The Secret to Smoothness ~
Effective Blending
By Jonathan Wilson
In my mind Master Morita’s aikido looks like a big circle. If you consider the Ni-Dan testing requirements relating to blending, it seems his idea is that most often nage will move away from the punch in a circular fashion. This is why you have the blending line at the end of a lot of classes ~ where you are always moving away from the punch.
This movement, while potentially creating trouble for combination punches when uke throws a roundhouse punch or in multiple attacker scenarios, creates a simple movement outline that works with all varieties of attacks, and consistently positions nage in his rightful place: namely, in the whirlwind eye of the proverbial hurricane.
Consider this video featuring Sensei Heath Macaluso.
If anything the blending is monotonous, a simple step inside, and a swinging of the back foot away from the punch ~ but you can not argue it’s effectiveness.
So many times I find myself exploring the fringes of the art ~ wanting to secure its boundaries in my mind’s eye, but it pays great dividends to come back to the core principles of the art.
So hears the deal: You want to show lineage to Mr. Bowe and Master Morita? Well, make sure your aikido looks like Mr. Bowe’s aikido.
~~~~ Special thanks to Sensei Macaluso for posting this outstanding youtube video.
Uke Appears Unhappy ~~~
The Yang Blend: The Signature Entry Movements in Our Style
I used the Tenshin Movement to get here ~ (see video below) also.
Uke’s attack was a backhand strike, which I parried well, stepping back with Tenshin movement to effectively unbalance Uke.... Then I undercut him with an evolved application. It’s a cross between a Body Block, Pivot Over the Back, Back Breaker, with a little Muggers Throw thrown in for fun.
While the fall is surprisingly easy, it’s still not a technique you want to bust out on someone with out confidence in their ukemi abilities.
Before my attack line test, I did this technique on every attacker to make sure they were ready for it.
Related Articles:
Proper Composure for Every Type of Attacker
The Sho-Dan Rank and its relationship to future training
How to Control the Pace of the Test and Stay Fresh!
Breaking Out of Ruts ~ Creating Variety
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The Secret to Being Smooth ~ and looking like an NGA Practitioner ~ is Getting Good At This Blend
