Rediscovering Aikido Basics: Forgotten Tai No Henko

[@chosenAudio]

Again, great work Marius. Very interesting analysis.

[@MARIUSVL]

Craig Moore Glad you liked it! Comming more soon!

[@VenturaIT]

I think you are reading too much into it... the fingers point up in both of them. I don't think up or down fingers matter, extending ki through the fingers is what matters (like the book states)... For me it's the same in both photos but at 2:03 in this video the photo on the left the uke is clearly not off balance and his palm is disconnected from the arm/wrist of O-Sensei, maybe the left photo was just quickly re-enacted, in the photo on the right uke seems off balance... the main things to see are 1) that the pivot foot is in front of uke's foot, 2) the angle between nage and uke's line is not parallel, 3) nage extends forward.... this is basically the same as "parting the horses mane" in the Tai Chi short form or warrior 2 pose in Yoga. So don't read too much into the technique, the main this is to do it as much like O-Sensei as possible and the technique must really work... Also, remember O-Sensei said not to show this book to the public and O-Sensei's son is the one who published it (for money) and his son was not really very good at aikido and did not do aikido like his dad... the O-Sensei style iriminage was never done again, except for in the Tohei lineage, never again in the Aikikai lineage. Saito doesn't do the techniques like O-Sensei at all, and Saito specially does not do the iriminage the same was as O-Sensei. You have to remember that the Aikido lineage went with Tohei, not his son the 1st Doshu, that is why Aikikai Aikido has such a bad name in the overall martial arts world as not working, because they aren't really doing the real Aikido like O-Sensei did it. O-Sensei did a lot of jumping up and down, hopping, lowering, and vertical movements and only Tohei ever did his Aikido like that. I studied this a lot and always wondered why nobody in Aikikai did Aikido like the videos of O-Sensei, nothing like it. Don't read too much into a book, because you weren't there and you don't know what the tiny difference mean, just go by what the words say and the picture shows, but remember the words were possibly written by the son, not the master. Even in this attempt to understand the "O-Sensei iriminage"... they get it wrong... at 1 : 16 in the below linked video they say Saito did it the same but it's clearly not the same: uke is cross body in relation to nage and nage has uke's gi collar grabbed... also the order of the photos from the book is wrong: The first set of 4 sequences is out of order. 3 should be 2 and 2 should be 3... (so don't trust the book or videos without thinking for yourself) O-Sensei did it by the neck not the gi collar and was mirroring the body of uke. Totally different. I talked to Pranin Sensei a lot about why nobody did Aikido like O-Sensei and then he made this video. I think he understood but the video does not show that he understood since the Saito version is NOT the same. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKHNp59rerOorsk So that's my view on this. Thanks for the video.

[@azharsukma280589]

Hi Marius. I could be mistaken but from what I can see you managed to imitate O Sensei's form but as a result you lost your center line. I think the reason why O Sensei's form was like that is because he had perfect hanmi stance where even though his body is seems to face to the side, his center line remains straight. Also, in my opinion, all the great senseis were not wrong even though their forms seem to differ with O Sensei. I think the principle is still the same. If I'm not mistaken, O Sensei said once that Aikido has no form. That is why I think there were variations in forms with O Sensei's early students but still O Sensei granted them 10 DAN. CMIIW

[@MARIUSVL]

Azhar Sukma Hi Azhar. Thank you for responding to my video. Now, i will try to answer to your points. I am not totally sure what you are referring to as center line, if you are talking about aligning yourself perfectly sideways, forming a line with your body- this is not what O sensei is doing here, he keeps his back shoulder turned towards the front, even though he’s not extending the other tegatana in front, so beside this ,the form is exactly the same as in postwar. You are right, O sensei continuously stressed that there is no form in aikido, but he also said that every detail has to be correct, otherwise it is not a technique. Clearly, there are many many forms, many techniques, and most of them remained exactly the same after the war, i am more than convinced,that what O sensei meant by saying this, is that This art is not about learning physical forms, it is just the beginning, the outer appearance, true aikido is beyond the forms, beyond the visible. It is the study of the spirit- as he would often say. O sensei never overemphasised the importance of ranks, it is known, that he gave the ranks left and right as he pleased, just to encourage his young students. “I’ve given my life to opening the path of aikido but when i look back no one is following me” Morihei Ueshiba

[@azharsukma280589]

@@MARIUSVL Hi Marius, to my knowledge, center line or usually called chuushin in Japanese is the center line of your body where our movements in aikido revolves around. In Yoshinkan aikido, you can see they rigorously keep and guard their center line which make their techniques kind of look rigid. In Aikikai, the chuushin is often not clearly visible but you can tell it's there. This chuushin is one of the principle that enables fudoushin or unmoveable spirit. As my sensei taught it, although called chuushin it does not necessarily have to be in the center of the body. As one gain more mastery of his chuushin, it can be anywhere outside the body. I think the advanced application is when O Sensei hold out a jo and a couple of the students tried to push the jo but they could not. Just my two cents

[@OsRaunio]

@@MARIUSVL Excellent series. I think O-Sensei is aligned slightly more forwards (looking his left knee and right shoulder), as one would in the modern two handed version.

[@MARIUSVL]

@@OsRaunio very good observation! Dont know if i made it very clear about this point, but i think i did mentioned that the only difference is in extension of tegatana to the side, instead of forward. Otherwise it is identical.

[@VenturaIT]

How many 10th dan did he give?