From: tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Subject: Re: Aikido Question (not a poll)
Newsgroups: rec.martial-arts
Reply-To: tittle@ics.uci.edu (Cindy Tittle Moore)
Organization: ICS Dept., UC Irvine
Date: 14 Dec 92 20:27:52 GMT
Distribution: na

Discussion on uncooperative uke's...

In <Bz42pr.oK@ecf.toronto.edu> tongl@ecf.toronto.edu (TONG LARRY HIGH YOUNG) writes:

>In article <1992Dec10.111718.1@lucy.claremont.edu> kenfield@lucy.claremont.edu writes:

>>Ate!  the most common application of strength in resisting a
>>technique (in my opinion and experience) is to brace against
>>technique, usually just standing there.  If he's open, smack 'im.

>Sometimes I realize just how much ego is on the line when we work
>with a new student. If you're even a moderately intermediate level
>student, I suppose thereis the attitude that any new student (NS)
>should be easily handled given your "superior" abilities, but this
>doesn't always prove true, especially if the NS is highly athletic
>and uncooperative as well. It is then tempting to change the rules
>and overcome the NS using more advanced techniques (rather than the
>one being practiced) OR some MAs have even suggested using a strike!

Now, I do agree with this.  But when I'm faced with such an uke (and I
often am; I wonder sometimes if being short and female sometimes
triggers the response "She can't possibly do this to me" and so on), I
will POINT OUT where I could have nailed him.  I do not perform the
atemi, but I do feint.  Often, the feint itself will break the
immobility.  Certainly, it can be quite effective to point out just
how poorly protected his groin is, for example <grin>.

Other tactics I've used: Since I'm being grabbed and held immobile,
the Uke From Hell (UFH) is not moving either.  So I will sit/stand
still.  When he finally asks me what's happening, I will say "You're
not doing anything; therefore I need do nothing either."

I also talk.  I point out what realistic attacks are (and aren't).  I
point out that the more realistic his attack is, the more effective
the techniques are; in fact, if he attacks TOO hard/realisticaly, he
may easily be injured, as the more energy he puts in, the more I can
use.

Erik Sotnak pointed out a very valuable technique: change what you are
doing!  Granted, this requires a certain level of expertise on your
part to match what you are doing to his response, but in fact it is
valuable practice for you as well.  Learning to accomodate technique
to response is very difficult to learn.  If the UFH at that point
becomes frustrated with trying to learn a specific technique under
these conditions, then that's another opportunity to stress the value
of participation.

I did use the male pronoun here, since I have never faced this
particular problem with another woman.

Cheers,
--Cindy

--
Cindy Tittle Moore       "For a beginner, there are about 100 stages of the
                          technique.  A talented beginner can expect a 90%
UCI Aikido Club           chance of success for each stage, and therefore a
Crawford Hall             (.9)^100 ~= 0 chance of success in performing the
University of California  technique properly."    -- Chris L. Kuszmaul
Irvine, CA 92717
Newsgroups: rec.martial-arts