From: rakoczynskij@gtephx.UUCP (Jurek Rakoczynski)
Subject: Re: Aikido and randori
Organization: AG Communication Systems, Phoenix, Arizona
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 22:05:25 GMT

In article <1992Jul22.141916.6453@cs.rose-hulman.edu>, acharya@HYDRA.ROSE-HULMAN.EDU writes:
> 
> how do the tomiki aikido people approach randori? i have heard that 
> their randori is a little more jujutsu-ish in nature. any tomiki 
> people out there?
> 
> -m.a.
I don't have a chance to read this group as often as I'd like but
since noone else has replied, I will.  I don't know what the origianl
thread was trying to get to but ...

I started my MA experience in Tomiki Aikido and had continued with it
through the rest of my MA learning as it was taught with Classical (or
Hombu if you wish) Aikido in the Chicago area clubs I belonged to.

A brief histroy if I may:
Tomiki Aikido was developed and introduced in Japanese Universities as
a competive style of Aikido to force Uke into an offensive point
scoring situation.  Uke gets points by _effective_ strikes with a
rubber Tonto in the torso.  Tori gets points by taking control of Uke.
 The style was developed to allow Freshmen students to start in the
style and (with aggressive training) become Shodans (1st degree black
belt) by the start of Junior year, and then continue in competion for
2 years in school.  The matchs are 1.5 or 3 minutes long with one
person being Uke and the other Tori.  Then they swap rolls for the
next 1.5/3 minutes.  It changed Classical Aikido moves to make them
(theorically) safe in the VERY quick and aggressive moves that result
from the competion.  By the time your 22 and getting out of school,
your starting to get too old for the competion.

The randori training is, as you say "jujutsu-ish in nature".  For this
discussion, I won't comment on the effectiveness of Tomiki on the
street or phylisophical/religious training but rather what randori
tries to teach (IMHO).

First, and probably most important is teaching Tori to instictively
react to various tanto attacks rather than thinking of what to do. 
This has a benefit of teaching how to blend in naturally into an
attack.  You learn to read people movements through their eyes and not
get facked by non-commital attacks.  (Let's not start this eyes debate
again!)  Speed!  You must move and be in proper position to control
Uke in order to keep him.

Second, Uke learns how close to approach prior to an attack and SPEED!
They must learn not to telagraph moves, commit to an attack, make it
effective, and be able to recover before Tori can take control.  If
Tori gets a hold of Uke's gi, Uke has to try to keep Tori from getting
control by settling down, moving, etc. to be able to stike again.  Uke
cannot push with the hand without the Tanto.  Many times Uke's gi is
the only thing that Tori can get control of.  This is why it looks
"jujutsu-ish in nature".

Let's face it.  Ideally we know what has to be done, but at these
speeds it's hard to have it look like kata.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: A good Tomiki Aikido
Uke's speed is second-to-none.  Every style should at one time or
another practice against an Uke with this type of speed.
(Send flames directly to me.  Save the net.)


-- 
Jurek Rakoczynski, AG Communication Systems, POB 52179, Phoenix, AZ. 85072
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