An opinion please?

[charyuop]

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.

 

[morph4me]

Looks more like a demosntration than an exam.

 

[stone_dragone]

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

 

[Gordon Nore]

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?

 

[Kumbajah]

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.

 

[Gordon Nore]

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.

 

[Chris Parker]

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.

 

[terryl965]

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

 

[Kumbajah]

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.

 

[theletch1]

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

 

[Gordon Nore]

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.

 

[Aiki Lee]

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.

 

[citom]

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

 

[Jenna]

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