There have been some significant changes in my Aikido and general martial arts (budo) world in the last few years, which is part of the reason for the lack of posts here in that time. Perhaps most significantly, the loss of two key figures from that world...
First of all, the illness and death of Stanley Pranin Sensei, historian, instructor, and founder of Aikido Journal. He had started to become something of both a friend and mentor to me. Since part of my family tradition is involvement in history, museums and archives, I was drawn to that side of his work as well as to his vision of Aikido. Had he not gotten sick, and had there been enough time, I cherished a dream of perhaps relocating and assisting him; but that was at best a tentative idea.
On the technical martial side, Pranin Sensei was one of those in the Aikido community who had become aware that there seemed to be certain lacks in how Aikido is commonly practiced, limiting the use of the end results of training. He was actively exploring a restoration to the Aikido Founder's own standard by deeply studying the footage he had collected, and seeking out the subtle, but crucial, differences between O-Sensei's technique and that of later generations. Among his last big projects was seminars, and a video course based on them, focusing on those explorations and his findings.
We are immensely grateful that Pranin Sensei's work did not die with his body: he passed on Aikido Journal to the very able Josh Gold Sensei, who has continued that project, and updated it to fit changing technology, including creating a subscription streaming service, giving access to a variety of media and videocourses. Anyone seriously interested in Aikido, both history and practice, should consider subscribing if they have the means.
The other loss was thankfully not a death, but James Neiman Sensei, the subject of several earlier posts here, retired from martial arts. Last I had heard, some of his stalwart students continued to meet to train according to his unique style. I very much hope that they still do so, and offer all moral support and encouragement. (Note that because of his retirement, relevant links in our posts focused on his work have gone dead.)
Another change of an entirely different nature has come about. I have become part of a nascent project to form a society devoted to a combination of martial arts, spirituality and intellectual development. Although not at all limited to that community, it is spearheaded by Hindus who wish to see their traditional martial culture brought back to the forefront. In line with core Hindu values, it will support other traditional cultures and spiritualities; at the same time, its name, Brahma Kshatra Akhara, and its structure are effectively Hindu in origin and spirit; but this is no different from the inherently Japanese culture, and for those who accept it, spirituality, of Aikido. No doubt more will be written about this Akhara here, as plans proceed. The Akhara isn't tied to any one martial art, and is not a style in itself, but certainly Aikido is among those that will have an influence, making it relevant to this blog.
Note: Akhara is a word in several modern Indian languages, appearing in several spelling variations, that can mean both a training place, approximately translating "dojo", and a religious order.
Friday, December 13, 2019
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Original Purpose of Daito Ryu and Aikido?
"Aikido is not a complete martial art." - this is an assertion often encountered in the never-ending debates about the art. Interestingly enough, I've seen it coming from both pro- and anti-Aikido sides. Either way, it is particularly relevant to arguments based around the context and purposes of Aikido or, for that matter, any martial art.
Some people reject this type of argument, seeming to think a martial art should be universal applicable or else it would be useless. In the case of Aikido, there are certain complicating factors, some of which are integral to the major point to be made. First, however, I wish to establish that it is both possible, even probable, for a martial art to be specialized to particular purposes, and therefore not "complete", or rather, not aimed at every kind of combat; and that understanding that purpose is essential.
Any tool or technique has its particular purpose, a job it is meant to do. If one uses it incorrectly, or for a different purpose, it may work poorly or not at all. If one wishes to paint a house, it's important to use a suitable brush: a calligraphy brush for writing on a small piece of paper would be very unsuitable. If one wants to compete in Olympic Tae Kwon Do, one should train in a dojang that teaches tournament TKD. A school that specializes in self-defense or military applications would get you in trouble with the referees and perhaps cause major injury to opponents not trained to meet real violence, but only controlled, rule-bound, tournament fighting. And a Tai Chi Chuan school would do you no good at all, outside of cross-training purposes. Similarly, it's important to understand what a particular art is designed for. This is perhaps especially relevant to traditional Japanese martial arts: a samurai-era soldier would likely receive training in how to use different weapons, and each would be part of its own martial art, taught by those with particular expertise.
Aikido is primarily a variant of the older art Daito Ryu: Morihei Ueshiba was a licensed instructor of Daito Ryu, and he adapted it in accord with his continual training and experimentation; but they remain close enough that they can be regarded as a continuum, especially for the points we are consider. That is to say, the original purpose of Daito Ryu gives it its particular traits, many of which remain as part of Aikido.
Every account of Daito Ryu that I have seen describes it as originally an advanced, elite art taught only to the members of the Takeda noble family and their closest and best retainers. As a general rule, all of these people would be already highly trained in the regular martial arts of Takeda samurai. Notably, in a similar way, most of Morihei Ueshiba's students were already skilled in other arts, often black belts who were sent to him by their teachers for more advanced training; all were generally required to come with recommendations from respectable people. Martial artists in these kinds of environments and periods gained complete, or at least varied, martial arts skills by training different arts, not looking for a single "complete martial art". In other countries, to be sure, many schools were more or less comprehensive,
When Kisshomaru Ueshiba took over the administrative leadership of Aikido from father Morihei, he made significant changes which included allowing the general public to become students, with or without previous martial arts experience, so many students from that time on have indeed not had a "complete martial art", since the art still had and has the specialized nature coming from its roots.
Now, the burning question should be what exactly was the nature of the specialization of Daito Ryu? Those addressing the issue have generally taken it to be an advanced jujutsu meant for rare situations of becoming disarmed on the battlefield. It probably would indeed be useful in that circumstance, but in that case, it would be useful for all soldiers of the Takeda fief who achieved sufficient skill, as would also be the case if it were simply a superior fighting art, due to the prominent element of aiki skills. But instead we are told that it was restricted to a small, elite group. I find this restriction to be very significant, especially in conjunction with the features of the art itself.
Logically, if the art is so restricted, it probably meets a particular need shared by the members of that group, and not by the rest of the Takeda clan's military. Perhaps the traits of the art may give us clues as to what that need was? The skills of aiki are not actually relevant to this point; they are simply what made it so effective when mastered. Examples of traits that do seem relevant include these, in no particular order:
- disarming techniques, whereby one takes a sword or knife or other weapon from someone who is attacking
- kneeling/seated techniques, including dealing with an attack while one is seated and the other may or may not be.
- techniques are mainly for capture and neutralization without killing.
When I consider the tactical situations represented, along with the highly classified level restriction of the art and its student body, I am led very strongly to the hypothesis that Daito Ryu was intended primarily to train the Takeda family, their high officers, and bodyguards to be able to defend and counter against assassination attempts.
We can support this in light of the chosen traits: ordinarily samurai would be likely to simply kill an attacker, but an assassin would likely also be a spy, and the clan would want to capture and interrogate any assassin or spy. To modern people, even many Japanese, the practice of the kneeling techniques seems odd and outdated, but kneeling is one of Japan's traditional sitting postures, and while being attacked while kneeling would be rare on the battlefield, it would be precisely the kind of situation that one might be in when confronted by an assassin in pre-modern Japan, at a home, a palace, or some public place.
As such, my hypothesis is, again, that Daito Ryu and therefore also Aikido (and any other descendants, such as Hakko Ryu) was designed as a defense against assassinations. A possible piece of circumstantial evidence could be the extreme caution and precautions taken by Sokaku Takeda Sensei, for which he is famous in accounts of the history of these arts... basically, he was always on guard against assassins and assassination attempts. If true, this is why Aikido becomes an incomplete art when practiced by students who don't start with previous experience in martial arts. On the other hand, aiki, particularly the Founder's ideal of "takemusu aiki", spontaneous right action to thwart whatever attack comes, complicates our overall picture, mostly because once one reaches such a level, it effectively becomes a complete art. The problems that are so much argued about, and which some have actively explored remedies for, are primarily of prior stages of progress... takemusu is where it truly comes together and becomes the "my Aikido" that O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba wanted his students and later lineage followers to achieve.
Some people reject this type of argument, seeming to think a martial art should be universal applicable or else it would be useless. In the case of Aikido, there are certain complicating factors, some of which are integral to the major point to be made. First, however, I wish to establish that it is both possible, even probable, for a martial art to be specialized to particular purposes, and therefore not "complete", or rather, not aimed at every kind of combat; and that understanding that purpose is essential.
Any tool or technique has its particular purpose, a job it is meant to do. If one uses it incorrectly, or for a different purpose, it may work poorly or not at all. If one wishes to paint a house, it's important to use a suitable brush: a calligraphy brush for writing on a small piece of paper would be very unsuitable. If one wants to compete in Olympic Tae Kwon Do, one should train in a dojang that teaches tournament TKD. A school that specializes in self-defense or military applications would get you in trouble with the referees and perhaps cause major injury to opponents not trained to meet real violence, but only controlled, rule-bound, tournament fighting. And a Tai Chi Chuan school would do you no good at all, outside of cross-training purposes. Similarly, it's important to understand what a particular art is designed for. This is perhaps especially relevant to traditional Japanese martial arts: a samurai-era soldier would likely receive training in how to use different weapons, and each would be part of its own martial art, taught by those with particular expertise.
Aikido is primarily a variant of the older art Daito Ryu: Morihei Ueshiba was a licensed instructor of Daito Ryu, and he adapted it in accord with his continual training and experimentation; but they remain close enough that they can be regarded as a continuum, especially for the points we are consider. That is to say, the original purpose of Daito Ryu gives it its particular traits, many of which remain as part of Aikido.
Every account of Daito Ryu that I have seen describes it as originally an advanced, elite art taught only to the members of the Takeda noble family and their closest and best retainers. As a general rule, all of these people would be already highly trained in the regular martial arts of Takeda samurai. Notably, in a similar way, most of Morihei Ueshiba's students were already skilled in other arts, often black belts who were sent to him by their teachers for more advanced training; all were generally required to come with recommendations from respectable people. Martial artists in these kinds of environments and periods gained complete, or at least varied, martial arts skills by training different arts, not looking for a single "complete martial art". In other countries, to be sure, many schools were more or less comprehensive,
When Kisshomaru Ueshiba took over the administrative leadership of Aikido from father Morihei, he made significant changes which included allowing the general public to become students, with or without previous martial arts experience, so many students from that time on have indeed not had a "complete martial art", since the art still had and has the specialized nature coming from its roots.
Now, the burning question should be what exactly was the nature of the specialization of Daito Ryu? Those addressing the issue have generally taken it to be an advanced jujutsu meant for rare situations of becoming disarmed on the battlefield. It probably would indeed be useful in that circumstance, but in that case, it would be useful for all soldiers of the Takeda fief who achieved sufficient skill, as would also be the case if it were simply a superior fighting art, due to the prominent element of aiki skills. But instead we are told that it was restricted to a small, elite group. I find this restriction to be very significant, especially in conjunction with the features of the art itself.
Logically, if the art is so restricted, it probably meets a particular need shared by the members of that group, and not by the rest of the Takeda clan's military. Perhaps the traits of the art may give us clues as to what that need was? The skills of aiki are not actually relevant to this point; they are simply what made it so effective when mastered. Examples of traits that do seem relevant include these, in no particular order:
- disarming techniques, whereby one takes a sword or knife or other weapon from someone who is attacking
- kneeling/seated techniques, including dealing with an attack while one is seated and the other may or may not be.
- techniques are mainly for capture and neutralization without killing.
When I consider the tactical situations represented, along with the highly classified level restriction of the art and its student body, I am led very strongly to the hypothesis that Daito Ryu was intended primarily to train the Takeda family, their high officers, and bodyguards to be able to defend and counter against assassination attempts.
We can support this in light of the chosen traits: ordinarily samurai would be likely to simply kill an attacker, but an assassin would likely also be a spy, and the clan would want to capture and interrogate any assassin or spy. To modern people, even many Japanese, the practice of the kneeling techniques seems odd and outdated, but kneeling is one of Japan's traditional sitting postures, and while being attacked while kneeling would be rare on the battlefield, it would be precisely the kind of situation that one might be in when confronted by an assassin in pre-modern Japan, at a home, a palace, or some public place.
As such, my hypothesis is, again, that Daito Ryu and therefore also Aikido (and any other descendants, such as Hakko Ryu) was designed as a defense against assassinations. A possible piece of circumstantial evidence could be the extreme caution and precautions taken by Sokaku Takeda Sensei, for which he is famous in accounts of the history of these arts... basically, he was always on guard against assassins and assassination attempts. If true, this is why Aikido becomes an incomplete art when practiced by students who don't start with previous experience in martial arts. On the other hand, aiki, particularly the Founder's ideal of "takemusu aiki", spontaneous right action to thwart whatever attack comes, complicates our overall picture, mostly because once one reaches such a level, it effectively becomes a complete art. The problems that are so much argued about, and which some have actively explored remedies for, are primarily of prior stages of progress... takemusu is where it truly comes together and becomes the "my Aikido" that O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba wanted his students and later lineage followers to achieve.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
But... but... the trolls say it's all fake!
I'm sure most readers are very familiar with the fact that almost any video on YouTube (or elsewhere online) about Aikido will have a long string of comments making all sorts of disparaging remarks, such as claims that it's fake, or that it won't work in a real fight. So, here I want to consider some the types of comments we often see, and tease out some of the truth of the matter. The different sides to the issue are interconnected, so it's hard to analyze each aspect completely separately; please bear with me in regard to any convoluted sections of this article.
To some extent, it's hard to blame them for what they perceive. I think to back to the first time I saw a live demonstration of Aikido. Despite having been raised to respect Aikido, and revere its Founder, and to use and incorporate various principles and methods derived from Aikido, when I saw an actual demonstration.... I just did not get the point of what I was seeing. So, if that was true with my background - how much easier for people to misunderstand if they had not been conditioned to have a positive view to begin with?
On claims of being fake: these tend to rest on one of several arguments. Let's look at some frequently-seen types, one at a time.
"Demonstrations are choreographed, and/or that participants are in collusion." To really understand the truth here, we need to understand what Aikido is and were it comes from. It's basically a member of the judo/jujutsu family of arts, out of which it gives a greater amount of emphasis to harmonizing with and using the energy of an attacker. It comes primarily, though enhanced with influence from other arts, and the Founder's decades of work refining a chosen core of techniques, from the Daito-ryu school of jujutsu, which is one of the traditional battlefield arts, connected with the Takeda clan.They are often seen an 'unarmed' arts, but this is not necessarily true. For one thing, many techniques either are derived from, or can be adapted to, methods for disarming an armed opponent.
Those roots are significant because if they are understood, they explain why dojo practice and demonstrations appear the way they do. At this point, I will say that the Founder himself declared that what happens in demonstrations is "fake", which became an issue when he was invited to demonstrate before a member of the imperial family. The significant thing is that Daito-ryu is, again, originally a battlefield art, and therefore its techniques are capable of maiming or killing. In Aikido, the techniques are derived from Daito-ryu, and in fact they have the same potential for damage. However, one of the characteristics of Aikido is the development of a particular ethos of safe training - despite which, injuries still occur. Aikidoists learn first of all how to receive techniques as safely as possible. That is very significant because the techniques are inherently much more dangerous for people who aren't trained in that way of safe reception of techniques (ukemi). Beyond this, Aikido teaches the techniques in applications meant to minimize harm, whereas in jujutsu, especially the original forms, the aim was often maximum harm. People outside Aikido generally have the view that in order to be effective and real, a martial art must try to be harmful - albeit often only for self-defense. purposes. What isn't understood by many is that Aikido has a different practical outcome, but it is in fact an effective use of techniques that can, done in a slightly different way, be used on the battlefield. The properly skilled Aikidoka, or Jujutsuka for that matter, essentially has the choice in many cases of whether to kill or injure, or simply restrain and take prisoner (or release).
Demonstrations... normally performed by a teacher and a group of students, are similar in some ways to dojo practice: neither of them shows battlefield conditions, including the effects of the techniques on untrained, and resisting, foes. This brings us to the "collusion" issue. Resistance will significantly increase the pain caused, and quite possibly real damage or even fatality. As such, yes, Aikidoists on the receiving end of techniques in either demonstrations or training will indeed "cooperate" with the technique - because they do not want to be crippled or killed. And so, instead of a bloodbath, or a pile of maimed bodies, we usually see in demonstrations a stream of people fairly smoothly receiving techniques and getting up or rolling away unharmed.
It is not surprising that people misunderstand and misinterpret that sight! Still, it is precisely because it is, or can be, a highly effective martial art that its practitioners can and do train and demonstrate in ways that may look so easy and harmless. And yet, too, we must remember that unlike most arts that seek to harm or defeat the attacker, in strictly combat terms, the point of Aikido is instead to avoid being harmed or defeated, and to do so with the minimum of harm to the attacker. There are deeper, more philosophical or spiritual levels of understanding of the art, but for this article, we're just considering this basic, external level.
Next, there are frequent claims that it wouldn't or doesn't work in a 'real fight'. There are several facets and variations to look at there. First, based on the comments posted in many places, it's clear that many people judge this on the basis of MMA/UFC competitions. What they fail to realize is that such a tournament is absolutely NOT a representation of a "real fight". Why so? On one hand, in a tournament, there are rules: even in a "no-holds-barred' fight, there are still at least a few rules and holds-barred - such as eye-gouging or attacking private parts. On the other hand, the aim in a tournament is to win a contest, not to kill the other person. In real combat - whether on the battlefield between soldiers or warriors, or on the street among 'civilians', the aim is usually to kill or at least harm the other person. Aikido is not well-suited to competition, and the Founder strictly forbade it. When one teacher did develop a competition method under pressure from a university to conform to athletic policies, it caused a permanent rift with the Founder.
Another common argument from naysayers hinges on the notion that the attacks used in Aikido are not the kinds of attacks seen in real fights, especially in Western countries. But this is actually another case of missing the point and not seeing what is really happening. Once again, it is really a samurai combat art in origin. Knowing that, it should be easy to understand and see that the attacks used in Aikido practice are to a great extent empty-handed simulations of attacks with weapons like swords, staffs, or knives - or techniques to take them away from an attacker. Even that is just the first step in understanding. The aim of Aikido practice is NOT to master a set of techniques, it is to gain the ability to naturally blend with and use an attacker's energy in the most efficient and ideal manner, according to the circumstances.. The techniques are exercises, from one perspective, not techniques, that train Aikidoists in some standardized methods of doing that. They may be performed with or without weapons, and with adjustment to many variables in partners as well so that one should develop the ability to deal with any attack, regardless of what the particular attacks used in dojo practice are. The desired end result, however, is to simply be able to move as required, whether or not it matches any of the pre-set movements which are routinely practiced on the mat.
All that being said, no martial art works miracles or has some secret power. It is really the martial artists themselves that are good or bad, not their arts. It is possible to practice Aikido in many moods, with many motivations, and it is of the utmost importance that one must train in the right way to achieve martial, combat ability if that is one's desire. Unlike some people, I believe that practicing in non-martial ways is also beneficial, but it is very crucial that we are aware of what we are doing and why, and to do them in the way that will lead to the results we want. For Aikido, if we want it to be an effective art in combat or against an assault, then we need to train accordingly. If all we want is a dance-like gymnastic exercise, then we should train in that way... and with people in the same mindset.
All this being said, many martial arts sometimes can be seen being demonstrated or 'taught" by people who visibly lack mastery or even competence. That is certainly "fake" when it happens, but since it is effectively fraudulent, it is hardly representative of the art with which affiliation is claimed.
To those readers who aren't personally familiar with Aikido, except from videos, I urge you to visit a dojo or several, if you can, and see for yourself, and perhaps talk to practitioners or an instructor for greater insight. Or of course, try it out yourself. But don't listen to internet trolls - they usually go by only what they see, but they do usually lack understanding, and vital background knowledge.
For further information, I recommend visiting the Aikido Journal website where among a wealth of other material, all of these issues are dealt with at greater length by experienced teachers.One of the most relevant examples is: Cooperation During Demonstrations by Stanley Pranin (Upon re-reading that last article, it seems likely that it was a large influence on my thougts on the topic.)
Updated May 24, 2015
To some extent, it's hard to blame them for what they perceive. I think to back to the first time I saw a live demonstration of Aikido. Despite having been raised to respect Aikido, and revere its Founder, and to use and incorporate various principles and methods derived from Aikido, when I saw an actual demonstration.... I just did not get the point of what I was seeing. So, if that was true with my background - how much easier for people to misunderstand if they had not been conditioned to have a positive view to begin with?
On claims of being fake: these tend to rest on one of several arguments. Let's look at some frequently-seen types, one at a time.
"Demonstrations are choreographed, and/or that participants are in collusion." To really understand the truth here, we need to understand what Aikido is and were it comes from. It's basically a member of the judo/jujutsu family of arts, out of which it gives a greater amount of emphasis to harmonizing with and using the energy of an attacker. It comes primarily, though enhanced with influence from other arts, and the Founder's decades of work refining a chosen core of techniques, from the Daito-ryu school of jujutsu, which is one of the traditional battlefield arts, connected with the Takeda clan.They are often seen an 'unarmed' arts, but this is not necessarily true. For one thing, many techniques either are derived from, or can be adapted to, methods for disarming an armed opponent.
Those roots are significant because if they are understood, they explain why dojo practice and demonstrations appear the way they do. At this point, I will say that the Founder himself declared that what happens in demonstrations is "fake", which became an issue when he was invited to demonstrate before a member of the imperial family. The significant thing is that Daito-ryu is, again, originally a battlefield art, and therefore its techniques are capable of maiming or killing. In Aikido, the techniques are derived from Daito-ryu, and in fact they have the same potential for damage. However, one of the characteristics of Aikido is the development of a particular ethos of safe training - despite which, injuries still occur. Aikidoists learn first of all how to receive techniques as safely as possible. That is very significant because the techniques are inherently much more dangerous for people who aren't trained in that way of safe reception of techniques (ukemi). Beyond this, Aikido teaches the techniques in applications meant to minimize harm, whereas in jujutsu, especially the original forms, the aim was often maximum harm. People outside Aikido generally have the view that in order to be effective and real, a martial art must try to be harmful - albeit often only for self-defense. purposes. What isn't understood by many is that Aikido has a different practical outcome, but it is in fact an effective use of techniques that can, done in a slightly different way, be used on the battlefield. The properly skilled Aikidoka, or Jujutsuka for that matter, essentially has the choice in many cases of whether to kill or injure, or simply restrain and take prisoner (or release).
Demonstrations... normally performed by a teacher and a group of students, are similar in some ways to dojo practice: neither of them shows battlefield conditions, including the effects of the techniques on untrained, and resisting, foes. This brings us to the "collusion" issue. Resistance will significantly increase the pain caused, and quite possibly real damage or even fatality. As such, yes, Aikidoists on the receiving end of techniques in either demonstrations or training will indeed "cooperate" with the technique - because they do not want to be crippled or killed. And so, instead of a bloodbath, or a pile of maimed bodies, we usually see in demonstrations a stream of people fairly smoothly receiving techniques and getting up or rolling away unharmed.
It is not surprising that people misunderstand and misinterpret that sight! Still, it is precisely because it is, or can be, a highly effective martial art that its practitioners can and do train and demonstrate in ways that may look so easy and harmless. And yet, too, we must remember that unlike most arts that seek to harm or defeat the attacker, in strictly combat terms, the point of Aikido is instead to avoid being harmed or defeated, and to do so with the minimum of harm to the attacker. There are deeper, more philosophical or spiritual levels of understanding of the art, but for this article, we're just considering this basic, external level.
Next, there are frequent claims that it wouldn't or doesn't work in a 'real fight'. There are several facets and variations to look at there. First, based on the comments posted in many places, it's clear that many people judge this on the basis of MMA/UFC competitions. What they fail to realize is that such a tournament is absolutely NOT a representation of a "real fight". Why so? On one hand, in a tournament, there are rules: even in a "no-holds-barred' fight, there are still at least a few rules and holds-barred - such as eye-gouging or attacking private parts. On the other hand, the aim in a tournament is to win a contest, not to kill the other person. In real combat - whether on the battlefield between soldiers or warriors, or on the street among 'civilians', the aim is usually to kill or at least harm the other person. Aikido is not well-suited to competition, and the Founder strictly forbade it. When one teacher did develop a competition method under pressure from a university to conform to athletic policies, it caused a permanent rift with the Founder.
Another common argument from naysayers hinges on the notion that the attacks used in Aikido are not the kinds of attacks seen in real fights, especially in Western countries. But this is actually another case of missing the point and not seeing what is really happening. Once again, it is really a samurai combat art in origin. Knowing that, it should be easy to understand and see that the attacks used in Aikido practice are to a great extent empty-handed simulations of attacks with weapons like swords, staffs, or knives - or techniques to take them away from an attacker. Even that is just the first step in understanding. The aim of Aikido practice is NOT to master a set of techniques, it is to gain the ability to naturally blend with and use an attacker's energy in the most efficient and ideal manner, according to the circumstances.. The techniques are exercises, from one perspective, not techniques, that train Aikidoists in some standardized methods of doing that. They may be performed with or without weapons, and with adjustment to many variables in partners as well so that one should develop the ability to deal with any attack, regardless of what the particular attacks used in dojo practice are. The desired end result, however, is to simply be able to move as required, whether or not it matches any of the pre-set movements which are routinely practiced on the mat.
All that being said, no martial art works miracles or has some secret power. It is really the martial artists themselves that are good or bad, not their arts. It is possible to practice Aikido in many moods, with many motivations, and it is of the utmost importance that one must train in the right way to achieve martial, combat ability if that is one's desire. Unlike some people, I believe that practicing in non-martial ways is also beneficial, but it is very crucial that we are aware of what we are doing and why, and to do them in the way that will lead to the results we want. For Aikido, if we want it to be an effective art in combat or against an assault, then we need to train accordingly. If all we want is a dance-like gymnastic exercise, then we should train in that way... and with people in the same mindset.
All this being said, many martial arts sometimes can be seen being demonstrated or 'taught" by people who visibly lack mastery or even competence. That is certainly "fake" when it happens, but since it is effectively fraudulent, it is hardly representative of the art with which affiliation is claimed.
To those readers who aren't personally familiar with Aikido, except from videos, I urge you to visit a dojo or several, if you can, and see for yourself, and perhaps talk to practitioners or an instructor for greater insight. Or of course, try it out yourself. But don't listen to internet trolls - they usually go by only what they see, but they do usually lack understanding, and vital background knowledge.
For further information, I recommend visiting the Aikido Journal website where among a wealth of other material, all of these issues are dealt with at greater length by experienced teachers.One of the most relevant examples is: Cooperation During Demonstrations by Stanley Pranin (Upon re-reading that last article, it seems likely that it was a large influence on my thougts on the topic.)
Updated May 24, 2015
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Review: An Open Secret by Tony Blomert
I recently read An Open Secret: A Student's Handbook for Learning Aikido Techniques of Self-Defense and the Aiki Way
and then posted a review on Amazon, which can be found either through the "Customer Reviews" on the above page, or more simply, via this link: Customer Reviews of An Open Secret
Today, February 19, 2015, the book remains available at a deep discount of US$0.99, but before long, it will be at full price. I wrote that review several days ago now, and won't repeat it here, but I will expand on my thoughts, especially since the more I think about it, the greater value I see in Blomert Sensei's book.
It is not a book on the techniques of Aikido - there are many of those, and they are all valuable (unless there are some fraudulent ones that I don't know about!), but Tony Blomert here is doing something quite different, and probably unique: teaching about, well, pretty much everything else that happens in the dojo. To put it another way, he explains the roots and whys and wherefores of all aspects of Aikido dojo culture. Notably, not claiming any "one true way", instead acknowledging the real variety among dojos and lineages, and usually providing and explaining a number of the possible variations that might be encountered.
In a way, the nature of the book reminds me of one of my favorite books about the Japanese language: Nihongo: A Japanese Approach to Japanese by Makoto Sugawara. What these two books share is that explore the reasons - cultural and in a sense psychological - behind why each of their subjects works the way they do. It might seem strange at first glance, but actually there is a connection, since both Nihongo (the Japanese language) and Aikido are expressions of Yamato Damashii... the spirit of Japan.
For Aikidoka who do not come from Japanese backgrounds, many of the rituals and habits in the dojo, that is, the dojo culture, may seem alien, exotic, or even empty rituals. It is possible that some Westerners and other non-Japanese might not ever fully feel those things that way that Japanese people do, but even in such a worst-case scenario, the more we know about them, the more we can respect them with sincerity, even with a limit to understanding.
Somebody who is new to Aikido, perhaps even just thinking about going to a dojo, will find valuable orientation in the book, and who knows? It could prevent a faux pas, and help make a better impression. For people with dojo experience, perhaps Blomert Sensei can shed light on details that you might have always wondered about; or maybe discover that some aspect of dojo culture is more significant than you realized. And instructors might find new perspectives with which help students to understand, respect and carry out things expected of them in practice and otherwise in the dojo community. In short, I believe that it is quite possible that most Aikidoka of any level will find something, maybe many things, of value therein.
For that matter, non-Aikidoka who are simply interested in Japanese culture would likely gain something from An Open Secret too, since it provides insight into quite a few different aspects of the culture, simply expressed in a particular martial art.
and then posted a review on Amazon, which can be found either through the "Customer Reviews" on the above page, or more simply, via this link: Customer Reviews of An Open Secret
Today, February 19, 2015, the book remains available at a deep discount of US$0.99, but before long, it will be at full price. I wrote that review several days ago now, and won't repeat it here, but I will expand on my thoughts, especially since the more I think about it, the greater value I see in Blomert Sensei's book.
It is not a book on the techniques of Aikido - there are many of those, and they are all valuable (unless there are some fraudulent ones that I don't know about!), but Tony Blomert here is doing something quite different, and probably unique: teaching about, well, pretty much everything else that happens in the dojo. To put it another way, he explains the roots and whys and wherefores of all aspects of Aikido dojo culture. Notably, not claiming any "one true way", instead acknowledging the real variety among dojos and lineages, and usually providing and explaining a number of the possible variations that might be encountered.
In a way, the nature of the book reminds me of one of my favorite books about the Japanese language: Nihongo: A Japanese Approach to Japanese by Makoto Sugawara. What these two books share is that explore the reasons - cultural and in a sense psychological - behind why each of their subjects works the way they do. It might seem strange at first glance, but actually there is a connection, since both Nihongo (the Japanese language) and Aikido are expressions of Yamato Damashii... the spirit of Japan.
For Aikidoka who do not come from Japanese backgrounds, many of the rituals and habits in the dojo, that is, the dojo culture, may seem alien, exotic, or even empty rituals. It is possible that some Westerners and other non-Japanese might not ever fully feel those things that way that Japanese people do, but even in such a worst-case scenario, the more we know about them, the more we can respect them with sincerity, even with a limit to understanding.
Somebody who is new to Aikido, perhaps even just thinking about going to a dojo, will find valuable orientation in the book, and who knows? It could prevent a faux pas, and help make a better impression. For people with dojo experience, perhaps Blomert Sensei can shed light on details that you might have always wondered about; or maybe discover that some aspect of dojo culture is more significant than you realized. And instructors might find new perspectives with which help students to understand, respect and carry out things expected of them in practice and otherwise in the dojo community. In short, I believe that it is quite possible that most Aikidoka of any level will find something, maybe many things, of value therein.
For that matter, non-Aikidoka who are simply interested in Japanese culture would likely gain something from An Open Secret too, since it provides insight into quite a few different aspects of the culture, simply expressed in a particular martial art.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Review: Puzzle Mats from WeSellMats.com
I recently got a bundle of puzzle mats from WeSellMats, and I'd like to share my impressions with my readers. (A relative placed the order on my behalf, so in this article, I say "we" at several appropriate points.)
First, for those unfamiliar with them, "puzzle mats" are floor mats that are made with interlocking edges, so that they resemble jigsaw puzzles. This allows for considerable versatility in covering all or part of a floor in mats, all firmly locked together, including oddly shaped floors, if need be... within the limit of the size of the individual tiles, of course. If one has different colors of tiles - of the same size and pattern, the colors can be arranged either for esthetic reasons or to mark out distinct areas for sparring, or the like.
Since a fair part of my solo practice includes ukemi rolling, I have wanted to get some mats for quite a while now (until now, I have practiced directly on the wood floor, much as in some of O-Sensei's early dojos - but even with that example, the thought of it makes some of my friends and mentors wince). So, from time to time, I have browsed a selection of martial arts and mat suppliers. A few weeks ago, therefore, I was pleased to find the Overstock section on the WeSellMats site, where the products are considerably discounted from regular prices.
I won't link to the particular product that we ordered, because although it still in stock as I write, who knows how long it will remain? However, if you're in the market for mats, it is certainly worthwhile to see if anything in the Overstock listings fits your needs. In any case, it is the product that is most important here, any discounts are merely a bonus.
The mats we got are blue, 3/8-inch thick EVA foam, and 1 square foot in area, each. This company normally sells their mats in bundles that will cover 24 square feet; in the package this size come in, they are in six squares of four tiles each. There are also edging pieces to provide a smooth edge, including corners. (These are their 'small' mats; the regular size mats are the same as these squares of four of the small size.)
Now, I was pleased and impressed with the mats immediately upon opening the shipping carton, all the more so considering their discounted price. They were precisely as advertised, and better than I had visualized. They suit my needs very well, cushioning the floor against either repeated rolls, or the occasional misjudgment and hard impact.
It is safe to say, I believe, that if a discounted shipment of the thinnest mat of this type that they sell is so pleasing, that the thicker varieties are just as good or better, and therefore worth the price. The company sells several thicker varieties, including 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch, with are both categorized as intended for martial arts use. A dojo or anyone taking throws would doubtless prefer one of those thicker and more heavy-duty mats. Of particular interest to dojos might be this special size consisting of 100 square feet of 3/4 mats, of 40"x40" tiles.
On that note, as a fairly short person, I find that this one bundle of 24 sq ft is quite nice. I would imagine that people who are significantly taller might feel a little constrained at that space, and might prefer using a larger number of mats. Similarly, if two people are practicing together, they may prefer more mats, though with care, it might do.
In short, I do firmly recommend the WeSellMats products, based on my experience with the particular variety we ordered. If even the thinnest variety they sell is so nice, I'm sure that the thicker and larger mats will be well worth the understandably more expensive prices, for those who may need or simply prefer them.
First, for those unfamiliar with them, "puzzle mats" are floor mats that are made with interlocking edges, so that they resemble jigsaw puzzles. This allows for considerable versatility in covering all or part of a floor in mats, all firmly locked together, including oddly shaped floors, if need be... within the limit of the size of the individual tiles, of course. If one has different colors of tiles - of the same size and pattern, the colors can be arranged either for esthetic reasons or to mark out distinct areas for sparring, or the like.
Since a fair part of my solo practice includes ukemi rolling, I have wanted to get some mats for quite a while now (until now, I have practiced directly on the wood floor, much as in some of O-Sensei's early dojos - but even with that example, the thought of it makes some of my friends and mentors wince). So, from time to time, I have browsed a selection of martial arts and mat suppliers. A few weeks ago, therefore, I was pleased to find the Overstock section on the WeSellMats site, where the products are considerably discounted from regular prices.
I won't link to the particular product that we ordered, because although it still in stock as I write, who knows how long it will remain? However, if you're in the market for mats, it is certainly worthwhile to see if anything in the Overstock listings fits your needs. In any case, it is the product that is most important here, any discounts are merely a bonus.
The mats we got are blue, 3/8-inch thick EVA foam, and 1 square foot in area, each. This company normally sells their mats in bundles that will cover 24 square feet; in the package this size come in, they are in six squares of four tiles each. There are also edging pieces to provide a smooth edge, including corners. (These are their 'small' mats; the regular size mats are the same as these squares of four of the small size.)
Now, I was pleased and impressed with the mats immediately upon opening the shipping carton, all the more so considering their discounted price. They were precisely as advertised, and better than I had visualized. They suit my needs very well, cushioning the floor against either repeated rolls, or the occasional misjudgment and hard impact.
It is safe to say, I believe, that if a discounted shipment of the thinnest mat of this type that they sell is so pleasing, that the thicker varieties are just as good or better, and therefore worth the price. The company sells several thicker varieties, including 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch, with are both categorized as intended for martial arts use. A dojo or anyone taking throws would doubtless prefer one of those thicker and more heavy-duty mats. Of particular interest to dojos might be this special size consisting of 100 square feet of 3/4 mats, of 40"x40" tiles.
On that note, as a fairly short person, I find that this one bundle of 24 sq ft is quite nice. I would imagine that people who are significantly taller might feel a little constrained at that space, and might prefer using a larger number of mats. Similarly, if two people are practicing together, they may prefer more mats, though with care, it might do.
In short, I do firmly recommend the WeSellMats products, based on my experience with the particular variety we ordered. If even the thinnest variety they sell is so nice, I'm sure that the thicker and larger mats will be well worth the understandably more expensive prices, for those who may need or simply prefer them.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Martial Arts of the Society for Creative Anachronism and the Family Tradition
Today's topic fills in an important part of my background. At this point, any reader who hasn't done so, should read the first post on this blog, entitled Introduction. My family's tradition of martial art interest and practice has two main sides - real life defensive and combat arts, and the martial arts that are part of the activities of the Society for Creative Anachronism. The SCA is an organization that in effect mixes historical education and recreation in the form of a massive, multi-generational role-playing game, with an active, dynamic culture and social structure. Among its many activities and elements are several types of martial art.
The most famous and popular of them is called 'heavy combat', and involves armed combat with simulated blade weapons (and a few other hand weapons like maces) made out of rattan and where needed padding, while wearing armor. In the SCA, rank can be earned through excellence in a variety of activities, but arguably the best and highest honors are earned through heavy combat, including - via tournaments - six-month terms as kings of the regional divisions of the SCA, aptly named 'Kingdoms' (after serving a reign, one has a permanent noble rank of Count or Earl, and after a second reign, Duke); and the rank of Knighthood, aka the Order of Chivalry.
The most common armaments for heavy combat are sword and shield, but many other weapons are also freqently seen: many varieties of swords, spears, other pole-arms, maces, and axes. Other martial arts in the SCA include archery and medieval Western styles of fencing. However, it is primarily heavy combat that is relevant to this blog. Combat archery is practiced in some places, wherein, for melees, archers shoot heavily-padded arrows at the fighters in the field.
When my father was in high school, he and his family heard about this new group called the SCA, put some effort into making the best costumes they could, and headed to their first SCA event. It was not long before my father and grandfather tried their hands at heavy combat, and discovered talents at it, so that in time, my grandfather had become a Count and my father a Duke. My father went on to train many others, and many of them in turn went on to achieve knighthood and noble rank. As one example, here is the website of an SCA household founded by one of my father's former "squires" (apprentice fighters, or "deshi' in Japanese terms). The history section on the homepage refers to my father (known in the SCA as "Akbar"); there is a brief page about their martial art activities.
Now, the significance of all this for us here is that my father attributes a significant part of his skill to principles learned in his time studying Aikido, and also particularly from Aiki Ken and Jo as given by Morihiro Saito Sensei in his seminal Traditional Aikido series of books. To be clear, what he did in the SCA was NOT Aikido - for one thing it certainly stands outside the pale of non-competition. Nevertheless, his understanding of handling of weapons, and of footwork and timing, etc. are unmistakably (and would be even if he hadn't said so) influenced by Aikido. Certain techniques he has used are recognizably adapted from standard waza. Meanwhile, the other major influence he cites is Miyamoto Musashi and his Go Rin no Sho (Book of Five Rings).
Since knights in the SCA have the particular qualification and privilege of formally training other fighters, as squires, (many fighters don't go that route, but many do) the effect, though not always realized as such, is to form martial art lineages, organized in households, thus roughly paralleling the many clan-based martial art lineages of pre-Meiji Japan. Since my father was an early knight and duke, there is a large and increasing body of lineages coming from his, which all, whether they know it or not, owe a debt to the Aikido Founder and to his deshi, Saito Sensei. When teaching me, even in SCA contexts, my father has generally included much more of the Aikido influence. For example, he made a point of teaching me a tachidori method at the start of one of our periods of SCA practice in my youth - it was something of a pleasant shock to discover several years ago that the Aikikai Hombu Dojo considers tachidori a type of technique suitable for testing for third-dan black belt, especially since that is one of the few definite Aikido techniques he taught me, aside from some of the suburi exercises. Much more usual was for him to point out Aiki principles inherent in things he taught me from all areas of life, martial art or otherwise, though he did teach me various preliminary basics and exercises. This was not oversight or neglect - he certainly had not, in his study of Aikido, reached a level qualifying him to safely teach taijutsu techniques; also there was no Aikido dojo available close enough in my childhood, so it was not possible to arrange training for me in one.
Our family stopped being active in the SCA before I was old enough to actually engage in heavy combat, and although there were several periods in which we started up some degree of that style of training, we never took it as far as becoming truly active again as fighters. Nevertheless, it forms an essential part of my background, and my family's, and is one aspect of our martial art tradition. It has generally been the only public face of our tradition, other than when we have been (or will be!) students elsewhere. There is clearer Aikido influence in our non-SCA practices - especially since I started to pay attention to and be attracted by it!
The most famous and popular of them is called 'heavy combat', and involves armed combat with simulated blade weapons (and a few other hand weapons like maces) made out of rattan and where needed padding, while wearing armor. In the SCA, rank can be earned through excellence in a variety of activities, but arguably the best and highest honors are earned through heavy combat, including - via tournaments - six-month terms as kings of the regional divisions of the SCA, aptly named 'Kingdoms' (after serving a reign, one has a permanent noble rank of Count or Earl, and after a second reign, Duke); and the rank of Knighthood, aka the Order of Chivalry.
The most common armaments for heavy combat are sword and shield, but many other weapons are also freqently seen: many varieties of swords, spears, other pole-arms, maces, and axes. Other martial arts in the SCA include archery and medieval Western styles of fencing. However, it is primarily heavy combat that is relevant to this blog. Combat archery is practiced in some places, wherein, for melees, archers shoot heavily-padded arrows at the fighters in the field.
When my father was in high school, he and his family heard about this new group called the SCA, put some effort into making the best costumes they could, and headed to their first SCA event. It was not long before my father and grandfather tried their hands at heavy combat, and discovered talents at it, so that in time, my grandfather had become a Count and my father a Duke. My father went on to train many others, and many of them in turn went on to achieve knighthood and noble rank. As one example, here is the website of an SCA household founded by one of my father's former "squires" (apprentice fighters, or "deshi' in Japanese terms). The history section on the homepage refers to my father (known in the SCA as "Akbar"); there is a brief page about their martial art activities.
Now, the significance of all this for us here is that my father attributes a significant part of his skill to principles learned in his time studying Aikido, and also particularly from Aiki Ken and Jo as given by Morihiro Saito Sensei in his seminal Traditional Aikido series of books. To be clear, what he did in the SCA was NOT Aikido - for one thing it certainly stands outside the pale of non-competition. Nevertheless, his understanding of handling of weapons, and of footwork and timing, etc. are unmistakably (and would be even if he hadn't said so) influenced by Aikido. Certain techniques he has used are recognizably adapted from standard waza. Meanwhile, the other major influence he cites is Miyamoto Musashi and his Go Rin no Sho (Book of Five Rings).
Since knights in the SCA have the particular qualification and privilege of formally training other fighters, as squires, (many fighters don't go that route, but many do) the effect, though not always realized as such, is to form martial art lineages, organized in households, thus roughly paralleling the many clan-based martial art lineages of pre-Meiji Japan. Since my father was an early knight and duke, there is a large and increasing body of lineages coming from his, which all, whether they know it or not, owe a debt to the Aikido Founder and to his deshi, Saito Sensei. When teaching me, even in SCA contexts, my father has generally included much more of the Aikido influence. For example, he made a point of teaching me a tachidori method at the start of one of our periods of SCA practice in my youth - it was something of a pleasant shock to discover several years ago that the Aikikai Hombu Dojo considers tachidori a type of technique suitable for testing for third-dan black belt, especially since that is one of the few definite Aikido techniques he taught me, aside from some of the suburi exercises. Much more usual was for him to point out Aiki principles inherent in things he taught me from all areas of life, martial art or otherwise, though he did teach me various preliminary basics and exercises. This was not oversight or neglect - he certainly had not, in his study of Aikido, reached a level qualifying him to safely teach taijutsu techniques; also there was no Aikido dojo available close enough in my childhood, so it was not possible to arrange training for me in one.
Our family stopped being active in the SCA before I was old enough to actually engage in heavy combat, and although there were several periods in which we started up some degree of that style of training, we never took it as far as becoming truly active again as fighters. Nevertheless, it forms an essential part of my background, and my family's, and is one aspect of our martial art tradition. It has generally been the only public face of our tradition, other than when we have been (or will be!) students elsewhere. There is clearer Aikido influence in our non-SCA practices - especially since I started to pay attention to and be attracted by it!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Germ of a Supplementary Training Method?
Several thoughts came together this afternoon, as I read this Aikido Journal post and watched the video clip therein. I hope my readers will take the few minutes needed to do the same. Stanley Pranin Sensei's main point, though, is that many Aikido practitioners all-too-often resort to brute force in order to make techniques work, rather than using aiki (which for the sake of simplicity, and the aspect that is relevant for this point, means using the attacker's energy - not our own - by absorbing, harnessing and redirecting it).
The problem, then, according to Pranin Sensei, and a number of other high-ranking Aikido instructors, (in a paraphrased and summarized form) is that in many cases, while people easily enough learn the motions of the Aikido techniques, it appears that many have difficulty with doing them in the way that is necessary to achieve aiki. This includes - again following the opinion of these eminent instructors - such major points as relaxation, and kuzushi, or putting the attacker or partner off-balance. I'm not going to elaborate on those points in this post, but if anyone needs more information to follow this, I suggest checking the Aikido Journal website and its archive of excellent articles.
Some of these instructors, including Pranin-Sensei, have been developing different methods of training to put more emphasis on how to do Aikido properly, without resorting to exerting power to force a result.
Now, the streams of thought that came together for me started with remembering the examples my father has always given me for seeing and using aiki principles in other kinds of actions and work in daily life, by which I mean effective and efficient use of balance and various, mainly physical, kinds of energy (ki) in the handling of different objects, primarily heavy ones. Just as importantly, he taught me to look for and recognize aiki principles in action around me (as well other concepts from other types of budo). An interesting and significant thing is that in some cases, there is little or not difference between these applications and core movements of some Aikido techniques - doubtless with more to be discovered with some focused research.
And then - I thought about the classic Karate Kid movie. I suspect and hope that most readers will at this point know exactly where I am headed with this! For the sake of others, I will explain that in the movie, a teacher of karatedo teaches his student several fundamental blocks, and conditions them into 'muscle memory', by having the student perform a number of very repetitive chores ("Wax On! Wax Off!") with specific motions.
So, at the moment these thoughts merged together, I realized that there could be benefit in taking these applications of aiki principles with inanimate objects and adapting them as exercises that could be useful supplements to Aikido training. While some might correspond to actual and recognizable Aikido techniques, or portions of them, the really important thing would be the additional conditioning to using balance and energy without the additional tension found in working with a partner, and far more so in a true confrontation. It could only be a supplement to regular, traditional training, very secondary, but I see potential for it to be helpful to many.
This is something that must be properly worked out by qualified instructors. I most decidedly am not one such, however much I might hope to become one in the future. I can perhaps hope, at least, to be able to work in some capacity with those who might be interested, qualified, and able to put these things into practice properly.
This post is vague on details; that is conscious and deliberate, since this is just the beginning of an idea, and I've only just started thinking of it myself. I hope to expand on it soon enough, particularly if there is interest. Meanwhile I would of course be most interested to hear if similar ideas or even experiments have occurred elsewhere.
The problem, then, according to Pranin Sensei, and a number of other high-ranking Aikido instructors, (in a paraphrased and summarized form) is that in many cases, while people easily enough learn the motions of the Aikido techniques, it appears that many have difficulty with doing them in the way that is necessary to achieve aiki. This includes - again following the opinion of these eminent instructors - such major points as relaxation, and kuzushi, or putting the attacker or partner off-balance. I'm not going to elaborate on those points in this post, but if anyone needs more information to follow this, I suggest checking the Aikido Journal website and its archive of excellent articles.
Some of these instructors, including Pranin-Sensei, have been developing different methods of training to put more emphasis on how to do Aikido properly, without resorting to exerting power to force a result.
Now, the streams of thought that came together for me started with remembering the examples my father has always given me for seeing and using aiki principles in other kinds of actions and work in daily life, by which I mean effective and efficient use of balance and various, mainly physical, kinds of energy (ki) in the handling of different objects, primarily heavy ones. Just as importantly, he taught me to look for and recognize aiki principles in action around me (as well other concepts from other types of budo). An interesting and significant thing is that in some cases, there is little or not difference between these applications and core movements of some Aikido techniques - doubtless with more to be discovered with some focused research.
And then - I thought about the classic Karate Kid movie. I suspect and hope that most readers will at this point know exactly where I am headed with this! For the sake of others, I will explain that in the movie, a teacher of karatedo teaches his student several fundamental blocks, and conditions them into 'muscle memory', by having the student perform a number of very repetitive chores ("Wax On! Wax Off!") with specific motions.
So, at the moment these thoughts merged together, I realized that there could be benefit in taking these applications of aiki principles with inanimate objects and adapting them as exercises that could be useful supplements to Aikido training. While some might correspond to actual and recognizable Aikido techniques, or portions of them, the really important thing would be the additional conditioning to using balance and energy without the additional tension found in working with a partner, and far more so in a true confrontation. It could only be a supplement to regular, traditional training, very secondary, but I see potential for it to be helpful to many.
This is something that must be properly worked out by qualified instructors. I most decidedly am not one such, however much I might hope to become one in the future. I can perhaps hope, at least, to be able to work in some capacity with those who might be interested, qualified, and able to put these things into practice properly.
This post is vague on details; that is conscious and deliberate, since this is just the beginning of an idea, and I've only just started thinking of it myself. I hope to expand on it soon enough, particularly if there is interest. Meanwhile I would of course be most interested to hear if similar ideas or even experiments have occurred elsewhere.
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