Martial Arts and Magical Thinking

**Ignorami** · Posted On: 7/29/2011 11:50am

There's an aikido exercise you could get people to have an interactive moment with:
The Unbending Arm.
Some selling it instructions here: http://www.bodymindandmodem.com/CoolKi/Unbend.html
Truth of it (I believe) is basic mechanics. The person bending the arm is essentially pushing against themselves.

Another I've seen done entertainingly at aiki sessions is as follows.

1. You kneel down, and partner stands in front with hands on your shoulders, and pushes you over backwards.
2. Repeat the exercise, but you gently place your own fingertips under their elbows. This time, they cant push you over.

(Not sure how that one actually works. Something to do with religion I expect)

Might both offer you a simple opportunity for the audience to get involved for a moment.

**daishi** · Posted On: 7/29/2011 12:38pm

Ignorami,

The first one works because you are using momentum that goes forward, past the pushers shoulder, and his downward force is getting stuck in the momentum going to his rearward direction.

The second trick works the same way as support beams in a house or bridge. When you put your hands on his elbows, the force homeboy is pushing is going back towards himself, pretty much locking the two dude's arms together...like a bridge support. Nothing too magical or special about it. Some aikido, and similar MA, type guys do that thing where two people will pick them up by their arms in the air, and they somehow do something to their weight and the guys immediatley can no longer hold them up. Not sure how its done, but its just another trick which, like them all, can be countered if you know how it works.

**Prince Vlad** · Posted On: 7/29/2011 12:47pm

No presentation on such lunacy would be complete without this gem:

**Eddie Hardon** · Posted On: 7/29/2011 12:54pm

Originally Posted by Snake Plissken

you can always juxtapose this with video of Clay/Ali's "phantom" punch on Liston

Oooohh! Controversial.

haha

**Eddie Hardon** · Posted On: 7/29/2011 12:57pm

Originally Posted by Ignorami

There's an aikido exercise you could get people to have an interactive moment with:
The Unbending Arm.
Some selling it instructions here: http://www.bodymindandmodem.com/CoolKi/Unbend.html
Truth of it (I believe) is basic mechanics. The person bending the arm is essentially pushing against themselves.

Another I've seen done entertainingly at aiki sessions is as follows.

1. You kneel down, and partner stands in front with hands on your shoulders, and pushes you over backwards.
2. Repeat the exercise, but you gently place your own fingertips under their elbows. This time, they cant push you over.

(Not sure how that one actually works. Something to do with religion I expect)

Might both offer you a simple opportunity for the audience to get involved for a moment.

It's more to do with the antagonistic nature of the Biceps and Triceps being, er, 'harmonised'. The Triceps does most of the work in the resistance but crucially the Bicep is not activated so is largely neutral in the exercise.

I hope that reads Ok.

**Ignorami** · Posted On: 7/29/2011 12:59pm

Cheers daishi.

Yep, my thinking is, it'd be a good way to make the point.
Do something that seems beardie-weirdie, then tell them it isn't.

**daishi** · Posted On: 7/29/2011 1:17pm

Eddie Hardon,
Well put, makes sense.

Ignorami
....right, plus its good for group participation, and relatively easy to do. Many people will be able to 'get it' in their first couple of tries, tough there are certain degrees of proficiency at that trick.

I guess my point was supposed to be, it would be great to do an inclusive group exercise, with the inclusion of someone skilled in those areas that could eventually show how things like this can be countered if the 'magic' is taken out of it and the physiology/kinesiology is introduced and actually explained (this lack of explanation, due to a lack of understanding, being my biggest gripe with much of aikikai aikido). This would be in contrast with those techniques that require a teacher's students to completely become brainwashed and go along with the technique without knowing they are doing it...a la the frequently identified news program with the dim mak guy. A nice compare and contrast between the two...