A Takumakai beginners perspective
I am certainly not an authority on the Takumakai but I am happy to share my perspective. I have practiced under a range of senior sensei so I can comment from a varied training experience within the Takumakai.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ellis Amdur
1. The question of hanmi - I've been told that the Kodokai does not use hanmi as their baseline stance and that Horikawa stated it is because Daito-ryu has it's roots in gagaku (archaic dance). Is this even true of the Kodokai? Much less other Daito-ryu groups? I'm curious, because I do not particularly like hanmi because it twists the hip too far behind - as opposed to hitoemi where the twist is not so radical.
2. I'm aware that DR practitioners would assert that aikidoka's kokyuho is lacking a clear differentiation of aikisage and aikiage. It's unclear what Saito meant here - perhaps an Iwama old-timer has an idea?
3. The unity of weaponry - hmmm. Depends on the faction, doesn't it?
4. I am curious about what DR practitioners think of the more "archane" elaborate waza - what IS their purpose?
1. Hanmi as practiced in Aikikai is not a standard form/stance in the Daito-ryu I have practiced. No sensei have ever suggested to me that Daito-ryu has it's origins in gagaku. The turning of the hips and tanden offline (as it occurs in hanmi) is discouraged.
2. Kokyuho is an aikido concept, however I have been taught the importance of breathing and the timing and control of breathing throughout technique. This is something that is not overtly taught at first but becomes more important with progress.
3. In Takumakai there are many different Dojo with sensei of different views. Amatsu sensei does not teach weapons, nor does he believe they are directly relevant to teaching Aiki Jujutsu. Other teachers emphasize weapons to differing degree and teach them in conjunction with the aiki jujutsu waza.
4. This is really a question of perspective - it depends which techniques you are talking about as well. I have had the experience of seeing complex waza within Takumakai and I wondered what on earth was going on and questioned the practicality (to myself). Then I have had the opportunity to feel and practice some of them. To have them performed on me was an eye opener as feeling these techniques is a revelation (often painful). To perform them well is exceptionally difficult and requires a high level of skill and demands a solid grounding in the fundamentals of DRAJ movement. They really are on a different level to 'standard' self defence techniques and are overtly a demonstration of mastery of range of principles. Having said that, I am aware of some complex waza that are purely for public demonstration to get the wow factor.
I speak only from my limited experience from within a large and internally diverse branch of Daito-ryu. I am certain that there would be differing opinions about these questions within Daito-ryu as a whole.
Gagaku and Tibetan liturgical music...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Ellis Amdur
(P.S. - that music establishes that there is possibly a limit to our future ability to establish rapport with an alien culture from another planet. Even this is nearly as far from music as fingernails on a chalkboard. We will probably go to war the moment the Klingons bring out their instruments).
Once you get past the overt dissonance (which can be painful to those of us trained in the western musical tradition) they can be rather... tolerable...ish (though as a friend who has been studying/performing Bugaku for a couple of decades says, "you never quite get used to it..."):D
Be well,
Jigme