Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 08:35:22 +0100
From: Philip Armstrong <phil@KANTAKA.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: A quick review was:Re: Excelent weekend
I had an excellent weekend + must thank all those involved in
organising + running it. Especially Justin; his handout that arrived
in the post a week before the course was a model of professionalism!
The one thing that I really carry away from the course was the unity
of the aikido demonstrated by all those who were brave enough to stand
up and strut their stuff on the mat. From Yoshinkan -> Kiwee, the
principles are all there.
As Giles said at his jujutsu session towards the end 'I was going to
start with a list of ways in which Hakku Ryu was different from
aikido, but every session I've knocked another difference off the list
as not being different at all!' (I paraphrase). Giles' session was a
lot of fun; very direct variants of Shihonage (although they call it
something else...) with evil joint locks thrown in.
Highlights of the weekend for me personally:
Doing a spot of Ki exercises again -- reminder of my first year and
a bit in aikido before I moved to Oxford.
James' 6 step paired jo-kata at 1 in the morning (we have the photos
to prove it; they were practising jo for 2 1/2 hours til 1.30am !)
Plus seeing all the different variants; Yoshinkan's directness,
flowing aikikai, practising maia with Tomiki knife attacks. And
that's just what I can remember of the top of my head!
Thanks to all involved; I'll have to drop in on the Windsor club
sometime and hold out my wrist sometime...
Phil
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