Ki-Aikido Bokken/Bamboo Cut

Kashiwaya Sensei starred in a video on ki-aikido in Brasil in which he makes several interesting   assertions.  Part of the video involves an exercise I recall fondly:

In essence you cut a piece of bamboo with the bokken.  In this instance he has balanced the bamboo on two students' heads, demonstrating the cut does no damage to the bamboo holders.  Earlier the same technique is executed with the bamboo held by paper supports, and the paper is not disturbed.

Impressive.  Hirata Sensei had us all do this back in '71 or so, and it was quite exciting to perform.  There are some technical aspects, so absolutely do not do what he is doing in this pix.  Some serious injuries if you do not know all the preconditions.  You'll lose friends, or students.  The whole video -

While Tohei sensei was still the Chief Instructor at Hombu Dojo, Kashiwaya sensei was sent to Seattle to teach under Hirata sensei, and Hirata sensei made me assistant instructor to Kashiwaya sensei. I recall between practices trying to wrestle Kashiwaya, I perhaps eighteen and he maybe 25.  He was a solid rock.  No doubt he still is.

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