Wednesday, June 8, 2011

My Sensei is a Whale & Comment Issues



In "Eastern" martial arts, it is very common to have styles or techniques named after particular animals. Or at least have metaphors and stories about animals. Well, through all the dragons, tigers, cranes, snakes, etc ... I'd say my sensei most resembles a whale.


Ha! Do you teachers out there wish to be likened to a whale by your aspiring students? Well, in my eyes it's a great compliment.


I get this whale-ish feeling from my sensei because when you practice a move with him, he flows around very substantially, but at the same time very smoothly, just as a large whale swims through the ocean.


But then, when he decides to finish the technique and put force into it, it's like your being absolutley crushed by an enormous whale.


I can't remember a single time in practicing techniques with him that I could have ever competed with him using strength. We're just about the same height, and he may have 10 pounds on me, but put us in a weight room and I'm sure I could outlift him. Regardless of this, everytime he decides to put me down, it's like I'm being thrown around by a giant whale.


For three obvious factors of how he is able to do this, I'd say he:


1.) only exerts force when he is in a superior position to do so,


2.) has a great ability to "root" (or be strong and stable in stance),


3.) flows smoothly through transitions.


There you have it, my sensei the whale.



Also, I've been having some issues with my blog concerning comments. I can't leave comments on my own or anybody else's blog. When I try to do so by going to a comment page, it logs me out. I'm looking in to how to fix it, but if any of you bloggers have encountered this before and have an answer, I'd love to hear about it. I've got some really good comments on the last few posts and would love to answer ... as well as post on your blogs as well, but just haven't been able to. Wish me luck in untangling the knots of TechWorld ... I feel kind of like a whale stuck in a monkey puzzle tree.

2 comments:

  1. mine did this too... just re-sign in and make sure your 'remember' user function is off.... good post.... funny. i'll have to think about my teacher now.

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  2. So... is this the answer -

    "only exerts force when he is in a superior position to do so"

    To this? -

    "You shouldn't use strength in aikido"

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