Paul Linden works with victims of trauma to develop resources that support post-traumatic growth. The main focus is on how to change the roles a person plays when comes to conflict. The attached video asks the question what do you do so that someone can’t push you?
Aikido uniquely focuses on the relationship between attacker and target; the question is what has to change so you are safe, secure, and in control without knocking someone out or taking one for the team. Blending is not a passive action, moving out of the way is not giving someone their way; blending is a method of asserting control without opposition. The focus is on acting in a way that manifests the choice not to be the target of someone else’s problem while using their energy for resolution.
Aikido asks similar questions with punches, grabs. and falls. The answer is similar to the Paul Linden’s exercise for not being pushed, all in terms of choosing your role in conflict. Helping someone throw a punch, getting someone to grab you, even taking ukemi (roll or fall) is an act of changing your role.
Tae no Henko is a great example, rather then waiting for uke to come get you, reach out to their hand; rather than taking your hand back, turn your hand to wrap their fingers into a grab; rather than turning away, bring yourself to uke’s side. The technique is not drastically different but the part you play is not the same.
This video was very insightful to me and helped me understand that blending with your opponent will ultimately allow you to control the situation. Resisting your opponent is only going to make things hard. When resisting your opponent it is making the struggle into a strength competition. If you blend with your opponent you will be able to manipulate him/her and control the situation putting the opponent in a submissive position in which you gain complete control of the situation. I really enjoyed this video and thought is was amazing that this older gentleman, with Parkinsons disease could control and move this younger stronger man with very little force. I sometimes find myself working too hard with my muscles trying to move uke around. This video changed my thought process and makes me realize that I just need to blend with uke. Allow uke what he/she wants and then flow with it ultimately making uke’s movements my own movements. Fighting back with uke is just going to allow uke to control you and ultimately get what he/she wants. I thought that this viedo was an amazing video and really inspired me to research more on this subject. I admire this old gentleman.
This whole idea of going with and not pushing against that seems present in most of aikido is definitely different than other idea we are taught growing up. Normally we are taught to attack or run away this video and aikido in general gives us another option to seek resolution without going and possibly escalating the attack or running away to gain an end to the conflict. This is definitely something that should be taught to many different people. This concept and aikido seems like it would be great to teach to females to give them more options than the standard two especially since the option of fleeing can often quickly be taken away. I like that this post talks about using the other person energy to seek resolution and how just a small change in an altercation can give you an advantage. This also seem like it would be a great martial art form to teach to police, or similar profession, so people couldn’t claim they got hit or injured if an officer was trying to defend themselves. It seems like it could be some sort of neutral form of defense for them that would bring less scrutiny and question of if they used to much force. This is a good post and one that to me has an important message that could be applied to any part of life which is just how big a difference a small change in position or action can make.
I somewhat disagree with Lee’s earlier comment – I don’t think Mr. Linden was trying to demonstrate how blending is about controlling a situation – rather, I think blending is more about perspective. Blending is not just about your own perspective as an aikido practitioner, but also about your opponent’s perspective – by blending your goal should be to change your opponent’s hostile and warring mindset into a peaceful and reflective one. As Mr. Linden demonstrates, this can be achieved by cooperation and openness in the practitioner’s movements. It seems strange that the aikido practitioner almost encourages an opponent to attack you – I understand that the idea is to welcome and embrace the attack by moving cooperatively with uke, but I believe that most of the time, simply removing yourself from the situation has the best chance for peaceful resolution. In instances where escape is impossible however, I certainly see how blending is an effective way to remain safe and secure. The idea of blending seems to have application in a lot of different areas – both social and personal. I’d like to think about blending in my personal life to help overcome challenging or frustrating situations. If I can come to understand that the challenge is a matter of my perspective, hopefully I’ll be able to change my wavelength, so to speak, to avoid becoming overly frustrated while working on the task.
This video opened my eyes to see so much about life and how we carry ourselves in certain situations. When the roles are changed what precautions do you take to prepare yourself for the positive or negative outcome. It showed me how in Aikido we focus on the relationship between the attacker and target. You can always control you moves and your attackers motions by the way you blend with them and the way you make them chose to attack you. You can make their movements your movements basically making them submissive by understanding how to control ones self-mindset and movements while performing Aikido. As they stated in the brief overview of Aikido, blending is a method of asserting control without opposition. You don’t have to fight back with anger as we are taught in society growing up. This video demonstrated how these techniques can be used with great technique great power can come from it. When the older man with Parkinson disease controlled the younger man it shows how it’s not always about strength in fights but more about your mindset and control. The older guy was basically encouraging the younger guy to attack him to that when he does he could control his movements and do what he pleases to control him.
It’s funny that this video reminds me of how I trained my dog not to bite when I was younger. If we were wrestling and he got too excited he would try to bite (not hard), and to get him to stop I would give him what he wanted. I would let him have my whole arm for a second, then I would push it just past his teeth into the jaw and he would let go. Didn’t hurt, just made him uncomfortable, and now he doesn’t bite good people anymore (still bites bad people though). This video did make things a little clearer, that what I was doing to pacify the dog can work similarly on people, and that its a practice that anyone can learn. Mr Linden was easily able to throw around a guy half his age and double his size like it was nothing. It really is amazing the difference flowing with an attacker can make instead of opposing it. However, like August said, it does come down to the perspective. In order to pacify in this blending scheme you must act with the ultimate goal of pacification. To blend with anger can be an opportunity for the opposite of peace. But because in aikido these practices are taught with the mindset of patience and relaxation I don’t see that as a particular issue facing the properly trained. All I really see is the amazing potential to stop a fight, not cause one.
I thought that this video was incredible and really helped me to understand and appreciate Aikido. There is no doubt that since Linden has Parkinson’s he is able to overpower the other man. Regardless, there was a good lesson to be learned from watching him.
Through a simple change in perspective, Linden was able to get into the mindset of the opponent and work with him rather than against him. I realize that this is something that has been advocated to us since the beginning of the semester but sometimes it takes something like this to make it sort of click in our heads.
Paul Linden teaches a message that Aikido is about blending in with your opponent, almost becoming their partner rather than their enemy. You don’t try to stop them from what they are trying to do. In fact, you do the exact opposite. I once read that too much of anything makes it poison. In this respect, one can utilize the opponents force to bend them into doing what you want them to do.
This video was very educational. The video reiterated what we learn in class where it’s not about size or strength. It is more about blending with your attacker. In class we practice moves where you drop your hand and relax your shoulders. I can tend to tease up and forget that step. If I forget that step I will more than likely not get the attacker on the ground. But if I let my shoulders relax and drop my hands and let go of my opposition the moves work. When blending with your partner in class I think about how I would have never thought to blend with the attacker. Instead I always thought it was about power and strength. You are able to have more control no matter your size. This video was also very educational and interesting to see the Aikido being practice with someone that old onto someone so young.
Paul Linden’s comparisons between physical opposition, verbal/emotional opposition and the opposition he faces from Parkinson’s were very interesting. As a novice, I have learned that there are two major aspects of Aikido – physical harmony and spiritual harmony. When practicing the physical aspect of Aikido, the ability to “blend” with physical opposition is key in successful execution of the techniques – you effectively turn your aggressor’s strength and momentum against them. This concept of blending is also the main avenue to practicing the aspect spiritual harmony in Aikido.
Over the years, I adapted a sort of blending approach of my own, which has helped me immensely in dealing with non-physical interpersonal conflict. I was delighted to learn that what I had been practicing on my own was very similar to what Aikido teaches. Although I’ve always been a spunky person, I’m someone who dreads interpersonal confrontation; I often feel immense anxiety, even if my concerns are legitimate. I’ve found that the best way for me to cope with this anxiety is to use a “blending” approach in a confrontation (which, thankfully, is very rare!). If the other person becomes emotional, I remain stoic. If the other person becomes rude or demeaning, I remain stoic. Instead of wasting all my energy by emotionally opposing them (like becoming mad), I remain calm and relaxed (even though it’s hard to do). When the other person realizes they’re the only one acting out (and that they’re not succeeding in making me mad), it can make them feel embarrassed. The best possible outcome is that once they realize this, they can calm down enough to work things out. And, short of that, at least they’ll feel silly for being rude.
It was really neat seeing similar ideas about confrontation in a highly respected martial arts form. It was enlightening to learn that this technique was in fact a real, widely practiced thing AND that it could be applied in physical confrontation! Blending in physical combat is such an alien concept to me- most of us Westerners seem to learn that opposition and strength are the way to win a fight (physical or not). But this just isn’t effective. Not only is it exhausting, it’s completely useless for anyone who’s not massive. Linden demonstrates how useful blending and Aikido are for the rest of us non-superhumans. What’s even more eye-opening is how he applies blending to cope with his tremors. It really is fascinating how applicable “The Way of Harmony” is to so many facets of life. I certainly intend to continue practicing it!