While I also have experienced this particular exercise only once, it
occurs to me that the process is one which has to do with sensitivity to
force and reaction. When trying to move the rigid arm with force, some
movement can certainly be felt, leverage being what it is.
The alternative approach, the "butterfly touch" requires that the one who
is touching the arm lightly allow the movement to emerge and grow not from
the use of force, but from blending with the movement of the arm as it
"resists" the change of position initiated by a light and gentle
pressure. As one is sensitive to the reaction, allows it to take place and
then adds--lightly again--to the other person's attempt to re-establish
the original position, the overall effect can be the gradual building of a
movement which is as great or greater than the one where force was used.
There is _much_ less effort expended on the part of the "butterfly",
however, since the existing energy in the rigid system is tapped to
provide most of the movement that occurs.
The principle is equally at play when the rigidity is in the system
attempting to "move" someone who is quite relaxed and centered. An Aikido
master can appear to be "rooted" to the ground and "unmoveable" even with
two or three larger persons trying to lift him or her up. The
demonstration is most powerful when you are one of those attempting to do
the lifting!
Having written this attempt to describe the "physical" experience, I am
struck again by how relevant the image and the experience is to creating
movement in _any_ system--especially rigid and resistant ones!
Any other participants from the Saturday evening gathering (or Aikido
instructors, Taoists, or learning organization practitioners) want to jump
in on this topic?
Tell us more about your own experience, Kate. What leads you to say that
you couldn't "get it to work"?
-- Tobin Quereau quereau@austin.cc.tx.us
--On Fri, 22 Sep 1995, Richard Karash wrote:
> Replying to LO2910 -- > > Well, I've experienced the exercise once and don't know much about > leading it. Can anyone else Help?? > > On Thu, 21 Sep 1995 andrews@GDEsystems.COM wrote: > > > I tried the stiff arm moving exercise you suggest, but could not get it to > > work. (I tried with 3 people.) Do you have suggestions about why I can't > > get it to work? > > > > Kate Andrews, Ph.D. > > > -- > Richard Karash ("Rick") | <http://world.std.com/~rkarash> > Innovation Associates, Inc. | email: rkarash@world.std.com > 3 Speen St, Framingham MA 01701 | Host for Learning-Org Mailing List > (508) 879-8301 and fax 626-2205 | <http://world.std.com/~lo> > > >