photo by unknown student.
Since this photo is about 20 years old. I thought I would take a new look at the the 20 year projection..
They say the founder of Aikido thought about this tech night and day for 20 years..
So it became known as the 20 year projection.. or throw..
Looking at this image, I know I have certainly changed my understanding of this tech/principle has certainly changed..
Perhaps I will do a modern take on the still camera to show the differences in than in now..
Of course I beleive my tech is far better..:biggrin:
Much simpler and more direct.. And I would be square to the person being thrown and my heel would be up...oo
And now I avoid the fall altogther and just .. well wait untill I show it..
Back in the day,
For what ever reason, After the hour or two of sword and staff tech and paired sword practice..
It was the first empty hand tech I ever learned at my teacher Dojo.
One his seniors "Doug" politely asked me "to punch him in the head." And "not to hold back".
Now I knew I was going to be thrown. But and I had been thrown before so I thought .. why not..
So I played along..
And gave him a over commited right hand..
All I remember is waking up looking up, with him smiling down at me . He held out his hand and helped me up and than I said. "Nice throw may I have another". :biggrin:.
And again I got thrown down and knocked out for a second or two.
And for that was enough to gain respect and was my in..
After that we became instant friends. And that was the first of many, many concussions in my Aikido training.
Thankfully my Sensei came along and showed a slightly more "ellegant" and not the head snapping back with the body keeps going , while the feet go tread up to the sky..:tongue:
It was than I learned there are many ways to do an aiki tech.. Sometimes it can go nice.. And other times... not so nice..
As far as the head trauma...
Back in the day, we didnt know any better.
And in truth, I heard that :being thrown" and experincing the throws directly , was the quickest and bestest way:smile:, to understand the art.
And in many ways "they" where right..
Now in saying that.
I remember many, many days, leaving class with headaches and being nauseous..
And this went on for years.. decades..
And I also remember it being very common for me to black out for a moment while "close lined" in the head during class.
I remember in Ninjutsu which I was training in one time ..
One of my favorite teacher's there there asked me attack him class in a class demo.
Now in Ninjutsu they care far less for your well being and more about showing good spirit in tech..
And him being a former highly ranked AIki man before studying Ninjutsu.. I knew it was coming..
And so I stepped in and close lined so hard it cracked me coller bone and my feet hit the roof of the low ceiling and I blacked out , while my body apparently did a perfect break fall..
If you have ever seen the first throw Steven Segal does in his do-jo Above the Law, you will get the idea..
Only I was the guy getting planted to the mat, and not Steve:smile:
Anyways, when I got up I had blistering headache and couldnt move my arm..
.. So is life..
And when I went on my own and started to teach aiki concepts I was was just as reckless..
But as another one of my teacher's told me several years later while learning Kali.
Banger's only train with banger's. And back than I wanted to bang..
Thankfully, after learning more about the cause and effect of repeated head trauma. I refuse to train like that anymore.
I wouldnt teach my , students or my kids like that anymore
It was about 15 years ago when I quit being a head trauma test subject and instigator.
In fact, saftey and the well being of my students is first and foremost in are training..
Oh course the damage done in my noodle, still remains.. Not much to be done..
Water under the bridge, or as I like to say rapid decelaration of the brain in the scull..
In a fight for my life, than that's a differnt story.
Hope you guys enjoyed the photo and little story .
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