Posted by: wristtwister
Realistic attacks in training - 03/07/06 11:32 PM
While I've done martial arts for over 40 years, I've spent the last 20 in a lot of Aikido training. My partner, who trained with Soganuma Sensei, helped me a lot with something that one of his senseis had used in Japan... it was the phrase "hit me... if you can".
Being well ingrained with jujitsu training, I was accustomed to having good attacks to work with for those techniques, but it took a few times for it to sink in that the dynamics of Aikido depend on the attack as much as the defense. As we trained using bokkens, the strength of the attack began to show me exceptional openings in which to use my technique, and it was quite an easy transition to go from sword technique to empty hand aikido.
As the years have passed, I've seen a lot of aikidoka founder in their training because their partners really "gave them nothing to work with" by "deadpan attacks". Aikido is all about energy and movement, so if you want to be good at it, adopt the "hit me... if you can" attitude. It will do wonders for your techniques.
Being well ingrained with jujitsu training, I was accustomed to having good attacks to work with for those techniques, but it took a few times for it to sink in that the dynamics of Aikido depend on the attack as much as the defense. As we trained using bokkens, the strength of the attack began to show me exceptional openings in which to use my technique, and it was quite an easy transition to go from sword technique to empty hand aikido.
As the years have passed, I've seen a lot of aikidoka founder in their training because their partners really "gave them nothing to work with" by "deadpan attacks". Aikido is all about energy and movement, so if you want to be good at it, adopt the "hit me... if you can" attitude. It will do wonders for your techniques.