Aji

[still learning]

At a Gasshuku I was at last year, Oda Sensei was trying to get his 5th dan group to do something, not sure what, I was in a different group. I can find out, one of my students was in the group. He was getting exasperated. He made all the Japanese stop and watch the Europeans, then said, "If the gaijin can do it, why can't the Japanese?"

The exercise/practise was to sit in complete [relaxed] seiza - cut kirioroshi - achieve yoko chiburi........ all of this to lead to........ a clean, controlled noto.

Most - perhaps all - of the Japanese students present [16 of the 20 of us in the group; all bar 2 Jikiden] were bashing their saya on the floor........... failing to be aware of all of the positional elements of the seating position........ and failing to employ left hand sufficiently/correctly.

Some had passed 5th dan only a few months before........ others had achieved the grade up to 8 years before this event.

[chidokan]

there is nothing worse than being shown as a 'good example' to japanese students in the local dojo...other than being asked to demonstrate said good example as an example of 'if a useless gaijin can do it why can't you....'

We have had the lower body exercises hammered at us (amongst other useful kihon) for about four years now.. I have found they really move on my junior students in a way I did not expect, so am pleasantly surprised. I had one of my students turn up tonight after a two year absence, and he was quite surprised at how well the juniors did given their time in. It occurs to me that our high level teaching is quite subtle if you watch it, and this type of thing is easily missed by junior students... it took me quite a while to click that something was going on that I couldnt put a finger on, and a while longer to work out how to ask the right question. This stuff has moved me on quite a way in my general understanding of how to move around.

[Wraith]

What kind of lower body exercises are you practicing?

[chidokan]

I would have to show you, it would take far too long to write them out... However I admit the first time I saw them I thought them... odd... to say the least. The hard part is getting your head around what they are doing and why. They are quite easily misinterpreted, so I only teach them now I understand them correctly. It was related to exactly the problem Peter and Kim mention about people failing godan etc. It took me two years to get my head around what these do and I see a major improvement for my juniors, so they are obviously worth doing.
The interesting thing is that they are done with a stick, not a sword, in order to remove the 'distraction' of the blade and make people think more about their technique. If you try to cut too hard, the stick wobbles around, move wrong, and nothing works... Its quite an interesting approach to teaching.

[Peter West]

These days I practice Eishin Ryu haya nuki at about 1/8 speed with empty hands. The important thing is to keep moving and never relax at the end of each Hakama Sasso Sabaki movement. The whole thing takes about 8-10 minutes. Every movement should be made with total control, keeping the body vertical, shoulders relaxed and head correctly positioned.

[Marcos]

Both Tim and Peter sensei's are rigth, in adition to the last interesting things thaks to Peter sensei, my sensei also teach do all this points but without moving so much and keeping the same space in all your movements, so, I train this and teach making a square with 4 jo and you do Hayanuki in the midle.

[hl1978]

These days I practice Eishin Ryu haya nuki at about 1/8 speed with empty hands. The important thing is to keep moving and never relax at the end of each Hakama Sasso Sabaki movement. The whole thing takes about 8-10 minutes. Every movement should be made with total control, keeping the body vertical, shoulders relaxed and head correctly positioned.

Sounds like tai chi, which is in my opinion, a very good thing.

[chidokan]

and the challenge is..... try and get your students to go that slow.

[kaneboSALA]

Sounds like Kyudo :P

[Peter West]

Marcos, what you describe is correct for Haya Nuki, the movements are modified to prevent wandering around the dojo and endangering other people.

[Peter West]

and the challenge is..... try and get your students to go that slow.

Not a chance, most of them go too fast for realistic speed, certainly cant do it 1/2 or 1/4 speed.

[chidokan]

I guess at the root of it all its just about getting your body to do exactly what you want at the right time... Simple really...

[Marcos]

Thank You Peter sensei! It feels good when a sensei say that your path is correct ^_^

[hl1978]

Sounds like Kyudo :P

True, though the question is why you want to go so slow and why do only a few arts do it. What might they be working on that differs?

[Durandal]

Thank You Peter sensei! It feels good when a sensei say that your path is correct ^_^

Until this sensei realise his path was wrong



note: I'm not saying that Peter's path is wrong.