koichi tohei...aikido the arts of self-defense

i am currently reading a book written by tohei senesi. the book serves as the roots of aikido. my sensei studied unter tohei sensei. ki is such a part of aikido. i will report back after reading the book.

Knife attacks

Knife attacks can be scary. You must remain calm. If not, you will get hurt. Anticipating the attack is a must. You must have faith in your technique. You shouldn't look at the knife. You need to be aware of it but look at the whole attacker. Eyes will give you an indication of an attack besides body movement.

being soft

I recently attended a seminar. It was mentioned several times by the instructor about being soft. He said if your body is soft. It will be hard for someone to grab you. He showed us several techniques against softness/hardness. It was obvious of the benefits of being soft.

What is the perfect technique?

I have been thinking about this for awhile. I have finally realize all techniques can be the perfect. It depends on the attack, location, size of person attacking, time of day and many other variables. Any technique can be perfect...

Steven Stegal "The Lawman".....

I watched last Wed the "The Lawman". Wow, Aikido does really work in the real world. I knew it did but cool to see it for real. Steven has been a sheriff for 20 years. Now I understand why there has not been any new movies. The gun is an extension just like the broken........ cool

Training when injured...

It's so hard to know if it's okay to train when hurt. Our bodies tell us one thing while our minds tell us the truth. Or is it the other way. I am currently injuired with 2 bad knees. I will need surgery on one of them. My body told me not to train a few weeks ago . It was just impossible and unsafe. As time passed by, my mind is telling me that I can train but within reason.

The eyes...

Next time during an attack, watch the uke eyes. It's a dead give away when the attack is going to happen. Take a look and you will understand....