Originally posted by aiki_what
...As to the question of atemi, isn't all techinque after the initial disruption/blending of balance/ki/flow just icing on the cake independent of whatever it is you use to take charge of the momentum?
The technique is just the stuff that happens after you have either blended and/or established an advantage.
You're correct, if you look at this holistically. What I usually do is try and break down the technique into components. Therefore, if I atemi and then perform a sankyo, I have two components: Atemi and Sankyo. I examine both components to see how they work individually. Then I try and put them back together in the actual technique. So my approach is more analysis and sythesis.
The one problem I've noticed is that you can lose the lead after initially gaining it. You might initially gain the lead/blend with your partner, but during the performance of the technique, the lead can be lost through in attention or technical mistakes. If you're working with someone who can notice this, they might be able to reverse the technique and counter. Why not? After all, they now have the lead/initiative. This is a primary reason why I'm leery of looking and practicing Aikido techniques as a holistic or single experience.
I know the majority of people practice Aikido as a total experience and don't go around breaking down techniques into components. When I visit other dojos, I'm always trying to analyze the instructor's demonstration, while everyone else has already chosen a partner and done a few throws. Oh well...