Aikido: The 3 Lines of Equilibrium in Budo - Eliminate chronic pain. Increase effectiveness

Is your technique sometimes ineffective or cause pain?
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Have you ever woken up the day after a great class, only to find that your back pain has flared up again? Or that your knee is swollen?
Or maybe you just feel like your stuck on a plateau - that your technique could be more effective, but you don't know what's missing.
If you identify with any of these, you'll gain a lot of insight from this video.
From my dojo in Los Angeles, I walk you through The 3 Lines of Equilibrium, giving you insight as to what movements and patterns might be holding you back from progress, causing chronic pain, or are simply inefficient.
Enjoy!

[@majdiaikido9138]

Thank you

[@vano-559]

The most I struggle with nikajo kokyujime. Did you hear about it? It's from Aikido of 1930th.

[@liasuzukisvirtualdojo6240]

Hmmm… Interesting. Not familiar.

[@vano-559]

@@liasuzukisvirtualdojo6240 maybe you heard about Ueshiba-Hisa Aikido line?

[@EllenMadono]

When I am doing a move, especially the ones that are difficult for me, my partner needs to tell me that my shoulder are uneven. I am having trouble partly because I am unable to objectively observe myself. Usually only the partner who is above me in dan tells me. Lower dan hold their tongue. To reduce this problem of hierarchy, I try not to correct my lower-ranking partner and to ask for observation. I have inherited the idea that if I am of higher rank, I am supposed to give advice. I am trying to stop this mindset because I want those other sets of eyes out there seeing my imbalance. I want their observations. Start with myself in changing the hierarchical mind set of my Aikido experience. What is your advice for correcting this mindset? I am an old lady and I have plenty of posture problems. I think mindset on the mat matters.

[@liasuzukisvirtualdojo6240]

@@EllenMadono hmmm… I’m kind of happily stuck in 1990 - no talking on the mat era. Our Senpai were extremely heavy and extremely connected. So when it didn’t work, nothing happened. But there was silence. So we were able to FEEL and concentrate on the feeling and find our way out of it. we corrected mistakes NATURALLY. I know that training environments are very different these days. Not just in our organization. People give less heaviness when they take ukemi. So Nage is robbed of some valuable lessons. And there’s more talking/advice. So Nage doesn’t really have a chance to develop their own way. Or at least not as much as we did back in the 1990s.
Sorry, I know this doesn’t really answer your question or give you clarity on a path forward. But I hope you found it helpful or interesting in some way…

[@EllenMadono]

@@liasuzukisvirtualdojo6240 How interesting! My sempai from your 1990 days is xx Sensei. I cannot move him most of the time. If he shows me in a modern way, I get it right away. But, really just going away totally frustrated is probably the better lesson. I need to encourage xx Sensei because he is doing the right thing for me. If I can maintain my posture and fail at moving him, maybe that is a victory. I have a hard time being a sempai like xx Sensei. I don’t think I am qualified. Also, my teacher will tell me to take the throw regardless of how it feels. But, you have given me a new appreciation for my frustrations when working with an old timer sempai. Others have told me to move into position even if the tori does not know what the better position is for throwing and does not know how to move me there. Just practice my skills by being in the easy position for a less skilled kohai. That feels right too. Maybe there are no absolute rules. Make every pairing a good quality experience, somehow.

[@EllenMadono]

@@liasuzukisvirtualdojo6240 There is an irony here. I am following you, because you are able to say what I never hear in a Japanese dojo. I want those clear verbal directions. I am tired of the Japanese need to feel their way through. But, the truth is, you can only learn to feel it on the mat. You have to get your butt kick on the mat. Aikdo is not a mental exercise. Far from it. I hope your followers are getting to your dojo. That’s where the action is.

[@EllenMadono]

@@liasuzukisvirtualdojo6240 I just got back from practicing with an old timer. He is 73 years old. Heavy. Because of our conversation, I notice that I am not making a good connection through the hara because I have a floating feel of ki. The hard to move, clearly aimed hara is what he is giving me. Not his kata. It is the heaviness that is important. I am so glad to be in touch with you. He is talking a lot. I like that too.