Playing catch-up this afternoon so I'd thought I'd go back and complete Ukemi Part One.
The human mind is interesting. The conscious mind takes a long time to make a decision when considering something that it is not familiar. It takes even longer if it is actually confused or scared and may even go into neural-lock (the cranial version of vapor-lock).
Conversely, if the sub-conscious is making the decision and if it is basing that decision on well-known information that has been programmed into the sub-conscious by repetitious training (of the correct sort) then the difference can be as far apart as 1/10th of a second vs. total neural-lock.
Which speed do you want your brain to function at during a self-defense situation? "Yes, Mon Capi'tan ..... stop all engines, station keeping" or, would you prefer "Si, Mon Capi'tan.....warp drive engaged, all ahead full, damn the torpedoes, weapons hot!"
How do you get to the warp speed? Correct, long term practice is the only way in which to the internalized ability to take any ukemi, at any speed, in any throwing or projection configuration and take it automatically, without thought and without delay.
How many?
Consider AS A MINUMUM an article I read years ago that described the difference between a country club hacker who can stomp everyone else at the club, and a real player who is good enough to go to Wimbledon.
10,000.
That's Ten Thousand.
Ten Thousand Hours of practice by doing redundant, properly formatted, repetitive practice. Only by this method will the subconscious mind be able to program the correct response that will come into play when the speed and adrenalin levels are so high that using the conscious mind will only cause the reponse time to be too long; so long that serious injury, death, etc. could be the result.
Gee Sensei, that's too long! I can't do that!
BS (anybody know the Japanese for BS, if you do, send me an email because inquiring minds want to know).
That's right, I said bull sheets.
Just go to class and do the work and before you know it you too will have a few hundred thousand hours on the mat.
In case you didn't read that right I said, JUST GO TO CLASS.
L.F. Wilkinson Sensei
Aikibudo Kancho
Aikibudokan, Houston, TX
October 2008
Comments