Some Dai San thoughts

I have been working through some of the problems of the Tomiki Koryu Dai San kata lately. I will try to make Wilkinson Sensei (my internet kata enthusiast friend) happy and practice them more regularly. The Koryu Dai San is a large 2 person collection of techniques.

To be honest I am not always the biggest fan nor advocate of the rigid and overly structured kata system. There are hundreds of redundant techniques piled haphazardly together in this gargantuan system.

But not to keep my students from being exposed to the katas, we have been digesting various pieces from time to time. I am beginning to find a new relationship with the higher kata of the Tomiki system. They remind me of chess puzzles. In chess they have puzzles that are the last few moves of a game. They take the skills you have, and allow you to exercise them in a particular context. Thus, the theory might be that it exercises the mind to play effectively in more circumstances and with differing patterns. Ok I buy it. They may not be the meat and potatoes of the system, but they may be a useful game to play.

To add one stipulation though, I do find that I change the techniques around my ideal of what aikido should be. , but I will fix all the bad ideas as I go. Isn't that the way it should be? (I can already hear the strict kata buffs groaning and gnashing their teeth.)

Differing connections through weapons

I feel that the usual Aikido weapons ciriculum is somewhat lacking. There is the Jo and Bokken. Sometimes the tanto is used, bit only to be taken away.

In the history of Aikido we see OSensei exploring and using a variety of implements. I know he studied spear, jo and sword. He has been pictured using fans. I read he even explored the naginata upon request. I think modern players can expand greatly upon his work.

So here at the Dragon's Orb blog I would like to suggest budoka start exploring different weapons and different connections through objects. Last week I posted a lovely randori with escrima men with sticks. At my dojo we can been using hula hoops, ropes, knives, double sticks, wakizashis and sai lately.

Today I have a short film with my favorite Silat teacher, Guru Maul. His scarf work is worthy of some deep study.