

Format: tandoku renshu, sotai renshu, randori geiko

Content: all three aiki jogi, tandoku undo, musubi renshu principles using ryote dori attack, ju nana hon kata, randori

Main Ideas: correct use of decision/nexus points in kata, rhythm, don't mess up neutral connection surfaces

Quote from Y. Kobayashi

2011-08-10T10:51:00.000-05:00

"Budo should be healthy, productive, full of passion, and easy to understand."

--Kobayashi Yasuo

Excellent Example of koshi mawashi ( 腰回し)

2011-07-13T14:57:00.001-05:00

All the elements of good koshi mawashi are here....done under stress. Notice how Sadanoyama turns on the balls of his feet!

Application of Tenkan no Ri (転換の理)

2011-07-13T11:03:00.000-05:00

Wakanohana versus Kashiwado 1960: Rotation as evasion, entry, and force multiplier all at once.

Application of KaiHei no Ri (開閉の理)

2011-07-13T10:49:00.002-05:00

Kurohimeyama versus Taiho 1970: Opening the gate at just the right moment.

Important Assumptions during Keiko

2011-07-12T16:14:00.001-05:00

*Always assume your partner has physical advantages over you (mass, power, speed, etc.)

*Always assume your partner is armed, perhaps covertly.

*Always assume multiple attackers.

If you ruthlessly adhere to these assumptions during training you can mold your responses in such a way that your art will "work" both on and off the mat.

From Yue Fei's Ten Important Theses

2011-07-02T09:59:00.000-05:00

When it is time to be calm--steady and transparent. In this position, you are steady like a mountain. When it is time to move--like thunder and like a mountain collapsing...

When calm, nothing is not calm...the surface and the internal, the top and the bottom, all without disorder...

When moving, nothing does not move. The front and the rear, the left and the right, all without dragging. It is just like water flowing downward, it is so powerful that nothing is able to stop it.

Without considering thinking, without bothering to plan, simply reach the goal without expectation.

A note on the proliferation of training methods

2011-06-10T12:30:00.000-05:00

There are many, many ways to train aikido. However, at its root, aikido is just one thing. Don't go chasing fleeing rabbits until you are sure your foot is right. Is it right? Are you sure?

If your teacher does not have the knowledge to explain to you in detail exactly what your foot is to do at any given moment it is time to find a new teacher.

Do you need a supplemental training method or do you need to make damn sure your regular, everyday, boring stuff is dialed in?

Foot consistently correct? Good! Now let's talk about the ankle...

--David Martin

Quote from Hamaji Kouichi, jojutsu shihan

2011-04-04T15:14:00.000-05:00

On the earth, there is an absolute power that equally affects all things in accordance with their mass, namely gravity. Obeying this power with no resistance, thereby acquiring a sense of oneness with all things, collect the Ki of the heavens and the Ki of the earth in your Tanden, sit straight, stand straight, and walk determinedly. I have discovered that this is the fundamental phenomenon of all things. ---Hamaji Kouichi

found at misogi.org

A question of time?

2011-04-04T12:41:00.000-05:00

However fast an enemy may attack me, I cannot be defeated. It is not because my technique is faster than his. It does not depend on speed. It is not a question of time. Victory or defeat is settled before fighting. ---Morihei Ueshiba

Consider the above description of takemusu aiki. Does your posture and movement dynamic allow you to understand this? If not, why not? Why do so few in the aikido world address the fact that their kihon dosa does not match what we can see demonstrated on film by Morihei Ueshiba?

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

2011-03-25T15:37:00.000-05:00

In watching footage of Aikido seminars conducted in the U.S.A. from about 1980 to the present I have noticed something. Very often the explanations of the teachers are washed out by trains or airplanes passing nearby. Auto traffic noise is also a common feature. I have heard this on videos from Florida to California. I think we dojo-cho can only afford cheap real estate! There is a major train throughway about 100 feet from Shobu Aiki Dojo. I actually find the noise of the tracks and the train horn soothing. Also, I figure that the more trains I hear passing by the better the economy must be faring.

Hands of Ueshiba

2011-01-26T15:07:00.001-06:00

Ueshiba Sensei's Ikkyo with A. Nocquet as uke

I see a big percentage of people using incorrect hand position/shape when executing oshi taoshi (aka ikkyo). The photo above features Ueshiba sensei as tori and Andre Nocquet as uke and it is a good example of the correct application. You can click on the photo if you want to enlarge it. Notice the following:

--Ueshiba's overall posture is relaxed and straight from the top of his head through the shoulders and all the way down to his contact with the floor.

--The line of Ueshiba's knuckles correspond with the line of Nocquet's humerus (left) and radius (right).

--The knuckle alignment is supported by Ueshiba's wrist alignment which allows for a clean transfer of power from the floor, through his center, through his hands, and through uke's structure.

--The contact points between Ueshiba and Nocquet are anatomically precise. Ueshiba's left hand contacts the place just proximal to Nocquet's olecranon with the contact surface (hasuji) being the inside edge of a line from the tip of Ueshiba's index finger to the tip of his thumb. The placement of Ueshiba's right hand on Nocquet's wrist is situated so that Ueshiba's hand forms a relaxed "trap" which disallows Nocquet from extrication.

Of course, all of this is only a part of the overall tactical picture of oshi taoshi, but the above photo can be very instructive if you know how to look.

The Path of Shobu Aiki 聖武合気の道

2011-01-11T15:36:00.001-06:00

"Budo that embodies the feeling of universal compassion is based on the creative energy of the universe (takemusubi). All the others are nothing more than arts of destruction. In the beginning I called it takemusu aiki; later I decided to call it shobu aiki, the budo that creates wisdom, judgement, the mind of a sage.

The true victory of shobu aiki is to strike down and destroy the mind of doubt and conflict within yourself. It is to realize and carry out the destiny you have received from divine providence. Regardless of how this may be philosopically explained, unless it is actually put into practice, you are no different than anyone else. Through the practice of aikido, this power and ability is added unto you.

The underlying origin of budo is the spirit of universal protection, nurturing and salvation. It is to give renewed energy to yourself and others. Human beings are the children of the divine universal spirit and if they are unhappy it is because they turn away from their own nature. Man has selfishly created the sense of good and evil and then forgotten the essence of his own nature. Within divine love there is no good or evil, no happiness or unhappiness. There is only constant giving in an attempt to pay back some part of the precious gift of life that one has received and even now continues to enjoy.

You should never be trapped by the idea that you have problems, that you are a person of deep karma, or that you are one of little value. This is insulting not only to yourself but to others as well. All people share the same divine origin. There is only one thing that is wrong or useless. That is the stubborn insistence that you are an individual, separate from others. Give thanks and show gratitude. Work for the paradise on this earth. In this way your true nature will continually unfold."

--Ueshiba Morihei

Keiko Hajime

2011-01-11T15:07:00.000-06:00

Aaron Clark and David Martin (uke) engaged in randori

January 11th (or thereabouts) is the traditional date for the first practice of the new year. At Shobu Aiki Dojo we just completed a big mat-scrubbing project and our training surface is ready and waiting for another year of budo activity. My wish for myself and all of my budo friends is that we stay balanced, aligned, relaxed, and headed in the right direction. Gambatte! (Gambari, too!)

An extremely fine demonstration

2010-12-08T10:33:00.000-06:00

I'm surprised this is getting so few views. So refreshing, even though 600 years old.

Heijoshin Kore Dojo

2010-11-17T12:36:00.003-06:00

Heijoshin kore dojo.

Everyday mind is your training hall.

Make training in the dojo like an everyday activity. Nothing special.

On the other hand, every moment in life is like training in the dojo. Pay attention.

(Pictured above: Dong Ziying practicing xingyiquan basics.)

Jiyushin-ryu Heiho

2010-11-04T08:59:00.003-05:00

We use the tactics of proper targeting, distancing, and timing to pursue the dual strategies of:

opponent is experiencing kuzushi/i am experiencing shizen hontai

and

opponent cannot reach me/i can reach opponent

Secret Training Method of our Dojo

2010-06-28T10:04:00.001-05:00

Clark Shihan in Oklahoma City April 17th and 18th

2010-03-31T09:24:00.002-05:00

Jiyushinkai founder C.E. Clark will lead an aikibudo gasshaku at Shobu Aiki Dojo in Oklahoma City on April 17th and 18th. For more info, click "Contact Shobu Aiki Dojo" in the left sidebar.

New Year's Koan

2010-01-08T14:58:00.005-06:00

"Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes, our ancestors. It is the democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant oligarchy of those who merely happen to be walking about."

--G.K. Chesterton

Very Worthwhile Reading

2009-09-14T12:26:00.003-05:00

Wayne Muromoto has started a blog entitled The Classic Budoka. Some of you may recognize Mr. Muromoto as the publisher of Furyu magazine. No fluff here.

suibajutsu

2009-08-31T10:09:00.005-05:00

(click the above image to enlarge)

It's a good thing this warrior and his horse aren't wearing European style metal armor, huh? Japan was and is a country of rivers, lakes, and seashores. Swimming in armor, while carrying weapons, and with horses was considered an important skill set throughout the period of the bakufu.

You can find more images like the one above here. If you are looking to own a print, they are good people to do business with.

Keiko 08/30/09

2009-08-31T10:04:00.003-05:00

Participants: Desiree and me

Content: 1) suburi with bokuto--shomen giri--emphasis on curly-q start and front/back settling at sundome 2) Koryu dai San no Kata--tachi dori--jo dori--jo no tsukai

Comment: mae otoshi is mae otoshi is mae otoshi--body first, hands later

A Must Read

2009-08-05T12:34:00.003-05:00

For those of you who have not had the pleasure, check out this essay by Saito Chobo:

Kokoro no Yoi

I suggest reading this with fresh eyes at least twice per year.

Clark sensei at Shobu Aiki Dojo this weekend!

2009-07-23T09:33:00.004-05:00

Two photos, different uke, same waza (essentially)

Check in on Saturday will be 9:30 am at Shobu Aiki Dojo--920 W. Britton Rd. Please contact me ASAP if you have any questions!

Ellis Amdur podcast

2009-07-16T10:33:00.002-05:00

Good information here. This podcast includes a good bit of info about Tomiki sensei.

A Note on Balance and Musubi

2009-07-09T10:10:00.003-05:00

The development of proper posture is an extremely important ongoing process, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. In aiki, you must express the ability to utilize your partner as a counterbalance mechanism. When you are in a state of musubi with your partner, you can no longer operate effectively if all of your balance functions remain self-contained. You must balance the entire system, which consists of uke and tori. You have the capability to guide the balancing of this system only if you have the sente. Escape from the trap of doingness.

C.E. Clark shihan in OKC July 25th and 26th

2009-06-22T10:50:00.003-05:00

Would you like to see me get my posture destroyed by Clark sensei in person? Then join us at Shobu Aiki Dojo for our annual Summer gasshaku. We'll have two days of dynamic Jiyushinkai Aiki Budo training. Contact me if you need more info.

Shochugeiko 2009

2009-05-27T10:42:00.003-05:00

Kristin and Vlad engaged in owaza ju pon--photo by Erik Jensen

Shochugeiko 2009 was another excellent learning experience.

Congratulations to Kristin Smith on her promotion to shodan.

Excellent Article

2009-05-12T15:27:00.001-05:00

"How David Beats Goliath" by Malcolm Gladwell--excellent.

The applications and connections here should be obvious.

Some notes from 2005

2009-05-05T10:41:00.001-05:00

From a presentation I did in Dallas:

"Perhaps our foci need to shift slightly away from the purely technical aspect of aiki budo. Waza, after all, is just an encoding mechanism for the totality of the art itself."

related:

"That's what freedom's all about--learnin' somethin' then throwin' it away."
-Roland Kirk

So True...

2009-05-04T15:14:00.001-05:00

by Jerry Van Amerongen

04/30/09 Keiko

2009-05-01T10:17:00.003-05:00

Attendants: Desiree, Matt, Kristin, David

Content: tandoku undo, musubi renshu, ju nana hon kata, owaza ju pon, kaeshi waza drills, jiyu waza drills

Our emphasis was on going slowly as tori and letting uke take the lead so that the fitting/tsukuri aspect of the interaction can be more effective and appropriate. Patience, sensitivity and rhythm are keys. Point your feet, eyes, and hands in the direction you want to go and wait for uke to show her tendencies.

Interview with Michael Sheahon sensei

2009-04-16T15:58:00.002-05:00

Go here for an interview with Michael Sheahon sensei of Greater Hartford Aikikai. Sheahon sensei was an instructor at several of the multi-style seminars we had in Oklahoma City (nearly twenty years ago). I liked participating in his sessions because his instruction was very clear and straightforward.

My most vivid memory of Sheahon sensei was one session of randori. I never even got close to throwing him, but he threw me all over the mat with an entire syllabus of aikido waza! Every time he threw me I would ask him the name of the technique he just did as I was already attacking him for the next one. I think he found all of the yip-yap frustrating but he was too much a gentleman to tell me to hush. In any case, he never missed a beat (or an opportunity to plaster me to the mat).

Tegatana

2009-04-08T16:10:00.002-05:00

The term tegatana itself is translated straightforwardly from Japanese as "hand sword." Generally, this is taken to mean that one's arm mimics the curvature of a katana with the ha, or edge, represented by the edge of the pinky side of the hand and forearm. Tegatana is also possibly taken to mean that the arm should be the leading edge of a bodily cutting dynamic.

I offer an additional interpretation.

If you have good basic skills with a sword or bokuto, then the arm and shoulder "posture" you adopt when you stand with your sword in chudan is the same as what you should use when you are practicing without weapons. I often see people practicing taijutsu with locked or hyper-extended elbows. If you maintain correct tegatana, you can avoid this mistake.

There are many ways in which weapon skills and body skills cross over. If you pay attention and practice correctly, you can use your weapons knowledge to polish everything in your skill set.

--David Martin

A Few Points About Posture

2009-04-02T16:01:00.003-05:00

1) Posture is destiny.

2) Extend your spine. Feel the crown of your head lifted up toward the sky and, simultaneously, your tailbone drawn toward the earth.

3) Enzan no metsuke--gaze at the far mountains/horizon.

4) Free from excess tension: knees, hips, lumbar spine, shoulders.... but it all begins with the jaw.

5) Belly breathing.

6) Stay on your toes!

7) Balance: front/back, right/left, up/down, expansion/contraction, curved/straight.

8) Stay with the process--posture is a constant subject of study.

--David Martin