Zoe Jackson

Professor Erwin

OGL 340

12 July 2022

Module 3: Writing Assignment #2: "The Matrix" and Spitting Out the Hook

After watching the clip of Neo from The Matrix, I can see how his experience with the

machines could be connected to the idea of “spitting out the hook”. Specifically I think I could

relate this concept to Neo when he comes back to life and engages in hand-to-hand combat with

the machine at around 3:40 in the clip. We can see in the clip that none of the machine’s attacks

are landing on Neo, and rather he is blocking and redirecting the machine’s attacks so that they

do no damage to him. Neo seems completely centered and in control of his own power in this

scene, and it frightens the machines as they thought he was dead previously. Now in regards to

the four steps of the Aikido move, Neo responds to the attacks almost exactly as the four steps

are listed in order: Center, Welcome, Blend, and Lead. Neo first centers himself after regaining

life and consciousness, becoming whole and regaining his power. He then welcomes the attacks

from the machines, and blends with them in diverting the attacks to a different direction. Neo

finishes the battle by leading the machine backwards with a strong kick, and then he literally

merges into the machine to destroy him from the inside out. While this could be seen as a stretch

to claim this scene as a metaphor for Aikido Way or Spitting the Hook, after knowing both of the

concepts better I can relate the concepts to Neo’s fight. Watching the Thomas Crum video

demonstrates a completely different way of fighting while still being relatable to The Matrix clip.
Crum shows how to regain power from an attacker while flowing with the energy they give you,

much like how Neo gained control over the machines. The only difference between them is I see

Crum as having more full-body flow movements and Neo controlling his movements mostly in

his upper body until he gains control then he uses his full body. Both video clips to me showed

great uses of Aikido Way in physical fighting, and in turn resolved the conflicts both men were

facing.