# An opinion please?



## charyuop (Apr 13, 2009)

Apart from the fact that I don't believe it is a real exam, but something staged, can I have some qualified technical opinion? I get excited too easily and all that movement gets too much into me so I can't tell if it is really as good as it seems.


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## morph4me (Apr 13, 2009)

Looks more like a demosntration than an exam.


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## stone_dragone (Apr 13, 2009)

It says Exam, but I'm inclined to think "Demonstration" as well.  Impressively prepared, regardless.


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## Gordon Nore (Apr 13, 2009)

I would say rehearsed, but a damn good showing. Seems to me that uke's attacks are not Aikido, ie that he's kicking like a karateka, etc. Never seen that in Aikido. Is this common?


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## Kumbajah (Apr 13, 2009)

I vote rehearsed - if it's not, I'm more impressed with the uke being able to keep up. I've done kick defenses in Hapkido that are very similar and pulled them off in sparring. These flow like a demo ( the uke isn't being cautious as one would be in sparring situation) but then again what is a test but a demo. i.e. demonstrate x technique from y attack. They didn't label it as randori.


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## Gordon Nore (Apr 13, 2009)

stone_dragone said:


> It says Exam, but I'm inclined to think "Demonstration" as well.  Impressively prepared, regardless.



Could be that a demo is part of the exam process, I wonder? TwinFist's TKD 3rd dan test contained demonstration elements, as we saw here:
the first couple videos from my test

This may be rehearsed, but the ukemi is quite real IMO.


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## Chris Parker (Apr 14, 2009)

Gordon Nore said:


> I would say rehearsed, but a damn good showing. Seems to me that uke's attacks are not Aikido, ie that he's kicking like a karateka, etc. Never seen that in Aikido. Is this common?


 
Hi,

From what I remember, at least one of the schools (Tomiki maybe? Or possibly Yoshinkan. If anyone remembers, please help...) used to practice against karate attacks, the idea being that the Aikidoka uses a circular, grappling-style response against karate's straight-line, striking-style attacks. This idea is another expression of dualities, Yin-Yang, In-Yo (in Japanese), hard-soft etc. So while it isn't necessarily common, it is not unheard of. I think there was some examples of it in "Budo: The Art of Killing" from the 70's. You know what, I'm pretty sure it was Tomiki Aikido. Probably. I think.


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## terryl965 (Apr 14, 2009)

Demo, exam whichever it was still pretty damm good. The Uke was excellent and the timing was great.


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## Kumbajah (Apr 14, 2009)

Gordon Nore said:


> This may be rehearsed, but the ukemi is quite real IMO.



You can't fake ukemi  but there is a difference between falling for something you know is coming and something you are surprised by.


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## theletch1 (Apr 14, 2009)

We have several folks in our school that came from karate backgrounds and they often attack like that.  Good showing.


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## Gordon Nore (Apr 14, 2009)

Kumbajah said:


> You can't fake ukemi  but there is a difference between falling for something you know is coming and something you are surprised by.


 
Quite so. I guess I was splitting hairs. Merely trying to say that uke didn't look to me like he was just taking a dive.


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## Aiki Lee (Apr 17, 2009)

yes that was quite an impressive display of aikido. Even though it was likely a demo it does show how aiki principles can work in a real fight. Uke and tori both showed a high degree of control and skill in both ukemi and execution of technique in my opinion.


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## citom (Apr 25, 2009)

The uke was impressive.
Apparently this footage was shot in Vietnam?


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## Jenna (Apr 25, 2009)

charyuop said:


> Apart from the fact that I don't believe it is a real exam, but something staged, can I have some qualified technical opinion? I get excited too easily and all that movement gets too much into me so I can't tell if it is really as good as it seems.


Hey charyuop  why do you think this is NOT an examination?  Set syllabus run-through, good uke of comparable grade? Seems to make sense to me.  I have seen clubs before treat their shodan test as a demonstration where the juniors are encouraged to watch and to show appreciation - I like that - it gives the testing more of a 'one big family' feel and which is great for the spectators and can alleviate pressure from the candidate.  My own style grades in the exact opposite way: formal and more, um, dignified.  I would have preferred the other way .  And but nothing seems too out of place here for me watching this as an examination 
Yr most obdt hmble srvt,
Jenna


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