There have been some significant changes in my Aikido and general martial arts (budo) world in the last few years, which is part of the reason for the lack of posts here in that time. Perhaps most significantly, the loss of two key figures from that world...
First of all, the illness and death of Stanley Pranin Sensei, historian, instructor, and founder of Aikido Journal. He had started to become something of both a friend and mentor to me. Since part of my family tradition is involvement in history, museums and archives, I was drawn to that side of his work as well as to his vision of Aikido. Had he not gotten sick, and had there been enough time, I cherished a dream of perhaps relocating and assisting him; but that was at best a tentative idea.
On the technical martial side, Pranin Sensei was one of those in the Aikido community who had become aware that there seemed to be certain lacks in how Aikido is commonly practiced, limiting the use of the end results of training. He was actively exploring a restoration to the Aikido Founder's own standard by deeply studying the footage he had collected, and seeking out the subtle, but crucial, differences between O-Sensei's technique and that of later generations. Among his last big projects was seminars, and a video course based on them, focusing on those explorations and his findings.
We are immensely grateful that Pranin Sensei's work did not die with his body: he passed on Aikido Journal to the very able Josh Gold Sensei, who has continued that project, and updated it to fit changing technology, including creating a subscription streaming service, giving access to a variety of media and videocourses. Anyone seriously interested in Aikido, both history and practice, should consider subscribing if they have the means.
The other loss was thankfully not a death, but James Neiman Sensei, the subject of several earlier posts here, retired from martial arts. Last I had heard, some of his stalwart students continued to meet to train according to his unique style. I very much hope that they still do so, and offer all moral support and encouragement. (Note that because of his retirement, relevant links in our posts focused on his work have gone dead.)
Another change of an entirely different nature has come about. I have become part of a nascent project to form a society devoted to a combination of martial arts, spirituality and intellectual development. Although not at all limited to that community, it is spearheaded by Hindus who wish to see their traditional martial culture brought back to the forefront. In line with core Hindu values, it will support other traditional cultures and spiritualities; at the same time, its name, Brahma Kshatra Akhara, and its structure are effectively Hindu in origin and spirit; but this is no different from the inherently Japanese culture, and for those who accept it, spirituality, of Aikido. No doubt more will be written about this Akhara here, as plans proceed. The Akhara isn't tied to any one martial art, and is not a style in itself, but certainly Aikido is among those that will have an influence, making it relevant to this blog.
Note: Akhara is a word in several modern Indian languages, appearing in several spelling variations, that can mean both a training place, approximately translating "dojo", and a religious order.
Friday, December 13, 2019
Sunday, December 23, 2018
Original Purpose of Daito Ryu and Aikido?
"Aikido is not a complete martial art." - this is an assertion often encountered in the never-ending debates about the art. Interestingly enough, I've seen it coming from both pro- and anti-Aikido sides. Either way, it is particularly relevant to arguments based around the context and purposes of Aikido or, for that matter, any martial art.
Some people reject this type of argument, seeming to think a martial art should be universal applicable or else it would be useless. In the case of Aikido, there are certain complicating factors, some of which are integral to the major point to be made. First, however, I wish to establish that it is both possible, even probable, for a martial art to be specialized to particular purposes, and therefore not "complete", or rather, not aimed at every kind of combat; and that understanding that purpose is essential.
Any tool or technique has its particular purpose, a job it is meant to do. If one uses it incorrectly, or for a different purpose, it may work poorly or not at all. If one wishes to paint a house, it's important to use a suitable brush: a calligraphy brush for writing on a small piece of paper would be very unsuitable. If one wants to compete in Olympic Tae Kwon Do, one should train in a dojang that teaches tournament TKD. A school that specializes in self-defense or military applications would get you in trouble with the referees and perhaps cause major injury to opponents not trained to meet real violence, but only controlled, rule-bound, tournament fighting. And a Tai Chi Chuan school would do you no good at all, outside of cross-training purposes. Similarly, it's important to understand what a particular art is designed for. This is perhaps especially relevant to traditional Japanese martial arts: a samurai-era soldier would likely receive training in how to use different weapons, and each would be part of its own martial art, taught by those with particular expertise.
Aikido is primarily a variant of the older art Daito Ryu: Morihei Ueshiba was a licensed instructor of Daito Ryu, and he adapted it in accord with his continual training and experimentation; but they remain close enough that they can be regarded as a continuum, especially for the points we are consider. That is to say, the original purpose of Daito Ryu gives it its particular traits, many of which remain as part of Aikido.
Every account of Daito Ryu that I have seen describes it as originally an advanced, elite art taught only to the members of the Takeda noble family and their closest and best retainers. As a general rule, all of these people would be already highly trained in the regular martial arts of Takeda samurai. Notably, in a similar way, most of Morihei Ueshiba's students were already skilled in other arts, often black belts who were sent to him by their teachers for more advanced training; all were generally required to come with recommendations from respectable people. Martial artists in these kinds of environments and periods gained complete, or at least varied, martial arts skills by training different arts, not looking for a single "complete martial art". In other countries, to be sure, many schools were more or less comprehensive,
When Kisshomaru Ueshiba took over the administrative leadership of Aikido from father Morihei, he made significant changes which included allowing the general public to become students, with or without previous martial arts experience, so many students from that time on have indeed not had a "complete martial art", since the art still had and has the specialized nature coming from its roots.
Now, the burning question should be what exactly was the nature of the specialization of Daito Ryu? Those addressing the issue have generally taken it to be an advanced jujutsu meant for rare situations of becoming disarmed on the battlefield. It probably would indeed be useful in that circumstance, but in that case, it would be useful for all soldiers of the Takeda fief who achieved sufficient skill, as would also be the case if it were simply a superior fighting art, due to the prominent element of aiki skills. But instead we are told that it was restricted to a small, elite group. I find this restriction to be very significant, especially in conjunction with the features of the art itself.
Logically, if the art is so restricted, it probably meets a particular need shared by the members of that group, and not by the rest of the Takeda clan's military. Perhaps the traits of the art may give us clues as to what that need was? The skills of aiki are not actually relevant to this point; they are simply what made it so effective when mastered. Examples of traits that do seem relevant include these, in no particular order:
- disarming techniques, whereby one takes a sword or knife or other weapon from someone who is attacking
- kneeling/seated techniques, including dealing with an attack while one is seated and the other may or may not be.
- techniques are mainly for capture and neutralization without killing.
When I consider the tactical situations represented, along with the highly classified level restriction of the art and its student body, I am led very strongly to the hypothesis that Daito Ryu was intended primarily to train the Takeda family, their high officers, and bodyguards to be able to defend and counter against assassination attempts.
We can support this in light of the chosen traits: ordinarily samurai would be likely to simply kill an attacker, but an assassin would likely also be a spy, and the clan would want to capture and interrogate any assassin or spy. To modern people, even many Japanese, the practice of the kneeling techniques seems odd and outdated, but kneeling is one of Japan's traditional sitting postures, and while being attacked while kneeling would be rare on the battlefield, it would be precisely the kind of situation that one might be in when confronted by an assassin in pre-modern Japan, at a home, a palace, or some public place.
As such, my hypothesis is, again, that Daito Ryu and therefore also Aikido (and any other descendants, such as Hakko Ryu) was designed as a defense against assassinations. A possible piece of circumstantial evidence could be the extreme caution and precautions taken by Sokaku Takeda Sensei, for which he is famous in accounts of the history of these arts... basically, he was always on guard against assassins and assassination attempts. If true, this is why Aikido becomes an incomplete art when practiced by students who don't start with previous experience in martial arts. On the other hand, aiki, particularly the Founder's ideal of "takemusu aiki", spontaneous right action to thwart whatever attack comes, complicates our overall picture, mostly because once one reaches such a level, it effectively becomes a complete art. The problems that are so much argued about, and which some have actively explored remedies for, are primarily of prior stages of progress... takemusu is where it truly comes together and becomes the "my Aikido" that O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba wanted his students and later lineage followers to achieve.
Some people reject this type of argument, seeming to think a martial art should be universal applicable or else it would be useless. In the case of Aikido, there are certain complicating factors, some of which are integral to the major point to be made. First, however, I wish to establish that it is both possible, even probable, for a martial art to be specialized to particular purposes, and therefore not "complete", or rather, not aimed at every kind of combat; and that understanding that purpose is essential.
Any tool or technique has its particular purpose, a job it is meant to do. If one uses it incorrectly, or for a different purpose, it may work poorly or not at all. If one wishes to paint a house, it's important to use a suitable brush: a calligraphy brush for writing on a small piece of paper would be very unsuitable. If one wants to compete in Olympic Tae Kwon Do, one should train in a dojang that teaches tournament TKD. A school that specializes in self-defense or military applications would get you in trouble with the referees and perhaps cause major injury to opponents not trained to meet real violence, but only controlled, rule-bound, tournament fighting. And a Tai Chi Chuan school would do you no good at all, outside of cross-training purposes. Similarly, it's important to understand what a particular art is designed for. This is perhaps especially relevant to traditional Japanese martial arts: a samurai-era soldier would likely receive training in how to use different weapons, and each would be part of its own martial art, taught by those with particular expertise.
Aikido is primarily a variant of the older art Daito Ryu: Morihei Ueshiba was a licensed instructor of Daito Ryu, and he adapted it in accord with his continual training and experimentation; but they remain close enough that they can be regarded as a continuum, especially for the points we are consider. That is to say, the original purpose of Daito Ryu gives it its particular traits, many of which remain as part of Aikido.
Every account of Daito Ryu that I have seen describes it as originally an advanced, elite art taught only to the members of the Takeda noble family and their closest and best retainers. As a general rule, all of these people would be already highly trained in the regular martial arts of Takeda samurai. Notably, in a similar way, most of Morihei Ueshiba's students were already skilled in other arts, often black belts who were sent to him by their teachers for more advanced training; all were generally required to come with recommendations from respectable people. Martial artists in these kinds of environments and periods gained complete, or at least varied, martial arts skills by training different arts, not looking for a single "complete martial art". In other countries, to be sure, many schools were more or less comprehensive,
When Kisshomaru Ueshiba took over the administrative leadership of Aikido from father Morihei, he made significant changes which included allowing the general public to become students, with or without previous martial arts experience, so many students from that time on have indeed not had a "complete martial art", since the art still had and has the specialized nature coming from its roots.
Now, the burning question should be what exactly was the nature of the specialization of Daito Ryu? Those addressing the issue have generally taken it to be an advanced jujutsu meant for rare situations of becoming disarmed on the battlefield. It probably would indeed be useful in that circumstance, but in that case, it would be useful for all soldiers of the Takeda fief who achieved sufficient skill, as would also be the case if it were simply a superior fighting art, due to the prominent element of aiki skills. But instead we are told that it was restricted to a small, elite group. I find this restriction to be very significant, especially in conjunction with the features of the art itself.
Logically, if the art is so restricted, it probably meets a particular need shared by the members of that group, and not by the rest of the Takeda clan's military. Perhaps the traits of the art may give us clues as to what that need was? The skills of aiki are not actually relevant to this point; they are simply what made it so effective when mastered. Examples of traits that do seem relevant include these, in no particular order:
- disarming techniques, whereby one takes a sword or knife or other weapon from someone who is attacking
- kneeling/seated techniques, including dealing with an attack while one is seated and the other may or may not be.
- techniques are mainly for capture and neutralization without killing.
When I consider the tactical situations represented, along with the highly classified level restriction of the art and its student body, I am led very strongly to the hypothesis that Daito Ryu was intended primarily to train the Takeda family, their high officers, and bodyguards to be able to defend and counter against assassination attempts.
We can support this in light of the chosen traits: ordinarily samurai would be likely to simply kill an attacker, but an assassin would likely also be a spy, and the clan would want to capture and interrogate any assassin or spy. To modern people, even many Japanese, the practice of the kneeling techniques seems odd and outdated, but kneeling is one of Japan's traditional sitting postures, and while being attacked while kneeling would be rare on the battlefield, it would be precisely the kind of situation that one might be in when confronted by an assassin in pre-modern Japan, at a home, a palace, or some public place.
As such, my hypothesis is, again, that Daito Ryu and therefore also Aikido (and any other descendants, such as Hakko Ryu) was designed as a defense against assassinations. A possible piece of circumstantial evidence could be the extreme caution and precautions taken by Sokaku Takeda Sensei, for which he is famous in accounts of the history of these arts... basically, he was always on guard against assassins and assassination attempts. If true, this is why Aikido becomes an incomplete art when practiced by students who don't start with previous experience in martial arts. On the other hand, aiki, particularly the Founder's ideal of "takemusu aiki", spontaneous right action to thwart whatever attack comes, complicates our overall picture, mostly because once one reaches such a level, it effectively becomes a complete art. The problems that are so much argued about, and which some have actively explored remedies for, are primarily of prior stages of progress... takemusu is where it truly comes together and becomes the "my Aikido" that O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba wanted his students and later lineage followers to achieve.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
But... but... the trolls say it's all fake!
I'm sure most readers are very familiar with the fact that almost any video on YouTube (or elsewhere online) about Aikido will have a long string of comments making all sorts of disparaging remarks, such as claims that it's fake, or that it won't work in a real fight. So, here I want to consider some the types of comments we often see, and tease out some of the truth of the matter. The different sides to the issue are interconnected, so it's hard to analyze each aspect completely separately; please bear with me in regard to any convoluted sections of this article.
To some extent, it's hard to blame them for what they perceive. I think to back to the first time I saw a live demonstration of Aikido. Despite having been raised to respect Aikido, and revere its Founder, and to use and incorporate various principles and methods derived from Aikido, when I saw an actual demonstration.... I just did not get the point of what I was seeing. So, if that was true with my background - how much easier for people to misunderstand if they had not been conditioned to have a positive view to begin with?
On claims of being fake: these tend to rest on one of several arguments. Let's look at some frequently-seen types, one at a time.
"Demonstrations are choreographed, and/or that participants are in collusion." To really understand the truth here, we need to understand what Aikido is and were it comes from. It's basically a member of the judo/jujutsu family of arts, out of which it gives a greater amount of emphasis to harmonizing with and using the energy of an attacker. It comes primarily, though enhanced with influence from other arts, and the Founder's decades of work refining a chosen core of techniques, from the Daito-ryu school of jujutsu, which is one of the traditional battlefield arts, connected with the Takeda clan.They are often seen an 'unarmed' arts, but this is not necessarily true. For one thing, many techniques either are derived from, or can be adapted to, methods for disarming an armed opponent.
Those roots are significant because if they are understood, they explain why dojo practice and demonstrations appear the way they do. At this point, I will say that the Founder himself declared that what happens in demonstrations is "fake", which became an issue when he was invited to demonstrate before a member of the imperial family. The significant thing is that Daito-ryu is, again, originally a battlefield art, and therefore its techniques are capable of maiming or killing. In Aikido, the techniques are derived from Daito-ryu, and in fact they have the same potential for damage. However, one of the characteristics of Aikido is the development of a particular ethos of safe training - despite which, injuries still occur. Aikidoists learn first of all how to receive techniques as safely as possible. That is very significant because the techniques are inherently much more dangerous for people who aren't trained in that way of safe reception of techniques (ukemi). Beyond this, Aikido teaches the techniques in applications meant to minimize harm, whereas in jujutsu, especially the original forms, the aim was often maximum harm. People outside Aikido generally have the view that in order to be effective and real, a martial art must try to be harmful - albeit often only for self-defense. purposes. What isn't understood by many is that Aikido has a different practical outcome, but it is in fact an effective use of techniques that can, done in a slightly different way, be used on the battlefield. The properly skilled Aikidoka, or Jujutsuka for that matter, essentially has the choice in many cases of whether to kill or injure, or simply restrain and take prisoner (or release).
Demonstrations... normally performed by a teacher and a group of students, are similar in some ways to dojo practice: neither of them shows battlefield conditions, including the effects of the techniques on untrained, and resisting, foes. This brings us to the "collusion" issue. Resistance will significantly increase the pain caused, and quite possibly real damage or even fatality. As such, yes, Aikidoists on the receiving end of techniques in either demonstrations or training will indeed "cooperate" with the technique - because they do not want to be crippled or killed. And so, instead of a bloodbath, or a pile of maimed bodies, we usually see in demonstrations a stream of people fairly smoothly receiving techniques and getting up or rolling away unharmed.
It is not surprising that people misunderstand and misinterpret that sight! Still, it is precisely because it is, or can be, a highly effective martial art that its practitioners can and do train and demonstrate in ways that may look so easy and harmless. And yet, too, we must remember that unlike most arts that seek to harm or defeat the attacker, in strictly combat terms, the point of Aikido is instead to avoid being harmed or defeated, and to do so with the minimum of harm to the attacker. There are deeper, more philosophical or spiritual levels of understanding of the art, but for this article, we're just considering this basic, external level.
Next, there are frequent claims that it wouldn't or doesn't work in a 'real fight'. There are several facets and variations to look at there. First, based on the comments posted in many places, it's clear that many people judge this on the basis of MMA/UFC competitions. What they fail to realize is that such a tournament is absolutely NOT a representation of a "real fight". Why so? On one hand, in a tournament, there are rules: even in a "no-holds-barred' fight, there are still at least a few rules and holds-barred - such as eye-gouging or attacking private parts. On the other hand, the aim in a tournament is to win a contest, not to kill the other person. In real combat - whether on the battlefield between soldiers or warriors, or on the street among 'civilians', the aim is usually to kill or at least harm the other person. Aikido is not well-suited to competition, and the Founder strictly forbade it. When one teacher did develop a competition method under pressure from a university to conform to athletic policies, it caused a permanent rift with the Founder.
Another common argument from naysayers hinges on the notion that the attacks used in Aikido are not the kinds of attacks seen in real fights, especially in Western countries. But this is actually another case of missing the point and not seeing what is really happening. Once again, it is really a samurai combat art in origin. Knowing that, it should be easy to understand and see that the attacks used in Aikido practice are to a great extent empty-handed simulations of attacks with weapons like swords, staffs, or knives - or techniques to take them away from an attacker. Even that is just the first step in understanding. The aim of Aikido practice is NOT to master a set of techniques, it is to gain the ability to naturally blend with and use an attacker's energy in the most efficient and ideal manner, according to the circumstances.. The techniques are exercises, from one perspective, not techniques, that train Aikidoists in some standardized methods of doing that. They may be performed with or without weapons, and with adjustment to many variables in partners as well so that one should develop the ability to deal with any attack, regardless of what the particular attacks used in dojo practice are. The desired end result, however, is to simply be able to move as required, whether or not it matches any of the pre-set movements which are routinely practiced on the mat.
All that being said, no martial art works miracles or has some secret power. It is really the martial artists themselves that are good or bad, not their arts. It is possible to practice Aikido in many moods, with many motivations, and it is of the utmost importance that one must train in the right way to achieve martial, combat ability if that is one's desire. Unlike some people, I believe that practicing in non-martial ways is also beneficial, but it is very crucial that we are aware of what we are doing and why, and to do them in the way that will lead to the results we want. For Aikido, if we want it to be an effective art in combat or against an assault, then we need to train accordingly. If all we want is a dance-like gymnastic exercise, then we should train in that way... and with people in the same mindset.
All this being said, many martial arts sometimes can be seen being demonstrated or 'taught" by people who visibly lack mastery or even competence. That is certainly "fake" when it happens, but since it is effectively fraudulent, it is hardly representative of the art with which affiliation is claimed.
To those readers who aren't personally familiar with Aikido, except from videos, I urge you to visit a dojo or several, if you can, and see for yourself, and perhaps talk to practitioners or an instructor for greater insight. Or of course, try it out yourself. But don't listen to internet trolls - they usually go by only what they see, but they do usually lack understanding, and vital background knowledge.
For further information, I recommend visiting the Aikido Journal website where among a wealth of other material, all of these issues are dealt with at greater length by experienced teachers.One of the most relevant examples is: Cooperation During Demonstrations by Stanley Pranin (Upon re-reading that last article, it seems likely that it was a large influence on my thougts on the topic.)
Updated May 24, 2015
To some extent, it's hard to blame them for what they perceive. I think to back to the first time I saw a live demonstration of Aikido. Despite having been raised to respect Aikido, and revere its Founder, and to use and incorporate various principles and methods derived from Aikido, when I saw an actual demonstration.... I just did not get the point of what I was seeing. So, if that was true with my background - how much easier for people to misunderstand if they had not been conditioned to have a positive view to begin with?
On claims of being fake: these tend to rest on one of several arguments. Let's look at some frequently-seen types, one at a time.
"Demonstrations are choreographed, and/or that participants are in collusion." To really understand the truth here, we need to understand what Aikido is and were it comes from. It's basically a member of the judo/jujutsu family of arts, out of which it gives a greater amount of emphasis to harmonizing with and using the energy of an attacker. It comes primarily, though enhanced with influence from other arts, and the Founder's decades of work refining a chosen core of techniques, from the Daito-ryu school of jujutsu, which is one of the traditional battlefield arts, connected with the Takeda clan.They are often seen an 'unarmed' arts, but this is not necessarily true. For one thing, many techniques either are derived from, or can be adapted to, methods for disarming an armed opponent.
Those roots are significant because if they are understood, they explain why dojo practice and demonstrations appear the way they do. At this point, I will say that the Founder himself declared that what happens in demonstrations is "fake", which became an issue when he was invited to demonstrate before a member of the imperial family. The significant thing is that Daito-ryu is, again, originally a battlefield art, and therefore its techniques are capable of maiming or killing. In Aikido, the techniques are derived from Daito-ryu, and in fact they have the same potential for damage. However, one of the characteristics of Aikido is the development of a particular ethos of safe training - despite which, injuries still occur. Aikidoists learn first of all how to receive techniques as safely as possible. That is very significant because the techniques are inherently much more dangerous for people who aren't trained in that way of safe reception of techniques (ukemi). Beyond this, Aikido teaches the techniques in applications meant to minimize harm, whereas in jujutsu, especially the original forms, the aim was often maximum harm. People outside Aikido generally have the view that in order to be effective and real, a martial art must try to be harmful - albeit often only for self-defense. purposes. What isn't understood by many is that Aikido has a different practical outcome, but it is in fact an effective use of techniques that can, done in a slightly different way, be used on the battlefield. The properly skilled Aikidoka, or Jujutsuka for that matter, essentially has the choice in many cases of whether to kill or injure, or simply restrain and take prisoner (or release).
Demonstrations... normally performed by a teacher and a group of students, are similar in some ways to dojo practice: neither of them shows battlefield conditions, including the effects of the techniques on untrained, and resisting, foes. This brings us to the "collusion" issue. Resistance will significantly increase the pain caused, and quite possibly real damage or even fatality. As such, yes, Aikidoists on the receiving end of techniques in either demonstrations or training will indeed "cooperate" with the technique - because they do not want to be crippled or killed. And so, instead of a bloodbath, or a pile of maimed bodies, we usually see in demonstrations a stream of people fairly smoothly receiving techniques and getting up or rolling away unharmed.
It is not surprising that people misunderstand and misinterpret that sight! Still, it is precisely because it is, or can be, a highly effective martial art that its practitioners can and do train and demonstrate in ways that may look so easy and harmless. And yet, too, we must remember that unlike most arts that seek to harm or defeat the attacker, in strictly combat terms, the point of Aikido is instead to avoid being harmed or defeated, and to do so with the minimum of harm to the attacker. There are deeper, more philosophical or spiritual levels of understanding of the art, but for this article, we're just considering this basic, external level.
Next, there are frequent claims that it wouldn't or doesn't work in a 'real fight'. There are several facets and variations to look at there. First, based on the comments posted in many places, it's clear that many people judge this on the basis of MMA/UFC competitions. What they fail to realize is that such a tournament is absolutely NOT a representation of a "real fight". Why so? On one hand, in a tournament, there are rules: even in a "no-holds-barred' fight, there are still at least a few rules and holds-barred - such as eye-gouging or attacking private parts. On the other hand, the aim in a tournament is to win a contest, not to kill the other person. In real combat - whether on the battlefield between soldiers or warriors, or on the street among 'civilians', the aim is usually to kill or at least harm the other person. Aikido is not well-suited to competition, and the Founder strictly forbade it. When one teacher did develop a competition method under pressure from a university to conform to athletic policies, it caused a permanent rift with the Founder.
Another common argument from naysayers hinges on the notion that the attacks used in Aikido are not the kinds of attacks seen in real fights, especially in Western countries. But this is actually another case of missing the point and not seeing what is really happening. Once again, it is really a samurai combat art in origin. Knowing that, it should be easy to understand and see that the attacks used in Aikido practice are to a great extent empty-handed simulations of attacks with weapons like swords, staffs, or knives - or techniques to take them away from an attacker. Even that is just the first step in understanding. The aim of Aikido practice is NOT to master a set of techniques, it is to gain the ability to naturally blend with and use an attacker's energy in the most efficient and ideal manner, according to the circumstances.. The techniques are exercises, from one perspective, not techniques, that train Aikidoists in some standardized methods of doing that. They may be performed with or without weapons, and with adjustment to many variables in partners as well so that one should develop the ability to deal with any attack, regardless of what the particular attacks used in dojo practice are. The desired end result, however, is to simply be able to move as required, whether or not it matches any of the pre-set movements which are routinely practiced on the mat.
All that being said, no martial art works miracles or has some secret power. It is really the martial artists themselves that are good or bad, not their arts. It is possible to practice Aikido in many moods, with many motivations, and it is of the utmost importance that one must train in the right way to achieve martial, combat ability if that is one's desire. Unlike some people, I believe that practicing in non-martial ways is also beneficial, but it is very crucial that we are aware of what we are doing and why, and to do them in the way that will lead to the results we want. For Aikido, if we want it to be an effective art in combat or against an assault, then we need to train accordingly. If all we want is a dance-like gymnastic exercise, then we should train in that way... and with people in the same mindset.
All this being said, many martial arts sometimes can be seen being demonstrated or 'taught" by people who visibly lack mastery or even competence. That is certainly "fake" when it happens, but since it is effectively fraudulent, it is hardly representative of the art with which affiliation is claimed.
To those readers who aren't personally familiar with Aikido, except from videos, I urge you to visit a dojo or several, if you can, and see for yourself, and perhaps talk to practitioners or an instructor for greater insight. Or of course, try it out yourself. But don't listen to internet trolls - they usually go by only what they see, but they do usually lack understanding, and vital background knowledge.
For further information, I recommend visiting the Aikido Journal website where among a wealth of other material, all of these issues are dealt with at greater length by experienced teachers.One of the most relevant examples is: Cooperation During Demonstrations by Stanley Pranin (Upon re-reading that last article, it seems likely that it was a large influence on my thougts on the topic.)
Updated May 24, 2015
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Review: An Open Secret by Tony Blomert
I recently read An Open Secret: A Student's Handbook for Learning Aikido Techniques of Self-Defense and the Aiki Way
and then posted a review on Amazon, which can be found either through the "Customer Reviews" on the above page, or more simply, via this link: Customer Reviews of An Open Secret
Today, February 19, 2015, the book remains available at a deep discount of US$0.99, but before long, it will be at full price. I wrote that review several days ago now, and won't repeat it here, but I will expand on my thoughts, especially since the more I think about it, the greater value I see in Blomert Sensei's book.
It is not a book on the techniques of Aikido - there are many of those, and they are all valuable (unless there are some fraudulent ones that I don't know about!), but Tony Blomert here is doing something quite different, and probably unique: teaching about, well, pretty much everything else that happens in the dojo. To put it another way, he explains the roots and whys and wherefores of all aspects of Aikido dojo culture. Notably, not claiming any "one true way", instead acknowledging the real variety among dojos and lineages, and usually providing and explaining a number of the possible variations that might be encountered.
In a way, the nature of the book reminds me of one of my favorite books about the Japanese language: Nihongo: A Japanese Approach to Japanese by Makoto Sugawara. What these two books share is that explore the reasons - cultural and in a sense psychological - behind why each of their subjects works the way they do. It might seem strange at first glance, but actually there is a connection, since both Nihongo (the Japanese language) and Aikido are expressions of Yamato Damashii... the spirit of Japan.
For Aikidoka who do not come from Japanese backgrounds, many of the rituals and habits in the dojo, that is, the dojo culture, may seem alien, exotic, or even empty rituals. It is possible that some Westerners and other non-Japanese might not ever fully feel those things that way that Japanese people do, but even in such a worst-case scenario, the more we know about them, the more we can respect them with sincerity, even with a limit to understanding.
Somebody who is new to Aikido, perhaps even just thinking about going to a dojo, will find valuable orientation in the book, and who knows? It could prevent a faux pas, and help make a better impression. For people with dojo experience, perhaps Blomert Sensei can shed light on details that you might have always wondered about; or maybe discover that some aspect of dojo culture is more significant than you realized. And instructors might find new perspectives with which help students to understand, respect and carry out things expected of them in practice and otherwise in the dojo community. In short, I believe that it is quite possible that most Aikidoka of any level will find something, maybe many things, of value therein.
For that matter, non-Aikidoka who are simply interested in Japanese culture would likely gain something from An Open Secret too, since it provides insight into quite a few different aspects of the culture, simply expressed in a particular martial art.
and then posted a review on Amazon, which can be found either through the "Customer Reviews" on the above page, or more simply, via this link: Customer Reviews of An Open Secret
Today, February 19, 2015, the book remains available at a deep discount of US$0.99, but before long, it will be at full price. I wrote that review several days ago now, and won't repeat it here, but I will expand on my thoughts, especially since the more I think about it, the greater value I see in Blomert Sensei's book.
It is not a book on the techniques of Aikido - there are many of those, and they are all valuable (unless there are some fraudulent ones that I don't know about!), but Tony Blomert here is doing something quite different, and probably unique: teaching about, well, pretty much everything else that happens in the dojo. To put it another way, he explains the roots and whys and wherefores of all aspects of Aikido dojo culture. Notably, not claiming any "one true way", instead acknowledging the real variety among dojos and lineages, and usually providing and explaining a number of the possible variations that might be encountered.
In a way, the nature of the book reminds me of one of my favorite books about the Japanese language: Nihongo: A Japanese Approach to Japanese by Makoto Sugawara. What these two books share is that explore the reasons - cultural and in a sense psychological - behind why each of their subjects works the way they do. It might seem strange at first glance, but actually there is a connection, since both Nihongo (the Japanese language) and Aikido are expressions of Yamato Damashii... the spirit of Japan.
For Aikidoka who do not come from Japanese backgrounds, many of the rituals and habits in the dojo, that is, the dojo culture, may seem alien, exotic, or even empty rituals. It is possible that some Westerners and other non-Japanese might not ever fully feel those things that way that Japanese people do, but even in such a worst-case scenario, the more we know about them, the more we can respect them with sincerity, even with a limit to understanding.
Somebody who is new to Aikido, perhaps even just thinking about going to a dojo, will find valuable orientation in the book, and who knows? It could prevent a faux pas, and help make a better impression. For people with dojo experience, perhaps Blomert Sensei can shed light on details that you might have always wondered about; or maybe discover that some aspect of dojo culture is more significant than you realized. And instructors might find new perspectives with which help students to understand, respect and carry out things expected of them in practice and otherwise in the dojo community. In short, I believe that it is quite possible that most Aikidoka of any level will find something, maybe many things, of value therein.
For that matter, non-Aikidoka who are simply interested in Japanese culture would likely gain something from An Open Secret too, since it provides insight into quite a few different aspects of the culture, simply expressed in a particular martial art.
Friday, November 21, 2014
Review: Puzzle Mats from WeSellMats.com
I recently got a bundle of puzzle mats from WeSellMats, and I'd like to share my impressions with my readers. (A relative placed the order on my behalf, so in this article, I say "we" at several appropriate points.)
First, for those unfamiliar with them, "puzzle mats" are floor mats that are made with interlocking edges, so that they resemble jigsaw puzzles. This allows for considerable versatility in covering all or part of a floor in mats, all firmly locked together, including oddly shaped floors, if need be... within the limit of the size of the individual tiles, of course. If one has different colors of tiles - of the same size and pattern, the colors can be arranged either for esthetic reasons or to mark out distinct areas for sparring, or the like.
Since a fair part of my solo practice includes ukemi rolling, I have wanted to get some mats for quite a while now (until now, I have practiced directly on the wood floor, much as in some of O-Sensei's early dojos - but even with that example, the thought of it makes some of my friends and mentors wince). So, from time to time, I have browsed a selection of martial arts and mat suppliers. A few weeks ago, therefore, I was pleased to find the Overstock section on the WeSellMats site, where the products are considerably discounted from regular prices.
I won't link to the particular product that we ordered, because although it still in stock as I write, who knows how long it will remain? However, if you're in the market for mats, it is certainly worthwhile to see if anything in the Overstock listings fits your needs. In any case, it is the product that is most important here, any discounts are merely a bonus.
The mats we got are blue, 3/8-inch thick EVA foam, and 1 square foot in area, each. This company normally sells their mats in bundles that will cover 24 square feet; in the package this size come in, they are in six squares of four tiles each. There are also edging pieces to provide a smooth edge, including corners. (These are their 'small' mats; the regular size mats are the same as these squares of four of the small size.)
Now, I was pleased and impressed with the mats immediately upon opening the shipping carton, all the more so considering their discounted price. They were precisely as advertised, and better than I had visualized. They suit my needs very well, cushioning the floor against either repeated rolls, or the occasional misjudgment and hard impact.
It is safe to say, I believe, that if a discounted shipment of the thinnest mat of this type that they sell is so pleasing, that the thicker varieties are just as good or better, and therefore worth the price. The company sells several thicker varieties, including 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch, with are both categorized as intended for martial arts use. A dojo or anyone taking throws would doubtless prefer one of those thicker and more heavy-duty mats. Of particular interest to dojos might be this special size consisting of 100 square feet of 3/4 mats, of 40"x40" tiles.
On that note, as a fairly short person, I find that this one bundle of 24 sq ft is quite nice. I would imagine that people who are significantly taller might feel a little constrained at that space, and might prefer using a larger number of mats. Similarly, if two people are practicing together, they may prefer more mats, though with care, it might do.
In short, I do firmly recommend the WeSellMats products, based on my experience with the particular variety we ordered. If even the thinnest variety they sell is so nice, I'm sure that the thicker and larger mats will be well worth the understandably more expensive prices, for those who may need or simply prefer them.
First, for those unfamiliar with them, "puzzle mats" are floor mats that are made with interlocking edges, so that they resemble jigsaw puzzles. This allows for considerable versatility in covering all or part of a floor in mats, all firmly locked together, including oddly shaped floors, if need be... within the limit of the size of the individual tiles, of course. If one has different colors of tiles - of the same size and pattern, the colors can be arranged either for esthetic reasons or to mark out distinct areas for sparring, or the like.
Since a fair part of my solo practice includes ukemi rolling, I have wanted to get some mats for quite a while now (until now, I have practiced directly on the wood floor, much as in some of O-Sensei's early dojos - but even with that example, the thought of it makes some of my friends and mentors wince). So, from time to time, I have browsed a selection of martial arts and mat suppliers. A few weeks ago, therefore, I was pleased to find the Overstock section on the WeSellMats site, where the products are considerably discounted from regular prices.
I won't link to the particular product that we ordered, because although it still in stock as I write, who knows how long it will remain? However, if you're in the market for mats, it is certainly worthwhile to see if anything in the Overstock listings fits your needs. In any case, it is the product that is most important here, any discounts are merely a bonus.
The mats we got are blue, 3/8-inch thick EVA foam, and 1 square foot in area, each. This company normally sells their mats in bundles that will cover 24 square feet; in the package this size come in, they are in six squares of four tiles each. There are also edging pieces to provide a smooth edge, including corners. (These are their 'small' mats; the regular size mats are the same as these squares of four of the small size.)
Now, I was pleased and impressed with the mats immediately upon opening the shipping carton, all the more so considering their discounted price. They were precisely as advertised, and better than I had visualized. They suit my needs very well, cushioning the floor against either repeated rolls, or the occasional misjudgment and hard impact.
It is safe to say, I believe, that if a discounted shipment of the thinnest mat of this type that they sell is so pleasing, that the thicker varieties are just as good or better, and therefore worth the price. The company sells several thicker varieties, including 1/2 inch and 3/4 inch, with are both categorized as intended for martial arts use. A dojo or anyone taking throws would doubtless prefer one of those thicker and more heavy-duty mats. Of particular interest to dojos might be this special size consisting of 100 square feet of 3/4 mats, of 40"x40" tiles.
On that note, as a fairly short person, I find that this one bundle of 24 sq ft is quite nice. I would imagine that people who are significantly taller might feel a little constrained at that space, and might prefer using a larger number of mats. Similarly, if two people are practicing together, they may prefer more mats, though with care, it might do.
In short, I do firmly recommend the WeSellMats products, based on my experience with the particular variety we ordered. If even the thinnest variety they sell is so nice, I'm sure that the thicker and larger mats will be well worth the understandably more expensive prices, for those who may need or simply prefer them.
Saturday, September 13, 2014
Martial Arts of the Society for Creative Anachronism and the Family Tradition
Today's topic fills in an important part of my background. At this point, any reader who hasn't done so, should read the first post on this blog, entitled Introduction. My family's tradition of martial art interest and practice has two main sides - real life defensive and combat arts, and the martial arts that are part of the activities of the Society for Creative Anachronism. The SCA is an organization that in effect mixes historical education and recreation in the form of a massive, multi-generational role-playing game, with an active, dynamic culture and social structure. Among its many activities and elements are several types of martial art.
The most famous and popular of them is called 'heavy combat', and involves armed combat with simulated blade weapons (and a few other hand weapons like maces) made out of rattan and where needed padding, while wearing armor. In the SCA, rank can be earned through excellence in a variety of activities, but arguably the best and highest honors are earned through heavy combat, including - via tournaments - six-month terms as kings of the regional divisions of the SCA, aptly named 'Kingdoms' (after serving a reign, one has a permanent noble rank of Count or Earl, and after a second reign, Duke); and the rank of Knighthood, aka the Order of Chivalry.
The most common armaments for heavy combat are sword and shield, but many other weapons are also freqently seen: many varieties of swords, spears, other pole-arms, maces, and axes. Other martial arts in the SCA include archery and medieval Western styles of fencing. However, it is primarily heavy combat that is relevant to this blog. Combat archery is practiced in some places, wherein, for melees, archers shoot heavily-padded arrows at the fighters in the field.
When my father was in high school, he and his family heard about this new group called the SCA, put some effort into making the best costumes they could, and headed to their first SCA event. It was not long before my father and grandfather tried their hands at heavy combat, and discovered talents at it, so that in time, my grandfather had become a Count and my father a Duke. My father went on to train many others, and many of them in turn went on to achieve knighthood and noble rank. As one example, here is the website of an SCA household founded by one of my father's former "squires" (apprentice fighters, or "deshi' in Japanese terms). The history section on the homepage refers to my father (known in the SCA as "Akbar"); there is a brief page about their martial art activities.
Now, the significance of all this for us here is that my father attributes a significant part of his skill to principles learned in his time studying Aikido, and also particularly from Aiki Ken and Jo as given by Morihiro Saito Sensei in his seminal Traditional Aikido series of books. To be clear, what he did in the SCA was NOT Aikido - for one thing it certainly stands outside the pale of non-competition. Nevertheless, his understanding of handling of weapons, and of footwork and timing, etc. are unmistakably (and would be even if he hadn't said so) influenced by Aikido. Certain techniques he has used are recognizably adapted from standard waza. Meanwhile, the other major influence he cites is Miyamoto Musashi and his Go Rin no Sho (Book of Five Rings).
Since knights in the SCA have the particular qualification and privilege of formally training other fighters, as squires, (many fighters don't go that route, but many do) the effect, though not always realized as such, is to form martial art lineages, organized in households, thus roughly paralleling the many clan-based martial art lineages of pre-Meiji Japan. Since my father was an early knight and duke, there is a large and increasing body of lineages coming from his, which all, whether they know it or not, owe a debt to the Aikido Founder and to his deshi, Saito Sensei. When teaching me, even in SCA contexts, my father has generally included much more of the Aikido influence. For example, he made a point of teaching me a tachidori method at the start of one of our periods of SCA practice in my youth - it was something of a pleasant shock to discover several years ago that the Aikikai Hombu Dojo considers tachidori a type of technique suitable for testing for third-dan black belt, especially since that is one of the few definite Aikido techniques he taught me, aside from some of the suburi exercises. Much more usual was for him to point out Aiki principles inherent in things he taught me from all areas of life, martial art or otherwise, though he did teach me various preliminary basics and exercises. This was not oversight or neglect - he certainly had not, in his study of Aikido, reached a level qualifying him to safely teach taijutsu techniques; also there was no Aikido dojo available close enough in my childhood, so it was not possible to arrange training for me in one.
Our family stopped being active in the SCA before I was old enough to actually engage in heavy combat, and although there were several periods in which we started up some degree of that style of training, we never took it as far as becoming truly active again as fighters. Nevertheless, it forms an essential part of my background, and my family's, and is one aspect of our martial art tradition. It has generally been the only public face of our tradition, other than when we have been (or will be!) students elsewhere. There is clearer Aikido influence in our non-SCA practices - especially since I started to pay attention to and be attracted by it!
The most famous and popular of them is called 'heavy combat', and involves armed combat with simulated blade weapons (and a few other hand weapons like maces) made out of rattan and where needed padding, while wearing armor. In the SCA, rank can be earned through excellence in a variety of activities, but arguably the best and highest honors are earned through heavy combat, including - via tournaments - six-month terms as kings of the regional divisions of the SCA, aptly named 'Kingdoms' (after serving a reign, one has a permanent noble rank of Count or Earl, and after a second reign, Duke); and the rank of Knighthood, aka the Order of Chivalry.
The most common armaments for heavy combat are sword and shield, but many other weapons are also freqently seen: many varieties of swords, spears, other pole-arms, maces, and axes. Other martial arts in the SCA include archery and medieval Western styles of fencing. However, it is primarily heavy combat that is relevant to this blog. Combat archery is practiced in some places, wherein, for melees, archers shoot heavily-padded arrows at the fighters in the field.
When my father was in high school, he and his family heard about this new group called the SCA, put some effort into making the best costumes they could, and headed to their first SCA event. It was not long before my father and grandfather tried their hands at heavy combat, and discovered talents at it, so that in time, my grandfather had become a Count and my father a Duke. My father went on to train many others, and many of them in turn went on to achieve knighthood and noble rank. As one example, here is the website of an SCA household founded by one of my father's former "squires" (apprentice fighters, or "deshi' in Japanese terms). The history section on the homepage refers to my father (known in the SCA as "Akbar"); there is a brief page about their martial art activities.
Now, the significance of all this for us here is that my father attributes a significant part of his skill to principles learned in his time studying Aikido, and also particularly from Aiki Ken and Jo as given by Morihiro Saito Sensei in his seminal Traditional Aikido series of books. To be clear, what he did in the SCA was NOT Aikido - for one thing it certainly stands outside the pale of non-competition. Nevertheless, his understanding of handling of weapons, and of footwork and timing, etc. are unmistakably (and would be even if he hadn't said so) influenced by Aikido. Certain techniques he has used are recognizably adapted from standard waza. Meanwhile, the other major influence he cites is Miyamoto Musashi and his Go Rin no Sho (Book of Five Rings).
Since knights in the SCA have the particular qualification and privilege of formally training other fighters, as squires, (many fighters don't go that route, but many do) the effect, though not always realized as such, is to form martial art lineages, organized in households, thus roughly paralleling the many clan-based martial art lineages of pre-Meiji Japan. Since my father was an early knight and duke, there is a large and increasing body of lineages coming from his, which all, whether they know it or not, owe a debt to the Aikido Founder and to his deshi, Saito Sensei. When teaching me, even in SCA contexts, my father has generally included much more of the Aikido influence. For example, he made a point of teaching me a tachidori method at the start of one of our periods of SCA practice in my youth - it was something of a pleasant shock to discover several years ago that the Aikikai Hombu Dojo considers tachidori a type of technique suitable for testing for third-dan black belt, especially since that is one of the few definite Aikido techniques he taught me, aside from some of the suburi exercises. Much more usual was for him to point out Aiki principles inherent in things he taught me from all areas of life, martial art or otherwise, though he did teach me various preliminary basics and exercises. This was not oversight or neglect - he certainly had not, in his study of Aikido, reached a level qualifying him to safely teach taijutsu techniques; also there was no Aikido dojo available close enough in my childhood, so it was not possible to arrange training for me in one.
Our family stopped being active in the SCA before I was old enough to actually engage in heavy combat, and although there were several periods in which we started up some degree of that style of training, we never took it as far as becoming truly active again as fighters. Nevertheless, it forms an essential part of my background, and my family's, and is one aspect of our martial art tradition. It has generally been the only public face of our tradition, other than when we have been (or will be!) students elsewhere. There is clearer Aikido influence in our non-SCA practices - especially since I started to pay attention to and be attracted by it!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Germ of a Supplementary Training Method?
Several thoughts came together this afternoon, as I read this Aikido Journal post and watched the video clip therein. I hope my readers will take the few minutes needed to do the same. Stanley Pranin Sensei's main point, though, is that many Aikido practitioners all-too-often resort to brute force in order to make techniques work, rather than using aiki (which for the sake of simplicity, and the aspect that is relevant for this point, means using the attacker's energy - not our own - by absorbing, harnessing and redirecting it).
The problem, then, according to Pranin Sensei, and a number of other high-ranking Aikido instructors, (in a paraphrased and summarized form) is that in many cases, while people easily enough learn the motions of the Aikido techniques, it appears that many have difficulty with doing them in the way that is necessary to achieve aiki. This includes - again following the opinion of these eminent instructors - such major points as relaxation, and kuzushi, or putting the attacker or partner off-balance. I'm not going to elaborate on those points in this post, but if anyone needs more information to follow this, I suggest checking the Aikido Journal website and its archive of excellent articles.
Some of these instructors, including Pranin-Sensei, have been developing different methods of training to put more emphasis on how to do Aikido properly, without resorting to exerting power to force a result.
Now, the streams of thought that came together for me started with remembering the examples my father has always given me for seeing and using aiki principles in other kinds of actions and work in daily life, by which I mean effective and efficient use of balance and various, mainly physical, kinds of energy (ki) in the handling of different objects, primarily heavy ones. Just as importantly, he taught me to look for and recognize aiki principles in action around me (as well other concepts from other types of budo). An interesting and significant thing is that in some cases, there is little or not difference between these applications and core movements of some Aikido techniques - doubtless with more to be discovered with some focused research.
And then - I thought about the classic Karate Kid movie. I suspect and hope that most readers will at this point know exactly where I am headed with this! For the sake of others, I will explain that in the movie, a teacher of karatedo teaches his student several fundamental blocks, and conditions them into 'muscle memory', by having the student perform a number of very repetitive chores ("Wax On! Wax Off!") with specific motions.
So, at the moment these thoughts merged together, I realized that there could be benefit in taking these applications of aiki principles with inanimate objects and adapting them as exercises that could be useful supplements to Aikido training. While some might correspond to actual and recognizable Aikido techniques, or portions of them, the really important thing would be the additional conditioning to using balance and energy without the additional tension found in working with a partner, and far more so in a true confrontation. It could only be a supplement to regular, traditional training, very secondary, but I see potential for it to be helpful to many.
This is something that must be properly worked out by qualified instructors. I most decidedly am not one such, however much I might hope to become one in the future. I can perhaps hope, at least, to be able to work in some capacity with those who might be interested, qualified, and able to put these things into practice properly.
This post is vague on details; that is conscious and deliberate, since this is just the beginning of an idea, and I've only just started thinking of it myself. I hope to expand on it soon enough, particularly if there is interest. Meanwhile I would of course be most interested to hear if similar ideas or even experiments have occurred elsewhere.
The problem, then, according to Pranin Sensei, and a number of other high-ranking Aikido instructors, (in a paraphrased and summarized form) is that in many cases, while people easily enough learn the motions of the Aikido techniques, it appears that many have difficulty with doing them in the way that is necessary to achieve aiki. This includes - again following the opinion of these eminent instructors - such major points as relaxation, and kuzushi, or putting the attacker or partner off-balance. I'm not going to elaborate on those points in this post, but if anyone needs more information to follow this, I suggest checking the Aikido Journal website and its archive of excellent articles.
Some of these instructors, including Pranin-Sensei, have been developing different methods of training to put more emphasis on how to do Aikido properly, without resorting to exerting power to force a result.
Now, the streams of thought that came together for me started with remembering the examples my father has always given me for seeing and using aiki principles in other kinds of actions and work in daily life, by which I mean effective and efficient use of balance and various, mainly physical, kinds of energy (ki) in the handling of different objects, primarily heavy ones. Just as importantly, he taught me to look for and recognize aiki principles in action around me (as well other concepts from other types of budo). An interesting and significant thing is that in some cases, there is little or not difference between these applications and core movements of some Aikido techniques - doubtless with more to be discovered with some focused research.
And then - I thought about the classic Karate Kid movie. I suspect and hope that most readers will at this point know exactly where I am headed with this! For the sake of others, I will explain that in the movie, a teacher of karatedo teaches his student several fundamental blocks, and conditions them into 'muscle memory', by having the student perform a number of very repetitive chores ("Wax On! Wax Off!") with specific motions.
So, at the moment these thoughts merged together, I realized that there could be benefit in taking these applications of aiki principles with inanimate objects and adapting them as exercises that could be useful supplements to Aikido training. While some might correspond to actual and recognizable Aikido techniques, or portions of them, the really important thing would be the additional conditioning to using balance and energy without the additional tension found in working with a partner, and far more so in a true confrontation. It could only be a supplement to regular, traditional training, very secondary, but I see potential for it to be helpful to many.
This is something that must be properly worked out by qualified instructors. I most decidedly am not one such, however much I might hope to become one in the future. I can perhaps hope, at least, to be able to work in some capacity with those who might be interested, qualified, and able to put these things into practice properly.
This post is vague on details; that is conscious and deliberate, since this is just the beginning of an idea, and I've only just started thinking of it myself. I hope to expand on it soon enough, particularly if there is interest. Meanwhile I would of course be most interested to hear if similar ideas or even experiments have occurred elsewhere.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Mitori-geiko: Observation-training - eyes, videos, books
I'm inspired today by the common thought that "you can't learn martial arts from books" ... or even videos, according to some. Yet, most of us know well enough that there are vast numbers of martial arts books and video materials in the market, and they are usually written or made by, or else feature, highly-credentialed and often well-known expert teachers. Would they do this if it were useless?
That would be at best dishonorable to do, flying in the face of professional and martial integrity.So, let us presume that our respected teachers, seniors, comrades, etc. who have made books and videos do in fact believe that they are benefiting fellow martial artists with their works, and further, that they are correct, as is expected of experts. At the same time, the "can't learn" dictum also comes from experienced people at times, and there is some truth there as well. So, let's try to understand and reconcile them, and then consider how these materials can be used effectively.
For me, the truth of this matter is apparent by looking at it from two sides. First, there is the truth that in order to learn to do something, we must practice doing it. And this is best done under the guidance of a teacher who can observe us and tell us how to avoid mistakes and do it better. Second, careful observation is also a valid way of training, under the right circumstances. We'll look a little more deeply at each one in turn.
Again, the way to learn to do something, or at least to do it well, is to practice doing it. The best way is with the help of a good teacher. Some would have us think that this is the only way. That is not true, since if it was, there would never been any innovation nor progress, and all martial arts would be identical - and far inferior to what we have today. Nevertheless, to learn it is far better - quicker and easier - with a good teacher helping us. With or without a teacher, though, we have to DO it in order to get better at it over time.
Next, we look deeper at mitori geiko, the Japanese term for training by intent observation. In short, this means learning by watching carefully what another does. It may be a teacher, or classmates, or especially in the case of duels and sporting competitions, observing the other party. If someone is injured and cannot physically practice, they can still benefit greatly by attending the dojo and doing mitori geiko.
In fact, one of the modes of traditional training, in which teachers don't explain, but simply demonstrate, and then have students try to emulate what they saw - often called "stealing the technique" uses mitori geiko followed by physical practice.
As I see it, using videos and books is really another form of this same mode of practice! In all cases, you pay attention to what you see, and then try to practice it, to duplicate the technique or exercise.
Still, the best way is to learn under a teacher who does explain and actively helps us to improve, rather than just hoping we'll manage to successfully "steal" the technique. The problem is that without active guidance, whether we are trying to copy an uncommunicative teacher, or a video, or a book, we can very easily miss crucial, but subtle points, or get into bad habits when we don't realize we are doing something wrong.
Now, bringing all these things together, mitori geiko of any sort, including using books, is far more useful and effective if you already have a foundation in actual practice. As such, I would say that, while it is not impossible to learn - as a beginner - from a book, it would be very hard, and the process would have many potential pitfalls. If, however, we have relevant experience and practice, then we can use the information to adjust what we have already learned and practiced.
For example, in my youth, I studied Tae Kwon Do for... perhaps a little under a year, earning several promotions. I have continued, over the years, to occasionally practice the poomse (Korean for 'kata' or forms) that I was taught in that time. Recently, I acquired a book giving one of the newer official sets of forms (the Tae Geuk), which my school did not use, at least not at that time - just before I had to stop going (due to an injury sustained elsewhere) there was talk of the school switching to a new system of poomse. In any case, although they are not the same, there is a strong overlap between the forms in this book, and those I learned years ago. As such, it is not a major leap for me to practice these "new' forms by carefully following the directions and paying close attention to the pictures. Even so, it would be far easier if I were to enroll in a dojang that uses the Tae Geuk forms and get proper instruction. However, if I were a beginner with no experience, it would be far harder to learn these forms from the book, and I would surely make far more mistakes.
In the end, it is again best to learn from a good teacher. If you can do that, do it! If you can't get a teacher, sometimes it is possible to observe classes. This depends on the art and the particular school. Aikido dojos tend to be very open to visitors; some other martial arts, especially certain very traditional ones, tend to be very closed and secretive, not allowing non-students to watch. If you can't watch instruction in person, then video materials are next in usefulness. Finally print materials, books, ebooks and magazines. Again all of these are much more effective if you have experience to build upon, if you already have some knowledge and practice.
And if you are an absolute beginner? It is truly best recommended to join a school or otherwise find a teacher, but if you must try to learn in one of these other ways, involving mitori geiko, I would offer these thoughts: Observe not only the teacher (even if that be a book, etc.), but also, very intently, yourself, your body. Try to feel what you are doing, and to do it with care, attention and precision. No matter what the art, I would strongly recommend first of all carefully learning breakfalls and rolls; that way, you are less likely to be injured if you lose your balance or otherwise fall while practicing other techniques later, and certainly if you have or get a training partner. I've seen some good videos online on how to safely ease into rolls and breakfalls particularly made by practitioners of Aikido and the Russian art Systema. Go slowly, try to pay attention to any subtle differences due to variations in your stance, position and movements. Pay attention to balance and to your center, so that you can maintain balance. Along with this, pay close attention to footwork. And when your situation allows you to get a teacher, do it. ;)
As a proof that it can work, I've read of a number of Aikido dojos and clubs in the US that started with groups of friends training together from the few early books. This was particularly before there were more than a handful of teachers.
As a final note, current technology now allows for even personal instruction at a distance, to some degree, with the availability of video calling. A number of prominent martial artists, such as Stephen Hayes and Jet Li, have started online schools that allow for teachers to periodically evaluate students via video, and doubtless others will do likewise. This new option in training, in effect, combines training-by-teacher and training-by-observation. It will be most instructive to see if it is indeed viable and effective after some time has passed.
That would be at best dishonorable to do, flying in the face of professional and martial integrity.So, let us presume that our respected teachers, seniors, comrades, etc. who have made books and videos do in fact believe that they are benefiting fellow martial artists with their works, and further, that they are correct, as is expected of experts. At the same time, the "can't learn" dictum also comes from experienced people at times, and there is some truth there as well. So, let's try to understand and reconcile them, and then consider how these materials can be used effectively.
For me, the truth of this matter is apparent by looking at it from two sides. First, there is the truth that in order to learn to do something, we must practice doing it. And this is best done under the guidance of a teacher who can observe us and tell us how to avoid mistakes and do it better. Second, careful observation is also a valid way of training, under the right circumstances. We'll look a little more deeply at each one in turn.
Again, the way to learn to do something, or at least to do it well, is to practice doing it. The best way is with the help of a good teacher. Some would have us think that this is the only way. That is not true, since if it was, there would never been any innovation nor progress, and all martial arts would be identical - and far inferior to what we have today. Nevertheless, to learn it is far better - quicker and easier - with a good teacher helping us. With or without a teacher, though, we have to DO it in order to get better at it over time.
Next, we look deeper at mitori geiko, the Japanese term for training by intent observation. In short, this means learning by watching carefully what another does. It may be a teacher, or classmates, or especially in the case of duels and sporting competitions, observing the other party. If someone is injured and cannot physically practice, they can still benefit greatly by attending the dojo and doing mitori geiko.
In fact, one of the modes of traditional training, in which teachers don't explain, but simply demonstrate, and then have students try to emulate what they saw - often called "stealing the technique" uses mitori geiko followed by physical practice.
As I see it, using videos and books is really another form of this same mode of practice! In all cases, you pay attention to what you see, and then try to practice it, to duplicate the technique or exercise.
Still, the best way is to learn under a teacher who does explain and actively helps us to improve, rather than just hoping we'll manage to successfully "steal" the technique. The problem is that without active guidance, whether we are trying to copy an uncommunicative teacher, or a video, or a book, we can very easily miss crucial, but subtle points, or get into bad habits when we don't realize we are doing something wrong.
Now, bringing all these things together, mitori geiko of any sort, including using books, is far more useful and effective if you already have a foundation in actual practice. As such, I would say that, while it is not impossible to learn - as a beginner - from a book, it would be very hard, and the process would have many potential pitfalls. If, however, we have relevant experience and practice, then we can use the information to adjust what we have already learned and practiced.
For example, in my youth, I studied Tae Kwon Do for... perhaps a little under a year, earning several promotions. I have continued, over the years, to occasionally practice the poomse (Korean for 'kata' or forms) that I was taught in that time. Recently, I acquired a book giving one of the newer official sets of forms (the Tae Geuk), which my school did not use, at least not at that time - just before I had to stop going (due to an injury sustained elsewhere) there was talk of the school switching to a new system of poomse. In any case, although they are not the same, there is a strong overlap between the forms in this book, and those I learned years ago. As such, it is not a major leap for me to practice these "new' forms by carefully following the directions and paying close attention to the pictures. Even so, it would be far easier if I were to enroll in a dojang that uses the Tae Geuk forms and get proper instruction. However, if I were a beginner with no experience, it would be far harder to learn these forms from the book, and I would surely make far more mistakes.
In the end, it is again best to learn from a good teacher. If you can do that, do it! If you can't get a teacher, sometimes it is possible to observe classes. This depends on the art and the particular school. Aikido dojos tend to be very open to visitors; some other martial arts, especially certain very traditional ones, tend to be very closed and secretive, not allowing non-students to watch. If you can't watch instruction in person, then video materials are next in usefulness. Finally print materials, books, ebooks and magazines. Again all of these are much more effective if you have experience to build upon, if you already have some knowledge and practice.
And if you are an absolute beginner? It is truly best recommended to join a school or otherwise find a teacher, but if you must try to learn in one of these other ways, involving mitori geiko, I would offer these thoughts: Observe not only the teacher (even if that be a book, etc.), but also, very intently, yourself, your body. Try to feel what you are doing, and to do it with care, attention and precision. No matter what the art, I would strongly recommend first of all carefully learning breakfalls and rolls; that way, you are less likely to be injured if you lose your balance or otherwise fall while practicing other techniques later, and certainly if you have or get a training partner. I've seen some good videos online on how to safely ease into rolls and breakfalls particularly made by practitioners of Aikido and the Russian art Systema. Go slowly, try to pay attention to any subtle differences due to variations in your stance, position and movements. Pay attention to balance and to your center, so that you can maintain balance. Along with this, pay close attention to footwork. And when your situation allows you to get a teacher, do it. ;)
As a proof that it can work, I've read of a number of Aikido dojos and clubs in the US that started with groups of friends training together from the few early books. This was particularly before there were more than a handful of teachers.
As a final note, current technology now allows for even personal instruction at a distance, to some degree, with the availability of video calling. A number of prominent martial artists, such as Stephen Hayes and Jet Li, have started online schools that allow for teachers to periodically evaluate students via video, and doubtless others will do likewise. This new option in training, in effect, combines training-by-teacher and training-by-observation. It will be most instructive to see if it is indeed viable and effective after some time has passed.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Online Martial Arts Shopping
This is a little outside my usual range of topics, but since it might help others...
I've spent a considerable amount of time over the past few days doing a lot of comparison pricing on a list of martial arts goods, and from this experience I've reached some general conclusions.
First, by and large, with the exceptions of either rare and scattered deep discounts, or high-end products, and taking into account shipping and handling fees, it seems that prices tend to be close, and to even out if you're in the market for a list of things. As such, this kind of intense shopping around is probably not really worthwhile most of the time.
It seems that many dojo websites are now affiliating with martial arts vendors, too, so that the dojo can sell what is needed to their students without managing their own store and stock. (Several suppliers seem to have affiliate programs of this sort - Century seems to be everywhere, while high-end supplier Tozando also has a similar program. If you belong to a dojo that participates in such a program, it would be worthy to use its site unless there is a compelling reason not to.
Also important, if you belong to a dojo (or otherwise have an instructor) and you are shopping for things to wear or use in that dojo, it is very wise to consult with the instructor on any preferences, or even just for advice.
If your dojo has no such program, on a similar principle, unless there is a significant reason not to (huge difference in price, for example) it's a good idea to buy local. Interestingly enough one item I am interested in is cheapest (aside from a sold out clearance sale by one supplier who was discontinuing the item) at one of the stores here in New York City, where as a general rule prices are higher than in most other parts of the USA. So, even here, buying local can be a savings.
On the other hand, if you do want or need to do comparison shopping online, it's important to make the effort of adding everything together, AND any shipping and any other fees. Also, in many cases, you'll see a basic price in a listing for an item, but the actual price for an item may be higher for different details, such as size or color, so make sure you check the options you want and get the full price for the exact version you want. Some sites have flat rate prices, but others will have those variations I just described. Some sites will automatically calculate the correct price from your chosen options and show it on the page, others will have a note in the drop-down menus for choosing the options telling you what the additional cost is, which you have to add to the base price yourself.
Always check the size charts, since there is some variation between different manufacturers ... aside from there being some different size systems from different countries that you may encounter. Also check any customer reviews, as I found several sites where customers consistently recommending ordering a size higher than indicated by the chart, either because the fit was tighter than expected, or because (in the case of cotton garments) they might shrink in the wash when first laundered.
Finally, to repeat my main bit of advice from this week of price-shopping - I have my doubts if doing this will be worthwhile most of the time. If you don't have a source through your dojo, then find either a local business if possible (if they carry what you're specifically looking for) or a trustworthy online business that has the items you need... it is not likely that price differences will add up to any greatly substantial difference. However, if your budget is very tight, you may luck out if you browse around for closeouts and clearances.
Readers are welcome to comment with any additional tips, or questions.
I've spent a considerable amount of time over the past few days doing a lot of comparison pricing on a list of martial arts goods, and from this experience I've reached some general conclusions.
First, by and large, with the exceptions of either rare and scattered deep discounts, or high-end products, and taking into account shipping and handling fees, it seems that prices tend to be close, and to even out if you're in the market for a list of things. As such, this kind of intense shopping around is probably not really worthwhile most of the time.
It seems that many dojo websites are now affiliating with martial arts vendors, too, so that the dojo can sell what is needed to their students without managing their own store and stock. (Several suppliers seem to have affiliate programs of this sort - Century seems to be everywhere, while high-end supplier Tozando also has a similar program. If you belong to a dojo that participates in such a program, it would be worthy to use its site unless there is a compelling reason not to.
Also important, if you belong to a dojo (or otherwise have an instructor) and you are shopping for things to wear or use in that dojo, it is very wise to consult with the instructor on any preferences, or even just for advice.
If your dojo has no such program, on a similar principle, unless there is a significant reason not to (huge difference in price, for example) it's a good idea to buy local. Interestingly enough one item I am interested in is cheapest (aside from a sold out clearance sale by one supplier who was discontinuing the item) at one of the stores here in New York City, where as a general rule prices are higher than in most other parts of the USA. So, even here, buying local can be a savings.
On the other hand, if you do want or need to do comparison shopping online, it's important to make the effort of adding everything together, AND any shipping and any other fees. Also, in many cases, you'll see a basic price in a listing for an item, but the actual price for an item may be higher for different details, such as size or color, so make sure you check the options you want and get the full price for the exact version you want. Some sites have flat rate prices, but others will have those variations I just described. Some sites will automatically calculate the correct price from your chosen options and show it on the page, others will have a note in the drop-down menus for choosing the options telling you what the additional cost is, which you have to add to the base price yourself.
Always check the size charts, since there is some variation between different manufacturers ... aside from there being some different size systems from different countries that you may encounter. Also check any customer reviews, as I found several sites where customers consistently recommending ordering a size higher than indicated by the chart, either because the fit was tighter than expected, or because (in the case of cotton garments) they might shrink in the wash when first laundered.
Finally, to repeat my main bit of advice from this week of price-shopping - I have my doubts if doing this will be worthwhile most of the time. If you don't have a source through your dojo, then find either a local business if possible (if they carry what you're specifically looking for) or a trustworthy online business that has the items you need... it is not likely that price differences will add up to any greatly substantial difference. However, if your budget is very tight, you may luck out if you browse around for closeouts and clearances.
Readers are welcome to comment with any additional tips, or questions.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Historic First Shodan Demonstration at Shugyo Aikido
I would like to share with you this video of a historic
ranking at the Shugyo Aikido Dojo
There are several reasons this video is significant and
interesting. Personally, I find dan ranking demonstrations to be among the most
interesting of video materials on Aikido. While instructional videos may be of
more immediate practical use, especially for the beginner, demonstrations or
tests for dan ranks are chances to see the art as practiced by people with
proven experience. As my earlier article
on the meanings of the belts explains: the kyu-grades (colored or white belts
depending on the school) are those of novice students who are still learning
the basic, standard range of techniques, while dan-ranks starting with the
first (shodan) are those of experienced
and dedicated students who are able to practice the art as a whole, and who are
presumably working toward and achieving mastery. In short, those who have
achieved a dan ranking (black belt), know enough to be able to train at a more
mature level of art. So, out of the
numerous dan-testings that we can easily find online, why is this one
significant enough to be singled out?
First, it records a historic occasion: the first shodan to
be earned and awarded in the new, independent style named Shugyo Aikido. It
includes the presentation of Shodan certificate number 1! In addition, there are certain aspects of the
student’s performance and how he got there that are particularly commendable,
and which are inspiring to me, and perhaps to others. I’ll elaborate on these
points.
This video clip, again, shows the first dan-ranking within
this new style or branch of Aikido. Naturally, readers will be curious as to
why there should even be another new style in the first place. My opinion is
that one of the strengths and glories of Aikido is its sheer versatility: it
can be beneficially trained in a great variety of ways, for different reasons
and with corresponding different results. Even training styles that are sometimes
derided as ‘aiki-bunny’ deserve more respect: they serve their purpose well for
those who choose to train that way. There is nothing wrong with it, provided
those aikidoka do not expect the same results as might be found from training
in other styles with other emphases. And even at that, the Founder of Aikido,
and many other later teachers, insist that the true value lies in strong
mastery of the basics – and the significant basics are widely shared among
styles, ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ alike.
This particular new style was, as I understand it, created
to incorporate within its training regimen, elements that most schools of
Aikido shun. I am not a student - at this time - nor a representative of Shugyo
Aikido, so these interpretations are my own, and may or may not reflect the
views of the style’s founder, James Neiman.
The main difference is that students of Shugyo Aikido learn
fighting techniques drawn from other arts alongside the standard Aikido core;
because of this, Neiman Sensei calls it a ‘Mixed Martial Art’, though its name
accurately indicates that Aikido is the core and framework of the art he
teachers. This kind of thing is taken as very
controversial at best by many Aikidoka. While I can see and understand their
point, I also see and understand Neiman Sensei’s point and choices. And I
believe that the versatility I mentioned earlier allows for even such sharp
differences, provided that Aikido and all that It means is not lost sight of.
One important truth that I see in Neiman Sensei’s way of
teaching is that it compensates for a crucial difference between early Aikido
and its present general traits and practices. Namely, in the early days of
Aikido, students had to be recommended to the Founder, and many of them were
already accomplished martial artists in other schools, and in some cases are
said to have been sent by their teacher to Founder Morihei Ueshiba for advanced
training. I repeat, advanced training. In later years, the Founder’s son
Kisshomaru Ueshiba Sensei took steps to open Aikido to a wider audience, and
this meant that many students start with no background in martial arts, and
mainstream Aikido teaches only the pure Aikido.
Therefore, some teachers, including Neiman Sensei, choose to
supplement Aikido with techniques from other arts, giving their students a
wider range of basic physical skills. On a pragmatic level, this can be very
important for those who may face self-defense or other combat situations.
This should not be misunderstood! People have saved their own lives with basics
as simple as Aikido’s standard ready stance, which looks attentive and
confident, but not threatening nor aggressive; or basic footwork with which one
can sidestep attempted punches. The Founder himself won a duel in which he was
unarmed, against a swordsman, by simply avoiding every cut until the expert
swordsman admitted he was outclassed. This does not even require lengthy
training; Nev Sagiba Sensei tells a story in one of his articles of someone who
took a single class from him before life circumstances forced him to stop –
that lone class focused on footwork, and within a few days after that class,
the one-class student was attacked by a large, belligerent drunk at a party,
and neatly avoided each punch with this single skill he had learned in a hour
or so of practice. Respect the basics!
Despite that great potential in Aikido in and of itself,
some modern-day Aikidoka do practice and teach elements from other arts, and
they do indeed have good reasons. This should be seen as a personal choice –
there is neither cause nor right to condemn either ‘pure’ or ‘mixed’ Aikido.
Consider, too, that the Founder himself studied several arts before and in the
course of developing and refining his Aikido. He also taught a wide variety of
people with very different needs, ranging from military, intelligence and
police personnel to dancers. (Yes, actual dancers – there are photos of the
Founder instructing classes of Japanese dancers in formal kimonos, so even
those who do Aikido like a dance really shouldn’t be criticized – but all
students should be aware of how they are training, and be sure that it is the
kind of training they actually want and need.) A final point here is that many
aikidoka practice cross-training, by also studying other arts at other dojos.
The Shugyo Aikido method appears to simply bring, in effect, cross-training
into the aikidojo.
Now, on to the more
personal side of my interest in this video – senior student Neil Remolar sets a
very nice example in sheer dedication and attentiveness to his study of Shugyo
Aikido, resulting in rapid progress and unusually quick attainment of the
Shodan degree. As Neiman Sensei explains during the promotion ceremony after
the demonstration, a student practicing at the normal rate should earn Shodan
in about five years, but through his dedication and extended and intense
training, Neil was able to fulfill all the requirements of in about one and a
half years. This is an extraordinary achievement. Alongside earning the shodan degree, he
successfully worked towards the requirements of becoming a Senior Instructor of
Shugyo Aikido. His example should be
inspirational even to the many who for whatever reason cannot do the same. He
did this, as I understand it, with intensive training as often and as much as
his life allowed, under the close personal guidance of Neiman Sensei. He would
have been an uchi-deshi (live-in disciple, traditional-type apprentice) if
their circumstances allowed, but Neiman Sensei arranged a program of
instruction and other activities to keep him well-rounded that came as close as
possible to the uchi-deshi experience, and having similar effect. All this came
at Remolar-san’s own request – which he followed through on, successfully reaching
this milestone.
Furthermore, life threw at him a special obstacle in the
form of a respiratory illness; he could no doubt have postponed his
demonstration, and even in the course of it was offered the option to opt out
of certain portions of the demonstration because of the illness, but he chose
to press on with the entire program as planned.
This is not surprising given the force of character and will that got
him there so quickly in the first place. In harsh reality, we can’t choose when
we may need to engage with a hostile attack, so it is good for a martial artist
to be able to act as needed even if distinctly unwell. An enemy, unless
possessed of a chivalry rarely seen these days, would only take advantage of
illness. Nevertheless, in practice, many choose not to practice when unhealthy,
on the reasonable grounds that it can be much more dangerous. Neither choice is
bad or wrong, but it is inspirational to see someone take the harder road in
search of better gain.
Another aspect to this accomplishment is to the credit of
Neiman Sensei and his teaching methods. In contrast to many schools that hold
testings infrequently on a set schedule, and in many cases seem to even
discourage students from focusing on advancement in the art, Neiman Sensei
allows student to advance in rank as they meet the curriculum requirements.
Thus, they aren’t held back solely because of an arbitrary schedule, and their
actual advancement in knowledge and skill is acknowledged as the milestones are
reached. To be complete and fair, those teachers who test rarely have their
reasons, which some of them have explained in interviews, articles or books.
Some have said they want to be sure the students have patience, or aren’t
rushing ahead solely out of a belt-collecting ego-trip, etc., and some have
pointed that many Westerners misunderstand the meaning and significance of a
black belt, in particular inflating its meaning, making them over-confident
upon achieving their first black belt – so that forcing a longer training time
before it is achieved will result in that much less “over’’ in their confidence.
Thus, there are pros and cons to each method; it seems wise for teachers and
students (some of whom will be future teachers) to know about different
possible teaching methods and to carefully consider those pros and cons.
Going back to Neil’s demonstration, let’s not forget that,
whether we call it “mixed martial art” or “cross-training” or something else,
the effect of the curriculum means that a shodan in his art of Shugyo Aikido is
considered to have learned and demonstrated competence in the important basics
of not one, but a whole range of martial arts with different emphases, bringing a variety of skills, and a state of
well-roundedness, to students. And is this not an ideal demonstrated by a
number of the best widely known martial artists, ranging from Aikido founder
Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei, to Bruce Lee, to Jet Li, and many others with less
fame?
So, let us congratulate Neil Remolar on attaining the first
shodan in the independent style of Shugyo Aikido! I look forward to seeing his
future progress, as well as other students in their art who will follow in his
footsteps in due course.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
International Association of Professional Martial Artists
As of October 15, 2013, I'm affiliated with the International Association of Professional Martial Artists as a Student Member. This organization was recently founded by James Neiman Sensei, Soke of Shugyo Aikido among other things as a way to build connections between martial artists, schools and private instructors who are independent of large organizations. I would recommend that any readers who are, or want to be, serious martial artists, but find themselves hampered by not being part of an organization, should consider this organization; it is an excellent way to be part of the wider martial arts community even as an independent practitioner or instructor. Please view the website to find out more about what it is all about and the potential benefits. Note that there is no membership fee nor hidden costs.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
The Meaning of the Belts
When people are new to martial arts, there are some questions and ideas that are almost typical (though not really universal), and which many instructors and other long-time martial artists consider pet peeves, mostly because they're misconceptions fostered by popular culture and media. So, just to do my little bit to help, I'm going to take a look at these points.
The central point is the momentous Black Belt. The popular conception is that being awarded a black belt in a martial art means that you're a master of the art, and sometimes practically a superhero. That being the case, to many new people it seems like a very obvious question to ask "How long does it take to get a black belt."
I have no idea whether it is true, but I've read a fitting story about when someone visited a dojo, and asked the head instructor the above question. In response, the teacher said, "Ah! You want a black belt?" He went and got a black belt from the supplies, and ceremoniously handed the man the belt. He then gestured to his other students, who were preparing for sparring practice, and cordially invited the "new black belt" to demonstrate his qualification for the belt by joining in.
It is also true that anyone can go to a martial arts supply store or website and buy a belt of any color they like. For that matter, we can make one if we have enough fabric, and a needle and thread. In short, the belt and its color is just a symbol. There's nothing to stop a teacher or an organization (wherever the authority lies in a particular art and lineage) from declaring that they will use pink belts for the purposes that black belts are currently customary.
(I would like to say to instructors that an estimate of time to reach black belt really is a reasonable question for beginners to have, even if more experienced people might see it as not really accurately answerable; and I would propose that the best way to answer is with the simple truth, such as it is for your school. In general, there is probably some definite minimum time you can mention, along with the fact that one's own dedication, skill and perseverance will determine how much time it might take beyond that minimum training time that may be required, so that it is really impossible to say how long it will take in the end... it's up to them to meet the qualifications for promotion!)
The real point, of course, is the training and education one receives. The belts used in many martial arts to signify rank are a symbol, and somewhat arbitrary, since there are different arrangements of rankings, and different belts assigned to them.
In fact, many people are surprised to learn that the system of using belts to show rank is relatively modern, and decidedly not an ancient tradition. It started in Japan in the original school of Judo, founded by Jigoro Kano Sensei in the late 1800's. Before that time, the standard way of acknowledging a student's advancement was through a series of degree certificates. The martial arts of other countries had their own systems; I haven't done much research into that aspect of their histories, unfortunately, so I cannot now shed more light. In the meantime, Kano Sensei's ranking system spread among other Japanese and Okinawan martial arts, and then to other arts.
Actually, Kano Sensei borrowed part of the system from traditional ranking system of Japanese games, such as "Go." This was in line with his creation of Judo, as a sport and path of personal development, out of the combat art of Jujutsu. This traditional system is one of "kyu" grades for those who are in the process of learning the game or art, to which Judo assigned a series of colored belts; and "dan" ranks to acknowledge the increasing skill and mastery of those who had attained proficiency, which are the black belt ranks.
There we see the probably cause of one of those misconceptions that is our main point: first there is this series of colored belts, and then a black belt for the rest of a person's career in that art. To those who aren't fully (or at all) aware of the kyu-dan system, it does naturally look like attaining a black belt is the goal of martial arts training. Some arts do show the progression of dan ranks with colored stripes on the black belts; that was the system in the Tae Kwon Do school I attended as a youth, for example.
But what's actually going on is that the kyu-grades or colored belts are, in martial arts, a structure for a curriculum of the basics of that art, and achieving a good level of competence therein. When one receives his or her first dan rank, and the black belt that goes with it, it signifies that one has shown competence and proficiency in the basics of the art, and now he or she may begin to come into their own and truly start learning what the art has to offer. In other words, attaining a black belt shows that one is perhaps an advanced student, or maybe even still intermediate, in a more strict and rigorous school than some others might be. Again, the colored belts show that one is a beginner, learning the various components of the art, all its basic exercises, techniques, stances, etc., etc. The first degree dan rank and its black belt means you're no longer a beginner. Higher dan ranks come as one moves toward mastery.
To be clear, attaining the first degree black belt is a very significant accomplishment, regardless of misunderstandings about its precise meaning! Actually, any belt is of great significance, even the first kyu to be earned means that you have persevered in learning something new, that forces one to confront fears and discover new abilities and new strength, inner and outer, just to get that far. For that matter, simply taking the step of entering a dojo is worthy of honor. Most people don't do that!
In many arts, each rank takes longer to earn, often with specific minimum amounts of training time before one is allowed to test for the next rank. So, this means, in particular, that in the case of dan-ranks, the amount of training between ranks does indeed allow for significantly increased mastery, so that by the middle dan ranks, one could probably be considered as having mastered the art to a significant extent. But most high-ranking martial artists will tell you frankly and earnestly that they are always still students; and surely that is the ideal mindset.
Since this blog has a particular focus on Aikido, I should mention that many Aikido schools use only white belts for the kyu-grades, and black belts for the dan-degrees. Some schools do use colored belts for the kyus, however; and still others use colored belts only for children's classes, as a special motivational tool. Also of note is that most Aikido schools, and some of the other, more traditional, arts tend to discourage the mentality of trying to rack up belts or ranks. (I would say that when it comes right down to it, practically speaking, ranks only really matter, in a substantial way, for the sake of certifying people who are qualified to teach their martial art to others.)
While keeping in mind that every art, and different organizations within an art, and to some extent sometimes the schools within organizations, have their own particular systems and standards, to give a general idea, here is a link to the rankings page of the New York Aikikai and of the Aikikai Headquarters in Japan. A quick Google search can bring up the ranking systems of many other martial arts and schools. I've personally found it very interesting to compare different arts and their ranking systems, and different schools within an art.
I hope that this post is helpful to readers who may be considering enrolling in a dojo for formal training. Please, if you find that you have unanswered questions, ask them via the comments, and I will try to answer either in updates to this post or in future posts. (If you have questions about particular schools or styles, you can contact them directly and get much better answers.)
The central point is the momentous Black Belt. The popular conception is that being awarded a black belt in a martial art means that you're a master of the art, and sometimes practically a superhero. That being the case, to many new people it seems like a very obvious question to ask "How long does it take to get a black belt."
I have no idea whether it is true, but I've read a fitting story about when someone visited a dojo, and asked the head instructor the above question. In response, the teacher said, "Ah! You want a black belt?" He went and got a black belt from the supplies, and ceremoniously handed the man the belt. He then gestured to his other students, who were preparing for sparring practice, and cordially invited the "new black belt" to demonstrate his qualification for the belt by joining in.
It is also true that anyone can go to a martial arts supply store or website and buy a belt of any color they like. For that matter, we can make one if we have enough fabric, and a needle and thread. In short, the belt and its color is just a symbol. There's nothing to stop a teacher or an organization (wherever the authority lies in a particular art and lineage) from declaring that they will use pink belts for the purposes that black belts are currently customary.
(I would like to say to instructors that an estimate of time to reach black belt really is a reasonable question for beginners to have, even if more experienced people might see it as not really accurately answerable; and I would propose that the best way to answer is with the simple truth, such as it is for your school. In general, there is probably some definite minimum time you can mention, along with the fact that one's own dedication, skill and perseverance will determine how much time it might take beyond that minimum training time that may be required, so that it is really impossible to say how long it will take in the end... it's up to them to meet the qualifications for promotion!)
The real point, of course, is the training and education one receives. The belts used in many martial arts to signify rank are a symbol, and somewhat arbitrary, since there are different arrangements of rankings, and different belts assigned to them.
In fact, many people are surprised to learn that the system of using belts to show rank is relatively modern, and decidedly not an ancient tradition. It started in Japan in the original school of Judo, founded by Jigoro Kano Sensei in the late 1800's. Before that time, the standard way of acknowledging a student's advancement was through a series of degree certificates. The martial arts of other countries had their own systems; I haven't done much research into that aspect of their histories, unfortunately, so I cannot now shed more light. In the meantime, Kano Sensei's ranking system spread among other Japanese and Okinawan martial arts, and then to other arts.
Actually, Kano Sensei borrowed part of the system from traditional ranking system of Japanese games, such as "Go." This was in line with his creation of Judo, as a sport and path of personal development, out of the combat art of Jujutsu. This traditional system is one of "kyu" grades for those who are in the process of learning the game or art, to which Judo assigned a series of colored belts; and "dan" ranks to acknowledge the increasing skill and mastery of those who had attained proficiency, which are the black belt ranks.
There we see the probably cause of one of those misconceptions that is our main point: first there is this series of colored belts, and then a black belt for the rest of a person's career in that art. To those who aren't fully (or at all) aware of the kyu-dan system, it does naturally look like attaining a black belt is the goal of martial arts training. Some arts do show the progression of dan ranks with colored stripes on the black belts; that was the system in the Tae Kwon Do school I attended as a youth, for example.
But what's actually going on is that the kyu-grades or colored belts are, in martial arts, a structure for a curriculum of the basics of that art, and achieving a good level of competence therein. When one receives his or her first dan rank, and the black belt that goes with it, it signifies that one has shown competence and proficiency in the basics of the art, and now he or she may begin to come into their own and truly start learning what the art has to offer. In other words, attaining a black belt shows that one is perhaps an advanced student, or maybe even still intermediate, in a more strict and rigorous school than some others might be. Again, the colored belts show that one is a beginner, learning the various components of the art, all its basic exercises, techniques, stances, etc., etc. The first degree dan rank and its black belt means you're no longer a beginner. Higher dan ranks come as one moves toward mastery.
To be clear, attaining the first degree black belt is a very significant accomplishment, regardless of misunderstandings about its precise meaning! Actually, any belt is of great significance, even the first kyu to be earned means that you have persevered in learning something new, that forces one to confront fears and discover new abilities and new strength, inner and outer, just to get that far. For that matter, simply taking the step of entering a dojo is worthy of honor. Most people don't do that!
In many arts, each rank takes longer to earn, often with specific minimum amounts of training time before one is allowed to test for the next rank. So, this means, in particular, that in the case of dan-ranks, the amount of training between ranks does indeed allow for significantly increased mastery, so that by the middle dan ranks, one could probably be considered as having mastered the art to a significant extent. But most high-ranking martial artists will tell you frankly and earnestly that they are always still students; and surely that is the ideal mindset.
Since this blog has a particular focus on Aikido, I should mention that many Aikido schools use only white belts for the kyu-grades, and black belts for the dan-degrees. Some schools do use colored belts for the kyus, however; and still others use colored belts only for children's classes, as a special motivational tool. Also of note is that most Aikido schools, and some of the other, more traditional, arts tend to discourage the mentality of trying to rack up belts or ranks. (I would say that when it comes right down to it, practically speaking, ranks only really matter, in a substantial way, for the sake of certifying people who are qualified to teach their martial art to others.)
While keeping in mind that every art, and different organizations within an art, and to some extent sometimes the schools within organizations, have their own particular systems and standards, to give a general idea, here is a link to the rankings page of the New York Aikikai and of the Aikikai Headquarters in Japan. A quick Google search can bring up the ranking systems of many other martial arts and schools. I've personally found it very interesting to compare different arts and their ranking systems, and different schools within an art.
I hope that this post is helpful to readers who may be considering enrolling in a dojo for formal training. Please, if you find that you have unanswered questions, ask them via the comments, and I will try to answer either in updates to this post or in future posts. (If you have questions about particular schools or styles, you can contact them directly and get much better answers.)
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
"Martial Relaxation"
Please read the linked article by Stanley Pranin Sensei on Martial Relaxation and other issues. It is his review of his experience teaching at a particular Aikido seminar. In my remarks following, I try to give my understanding of what he says, as influenced by my own experience, such as it is, and various teachers and other sources.
For me, the point about "martial relaxation" particularly strikes home because it is among my father's central basic teachings, though he hasn't used that particular term. As he put it, holding your muscles tensely in anticipation of action will delay and slow the action itself, and as Pranin Sensei says, that tension can also telegraph your intended movement to your partner or opponent.
Now, it is called "martial" relaxation because it is not the kind of relaxation that is limp and uncontrolled, but one in which you are aware, steady and in control. My father has sometimes described it as "poised", contrasting it to both "tensed" and limply relaxed.
So, it's very important to maintain this middle state between rigid tension and limpness. Both tension and limpness slow us down and delay reactions, but in the zone of martial relaxation we can find the best reaction and movement speed.
Observe a cat, and its speed of motion when striking. Cats appear to naturally maintain this state of martial relaxation, probably due to their nature as predators who also can be vulnerable to other predators. (People who play with cats, thus, might be able to develop and measure their martial relaxation by their ability to, for example, evade a pounce or some "batting". ;))
In his article, Pranin Sensei mentions two other issues that he encountered among students: unbalancing the partner, and use of distracting strikes ("atemi" in Japanese).
Unbalancing is one of the most central and definitive things in the theory of Aikido. It's very much understandable that people sometimes forget in the heat of practice or combat, so it's all the more important for those who practice that art to keep in mind the basics of theory as well as of practice, and of course, put theory into practice. Aikido without using the aiki techniques of unbalancing is essentially simple judo or jujutsu. Aikido is born from jujutsu, in particular the Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu tradition, which is itself a specialty school that emphasizes aiki, as the name indicates. So, if we're training Aikido, we should give firm attention to breaking the partner's balance, when we are doing the nage/tori side of the equation. That is the key to making the resulting technique an Aikido technique.
As for atemi, it is an important method in achieving that all-important task of unbalancing the partner. It's a strike, a hit, that is meant to distract and unbalance... to break the concentration and poise of the other partner. It's not meant (in Aikido, that is!) to injure, nor more than briefly cause pain. As Pranin Sensei says in many places, Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba uses atemi in his filmed demonstrations and teachings.
For me, the point about "martial relaxation" particularly strikes home because it is among my father's central basic teachings, though he hasn't used that particular term. As he put it, holding your muscles tensely in anticipation of action will delay and slow the action itself, and as Pranin Sensei says, that tension can also telegraph your intended movement to your partner or opponent.
Now, it is called "martial" relaxation because it is not the kind of relaxation that is limp and uncontrolled, but one in which you are aware, steady and in control. My father has sometimes described it as "poised", contrasting it to both "tensed" and limply relaxed.
So, it's very important to maintain this middle state between rigid tension and limpness. Both tension and limpness slow us down and delay reactions, but in the zone of martial relaxation we can find the best reaction and movement speed.
Observe a cat, and its speed of motion when striking. Cats appear to naturally maintain this state of martial relaxation, probably due to their nature as predators who also can be vulnerable to other predators. (People who play with cats, thus, might be able to develop and measure their martial relaxation by their ability to, for example, evade a pounce or some "batting". ;))
In his article, Pranin Sensei mentions two other issues that he encountered among students: unbalancing the partner, and use of distracting strikes ("atemi" in Japanese).
Unbalancing is one of the most central and definitive things in the theory of Aikido. It's very much understandable that people sometimes forget in the heat of practice or combat, so it's all the more important for those who practice that art to keep in mind the basics of theory as well as of practice, and of course, put theory into practice. Aikido without using the aiki techniques of unbalancing is essentially simple judo or jujutsu. Aikido is born from jujutsu, in particular the Daito-ryu Aiki-jujutsu tradition, which is itself a specialty school that emphasizes aiki, as the name indicates. So, if we're training Aikido, we should give firm attention to breaking the partner's balance, when we are doing the nage/tori side of the equation. That is the key to making the resulting technique an Aikido technique.
As for atemi, it is an important method in achieving that all-important task of unbalancing the partner. It's a strike, a hit, that is meant to distract and unbalance... to break the concentration and poise of the other partner. It's not meant (in Aikido, that is!) to injure, nor more than briefly cause pain. As Pranin Sensei says in many places, Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba uses atemi in his filmed demonstrations and teachings.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Essence of the Essence?
Today I'm thinking again about the wide range in opinions in the Aikido world on the religious aspect of the art, and on whether there even is one. At one extreme, I've seen a book written by an instructor who's an Evangelical Christian and emphasizes the fact in his book, while flatly asserting that the Founder (Morihei Ueshiba "O-Sensei") said that Aikido is not a religion. On the other end of the spectrum, I have heard of some instructors at seminars attempting to make people engage in Shinto worship of the Aiki no Kami ("Gods or spirits of Aiki"). Somewhat similarly, in browsing pictures of videos of many dojos, I've noticed at least one that has a scroll in the place of honor bearing the Japanese inscription Aiki O-kami (合気大神）"Great Spirit/God of Aiki".
I've read enough of the Founder's words on the subject to be confident that the proper attitude lies somewhere in between the two extremes. For example, one statement of his is, "Aikido is the religion that is not a religion." While perhaps a little cryptic, it seems clearly enough to indicate that there is a religious nature and element to Aikido, but it is not organized as nor does it operate as a religion. O-Sensei also stated directly that he did not expect his students to follow his religious path, knowing that their own religions were right and good for them. At the same time, he did not hide his own religious sense of Aikido, and his live-in students (uchi-deshi) routinely attended his prayers and other devotional activities as part of the regular schedule. Still, they were not required to participate as he did, and perhaps most significantly in the practical sense is that, although he gave talks to his students on spiritual aikido, understanding these talks was never a condition of promotion, which means that whatever religious side there was of Aikido even in the Founder's time was not mandatory nor part of the curriculum, but was in a sense parallel to the physical training that the students were there to receive.
All this being said, some readers will want to know more about what O-Sensei did actually say on spiritual and religious matters. As has been said elsewhere, his talks (those that were recorded in some fashion, at least) have been compiled in two collections, both of which are now available in English translation. (1) Aiki Shinzui ("The Essence of Aiki") was compiled from talks he gave in the dojo, collected and edited by his son, the second Head of Aikido, Kisshomaru Ueshiba Sensei. This has has been translated into English and published as "The Secret Teachings of Aikido." http://www.kodanshausa.com/books/9781568364469/ (2) Takemusu Aiki is the transcript of a series of lectures that the Founder gave to a religious group founded by one of his friends, and it has been published in an English translation as "The Heart of Aikido". http://www.kodanshausa.com/books/9784770031143/
In the original Japanese text of Aiki Shinzui, the talks are arranged into seven chapters or sections, each with a title based (as far as I can tell) on a striking phrase or concept from one of the talks in that section. Each of these titles encapsulates a major principle in spiritual Aikido. So, as a way of sharing some of the essence of the Founder's thought, I'm going to attempt a translation of each of these chapter titles. (One could do the same with the titles of the individual talks for a slightly more detailed view... perhaps I'll try some of them in future posts.)
I will give the original Japanese text along with transliteration, then my English translation, and brief comments. Since I'm only a learner of Japanese, there may be flaws in my translations, though I have tried to research any difficulties as thoroughly as I can. (I would consider advice from fluent speakers who are Aikidoka, toward improving the translations.)
I. 合気道は魂の学び Aikidou wa tamashii no manabi "Aikido is the study of the spirit."
For some people, this is the most important definition of "religion". In any case, it defines Aikido as a spiritual method.
II. 合気とは愛気である Aiki to wa aiki de aru "Aiki is the spirit/energy of love."
O-Sensei was fond of punning between "ai" as "harmony, joining, etc." and "ai" as "love" in giving his spiritual and ethical teachings. In this way, he shows that both kinds of "ai" go hand-in-hand. It's difficult to have one without the other. This spirit of love should be sought by the aikidoka in training and even in combat.
III. 合気は武産の現われ Aiki wa takemusu no araware "Aiki is the manifestation of spontaneous martial action."
Takemusu is difficult to translate into English as a word or phrase, although the actual concept isn't hard to understand. It refers to a state wherein one spontaneously creates the right martial technique for the need of the moment; this is in contrast to the type of expertise in which one has a large catalog of techniques to draw upon. To put it another way, one who has achieved takemusu aiki simply does automatically what is needed, not limited by a set of memorized techniques. It may be seen as a particular type of enlightenment in martial art.
IV. 合気は息の妙用なり Aiki wa iki no myouyou nari "Aiki is the wonderful or mysterious effect of breath."
This illustrates the close connection between aiki, spirit, and breath. In many languages and cultures, there is little if any distinction between spirit and breath, and Japanese is among them.
V. 宇宙につながる合気 Uchuu ni tsunagaru Aiki "Aiki connects (or connecting?) to the universe."
Here reference is made to connection between man and the universe at large, which is accomplished through aiki. Thus, Aikido is, as O-Sensei says elsewhere, a means of connecting to the universe, to heaven and earth, to the Great Spirit (O-kami, and Paramatma)
VI. 合気とは禊である Aiki to wa misogi de aru "Aiki is purification"
Misogi is more specifically a rite and method of purification. Those familiar with Sanskrit terms will understand if I translate it as "tapasya", which means purificatory rites of austerity. The Founder of Aikido tells us that his martial art is itself a method of misogi; and as it happens, too, some of the warm-up exercises he instituted are in themselves traditional forms of misogi. In some recent research, I noticed with interest that there is some similarity in principle and effect, even when not in form, between these misogi warm-ups in Aikido, and warm-up exercises and chi-gong in Chinese martial arts, particularly as used as warm-ups for Tai Chi Chuan. This in turn reminds me of article written by a former aikidoka who pursued Chinese internal martial arts after aikido, in which he relates a belated discovery, after years of practice, that the warm-up exercises that his teacher did before the main tai chi form practice were the key to his internal power, that is, his chi or in Japanese ki. Though the exercises are not identical, it seems they fulfill the same functions, both as "misogi" and physical warmups... and stimulation and awareness of ki/chi. I hasten to add that like with the rest of Aikido, the mindset, intention, attention, concentration, etc., of the practitioner makes a huge difference in the effect of the practices. Lackadaisical practice will bring lackluster results, though there is benefit to any sort of practice, unless you're doing things truly badly. Sincere and enthusiastic practice will bring far greater results.
VII. 神人合一の修業 Shinjin go-itsu no shuugyou "Pursuit of knowledge of unity of god and man"
This last chapter title is another that strongly highlights the specifically spiritual side of Aikido. O-Sensei speaks of the practice and study as leading to the state of unity between god (kami) and humanity; similar to the way that an earlier chapter spoke of connection with the universe. Aikido is, if we take all these things together, along with the purely physical and technical side, the way of harmonizing or coordinating every kind of "energy": the totality of your own body, mind and spirit (if you believe in the latter); the energy of yourself and partners or attackers; the energy of humanity, of heaven, of the universe as a whole, of gods and spirits.
Although none of these chapters bring it out, another major theme of the Founder's words on spiritual, religious and ethical is the goal of building "heaven on earth". In this regard, we should remember that he lived through both World Wars, fighting in one and losing many students to the next; and saw large parts of major Japanese cities flattened. In other words, he saw the desolation of hell on earth, and so he instead wanted his students to work toward a heaven on earth, a harmonious world.
In one chapter, misogi was mentioned, but another kind of practice was also greatly emphasized by O-Sensei, although it was not named in any of the seven chapter headings. This is "kotodama", which can be seen as the Japanese version of "mantra". The Founder was familiar with both Shinto kotodama and practices of Shingon ("True Word") Buddhism, which is the Japanese tradition corresponding to the Tantric Buddhism of Tibet and India. In regard to kotodama, it seems to me that one could profitably chant and meditate on these chapter titles as a kind of kotodama, alongside more traditional kotodama.
In short, then, the Aikido Founder's vision was of perfect harmony between all parts of reality... all beings, and all inanimate parts of the whole as well. Our practice, study, awareness, etc., is the way. And let us not forget "love", the other "ai".
I've read enough of the Founder's words on the subject to be confident that the proper attitude lies somewhere in between the two extremes. For example, one statement of his is, "Aikido is the religion that is not a religion." While perhaps a little cryptic, it seems clearly enough to indicate that there is a religious nature and element to Aikido, but it is not organized as nor does it operate as a religion. O-Sensei also stated directly that he did not expect his students to follow his religious path, knowing that their own religions were right and good for them. At the same time, he did not hide his own religious sense of Aikido, and his live-in students (uchi-deshi) routinely attended his prayers and other devotional activities as part of the regular schedule. Still, they were not required to participate as he did, and perhaps most significantly in the practical sense is that, although he gave talks to his students on spiritual aikido, understanding these talks was never a condition of promotion, which means that whatever religious side there was of Aikido even in the Founder's time was not mandatory nor part of the curriculum, but was in a sense parallel to the physical training that the students were there to receive.
All this being said, some readers will want to know more about what O-Sensei did actually say on spiritual and religious matters. As has been said elsewhere, his talks (those that were recorded in some fashion, at least) have been compiled in two collections, both of which are now available in English translation. (1) Aiki Shinzui ("The Essence of Aiki") was compiled from talks he gave in the dojo, collected and edited by his son, the second Head of Aikido, Kisshomaru Ueshiba Sensei. This has has been translated into English and published as "The Secret Teachings of Aikido." http://www.kodanshausa.com/books/9781568364469/ (2) Takemusu Aiki is the transcript of a series of lectures that the Founder gave to a religious group founded by one of his friends, and it has been published in an English translation as "The Heart of Aikido". http://www.kodanshausa.com/books/9784770031143/
In the original Japanese text of Aiki Shinzui, the talks are arranged into seven chapters or sections, each with a title based (as far as I can tell) on a striking phrase or concept from one of the talks in that section. Each of these titles encapsulates a major principle in spiritual Aikido. So, as a way of sharing some of the essence of the Founder's thought, I'm going to attempt a translation of each of these chapter titles. (One could do the same with the titles of the individual talks for a slightly more detailed view... perhaps I'll try some of them in future posts.)
I will give the original Japanese text along with transliteration, then my English translation, and brief comments. Since I'm only a learner of Japanese, there may be flaws in my translations, though I have tried to research any difficulties as thoroughly as I can. (I would consider advice from fluent speakers who are Aikidoka, toward improving the translations.)
I. 合気道は魂の学び Aikidou wa tamashii no manabi "Aikido is the study of the spirit."
For some people, this is the most important definition of "religion". In any case, it defines Aikido as a spiritual method.
II. 合気とは愛気である Aiki to wa aiki de aru "Aiki is the spirit/energy of love."
O-Sensei was fond of punning between "ai" as "harmony, joining, etc." and "ai" as "love" in giving his spiritual and ethical teachings. In this way, he shows that both kinds of "ai" go hand-in-hand. It's difficult to have one without the other. This spirit of love should be sought by the aikidoka in training and even in combat.
III. 合気は武産の現われ Aiki wa takemusu no araware "Aiki is the manifestation of spontaneous martial action."
Takemusu is difficult to translate into English as a word or phrase, although the actual concept isn't hard to understand. It refers to a state wherein one spontaneously creates the right martial technique for the need of the moment; this is in contrast to the type of expertise in which one has a large catalog of techniques to draw upon. To put it another way, one who has achieved takemusu aiki simply does automatically what is needed, not limited by a set of memorized techniques. It may be seen as a particular type of enlightenment in martial art.
IV. 合気は息の妙用なり Aiki wa iki no myouyou nari "Aiki is the wonderful or mysterious effect of breath."
This illustrates the close connection between aiki, spirit, and breath. In many languages and cultures, there is little if any distinction between spirit and breath, and Japanese is among them.
V. 宇宙につながる合気 Uchuu ni tsunagaru Aiki "Aiki connects (or connecting?) to the universe."
Here reference is made to connection between man and the universe at large, which is accomplished through aiki. Thus, Aikido is, as O-Sensei says elsewhere, a means of connecting to the universe, to heaven and earth, to the Great Spirit (O-kami, and Paramatma)
VI. 合気とは禊である Aiki to wa misogi de aru "Aiki is purification"
Misogi is more specifically a rite and method of purification. Those familiar with Sanskrit terms will understand if I translate it as "tapasya", which means purificatory rites of austerity. The Founder of Aikido tells us that his martial art is itself a method of misogi; and as it happens, too, some of the warm-up exercises he instituted are in themselves traditional forms of misogi. In some recent research, I noticed with interest that there is some similarity in principle and effect, even when not in form, between these misogi warm-ups in Aikido, and warm-up exercises and chi-gong in Chinese martial arts, particularly as used as warm-ups for Tai Chi Chuan. This in turn reminds me of article written by a former aikidoka who pursued Chinese internal martial arts after aikido, in which he relates a belated discovery, after years of practice, that the warm-up exercises that his teacher did before the main tai chi form practice were the key to his internal power, that is, his chi or in Japanese ki. Though the exercises are not identical, it seems they fulfill the same functions, both as "misogi" and physical warmups... and stimulation and awareness of ki/chi. I hasten to add that like with the rest of Aikido, the mindset, intention, attention, concentration, etc., of the practitioner makes a huge difference in the effect of the practices. Lackadaisical practice will bring lackluster results, though there is benefit to any sort of practice, unless you're doing things truly badly. Sincere and enthusiastic practice will bring far greater results.
VII. 神人合一の修業 Shinjin go-itsu no shuugyou "Pursuit of knowledge of unity of god and man"
This last chapter title is another that strongly highlights the specifically spiritual side of Aikido. O-Sensei speaks of the practice and study as leading to the state of unity between god (kami) and humanity; similar to the way that an earlier chapter spoke of connection with the universe. Aikido is, if we take all these things together, along with the purely physical and technical side, the way of harmonizing or coordinating every kind of "energy": the totality of your own body, mind and spirit (if you believe in the latter); the energy of yourself and partners or attackers; the energy of humanity, of heaven, of the universe as a whole, of gods and spirits.
Although none of these chapters bring it out, another major theme of the Founder's words on spiritual, religious and ethical is the goal of building "heaven on earth". In this regard, we should remember that he lived through both World Wars, fighting in one and losing many students to the next; and saw large parts of major Japanese cities flattened. In other words, he saw the desolation of hell on earth, and so he instead wanted his students to work toward a heaven on earth, a harmonious world.
In one chapter, misogi was mentioned, but another kind of practice was also greatly emphasized by O-Sensei, although it was not named in any of the seven chapter headings. This is "kotodama", which can be seen as the Japanese version of "mantra". The Founder was familiar with both Shinto kotodama and practices of Shingon ("True Word") Buddhism, which is the Japanese tradition corresponding to the Tantric Buddhism of Tibet and India. In regard to kotodama, it seems to me that one could profitably chant and meditate on these chapter titles as a kind of kotodama, alongside more traditional kotodama.
In short, then, the Aikido Founder's vision was of perfect harmony between all parts of reality... all beings, and all inanimate parts of the whole as well. Our practice, study, awareness, etc., is the way. And let us not forget "love", the other "ai".
Friday, September 6, 2013
Chop Wood, Carry Wat... no... just the wood today!
After a lapse of a surprising number of years, today I was in fact chopping some firewood. If anyone doesn't know why this is mentioned in a blog focused on martial arts, I recommend watching the classic Japanese movie, "The Seven Samurai". (A search of youtube does not bring up a clip of the scene I have in mind, unfortunately.)
However, I can explain: in the movie, one of the samurai is first encountered chopping wood. He is splitting each log with one blow of the axe and a kiai. In my family, we have always used certain tasks as kinds of training, especially with tools like axes, hatchets or machetes. This includes chopping wood, or clearing small trees and brush, with single strikes when possible. Similar to the karate practice of breaking boards, if you do it right, with good coordination of your ki, etc., you barely even feel the wood you cut through.
There are some lessons to be learned from chopping wood, and the tool used, that is, the axe. It can be symbolic of focus. Consider: why does a sharp edge cut better than blunt edge? The edge is where all the energy is focused, and a sharp edge is focuses energy very tightly, where bluntness diffuses it. When chopping wood, that is only the beginning of the story: after the edge has cut into the end of the log, the wedge shape of the blade transfers energy sideways, pushing the two edges of the cut apart. If you have struck properly, and assuming that the wood doesn't have major knots or gnarls in the grain, the two halves of the log seem to leap apart as the axe passes between them.
For the aikidoka using ken, and I would presume for other sword arts as well, the right method for splitting wood is only a slight adaptation from certain of the suburi (basic weapon exercises of fundamental movements), and from tanren uchi (striking either a tire or a bundle of sticks with the wooden sword) practice. Like with the tanren uchi, one of the keys is settling the hips as part of the strike: this is important in fully harnessing and coordinating the body's ki.
Since I had not chopped wood for years, I experimented a little to rediscover the best method I could. I found (and only then remembered having been taught) that it was best not to raise the axe overhead (as would be reminiscent of the first sword suburi in aikido), but to ready for a strike by bringing the axe around the body, keeping the blade low, reminiscent of a variation of the arm motion in the fifth suburi, though not to the extent of covering the head; and then the axe is pulled straight over and down from back to front. For some reason my aim was better when I did this, rather than raising the axe straight from front to back; in any case, it is more energy-efficient to only lift the blade in one direction, instead of both. In addition, there is some subtle effect in allowing you to feel the weight of the blade and to some extent moving the handle around it, rather than fighting the weight by lifting it back. Meanwhile, lifting the blade from the back to the front for the strike is necessary because in that case you want that energy that is produced, for your strike, whereas there is no benefit in essentially swinging the back of the axe blade (or if you are using a double-bitted axe, the other blade edge!) toward your spine and having to fight that weight. You maintain more control with the other method. These principles can all be applied to taijutsu (body techniques).
Now, while chopping wood and similar work can be good training, I would strongly warn anyone who isn't experienced at using an axe to first get someone to show you how to do it safely. Don't forget that axes have been used in battle as much as for chopping firewood, and if you make a mistake, you could cripple or kill yourself in an instant. This doesn't mean that anyone should be afraid, it just means to be careful; and learn from someone who knows how to do it properly. I started chopping firewood as a child, but I was taught good technique right from the start by my father, who is both martial artist and skilled user of many traditional tools. (And yes, even as a child, I could usually split a log with one strike, owing to the good technique I was taught.)
As always, the general principle remains to try to be aware of the energy (of body and tool), and to try to remain in control of it, use it in the right way for the circumstances. For example, sometimes the axe does not go all the way through the log, either due to some flaw in your strike, or perhaps more likely due to the structure of the piece of wood, holding the two sides together. At the point, you have to decide which strike to do next. One can remove the axe from the log and try again (I would only recommend that if the axe feels at all loose, in which case it is mandatory); otherwise you have the choice to swing the axe, embedded in the log, to come down on the chopping block either with the edge upward, which adds the weight and momentum of the log to your strength and speed, or with the edge downward.
For most aikidoka, I would really recommend sticking with the tanren uchi, unless of course you or family or friends need firewood. ;) But for those who may try chopping wood, there can be nice training (shuugyou) value in it. Again, watch the Seven Samurai and see how the samurai does it. (There are other good lessons to be learned by another thing or two he does in the scene, not directly connected with the wood-chopping...)
However, I can explain: in the movie, one of the samurai is first encountered chopping wood. He is splitting each log with one blow of the axe and a kiai. In my family, we have always used certain tasks as kinds of training, especially with tools like axes, hatchets or machetes. This includes chopping wood, or clearing small trees and brush, with single strikes when possible. Similar to the karate practice of breaking boards, if you do it right, with good coordination of your ki, etc., you barely even feel the wood you cut through.
There are some lessons to be learned from chopping wood, and the tool used, that is, the axe. It can be symbolic of focus. Consider: why does a sharp edge cut better than blunt edge? The edge is where all the energy is focused, and a sharp edge is focuses energy very tightly, where bluntness diffuses it. When chopping wood, that is only the beginning of the story: after the edge has cut into the end of the log, the wedge shape of the blade transfers energy sideways, pushing the two edges of the cut apart. If you have struck properly, and assuming that the wood doesn't have major knots or gnarls in the grain, the two halves of the log seem to leap apart as the axe passes between them.
For the aikidoka using ken, and I would presume for other sword arts as well, the right method for splitting wood is only a slight adaptation from certain of the suburi (basic weapon exercises of fundamental movements), and from tanren uchi (striking either a tire or a bundle of sticks with the wooden sword) practice. Like with the tanren uchi, one of the keys is settling the hips as part of the strike: this is important in fully harnessing and coordinating the body's ki.
Since I had not chopped wood for years, I experimented a little to rediscover the best method I could. I found (and only then remembered having been taught) that it was best not to raise the axe overhead (as would be reminiscent of the first sword suburi in aikido), but to ready for a strike by bringing the axe around the body, keeping the blade low, reminiscent of a variation of the arm motion in the fifth suburi, though not to the extent of covering the head; and then the axe is pulled straight over and down from back to front. For some reason my aim was better when I did this, rather than raising the axe straight from front to back; in any case, it is more energy-efficient to only lift the blade in one direction, instead of both. In addition, there is some subtle effect in allowing you to feel the weight of the blade and to some extent moving the handle around it, rather than fighting the weight by lifting it back. Meanwhile, lifting the blade from the back to the front for the strike is necessary because in that case you want that energy that is produced, for your strike, whereas there is no benefit in essentially swinging the back of the axe blade (or if you are using a double-bitted axe, the other blade edge!) toward your spine and having to fight that weight. You maintain more control with the other method. These principles can all be applied to taijutsu (body techniques).
Now, while chopping wood and similar work can be good training, I would strongly warn anyone who isn't experienced at using an axe to first get someone to show you how to do it safely. Don't forget that axes have been used in battle as much as for chopping firewood, and if you make a mistake, you could cripple or kill yourself in an instant. This doesn't mean that anyone should be afraid, it just means to be careful; and learn from someone who knows how to do it properly. I started chopping firewood as a child, but I was taught good technique right from the start by my father, who is both martial artist and skilled user of many traditional tools. (And yes, even as a child, I could usually split a log with one strike, owing to the good technique I was taught.)
As always, the general principle remains to try to be aware of the energy (of body and tool), and to try to remain in control of it, use it in the right way for the circumstances. For example, sometimes the axe does not go all the way through the log, either due to some flaw in your strike, or perhaps more likely due to the structure of the piece of wood, holding the two sides together. At the point, you have to decide which strike to do next. One can remove the axe from the log and try again (I would only recommend that if the axe feels at all loose, in which case it is mandatory); otherwise you have the choice to swing the axe, embedded in the log, to come down on the chopping block either with the edge upward, which adds the weight and momentum of the log to your strength and speed, or with the edge downward.
For most aikidoka, I would really recommend sticking with the tanren uchi, unless of course you or family or friends need firewood. ;) But for those who may try chopping wood, there can be nice training (shuugyou) value in it. Again, watch the Seven Samurai and see how the samurai does it. (There are other good lessons to be learned by another thing or two he does in the scene, not directly connected with the wood-chopping...)
Saturday, August 10, 2013
What is "Aiki"?
Now we come to a pivotal and definitive term for the blog as a whole: "Aiki" or 合気.
In a previous post, we looked at the meaning, or meanings, of "ki", so that won't be repeated here. The Japanese word "ai" 合 means joining, fitting or harmonizing. Since ki has a range of meanings, the compound word composed of ai and ki has a similar range of meanings. Let's consider them one by one, from least to most subtle. It is also possible to interpret aiki as a verb or as a noun. It may refer to different aspects of what is going on, as we shall also consider. Keep in mind that the following are each aspects of the meaning, according to this writer's own understanding. The "real" meaning of the word includes all of them at once, along with (presumably) other meanings, aspects or nuances not yet known to me.
On the physical level, aiki refers to harmony between the physical energy of the bodies of the partners, or between one person's bodily energy and energy in the environment, even gravity. Aiki can be found and harnessed in almost anything we do, really. It is a good idea to alway try to be increasingly aware of this. In Aikido, the most common aiki is that between two partners in training, or else between an attacker and the aikidoka. That is to say, one harmonizes with the ki of the attacker or the training partner as the case may be, and then one is able to redirect the energy, deflecting and neutralizing the attack, and usually the attacker him- or herself.
Very recently, in a video clip, I heard one instructor give one possible definition of aiki as "doing the technique correctly", which I understood to mean that the effectiveness of a technique is entirely on aiki. Now, as I said, we can also join our energy with energy in the environment around us, natural energy, whether kinetic or potential. There is also aiki between the different parts of our own body: the combined energy of a "full body" movement is much more powerful than just moving one limb. We experience these when we act upon objects around us. An example in my own experience from other kinds of martial arts is in the practice of board-breaking. I did this while training in Tae Kwon Do, and I also own a plastic "rebreakable board" for solo training.
There is definitely aiki in this practice! Keep in mind that instructor's definition. No doubt most people who have tried board-breaking have sometimes failed to make the break, and sometimes succeeded. Same board, same arm or leg... so what's different? Only how we move, how much energy we can focus on the action. When we properly harmonize and focus the energy of our body parts, and with the natural energy, it almost feels like the board isn't even there, and our blow or kick goes right through the board. If we fail, though, the board is firm barrier, and chances are the strike will be painful.
Aikido, of course, does not use that method of practice, but even for aikidoka, the example may help to illustrate that aspect of aiki. I would draw your attention to the feeling of, how doing it right makes it feel remarkably easy, and how opposite that is to the feeling when one fails to properly harness the available energy. In Aikido itself, the analogy is that skilled Aikido is smooth and flowing, even to the person experiencing the technique at the hands of the expert. Many accounts make clear that this perception is the same even for those who are themselves highly skilled and experienced. For example, we can read many accounts by senior students of the Founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba. When they trained with him, or assisted him in demonstrations, as they recount, they are continually struck with wonder at how he was able to so easily throw or pin them. This, despite their own skill.
The same aspect can be seen from another angle in the basic teaching that in Aikido, one is not supposed to use bodily strength to muscle a technique into success. In judo and jujutsu, one may perform techniques in that way, often the same or very similar techniques; but the very definitive feature of Aikido is its strict emphasis on aiki. If you have to use significant muscular strength, you're not using aiki, and thus not doing Aikido. Of course, a student first has to learn how through practice.
This physical aiki, again, can be found in almost everything we do with our bodies. It can be applied one way or another in most martial arts, and will certainly improve one's abilities. The martial art of Aikido, though, has the special claim of concentrating on aiki as both a basic rule of technique and at the same time, the highest goal. This comes out particularly in the highest, most "subtle" meanings of aiki.
A mid-level kind of aiki is that of the mind, will and intention. One "everyday" "real life" example of this can be seen in the concept that the best kind of leadership is persuasive, rather than compulsive or dictatorial. The best way to get someone to do what you want, is to persuade them, rather than force or intimidate them. To some people this might sound like a slimy tactic, but that is a misunderstanding. Consider that the best way to persuade someone is to show them that your way will benefit them. And furthermore, to a person of goodness and integrity, the best way will be mutually beneficial. So, in this way, the best solution, and the best persuasion and leadership, all involve the correct harmonizing of the energy of will toward the best solution for everyone involved. In this situation, everything is in as much harmony as possible. Thus, it is aiki.
In terms of martial arts application, I will try to share what I understand and glean from what experts have said and written. We can only really learn it by doing it in training, remember! These words are no more than a teaser. Perhaps the most important mental aiki in combat is to perceive the intent of the attacker, and blend with it and its physical expression (the attack itself) so as to be able to redirect it, or sometimes to simply flow past it. One can also exercise aiki by leading the intention and focus of the attacker or partner, and subtly take control of it and the attack. As the Founder of Aikido both states and demonstrates, this can be done by leaving or creating an apparent opening in one's defenses, thus leading the other person to move in the way that you want them to, and then you blend the physical energies, and perform the technique to its conclusion.
Finally, at the highest and most subtle level, there is the spiritual energy and the goal of harmony between one's own spirit and the universal spirit. Some people don't believe in any such thing, and some people are positively offended by such ideas. Any readers in the latter group would probably be happier moving on to a different post at this point. ;) For the rest, it's of primary significance that Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei saw his aikido as ultimately a spiritual practice with that goal in mind. At the same time, his own words tell us clearly that this does not mean that he required his students to follow in his own spiritual footsteps; his live-in students attended his daily prayers and other spiritual activities, but he did not mandate anyone to do the same things; he recognized that different people each have their own religions, and he recognized truth in all religions. As such, people can seek spiritual aiki in light of their own religion and its practices. For that matter, one can use other martial arts as spiritual practices, too; this is not limited to Aikido.
O-Sensei was a member of the religion called Omoto-kyo, which is a form of Shinto with a shamanistic element to it, and with a universalistic outlook, which means in this case that it sees truth in other religions, not just itself; and that different religions can bring their followers to their desired spiritual goals, "salvation" or "enlightenment" as defined by each. He was also from childhood a student of the Japanese branch of esoteric Buddhism, that is to say, Shingon Buddhism, and elements of this can be seen in his spiritual teachings, and he sometimes uses recognizably Indian words and concepts, presumably coming through his Shingon studies. For example, it is said that he sometimes equated Japanese "ki" with Sanskrit "prana".
Those who wish to explore his spiritual teachings in depth can and should the two extant collections of spiritual lectures that he gave. "Aiki Shinzui", 合気神髄 literally the Essence of Aiki, is formed of the transcripts of lectures that he gave to his students during Aikido classes. John Stevens Sensei has translated this into English as "The Secret Teachings of Aikido." The other collection is "Takemusu Aiki" 武産 合気 , which is the transcript of a special series of lectures that Ueshiba gave to a spiritual society headed by one of his friends; it has been translated into English as "The Heart of Aikido", also by Stevens Sensei. Also of interest will be Stevens' "The Essence of Aikido", which contains some of the same material, along with explanations, and several other types of material that together make a good introduction to the other two books.
I intend to, from time to time, explore different details of his practices and teachings. This is a sometimes-complex topic, so I will not attempt to summarize it here, beyond a little teaser, which cannot help but be inadequate. In O-Sensei's view, and that of the Omoto-kyo - as far as I currently understand it - there is ultimately a single universal spirit, the source of all, that expands into various deities, which in turn form the cosmos and of which all things and beings are in some sense a part. It is not clear to me if there is ever a personality to this Spirit, or if it is an impersonal spirit, in their view. In any case, all living things are also spirit, or kami, and it is our true nature to be in harmony with each other and the supreme spirit. Hence, the highest aiki of all is that spiritual state.
Now, to end this post, we will drop back down to the martial art level, and go in a different direction. The highest form of physical aiki is "takemusu aiki", which you may recognize as the name of one of the lecture anthologies. In terms of martial art, takemusu aiki means something like "spontaneously generated martial techniques of aiki". One who has achieved this level of aiki, in a martial situation, naturally and spontaneously does whatever deals with the attack, far beyond this or that technique learned. This requires mastery of both physical and mental aiki, and perhaps even spiritual aiki.
I will end with a thought of O Sensei's, paraphrased from one of his didactic poems (doka): Don't waste time looking for secret teachings, just keep training. Despite the name of Stevens Sensei's translation of one of the lecture collections, in fact, there are no "secret teachings". It could be said that Aikido is itself an esoteric level of martial art, but anyone who is practicing it is already part of the "secret". In that regard, always remember that Aikido was refined from other arts, and some of the most important teachers of other martial arts (such as Judo's Founder Jigoro Kano) sent chosen advanced students to O-Sensei for what might be seen as "graduate-level" training. So, the distinct elements of Aikido training as different from those of other martial arts are in themselves the only "secret teachings". Some people have difficulty understanding O Sensei's spiritual talks, but that does not make them secret, it's just that people need some prerequisite background education to understand many of his allusions. And even without a word of those oral teachings, it is still the practice only that is needed. One simple proof: at no time has promotion in the art required that one know or understand those lectures and teachings; the student just has to show that they can DO aikido at the level expected for the rank. Just train!
In a previous post, we looked at the meaning, or meanings, of "ki", so that won't be repeated here. The Japanese word "ai" 合 means joining, fitting or harmonizing. Since ki has a range of meanings, the compound word composed of ai and ki has a similar range of meanings. Let's consider them one by one, from least to most subtle. It is also possible to interpret aiki as a verb or as a noun. It may refer to different aspects of what is going on, as we shall also consider. Keep in mind that the following are each aspects of the meaning, according to this writer's own understanding. The "real" meaning of the word includes all of them at once, along with (presumably) other meanings, aspects or nuances not yet known to me.
On the physical level, aiki refers to harmony between the physical energy of the bodies of the partners, or between one person's bodily energy and energy in the environment, even gravity. Aiki can be found and harnessed in almost anything we do, really. It is a good idea to alway try to be increasingly aware of this. In Aikido, the most common aiki is that between two partners in training, or else between an attacker and the aikidoka. That is to say, one harmonizes with the ki of the attacker or the training partner as the case may be, and then one is able to redirect the energy, deflecting and neutralizing the attack, and usually the attacker him- or herself.
Very recently, in a video clip, I heard one instructor give one possible definition of aiki as "doing the technique correctly", which I understood to mean that the effectiveness of a technique is entirely on aiki. Now, as I said, we can also join our energy with energy in the environment around us, natural energy, whether kinetic or potential. There is also aiki between the different parts of our own body: the combined energy of a "full body" movement is much more powerful than just moving one limb. We experience these when we act upon objects around us. An example in my own experience from other kinds of martial arts is in the practice of board-breaking. I did this while training in Tae Kwon Do, and I also own a plastic "rebreakable board" for solo training.
There is definitely aiki in this practice! Keep in mind that instructor's definition. No doubt most people who have tried board-breaking have sometimes failed to make the break, and sometimes succeeded. Same board, same arm or leg... so what's different? Only how we move, how much energy we can focus on the action. When we properly harmonize and focus the energy of our body parts, and with the natural energy, it almost feels like the board isn't even there, and our blow or kick goes right through the board. If we fail, though, the board is firm barrier, and chances are the strike will be painful.
Aikido, of course, does not use that method of practice, but even for aikidoka, the example may help to illustrate that aspect of aiki. I would draw your attention to the feeling of, how doing it right makes it feel remarkably easy, and how opposite that is to the feeling when one fails to properly harness the available energy. In Aikido itself, the analogy is that skilled Aikido is smooth and flowing, even to the person experiencing the technique at the hands of the expert. Many accounts make clear that this perception is the same even for those who are themselves highly skilled and experienced. For example, we can read many accounts by senior students of the Founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba. When they trained with him, or assisted him in demonstrations, as they recount, they are continually struck with wonder at how he was able to so easily throw or pin them. This, despite their own skill.
The same aspect can be seen from another angle in the basic teaching that in Aikido, one is not supposed to use bodily strength to muscle a technique into success. In judo and jujutsu, one may perform techniques in that way, often the same or very similar techniques; but the very definitive feature of Aikido is its strict emphasis on aiki. If you have to use significant muscular strength, you're not using aiki, and thus not doing Aikido. Of course, a student first has to learn how through practice.
This physical aiki, again, can be found in almost everything we do with our bodies. It can be applied one way or another in most martial arts, and will certainly improve one's abilities. The martial art of Aikido, though, has the special claim of concentrating on aiki as both a basic rule of technique and at the same time, the highest goal. This comes out particularly in the highest, most "subtle" meanings of aiki.
A mid-level kind of aiki is that of the mind, will and intention. One "everyday" "real life" example of this can be seen in the concept that the best kind of leadership is persuasive, rather than compulsive or dictatorial. The best way to get someone to do what you want, is to persuade them, rather than force or intimidate them. To some people this might sound like a slimy tactic, but that is a misunderstanding. Consider that the best way to persuade someone is to show them that your way will benefit them. And furthermore, to a person of goodness and integrity, the best way will be mutually beneficial. So, in this way, the best solution, and the best persuasion and leadership, all involve the correct harmonizing of the energy of will toward the best solution for everyone involved. In this situation, everything is in as much harmony as possible. Thus, it is aiki.
In terms of martial arts application, I will try to share what I understand and glean from what experts have said and written. We can only really learn it by doing it in training, remember! These words are no more than a teaser. Perhaps the most important mental aiki in combat is to perceive the intent of the attacker, and blend with it and its physical expression (the attack itself) so as to be able to redirect it, or sometimes to simply flow past it. One can also exercise aiki by leading the intention and focus of the attacker or partner, and subtly take control of it and the attack. As the Founder of Aikido both states and demonstrates, this can be done by leaving or creating an apparent opening in one's defenses, thus leading the other person to move in the way that you want them to, and then you blend the physical energies, and perform the technique to its conclusion.
Finally, at the highest and most subtle level, there is the spiritual energy and the goal of harmony between one's own spirit and the universal spirit. Some people don't believe in any such thing, and some people are positively offended by such ideas. Any readers in the latter group would probably be happier moving on to a different post at this point. ;) For the rest, it's of primary significance that Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei saw his aikido as ultimately a spiritual practice with that goal in mind. At the same time, his own words tell us clearly that this does not mean that he required his students to follow in his own spiritual footsteps; his live-in students attended his daily prayers and other spiritual activities, but he did not mandate anyone to do the same things; he recognized that different people each have their own religions, and he recognized truth in all religions. As such, people can seek spiritual aiki in light of their own religion and its practices. For that matter, one can use other martial arts as spiritual practices, too; this is not limited to Aikido.
O-Sensei was a member of the religion called Omoto-kyo, which is a form of Shinto with a shamanistic element to it, and with a universalistic outlook, which means in this case that it sees truth in other religions, not just itself; and that different religions can bring their followers to their desired spiritual goals, "salvation" or "enlightenment" as defined by each. He was also from childhood a student of the Japanese branch of esoteric Buddhism, that is to say, Shingon Buddhism, and elements of this can be seen in his spiritual teachings, and he sometimes uses recognizably Indian words and concepts, presumably coming through his Shingon studies. For example, it is said that he sometimes equated Japanese "ki" with Sanskrit "prana".
Those who wish to explore his spiritual teachings in depth can and should the two extant collections of spiritual lectures that he gave. "Aiki Shinzui", 合気神髄 literally the Essence of Aiki, is formed of the transcripts of lectures that he gave to his students during Aikido classes. John Stevens Sensei has translated this into English as "The Secret Teachings of Aikido." The other collection is "Takemusu Aiki" 武産 合気 , which is the transcript of a special series of lectures that Ueshiba gave to a spiritual society headed by one of his friends; it has been translated into English as "The Heart of Aikido", also by Stevens Sensei. Also of interest will be Stevens' "The Essence of Aikido", which contains some of the same material, along with explanations, and several other types of material that together make a good introduction to the other two books.
I intend to, from time to time, explore different details of his practices and teachings. This is a sometimes-complex topic, so I will not attempt to summarize it here, beyond a little teaser, which cannot help but be inadequate. In O-Sensei's view, and that of the Omoto-kyo - as far as I currently understand it - there is ultimately a single universal spirit, the source of all, that expands into various deities, which in turn form the cosmos and of which all things and beings are in some sense a part. It is not clear to me if there is ever a personality to this Spirit, or if it is an impersonal spirit, in their view. In any case, all living things are also spirit, or kami, and it is our true nature to be in harmony with each other and the supreme spirit. Hence, the highest aiki of all is that spiritual state.
Now, to end this post, we will drop back down to the martial art level, and go in a different direction. The highest form of physical aiki is "takemusu aiki", which you may recognize as the name of one of the lecture anthologies. In terms of martial art, takemusu aiki means something like "spontaneously generated martial techniques of aiki". One who has achieved this level of aiki, in a martial situation, naturally and spontaneously does whatever deals with the attack, far beyond this or that technique learned. This requires mastery of both physical and mental aiki, and perhaps even spiritual aiki.
I will end with a thought of O Sensei's, paraphrased from one of his didactic poems (doka): Don't waste time looking for secret teachings, just keep training. Despite the name of Stevens Sensei's translation of one of the lecture collections, in fact, there are no "secret teachings". It could be said that Aikido is itself an esoteric level of martial art, but anyone who is practicing it is already part of the "secret". In that regard, always remember that Aikido was refined from other arts, and some of the most important teachers of other martial arts (such as Judo's Founder Jigoro Kano) sent chosen advanced students to O-Sensei for what might be seen as "graduate-level" training. So, the distinct elements of Aikido training as different from those of other martial arts are in themselves the only "secret teachings". Some people have difficulty understanding O Sensei's spiritual talks, but that does not make them secret, it's just that people need some prerequisite background education to understand many of his allusions. And even without a word of those oral teachings, it is still the practice only that is needed. One simple proof: at no time has promotion in the art required that one know or understand those lectures and teachings; the student just has to show that they can DO aikido at the level expected for the rank. Just train!
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