Real-time aikido

Here is another excellent demonstration of Koryu Dai Yon kata.  I like this one even better than the previous one that I posted.  Although that previous kata was perhaps more polished, this one feels more real to me.  The previous one had a rushed feeling, but this demonstration is more reasonably paced.
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There used to be an ideal in judo (it may still exist, though I've long had a sinking suspicion that it is not actually ideal) that for a throw to be perfect ("ippon") it has to happen fast, uke has to hit the mat hard, and tori must be in control. - Hard, Fast, and Control was the recipe for an ippon.  Now I think for a throwing-type technique to be good enough, uke must descend to the ground and tori must remain in control throughout and after.  I don't care about hard and fast because hard is arbitrary and abusive and fast is irrelevant (acceleration due to gravity is a constant 32 feet per second per second or about 22mph per second.)
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I suspect that pushing down on uke as he falls does not increase his speed much - it just increases his effective mass so it hurts more.
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When I see a demonstration of aikido or judo, and it looks super-fast, that does not make me think, "That is super-realistic."  It makes me think, "Something is wrong with that demo." Just about the only way to make an un-realistically fast technique work is to have a overly-compliant uke.
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So anyway, When you're demonstrating something in "real time" or at "real speed," that is not arbitrarily fast.  That's part of why I like this demo so much.  It is real-time.



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Patrick Parker
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The aikidoka and the light bulb

How many aikidoka does it take to screw in a light bulb?  A dozen - one to screw the thing up and eleven to tell him, "That's not how we do it at our dojo."

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When I was preparing for my recent gig at Windsong Dojo teaching Yon kata, I perused the videos online of various folks doing the thing and some of them I posted with commentary because I thought they illustrated a point that I might want to make when I taught the thing. I did not post the above video because, even though the aikidoka are obviously talented and precise, it just didn't look like what I was going to talk about.  I didn't think they were doing the Yon kata that I was thinking about.

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Well, after I recuperated from my epic roadtrip and whirlwind teaching gig at Windsong, I did a YouTube search for Koryu Dai Yon again, and this was the first video that popped up, so I watched it again, and WOW! It looks just like what we were working on and talking about at OKC last weekend!

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I think if you put the "We don't do it that way" part of your brain on hold and watch this thing again, you'll see a lot of similarities between what we were doing and what Fielding sensei is doing here.  In fact, I think the only major difference I see is Fielding is using a more dynamic uke, whereas we were working with more static ukes.

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I have vastly benefited from the opportunity to lead an exploration of Koryu Dai Yon at Oklahoma last weekend!  This exercise has been my least favorite, most frustrating part of aikido for the past 25 some-odd years - my worst enemy!  But this past weekend has turned it into such a fascinating exploration of kuzushi that I think I could probably spend a LOT of time playing in and around this thing profitably!
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Thanks, Nick and Windsong guys for teaching me this thing that y'all claimed I was teaching you!



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Patrick Parker
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The Spirit of Yon Kata

Each of the Koryu kata seems to have a spirit or theme that makes it distinct and unique.  This is done as a challenge to growth - sort of a, “now that you know most all the aikido techniques that can be done, try working them this way,” sort of thing. I've written about this some here.

These Koryu kata also present us with a challenge to not only master their theme within the context of their subset of techniques, but also to take that theme into all of your aikido - each Koryu kata should transform all of the rest of your aikido.

So, what are the characteristics of the Spirit of Yon Kata?

• Emphasis on kuzushi - kuzushi is anytime uke has to take an unintended step.  When held in a state of asymmetry, the body eventually crumbles.
• Flowing instead of Throwing -  the epitome of flow cannot be achieved when tori is thinking about throwing and uke is thinking about figuring out how to survive being thrown.  Tori is not Nage ("The Thrower"), because that presupposes figuring out the time and place to stop moving and apply intent.  Tori is more like a spotter for a weightlifter or a gymnast.
• Big motion
• Feather-light - In the first part if the kata, uke wants to be so light and responsive that tori can throw with just a hint - just a breath of intent in a certain direction at the right time.  When doing the second part, the throws happen because uke refuses to take the hint so the second hint is not stronger, just perhaps more obvious a hint
• Short/fast releases as compared to hanasu (which gives tori more time to stand around waiting)

How can it be big motion but short/fast at the same time?

• One of those could be a false characterization, or
• Part of each technique is short/fast (the kuzushi) and part is big motion and flowing-not-throwing (lot of following steps after the kuzushi until uke inevitably crumbles.)

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Patrick Parker
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Kuzushi can be done right or wrong

One can think about kuzushi in a lot of different ways, including -

• A pre-requisite or set-ups for doing a technique.  The first step in executing a technique.  (Classical judo thinking)
• Slowing/weakening uke so that tori/nage has more than enough power to effect his will upon uke. (IIRC, The Book of Martial Power calls this "shortening uke’s line."  One of my favorite instructors of all time use to hammer us with the idea that the purpose of kuzushi is to make uke slower and weaker than yourself - that is, kuzushi forces uke to work at however slow a speed you want him to.)
• Crumbling structure - if you become expert at kuzushi, you can do it so well that you do not need any of your own power to effect the kake part of the throw. Sort of like expert demolitions men that can disrupt the structure of a building so precisely that they can drop it wherever they want to, or an expert woodcutter that can fell a tree exactly where he wants to.

Watch the video above.  They're not putting external force on the tree (or at least not much - they appear to be adding wedges to keep the saw blade free.)  They just disrupt the tree's structure so precisely that it falls where they want it.  If this is analogous to an aikido or judo throw, then there is no kake phase.  They just do tsukuri and kuzushi and then wait in a safe place.

Watch the following two videos - one of kuzushi done right and one of kuzushi done dramatically wrong. 

People, like buildings, have a lot of potential energy, and causing them to fall to the ground recklessly can cause a lot of grief, so it behooves us to figure out how to do this kuzushi thing right.

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Patrick Parker
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Yield uke into ikkyo instead of driving him there

Corky has a very nice way of explaining and demonstrating katatedori ikkyo here.

Notice the emphasis on yielding to draw (or allow) uke's arm to move into extension - the same technical idea that you see in the beginning of the tachiwaza oshitaoshi in koryu dai ichi (starting at about 2:00).

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Patrick Parker
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Ichikata - Parker & Lowry

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Patrick Parker
www.mokurendojo.com

Ichikata recap

This past month I have done a series of posts on the first advanced kata in the Tomiki aikido curriculum - Koryu Dai Ichi.  It is a seldom-performed exercise , and I think that is a shame because it tells some interesting stories about variations in initiative and variations onthe most fundamental wrist release actions.  If you're interested in the topic, you might enjoy going back and checking out some of the posts this past month...

• Ichikata intro
• Koryu no kata
• Structure of Ichikata
• Suwariwaza - why bother?
• Suwariwaza in Ichikata
• Ichikata - variations on Release #1
• Ichikata - Variations on Release #2
• Switching sides in Ichikata
• Ichikata seminar at Windsong
• Ichikata - from earth toward void

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____________________
Patrick Parker
www.mokurendojo.com

Ichikata - variations on ryotedori

The fourth and final set of techniques in Ichikata are ryotedori (both hands held) responses. I like to play these with a very light, void feel similar to the 3rd set in which you fade back away from a shoulder grab.  Here, you fade back, drawing uke into overextension as he grasps for your arms.

• tenchinage
• kataotoshi
• shizumiotoshi
• shihonage
• gyaku kotegaeshi
• ushiro ryotemochi maenage

Another thing that really stands out to me is the similarity between this set of techiques and those of Owaza Jupon.  All but the last of these ryotedori techniques have analogs in Owaza.  Makes me think that whoever invented Owaza must have been looking at and thinking about Ichikata or Gokata (this stuff is repeated there).

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Patrick Parker

www.mokurendojo.com

Returned from Windsong

Whoa!  I just got back from leading a seminar at Windsong Dojo.  We worked on my understanding and interpretation of Koryu Dai Ichi.  Funny thing was, I got the opportunity to "teach" this stuff to a huge group of my longtime heroes in the art.  These guys that I have always looked up to, and whose skill I've measured my own by.  And you know what was particularly trippy?  They liked it!  I got the most effusive compliments!  This seminar was one of the most affirming, enriching things I've ever been to!

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I know that I missed my weekly blog post on the Book of Martial Power this past Saturday.  I'll get to that early this week.

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I think they got some good video of me massacring Koryu Dai Ichi, but I think it's likely a tremendous amount of video (they shot three 1.5 hour classes from 2 cameras, one fixed and one roaming) so I think it'll take a good while before that is edited and available.

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You can also look forward to me finishing up my comments on Ichikata this coming week, and a list of jodo tips that I got from Jack Bieler.

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Patrick Parker 

www.mokurendojo.com

Ichikata - variations on release #1

The second set of techniques in Koryu Dai Ichi is a set of seven standing techniques that represent interesting variation on the first wrist release that we teach to beginners (this wrist release motion can also be seen as #3 of the shichihon no kuzushi, for those that use that set of releases early on). 

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This set also demonstrates a progression of uke trying to get progressively more difficult to deal with. 

• In the first technique uke interferes with release #1 by becoing strong, so tori steps back to create space, and does release#1 anyway. 
• In the second technique, uke interferes with release #1 and with the resulting oshitaoshi, causing it to flow in a tenkai motion.
• In the third technique, he grabs the wrist and the elbow to prevent tori from moving around his wrist as in release #1, so tori does release #5 into tenkai kotehineri (junana #13)
• In the fourth technique, tori grabs the wrist and elbow, and tori applies kotemawashi and oshitaoshi to the elbow hand
• In the fifth technique, uke grabs tori's wrist and collar (again to prevent release#1), so tori ducks under the arm, ruining uke's position, and throws kotegaeshi
• In the sixth technique, uke grabs wrist and reaches for tori's collar or other arm and tori does release#5, breaks the grip, and throws kotegaeshi
• In the last technique, tori grabs wrist and tries to apply a rear choke so tori turns under (release #5) into maeotoshi

 So, what we see here is a couple of ideas...

• Release #1 is very difficult to successfully interfere with because tori can almost always step back, creating a little space, and then continue with release #1.
• If you are able to successfully stop release #1, then it is very easy for tori to flow into release #3 or #5 - both of which lead to some dramatic techniques.

I suspect that in most classes that start with the 8 releases that we start with, the instructors emphasize to intermediate students that release #1 can flow into #2 and #5, and that #3 can flow into #4 or #7.  It is this either-or nature to these releases that makes them so powerful.  But I also suspect that in most classes, this teaching is a somewhat haphazard thing, only occurring when it comes to the teacher's mind.  Here, this teaching is encoded in a specific and systematic way into Koryu Dai Ichi.

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____________________

Patrick Parker

www.mokurendojo.com

Suwariwaza in Koryu Dai Ichi

The first set of techniques in the first advanced kata of the Tomikiryu curriculum is a set of five suwariwaza (kneeling techniques).  These techniques illustrate a handful of interesting points...

• When kneeling you are just about as far down as you can get without lying down.  This means 1) you have very little potential energy, and 2) you cannot execute techniques against uke by dropping into him (otoshi).  You can pretty much only execute by rising with uke, amplifying his rise to unhook him from the earth.
• Any time you press hard against uke, your knees stick to the ground.  You cannot push and move at the same time.  This phenomenon occurs when standing too, but we hardly ever notice it.  When kneeling it becomes obvious.  In the first technique, for example, if you find yourself falling on your face unable to keep up with uke as he falls away from you, then you are pressing on uke and sticking your knees.
• These techniques illustrate different timings.  In the first technique, tori is acting before uke.  In the next technique, uke is earlier, and manages to act slightly ahead of tori (forcing tori to turn out of the way).  In the third technique, uke is dramatically ahead of tori and tori catches uke coming down onto him.  When tori is this late, he will be completely pinned in place if he does not redirect and yield to uke's strike.
• The fourth and fifth illustrate an interesting practice mode that we don't play too much - jutai (continuous) timing.  Starting so late that uke has already come down on tori and pinned him in place, tori shrugs uke off to one side, then using uke's attempt to rise, throws him decisively to the other side.

[Photo courtesy of Joshua Smith]

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Patrick Parker 

www.mokurendojo.com

Koryu no kata in Tomiki aikido

In most of the Tomiki aikido clubs I'm familiar with, the instructors restrict kyo-ranked students to a fairly narrow technical spectrum.  Before black belt we concentrate almost exclusively on...

• slow-to-moderate speed ukes feeding us straight attacks to the face or simple wrist grabs
• tori executing techniques using whole-body pushes - i.e. throwing by stepping through uke's center with straight arms
• techniques happening with otoshi timing (when uke makes a footfall)

These conditions make for good, clean, understandible learning of concepts and ideas, and they make for nice, straightforward rank demonstrations.

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Then somewhere around ikkyu or shodan, when the student has a good grasp of the fundamental 17 techniques done in the above manner, we begin introducing variations in techniques, speed, timing, attacks, spacing, throwing actions, etc...  Shodan truly is just a starting point - the tip of the iceberg - the point at which the student can do the fundamentals competently enough that they are ready to delve into the art.

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At this point, our students begin working on Owaza Jupon, which introduces some interesting and crucial variation - but some clubs do not use the Owaza Jupon.  Some clubs begin delving into variation through the Koryu no kata.

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The koryu no kata are six groups of techniques that, as I understand it, Tomiki sketched out and Ohba detailed and finished.  Most clubs spend far more time on two of these kata (#3 and #4) than the other four.  These two are considered to be largely representative of the technical range and the energy and flavor of the entire set of six kata.  Our American clubs have occasionally delved off into kata #5 and #6 to some degree, but most everybody I know of largely neglects #1 and #2.

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I think that is a shame, because #1 and #2 have distinctive flavors and energies and feels to them that are not found in the other kata.  Sure, many of the techniques are repeated in other of the kata, but that is to be expected, since Tomiki only defined about 15-20 fundamentally unique techniques.

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It is the unique selection of techniques for each kata, and the ordering of the techniques, and their division into sets within the kata that creates a unique logic to each exercise. While the techniques are largely common between the different koryu no kata, it is the structure of each one that tells the interesting story.

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Each particular kata is designed a particular way to teach a particular set of lessons. 

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This month I will be blogging pretty extensively about the first of these koryu no kata, titled koryu dai ichi, which we nickname ichikata.  Hang on for the ride, because there's a lot of info here!

[photo courtesy of Joshua Smith]

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____________________

Patrick Parker

www.mokurendojo.com