# Gonzales Sensei



## Spinedoc (Feb 8, 2017)

Great demonstration from the Tissier Lineage in France. I've been trying to model my own Aikido practice after them, but it is hard, as the only US based Shihan I know that practices this way is Donovan Waite Shihan. I've been trying to make all of his seminars, and also model my own practice with Tissier concepts.


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## Tony Dismukes (Feb 8, 2017)

What are the distinguishing features and concepts of the Tissier lineage?


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## Spinedoc (Feb 8, 2017)

Tony Dismukes said:


> What are the distinguishing features and concepts of the Tissier lineage?



Good question Tony. When Christian Tissier came back to France from Japan with the intention of moving Aikido forward, there was a STRONG Judo presence already in France. There was a lot of concern about the martial effectiveness of Aikido based on what they were seeing elsewhere. Tissier didn't really re-invent anything, but his style tends to have bigger circles, much more power generation, harder throws, a greater focus on weapons work, and even a bigger focus on kick and more realistic attack defenses than many other Aikikai schools. It's all the same techniques taught at any good Aikikai dojo, but the intent, the movements, and the focus is just a bit more martial. Sort of an Iwama style focused w slightly bigger movements.


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## Tony Dismukes (Feb 8, 2017)

Interesting. I'd like to see video of the techniques broken down for training or application rather than demo mode. I can understand the big aerial breakfalls as a way for uke to handle the wristlock based throws without damage. I'm not so fond of uke throwing themselves a huge aerial breakfall when nage is just doing an evasion or a redirection. It looks cool for the demo, but it isn't necessary for uke's safety and it doesn't resemble any sort of realistic reaction to the technique being employed.


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## Spinedoc (Feb 8, 2017)

Tony Dismukes said:


> Interesting. I'd like to see video of the techniques broken down for training or application rather than demo mode. I can understand the big aerial breakfalls as a way for uke to handle the wristlock based throws without damage. I'm not so fond of uke throwing themselves a huge aerial breakfall when nage is just doing an evasion or a redirection. It looks cool for the demo, but it isn't necessary for uke's safety and it doesn't resemble any sort of realistic reaction to the technique being employed.




Here's good older video of him teaching katate dori shihonage, both omote and ura versions. Starts very slow, slows down even more, then shows at speed.


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## Gerry Seymour (Feb 8, 2017)

Tony Dismukes said:


> Interesting. I'd like to see video of the techniques broken down for training or application rather than demo mode. I can understand the big aerial breakfalls as a way for uke to handle the wristlock based throws without damage. I'm not so fond of uke throwing themselves a huge aerial breakfall when nage is just doing an evasion or a redirection. It looks cool for the demo, but it isn't necessary for uke's safety and it doesn't resemble any sort of realistic reaction to the technique being employed.


In many techniques in Aikido (and, IME, a bit moreso in Ueshiba's Aikido), sometimes a high breakfall is actually easier on the uke than a realistic response. A couple of our throws, for instance, have a couple of probable, realistic outcomes: crumpling forward awkwardly to avoid the lock/pain, or a break/dislocation/tear. A high breakfall avoids all of that. It also happens to look cool, and feels amazing when you're doing the throw. Those last two points are bonus side-effects, but the high ukemi does actually (sometimes) serve a specific purpose for the uke.

That said, of course, in a demo the breakfalls are even higher. I think it's the extra gravitational pull created by the audience. I'm pretty sure of that, because the height of the falls often has a positive correlation with the size of the audience.


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## Tony Dismukes (Feb 8, 2017)

gpseymour said:


> In many techniques in Aikido (and, IME, a bit moreso in Ueshiba's Aikido), sometimes a high breakfall is actually easier on the uke than a realistic response. A couple of our throws, for instance, have a couple of probable, realistic outcomes: crumpling forward awkwardly to avoid the lock/pain, or a break/dislocation/tear. A high breakfall avoids all of that. It also happens to look cool, and feels amazing when you're doing the throw. Those last two points are bonus side-effects, but the high ukemi does actually (sometimes) serve a specific purpose for the uke.
> 
> That said, of course, in a demo the breakfalls are even higher. I think it's the extra gravitational pull created by the audience. I'm pretty sure of that, because the height of the falls often has a positive correlation with the size of the audience.


Yeah, I get that using a high break fall can be a valid form of ukemi for certain joint locks. I was commenting on the instances where there was no joint lock and Nage was either just redirecting  or even just evading and uke would still throw him or herself high into the air for a break fall. Maybe it's that gravitational pull from the audience.


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