Florida Aikikai Winter Seminar 11/11/2016 – 11/13/2016
The seminar this year was excellent as usual. Lots of aikidoka from everywhere.
Yamada Sensei taught on Saturday at the first class. His classes are always informative. He has the real classic style of aikido with big sweeping movements and a focus on distance.
He did a few nikkyo variations. What I always get from his nikkyo is a sense of distance from your opponent. He keeps a lot of space between himself and his attacker with the concentration on manipulating the wrist.
Pimsler Sensei taught after Yamada Sensei. He continued with the nikkyo theme. His approach to nikkyo differed from Yamada Sensei’s.
Pimsler Sensei did a small circle nikkyo. He focused on applying pressure right into that spot in the wrist where the hand meets the forearm.
Pimsler Sensei demonstrated a nikkyo where he brought his uke’s hand up to his (sensei’s) collar bone and slightly bending forward into uke’s wrist, he concentrated his power and focus into that point. Result, uke going down in pain. I feel for ya. Been there. Done that.
Waite Sensei is always a treat. He moves like wind over a lake. The guy is just smooth.
His movements are effortless and full of intent. He doesn’t tense up make a move work. He lets it flow and the move happens. I always get the impression he is thinking two moves ahead.
Zimmerman Sensei had a calm approach to his aikido. It might be a personality trait, but what I mean is that he was unfazed by any attacks or his response. He appeared to be emotionless. Which I like.
If you don’t show emotion you are in control of yourself. Your tension is under control and you generally move the speed of your attacker. You blend.
This is what he was doing and showing. I also noticed that he used small circle movements when demonstrating nikkyo and kotegashi.
Bernath Sensei needs no words. The guy rocks. I have the pleasure to train under him constantly since I am a member of his dojo and have been since 1998.
But I will say something. What I always take away from him is harnessing that primal power. He has it and naturally accesses it.
I don’t have anyway of expressing how he does it. He’s a natural.
As an example, he was working from a wrist grab. He effortlessly sucked his attacker into his sphere and blasted him with a powerful response.
It appeared as though it was all in time with his breath. Breathing in when taking on the attacker an breathing out when expelling him. Good stuff.
Konigsberg Sensei was awesome as usual. He was teaching to drop your shoulders and not to bunch up and tense your muscles. When you do that you stop the flow of the motion.
I have some great video of him teaching this but it exceeds the size limits on this site. So until I can figure out how to upload it, it remains in my files. Bummer.
