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shugyosha
18th November 2002, 09:28
i wonder what importance one take for randori in training?
is it something you practice every training, or is it less important
since there randori on examination, one should pratice it some time
but how and when?

thanks

tony leith
18th November 2002, 13:09
I suppose there are about as many approaches to randori practice are there are kenshi, but here's my opinion for what it's worth - I think it's indispensable as a regular element of training. At the moment in Glasgow most of the class are beginners, so just throwing them into randori is a bit problematic, but you can approach the feel of randori with more limited exercises, encouraging beginners to complete techniques with ren han ko etc.

Mizuno Sensei taught a series of exercises designed to build up confidence at the last UK University Training Seminar - uchi uke zuki, mae ryusi geri, uwa uke geri then harai uke geri, geidan gaeshi, and harai uke dan zuki against the relevant specified attack, all with ren han ko. The kind of feel I personally like in randori is play with an edge - the edge being that you're testing what works, not that you're in any kind of competition with your partner.

The non competitive element and the kind of trust this builds up enables you to practice the kind of elements that might well be necessary in self defence but would be difficult/dangerous to incorporate into sparring (though it has its place too...) . I personally don't like tournanment style randori where certain targets are disallowed 1)because targets like chodan, geidan and kinteki are the ones that actually work and 2) targets like geidan and kinteki are the one I can usually reach.. perils of being a shortarse...

Tony leith

Steve Williams
19th November 2002, 18:52
Hot Potato question......


Just scroll down the thread list to the one titled "Randori Competition" (http://www.e-budo.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2930&highlight=randori) (or just click the link)......

Quite a hot topic a few months ago.

shugyosha
20th November 2002, 10:07
my question was about randori in training, not in competition so its a different i think.

what is hot potato question?

Tripitaka of AA
20th November 2002, 11:16
"Hot Potato" = something that you pass from hand to hand as quickly as possible to avoid feeling too much heat.

This question is the kind that has many answers and some strong opinions that appear to conflict with one another. Or it did when in reference to "competition" as previously mentioned. I think many of the answers on that thread stated it was an essential element of training.