> > There's controlling range, > Not classified as an attack in aikido. Controlling *anything* is > generally not classified as an attack in aikido. Including one's opponent? *grin* > > Is an attack an active physical action? Or is it a more mental or > > spiritual action? > That's a little more philosophical than I was thinking.. have you any > specific examples we could discuss? Well, there's that moment when your opponent has made the commitment to attack, but has not yet done so. (I would say that this was being discussed to a degree in the 'sen no sen' portion of the thread) If you move first, intercept his potential attack with one of your own. Have you attacked first? Or has he? Is a verbal threat an attack? Or, one step better, a ki-ai? I suspect that O-sensei would say that either one is. > > Is a feint an attack? > Debatable. I'd lean more towards the 'it's a controlling move, therefore > not an attack' standpoint, even if it is followed immediately by an > attack. See Above, but you have projected force in such a manner to constitute a threat and thus brought about a counterattack or defensive move. My admittedly old Living Webster primary definition of attack is "to assault" - assault is then defined as "to fall upon by violence or with a hostile intention" and violence is then defined by "intense or severe force" - 'fall upon' is then circularly defined as "to assault"... > > Is taking advantage of endurance an attack? Could you be more specific? If I manipulate the tempo of the fight in such a manner that my opponent is burning calories, becoming winded, etc faster than I am - is that an attack? > > Is an attack meant to cause damage? > I would classify all actions meant to cause damage as attacks. However, > not all attacks are actions meant to cause damage. Grabbing someone's > wrist or lapel is an attack. Pushing someone away when they weren't > already going that direction or close to it is an attack. So maneuvering position such that light is in my opponents eyes is attack? It is painful if they allow it, and distracting if they don't. Maneuvering position so that my opponent is on rough or uneven or dangerous ground while I remain on safe ground is an attack? If is this is done by my 'retreating' and giving ground - taking no action that is potentially viewed as offensive. > > Oh, and to answer the question above - assuming equal skill and the same > > style/school? If I'm twice as fast and just as strong or even stronger? > 'twice as fast' means more skilled, imo. If you can do a technique at > speed X, but you want to double your speed, you practice, thus becoming > more skilled. A debate for another forum perhaps, but I disagree. Physiology dictates the overall limits of speed, as well as inherent traits - while you may develop more or 'better' speed with improved technique and intense training there is still a base talent that is built upon. > Perhaps I should have clairified the 'equal skill' question. When I asked > it I had in mind 'all other things being equal', whether that applies to > two human opponents or two opposing armies and all their technology and > ordinance and the ground they hold. Understood, and I was mostly playing devil's advocate... ;-) David