by Nick Lowry Are there any such things as kata in aikido? Of course there are – it’s a silly question, but if you take it that aikido is the invention of M. Ueshiba, then originally, surprisingly No. Nor were there names of waza. That just knocked me over when I first learned of it….
In 2001 I instituted “black belt choice” weeks into our dojo curriculum– this helped develop autonomy and creativity amongst my senior ranks and helped them grow into their own as teachers. It was an experiment and I liked how it worked and wrote the following:
by Nick Lowry As we enter Randori (literally chaos practice) it is easy to be overwhelmed and feel lost. We are wandering through unknown territory. Kata and Kihon (including randori sequence exercises, chains, renkzoku waza, etc) indeed all structured exercises that comprise a martial arts form or style, from the informal ad hoc type to…
by Nick Lowry In Randori we are learning to perceive and react– go as slow and light as possible because the more you can stay in the slow/light frame of reference, the more information you will have about what is happening. Our own speed and internal tensions rob us of perception;speed tends to blur the distinct visual…
by Nick Lowry Senpai/Kohai describes a relationship of seniority and responsibility that is used in traditional dojos to help define the roles that we fulfill in training together. Senpai is basically “senior” who is entrusted to act as a mentor and guide to kohai, the “junior” whose job it is to let the senpai lead…
by Kyle Sloan; Cameron Siemens, Uke; Photography & Video by Rob Goodwill This is the final installment of the series. This is a great self-defense technique from Dr. Clif Norgaard. Instead of moving to hit you, maybe uke is going to come in from the side and kick you. Roll toward uke, using your top…
by Kyle Sloan; Cameron Siemens, Uke; Photography & Video by Rob Goodwill When returning to standing from the ground, there’s a safe way to do it if uke is nearby. From hands and knees, look behind you and kick. Again, keep your foot parallel to the floor. Take a step… … then a second… ……
by Kyle Sloan, Cameron Siemens, Uke; Photography & Video by Rob Goodwill In order to effectively strike, uke must raise up. You will feel uke’s rising actions. As uke raises up, pull your knees to your chest. Make sure you set your toes in the mat. When uke is up jump forward with great enthusiasm,…
Derek Hall, Uke; Kyle Sloan, Tori; Photography & Video by Rob Goodwill This is one of my favorite “trick” techniques, which depends greatly on timing. We begin with uke making a cross body attack by grapping tori’s right wrist. Tori responds with #1 release. Make sure you do all the right things, especially unbendable arm….
by Kyle Sloan; Cameron Siemens, Uke; Photography & Video by Rob Goodwill Judo guys do this every class, and it is the foundation of our escapes. Begin laying on your back. Bring one foot as close to your buttocks as possible. Using the ball of the foot, lift your buttocks into the air. This creates…