First, if you want to follow an interesting blog you should mouse over to Mokuren Dojo. Pat is the blog-meister and he has interesting comments but I esp. enjoy the film clips he digs up; some of which are interesting and some of which are just .... interesting.
I have found that blogging is ...... well ............. best viewed as this ..... since it seems to take so much time to do well and since it can be slightly frustrating at times........................
Pat and I both have been writing about Kodokan Goshin Jutsu here lately. He laughingly describes it as blog randori which some people view like this .....
but I think that Pat/Mokuren and I just look at blog exchanges, whether it be this one or any other, as a friendly way in which to put out detailed info that will, with any luck, change the way folks addr ess their MA vision; a means by which to spur a new thought or view or paradigmatic shift .... get the bulb to light-up as it were.
This will have to be short today due to work commitments but ........... Pat/Mokuren considers kata practice in two ways, neither of which is incorrect in the least since I think the timing is where the rub comes. First is the detailed/specific approach ......................
"Uke steps in (tsugiashi) from ma-ai with his right foot forward and grasps both of tori's wrists at the same time. As uke attacks, tori slides (tsugiashi) backward 45 degrees to his left, pulling uke into offbalance in a line parallel to uke's feet and frees his right hand by pulling against uke's thumb. Tori then executes a back-knuckle strike to uke's temple, grabs uke's right wrist with right hand on top and left hand below, turns his body 90 degrees to the right, and steps away from uke, applying wakigatame."The next is the generic approach ..............
"Uke steps in from ma-ai and grasps both of tori's wrists. As uke attacks, tori evades offline, draws uke into offbalance, and frees his right hand. Tori applies an atemi to distract uke and keep him at a distance, then applies wakigatame."
I view both as correct. It's the timing when to apply each that can become the bone of contention.
I would view the detailed as the only way in which to; (1) teach a beginner who has never seen the material, (2) re-teach someone who hasn't trained in the material in some time (several years in some cases) in order to "re-learn" the principles and, (3) do it yourself on a regular basis (even if you already know it very well indeed) in order to maintain a pure line of the application of principles, including control of ma-ai (combative distance), happo no kuzushi (angles of attack and off-balance) and sen (control of timing).
You just have to keep the fundamentals intact both your sake and the sake of teaching your students.
No matter how good we may think we are all of us get older and slower, sloppier, and just plain forgetful. We may have been the cat's meow in the kata at one time
but if you don't stay current in every single nitty-gritty detail then you'll lose it. This is the rationale behind a detailed, stay-in-the-template, no deviation from correct form, style of practice.
On the other hand doing the generic, looser, broader form of training in order do a little exploration here and there and see how far you can stretch the boundaries before it fails utterly has its' positives also.
My contention is that in order to learn it properly then do the detail only until it's fully internalized and then experiment generically. But, still go back on a regular basis and roll back thru' the detail in order to avoid your subconscious beginning to respond with the looser form (because it begins to feel more "comfortable" and "familiar") and then having it fail when you least need it to. "Bad Mojo" that one could be.
How much of each? IMHO ............. only the detail version for at least a 100 pass-thru's (100 as tori and then 100 as uke) and then maybe 50/50 beyond that. You be your own arbiter of that one based on your dojo circumstances.
Wait ............. you said 100 pass-thru's before I should do the more relaxed version????
Yup. Remember I posted that when I learned roku kata we worked on it for about a year to a year and a half? Do the math grasshopper. Training an average of 3 to 4 days a week for 12 to 18 months steady with each session comprised of at least one time thru' as tori and one time thru' as uke makes approx. 150 time as tori and 150 times as uke (one year) to 210 as tori and 210 as uke (18 months).
If you are going to be Sensei then you have to do the same work (if not MORE work) that you require of your students in order to stay "ahead" of your students and fully engaged in the training flow on the mat. I have one student coming up for promotion to Godan and I plan on being his uke even tho' I'm the Sensei and theoretically don't have to. I just want to stay "in the game" and not become a "Sensei Dog" .... that's the blood hound that sits in the corner and barks but doesn't do any work..............
Good work Pat and I look forward to your next post and topic(s).
L.F. Wilkinson Sensei
Aikibudo Kancho
Aikibudokan, Houston, TX
January 2010
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