Aikido World

Aikido. The Way of Harmony. The Way of Harmonizing with Energy.

Ever since I began studying aikido, four years ago, many people I encounter often ask me to show them a technique. Many a time after I have shown them something, that person may retort, saying “That is not an aikido technique” or “That wouldn’t really work.” My question then becomes, “Why not?” Because something does not necessarily hurt does not mean that it does not work.

The essence of aikido, harmonizing, proves itself in many different aspects. There are many specific techniques a student of aikido learns as they grow within the art, but most importantly, they learn how to learn. In doing so, their technique and knowledge of aikido progresses. When this happens, the student realized that a technique does not have to be displayed to display aikido. On the other hand, sometimes it may need to be.

Part of the importance and value of aikido is that one can disable another without necessarily hurting them. Many times I have heard that aikido is worthless or useless. Nothing could be further from the truth. When faced with these comments, I ask, “Why?” Many times the response is that it is not aggressive enough or it is purely defensive. This leads me to believe that these people have never truly studied aikido. Part of why aikido is so great is that it does not have to be aggressive or offensive… but it can be.

There are countless aikido techniques that can be used to gently disable a person or gently force them to the ground. These same techniques can be used to very aggressively disable a person and very aggressively force them to the ground as a debilitating pin can be used as well. That is a large reason why aikido is so great. As mentioned before, a technique need not be used to display aikido. Just moving aside of an attack or escaping a grasp is also displaying the act of harmonizing with energy.

When given the statement, “That does not work” or “That is not an aikido technique,” a slight grin emerges on my face. Aikido is a very adaptive art, which is another quality of The Way of Harmony. Certain ideas or physical displays may not be conventional nor orthodox; however, they are still harmonizing with energy, blending with the surroundings. It can be easy to beat up another person. Controlling that person as well as the circumstance and what is happening around you all the while still protecting that person, when needs be, is something different all together and much more difficult. That is aikido.

To study aikido one does not need to be young or old, big or small, strong or weak, fast or slow. You cannot learn to be a certain age nor a certain size that is unattainable. What can be learned and gained is timing. Timing is a quality that will continue to grow within a person and serve them throughout their lives the more they study and learn.

At the other end of the spectrum, aikido is a valuable attribute that grows beyond physicality as it may consciously and subconsciously creep into one’s mindset as they harmonize with energy and blend with their surroundings avoiding and solving conflicts in daily life: practicing on the mat, work, school, relationships, etc.

That is why AIKIDO is great!

Luke Bahar is a Shodan and Assistant Instructor at University of Houston Aikido.

“It does look a bit like Ballroom dancing … with big trousers,” says my friend, with what looks suspicious like a smirk. I try not to be irritated and focus on one-point.

“It is very fluid and graceful,” I reply, taking the high road.

“He’s not really being thrown though, is he? He’s letting himself be thrown. What’s the good in that?”

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Editor’s Note: This article was first publishing in Aikido World in the 1990s.

The Concept of Ki - Stages in Training

by Shihan Fumio Toyoda, President and Chief Instructor Aikido Association of America

As martial artists, and especially as Aikidoka, the concept of ki is of some importance to us. Visit any Aikido dojo, and you will probably hear the word ki mentioned in a variety of contexts and with many shades of meaning.
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What is Shugyo? People talk about “going the extra mile” or “giving 100 percent” or countless other platitudes that suggest the idea of doing or performing more than just the bare minimum required of any particular situation. This, in an incomplete sense, is Shugyo.
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In Aikido weapons practice, we hold the bokken or the jo with the left hand at the bottom of the weapon. The right hand is one (bokken) to two (jo) handholds higher up. If Aikidoka strike with the bokken or jo by pulling the weapon with the left hand, the weapon goes through a long arc, with all of the weapon moving in the same direction of rotation. The tip of the weapon is then moving at the fastest speed. Since the energy of the strike is related to the speed squared, this method produces a high energy strike.
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In an increasingly divided and tribal world, Aikido is a vehicle for achieving social unity just as it promotes the Aikidoka’s individual unity (connecting the physical, emotional and causal bodies of each person).

The mutually dependent and linked role of Uke and Nage, learning to forcefully commit, open to the other’s energy, and reacting to the technique is a great example of how the physical intimacy or connectedness in Aikido increases our individual sensitivity.

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Last April, when I turned fourteen, a lot of people at the dojo started asking me when I was going to start adult classes. To be honest I had not really given it much thought. To me aikido was just an activity I went to one or twice a week, trained, and had a good time.

When I thought of the adult program I pictured a lot of tall, scary people who were way older than me. I did not know if I was ready, but I went to my first adult class expecting to find a bunch of black belts who wanted to hurt me, instead I met Erickson Sensei. I was still really scared to train with adults, I just wanted to hide and observe from the mat while other people helped Sensei demonstrate. Except, for the very first technique Sensei looked over at me and said, “Can you do breakfall?”

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APPLICATION OF AIKIDO

Aikido consists of more than just throwing and pinning techniques: it is also a philosophy and a way of life. We study Aikido in its physical form at the dojo and on the mats, but the real value of Aikido is in its application to life.

The goals of Aikido include making harmony, resolving conflict, and applying oneself totally to each moment of life. These principles have profound applications outside the dojo.

To make harmony involves adjusting oneself to see the point of view of the other person. When the other person’s goals are understood, it becomes possible to resolve disagreements by discovering the similarities between both points of view. Then a new and different approach can be created which will satisfy both people. This is often described in business terms as “thinking outside the box”. Or sometimes this is called “a compromise”. Instead of arguing about who gets to choose the dinner restaurant, two people can agree on a third criterion–such as which restaurant is close nearby.

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“Why Study Martial Arts? A true martial artist does not train only to defeat others. He trains also to defeat the enemies inside himself, the enemies we all have. He trains to forge his life into something beautiful, something helpful to the world. He wishes not to draw a sword, but to put it away - once and for all.

He can do this because, through his training, peace is not just a word or an idea to him. Strength, bravery, compassion: these are not just words to him. They are things he has embodied. They are what he has become.”

-Fumio Toyoda Shihan

Kihon waza are not only techniques for beginners. In Japanese kihon means “original foundation”. These techniques are the foundation for all other aikido techniques.

Kihon, the original foundation, consists of physical, mental, coordination and waza training.

Everyone can benefit from kihon physical training. Your size, sex or current health does not matter, physical training will improve your health and well being.

Your total commitment to training, will develop a mental attitude that will benefit you in all phases of your life. Even if you do not know what aikido is, with complete mental commitment and the help of your sensei, you will experience the principles of aikido. You will see improvement in your awareness, concentration, and relaxation that will benefit you not only in your aikido, but also in your daily life.

Kihon waza are the foundation of all of the aikido techniques you will ever learn. With this foundation you will be able to learn advanced techniques (oyo waza) and be able to increase the depth of your understanding of aikido. you must practice kihon waza daily to be able to develop and improve your aikido. Kihon waza is like breakfast, it give you the nourishment to start the day.

Kihon waza is the fundamental structure of aikido. It is like the operating system in a computer, Windows 98. The computer is useless without an operating system. Also, with a strong fundamental structure or operating system you can “upgrade” to more advanced principles or techniques in the future.

Daily kihon waza practice will produce strong, clear, dynamic aikido that will continue to improve and benefit you physically and mentally in all phases of your life. for isn’t aikido life training?

*Copyright 1999 Chushinkan Dojo, “Hikari”, Vol. 2, Issue 2, June, 1999. All rights reserved.