3 November 2016
Greetings Nihon Goshin Aficionado!
Let me share a story with you.
Searching for a quick lunch in the middle of nowhere on the SC/GA state line, I found myself standing in a gas station checkout line with 4 dubious burritos in my hand. As I was waiting to pay, I began to realize that the woman checking out in front of me had some serious issues.
The first thing I noticed was that she smelled awful; not a body odor smell, but a “chemical” smell. Her unkempt hair scattered out of an ill fitting bandanna. A dirty t-shirt, cut off blue jeans, and flip flops displaying nasty toes and toenails completed her attire.
Without really thinking about any of its implications, I distinctly remember commenting to myself, “Now this must be what a ‘crack addict’ looks like.”
The door to the gas station opened to my left. A big bell hanging from the top of the exit rang loudly so everyone would know someone had entered.
I looked in the direction of the new patron and saw a man standing in the doorway; barefoot, equally dirty, twitchy, wild eyed, and clearly paranoid. He entered the station and he walked right to me. As I watched him close the distance, I thought ~ “Now here is an even bigger ‘crack head.”
Just before he entered my mai-ai, I moved the burritos to the hand nearest him ~ and wondered why he was “ducking” ~ as if he did not want anyone to see him.
From the “ducked” position, he reached out, but not to me, and he grabbed the aforementioned “crack-head” lady in front of me by the arm. He started pulling her away from the cash register demanding through rotten teeth, “It’s time to go!”
The woman was in no mood to be dominated however, and she broke free of him, screaming, “Ima gettin’ my drink!” (She pronounced “drink” like this: “draink!”). Her transaction completed just as the man gripped her, and she moved to the right to fill her Big Gulp. The man thought about going after her, but after some deliberation, he turned and shuffled out the door.
I paid for my burritos, and headed to the door also. Before I reached the exit, a car in a state of serious disrepair rolled up in front of the door and parallel to the exit. The skittish drug addict was in the driver’s seat staring darts right through me as I walked back to my car. In my car’s rearview mirror, I then observed the woman leave the store. She got into the previously mentioned waiting car, which sped off leaving a dark gray cloud of smoke in the parking lot ~ headed back to Georgia.
As I drove back to my meeting, I started to wonder about the situation. On the one hand I was thankful that I made an early decision never to touch alcohol or drugs. Being a teetotaler has suited me well. It’s funny. One person can drink two beers after work his whole adult life and never have a problem. Those same two beers can ruin someone else’s life in a heartbeat. My thoughts on the matter have always been, “It is not worth the risk to find out which one of those scenarios you will encounter if you try it.” And furthermore, “Think of all the money I’ve saved by not drinking!”
Still the situation sat with me. I would have been the only one in the store able to defend the woman had he not let go of her arm, and tried to drag her away.
I’m glad it didn’t come to that. Somehow I think I would have ended up defending myself from both of them. I think there is an ancient Chinese saying that goes something like, “Never enter into a “Lovers’ Quarrel’ between two crack heads.”
Get your Lift Up Applications Here!
Wild Side Lift Up Applications ~ from one of Steven Seagal’s students.
Of particular interest to me is the way he uses the Lift Up to transition between techniques ~ which is very detailed.
The video documents some of the transitions from attacks.
Lift Up Applications off an attempted 2 hand jacket grab
Lift Up => Handshake => Arm Bar
Lift Up => Handshake => Pivot Take Down
Lift Up => Handshake => Arm Bar => Come Along Pin (Standing with pin executed by inside Knee)
Lift Up Applications from an attempted Cross Hand Grab
First Wrist Technique => Lift Up => Slap to the Side of the Head
First Wrist Technique => Lift Up => Two On One
Lift Up Applications from a straight wrist grab
One looks like a high version of our Classical Technique => Pull Down from the Rear => Keep Lift Up applied on hand => Front Wrist Throw
There are some other Lift Up Application from a 2-hand wrist grab ~ which you might recognize, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. The video is excellent.
Articles of Interest:
Why Shizentai? Why NGA begins all of their techniques in a flat stance?
Realism In Training by Gary Boaz
Hokkaido 2020: My Proposal to Re-launch a Nihon Goshin Aikido Dojo in Chitose, Hokkaido Japan
Ukemi Nage: Leveraging Warm Ups to Maximize Training
All right ~ well that’s it for me this month! Happy Thanksgiving. A big Pivot Over The Back Throw to you and yours!
Let’s meet together on the mat and soon.
All the best,
Jonathan Wilson
The Classic Lines of the Nihon Goshin Aikido training gi are unmistakable.
- White Gi
- “Ai” patch on the right breast
- “Ki” patch on the left breast
- Association patch on the right shoulder.
- Applicable belt (white, yellow, blue, green, purple, brown, black),
- Black hakama (worn only by those who have achieved a black belt in Nihon Goshin Aikido)
Some things simply never change. The student/ instructor uniform should be one of those things. This uniform marks a connection all the way back to the Chitose dojo, and should be preserved.
These are not the Ki techniques you are
looking for.
Inside Nihon Goshin Aikido ~ #44
Neat little 2 Hand Grip from the Front Throwing Application. Depending on the day, I can see this as a Backwards Throw to the Front, or a Backwards Throw to the Side application....
(Video link is down)
They call it: “Ryote Munedori Zemponage”
Unless otherwise stated, the author’s views, musings, and opinions do not necessarily reflect the attitude of leadership within any of the various Nihon Goshin Aikido associations, or unaffiliated Nihon Goshin Aikido dojos.
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