[Article] Aikido 3D - Where CG meets the Tatami

The things i find these days on the internet. ..

I found a site through one of the google ads which was advertising software which is suppose to assist with aikido training. They claim to be able to demonstrate more than 100 aikido techniques with 360 degree viewing of the moves with or without the attacker.

For those interested in learning more about it, here's the excerp from their website Aikido3D.com on what you would be able to to with the software:
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• Control and explore motion-captured Aikido in 3 Dimensions.

• Listen to Sensei’s step-by-step voice over for every technique!

• Learn about techniques’ name, meaning and points to consider.

• Control technique Playback speed from Slow-Motion to fast action.

• Turn on Uke & Nage’s hip radials to watch their centers interact.

• Remove Uke's or Nage’s Hakamas for a better look at their footwork.

• 3 interactive cameras for frontal, top and action-following views.

• Closely follow Nage’s footprints to study each technique’s footwork.

• Find your perfect viewing angle with 360 degree camera control.

• Zoom in and out to change perspective on Uke-Nage interaction.

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From what I've seen from the site, it appears to be a good way for people to familiarize themselves with the moves and concepts in aikido, however I would not take this software as a means of learning Aikido completely as the experience of a sensei and hands on training with an experienced akikai is alot different than from what you could learn off software.

On the other hand, experienced practitioners or people who simply want to know more about the techniques in aikido could benefit from it as a means of remembering techniques and learning the basics before choosing to enter seriously into aikido training.

[Article] Thoughts on Training - by Eric Sotnak

Aikido practice begins the moment you enter the dojo! Trainees ought to endeavor to observe proper etiquette at all times. It is proper to bow when entering and leaving the dojo, and when coming onto and leaving the mat. Approximately 3-5 minutes before the official start of class, trainees should line up and sit quietly in seiza (kneeling) or with legs crossed.

The only way to advance in aikido is through regular and continued training. Attendance is not mandatory, but keep in mind that in order to improve in aikido, one probably needs to practice at least twice a week. In addition, insofar as aikido provides a way of cultivating self-discipline, such self-discipline begins with regular attendance.

Your training is your own responsibility. No one is going to take you by the hand and lead you to proficiency in aikido. In particular, it is not the responsibility of the instructor or senior students to see to it that you learn anything. Part of aikido training is learning to observe effectively. Before asking for help, therefore, you should first try to figure the technique out for yourself by watching others.

Aikido training encompasses more than techniques. Training in aikido includes observation and modification of both physical and psychological patterns of thought and behavior. In particular, you must pay attention to the way you react to various sorts of circumstances. Thus part of aikido training is the cultivation of (self-)awareness.

The following point is very important: Aikido training is a cooperative, not competitive, enterprise. Techniques are learned through training with a partner, not an opponent. You must always be careful to practice in such a way that you temper the speed and power of your technique in accordance with the abilities of your partner. Your partner is lending his/her body to you for you to practice on - it is not unreasonable to expect you to take good care of what has been lent you.

Aikido training may sometimes be very frustrating. Learning to cope with this frustration is also a part of aikido training. Practitioners need to observe themselves in order to determine the root of their frustration and dissatisfaction with their progress. Sometimes the cause is a tendency to compare oneself too closely with other trainees. Notice, however, that this is itself a form of competition. It is a fine thing to admire the talents of others and to strive to emulate them, but care should be taken not to allow comparisons with others to foster resentment, or excessive self-criticism.

If at any time during aikido training you become too tired to continue or if an injury prevents you from performing some aikido movement or technique, it is permissible to bow out of practice temporarily until you feel able to continue. If you must leave the mat, ask the instructor for permission.

Although aikido is best learned with a partner, there are a number of ways to pursue solo training in aikido. First, one can practice solo forms (kata) with a jo or bokken. Second, one can "shadow" techniques by simply performing the movements of aikido techniques with an imaginary partner. Even purely mental rehearsal of aikido techniques can serve as an effective form of solo training.

It is advisable to practice a minimum of two hours per week in order to progress in aikido.

Article by Eric Sotnak,

Taken from Aikiweb.com

[Article] How to exercise Ki

Ki is very natural, so it flows in and through people, whether they are familiar with the concept or not. What needs to be trained is to experience this flow, increase it, and learn to utilize it better. For a good ki flow, several things have to be worked on, mainly:

• Posture
  Breathing
  Center
  Extension

These interact, so that one without the others is not enough. It is difficult to breathe correctly with a bad posture, yet it is correct breathing that perfects the posture. A strong sense of center promotes correct breathing, and correct breathing strengthens the center. And so on. So, all of them are needed, and they help each other along. You have to work on them all, and gradually the progress with one will help your progress with the others, and vice versa. Still, there is a proper order to them:

A straightened posture opens for belly breathing.
Belly breathing leads to awareness of the center.
The center is the source for a strong spirit of extension.
The spirit of extension equals a good ki flow.

There is one more ingredient, important in all of the above: relaxation. This may be the most difficult one. We tend to be tense, both in mind and body, and this tension is not easy to loosen. Belly breathing is the best, but that is still dependent on how the other factors above are developed. Maybe the best you can do to relax is to want to, and then give it time. Your progress with the other factors will automatically help you along. Below, I give some very simple exercises for the above steps. They are really very easy – I bet that anyone can do them, without any preparation. But they have to be repeated, until they become almost instinctive, the normal way of being. This can take long – maybe a year, maybe several years. In aikido this development is sort of automatically contained in the regular training, so that you develop posture, breathing, center and extension without even having to think about it – unless you practice aikido in a very misguided way. Still, the below exercises will surely speed up the process, and help you focus on it also in aikido training.

Excerp taken from article by Stefan Stenudd

For full article on "How to exercise Ki",

go to http://www.stenudd.com/aikido/ki-exercises.htm