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There
is no process of teaching, just a path of learning, hence that I
believe in a school based on
inter-active
dynamics, creative
communication that can surprise and cause a source of thought
for the students.
teachers are to generate
thought provoking
issues and
topics, for a designer is born through the
mind
first.
it is his mind that will respond first by grabbing the meaning.
so
aikido
is a good example of problem situations and how to resolve them
in a
creative
metaphoric way.
creativity
is the source for all arts. once the students understand its
meaning they are in the right path. |
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seiza
is the seated
position. it can be looked like a diagram of a mountain.
hanmi handachi
is seated and standing. when someone attacks while you are in
seiza, you can still control him.
action
and
non action
just re-directing.
movement is breaking harmony. nature should be a balance between
everything. so design is basically
balance,
harmony. |
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suburi
or set of exercises with a wooden sword illustrates how
te-gatana
or hand sword was originated. this is when you let your wrist be
grabbed and use your hand wrist arm to make the student
understand how his own wrist is being controlled without hurting
him. aikido has this characteristic of
tenkan
or turning 180o for blending.
philosophically
it means no confrontation, being side by side with your
opponent. in
design
you can view it as seeing the project on the
customer's
perspective
and then guiding
him into a more correct way through decomposing his approach and
presenting yours. |
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in
irimi
or direct
entering there are many variations. move aside when attacked
then, using the opponent's momentum and physics, just throw him
down. the dodging movement is incorporated in
tai sabaki
or body
movement, which is commanded by the
mind.
therefore you train
mind response
with your immediate tool:
the body.
irimi
is known as the twenty year technique. meaning that it requires
permanent repetition. |
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in
ushiro
ryote-tori
we are confronted
with a back grab on both hands, which represents an
unexpected problem
to which you are asked to solve.
aikido
has different solutions all based on the movement of the
wrist-hands. if you transpose your wrist-hands into
mind
and training into gathering as much cultural knowledge on the
most diversified issues, then your mind will be able to react
promptly to the design problem in a
creative way. |
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here is a
variation,
apparently
more difficult. but if you judge the stance with your mind you
will see that my attacker is just standing on one foot. judging
the situation makes you think that a simple turn of your waist
will initiate the throw. designing is
assessing all
details of a situation
and finding one or many solutions. |
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here is an
application of the basics of
ikkyio
or first principle, and the ending of the technique, with an arm
pin and hand pin
katame waza
that immobilizes the opponent.
how should we transpose this situation
into design?
think... |
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while you evolve
in thinking
creatively,
remember that any innovation is rooted into going back to the
source. this is a very basic technique, but it should never be
forgotten and it is even a challenge to think of different ways
to use it. as you progress, it is your mind that
progresses
and the
technique just reflects it. |
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a knife pointed at
one's back may represent a more acute problem. but if you think
creatively
and understand the
nature
of the problem the solution will instinctively come to you. so
we are not only in the realm of martial arts but of metaphors
through which you will be able to better grasp the meaning of
the
codified body
in a
free way and the
clarscient mind. |
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in
aikido,
it is said that once you grab your opponent's hand you can take
him where you want. you can apply
henka waza
meaning to start with a technique and change into another. this
is how your mind should be: open and ready to change from one
view to another. |
your opponent
makes a swirl kick and you just move towards him: he misses.
or you may choose to receive his kick in such a way that you
will be in full control.
this time-space perception is called
maai
as far as space is
concerned. the timing is in your mind. |
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through
intuitive
perception
which is basically the accumulation of experiences, one begins
to build a vocabulary of experiences which allow for different
choices. |
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here is an example
of space, stretching space in a knife attack. from the first
situation there are multiple choices. for pedagogical purposes I
chose tenkan again, my elbow and hand controlling the
armed arm, and breaking the opponent's balance again. a quick
change of direction and it is a throw. in each case, depending
on how
you perceive
the customer or
the work, you should react accordingly in a
creative way. |
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through
creative
teaching
that is non-conformist nor politically correct, where you
destroy the barrier of the teacher's desk, you build a bridge of
understanding with your students on other issues using different
methods, such as a movie, the beat of a drum, being able to
explain the usage and the vocabulary of each media, decomposing
symbols and signs, traveling with your students into different
realms of civilizations and cultures so that the
essential seed
of a designer
is planted on those who are aspiring.
they must be free to think, to enquire, to research, to reach
first conclusions.
drowning students with work without a basis, is not helping
them. I look for
quality time
not
quantity.
it is of the foremost importance that they start by learning to
manage time, quality time. time is their best asset.
time to think and
reflect on
what they learnt.
because no
one teaches.
people just
learn, to
which we should all ask what is learning. |
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