O-sensei teaching methodology that
was out of synch with post-war Japanese society, his strong religious
orientation, his frequent travels and irregular schedule made it difficult for
most of his students to receive in-depth instruction from the Founder. To this
can be added the fact that aikido developed and spread in Japan during an era
of peace that later blossomed into a time of unprecedented economic prosperity.
In such a societal setting devoid of the constant spectre of war and a sense of
physical danger, aikido training in a period of peace lacked the intensity and
focus of the uneasy times of the pre-war era. Also, the practice of judo and
kendo was widespread before the war and taught in school. This meant that those
students who learned from O-Sensei in the pre-war era had a much better level
of physical and mental preparation when embarking on their training compared to
those after the war.
To be sure, there have been some
excellent technicians and inspiring teachers during aikido’s early years of
growth starting in the 1950s. There have been those, too, who have spoken of
the moral dimension of aikido and its role as a vehicle for the betterment of
individuals and society. Nonetheless, the hyperawareness, sharpness, and
unbridled exuberance displayed by the Founder while demonstrating his art can
hardly be seen anywhere. In a similar vein, the Founder’s religious perspective
and view of himself as an instrument of the “kami” whose purpose is to realize
peace and brotherhood on earth is too grandiose a vision for most aikido
teachers who see themselves mainly as providing self-defence and exercise
training for the public.
No one will argue that there is no
substitute for long years of dedicated training, the Founder being an
outstanding example. But beyond that, what are those special characteristics of
O-Sensei’s art that set him apart from the generations of students who followed
in his footsteps?
Posture
To begin with, when viewing footage
of the Founder one is struck by his excellent posture at all times. Good
posture is, of course, common sense in martial arts and nearly any physical or
sporting activity one can mention. Practice of the sword develops good. Founder’s
keen his interest in the sword from the mid-1930s.
Obviously, correct posture is
inextricably linked to good balance and the ability to relax. The Founder’s
free and flowing movements begin from an erect posture absent any trace of
rigidity. He is therefore free to move in any direction, enter or turn in the
execution of techniques.
Awase
Blending with uke
The concept of “blending” with one’s
opponent in aikido is frequently used when teachers describe the mechanics of a
technique. By this what is usually meant is a movement timed to coincide with
the speed and direction of uke’s attack. Once this has been achieved, as the
idea goes, nage then brings uke into an off-balanced position and executes a
throw.
Actually, this is quite a superficial
explanation of the concept of blending as understood by the Founder. The reason
is that, in this scenario, it is uke who controls the timing and direction of the
attack while nage “reacts” in an attempt to blend or match uke’s movements.
Against a skilled opponent capable of very rapid movements, there is simply not
enough time to respond in this manner.
A much higher level is for nage to
seize the initiative by forcing uke to match nage’s “psychic” lead. Uke cannot
muster a meaningful attack against the psychological pressure applied by nage.
Examples of the strategy referred to here might be a natural stance accompanied
by subtle body shifting, metsuke or eye contact, or alteration of breathing
rhythm to name a few possibilities. Under such conditions, uke must deal with a
changing energy field and alter his attack to compensate.
Kiai / Atemi
Kiai - combative shout
The term kiai is sometimes talked
about in conjunction with aikido training and refers to a “combative shout”
used to disrupt or neutralize the attack of an opponent. The use of this
powerful vocalization technique corresponds to the exhalation of breath and
concentrates the body and spirit of nage at a specific point. The end result of
a well-executed kiai is a disruption of uke’s ki flow and a dissipation of his
attack. Often uke’s movement will be frozen for a brief instant thus presenting
nage with an excellent opportunity to apply a technique.
O-Sensei frequently used kiai as a
tool to set up and control his uke. He used it particularly often when
demonstrating with the sword. Ironically, the Founder’s use of this technique
is so effective that his uke’s attacks often appear half-hearted because they
have been interrupted by his well-timed kiai.
The Founder can be seen applying
atemi or “preemptive strikes” right up until the end of his life. But today,
atemi have fallen into disuse in aikido. It is believe this is due to a
misunderstanding of its purpose. Atemi is an action used to pre-empt uke’s
aggressive intent through a distractionary manuever in the form of a strike.
The use of atemi is not for the purpose of hitting or “softening up” uke prior
to performing a technique. Its role is similar to that of the kiai in that it
disrupts uke’s concentration.
Beyond “Sensen no Sen”
“Controlling your opponent without
trying to control him”
A traditional explanation of
strategies in a Japanese martial arts context often involves a discussion of
three levels of combat initiative: “go no sen,” “sen,” and “sensen no sen.”
These strategies are defined as follows: “Go no sen,” meaning “late attack”
involves a defensive or counter movement in response to an attack; “sen,” a
defensive initiative launched simultaneously with the attack of the opponent;
and “sensen no sen,” an initiative launched in anticipation of an attack where
the opponent is fully committed to his attack and thus psychologically beyond
the point of no return. The latter strategy is generally considered to be the
highest level in the classical martial arts scenario.
The Founder’s concept of aiki
strategy goes far beyond the dimension of psycho-physical confrontation. In an
interview conducted in 1957, he expresses the concept in these words:
“It is not a question of either ‘sensen no sen’ or ‘sen no sen.’ If I
were to try to verbalize it I would say that you control your opponent without
trying to control him. That is, the state of continuous victory. There isn’t
any question of winning over or losing to an opponent. In this sense, there is
no opponent in aikido. Even if you have an opponent, he becomes a part of you,
a partner you control only.”
The key concept here is that what
would normally be construed as a physical confrontation with a would-be
attacker is reframed as a harmonious interaction. Uke’s fighting impulse has
been overcome and enveloped with love. In other words, the goal is to live
one’s whole life on a different plane of consciousness in harmony with one’s
surroundings and the people one meets. Seen in these terms, aikido becomes a
metaphor for living in peace while possessing the skills necessary to
neutralize and win over a violent opponent.
This is a high-level ideal that is
attainable only through long years of training to develop a heightened
sensitivity to people and happenings in one’s surroundings. It further involves
developing a set of spontaneous skills consisting of physio-psychological
responses suited to any conceivable kind of human interaction. The Founder
described this state as “Takemusu Aiki”—the highest level of aikido where one
is capable of spontaneously executing perfect techniques in response to any
circumstance.
Ame no Ukihashi
“Bridge between Heaven and Earth”
The Founder saw the world from a
Shinto viewpoint and was especially influenced by the Omoto religious sect. One
of the expressions he used frequently in reference to his role as the creator
of aikido was “Ame no Ukihashi.” This means literally the “Floating Bridge of
Heaven.” It is the bridge that connects Heaven and Earth. Therefore, standing
on Ame no Ukihashi means standing between Heaven and Earth. In the Kojiki, the
ancient Japanese chronicle, it is recorded that two deities stood on this
bridge and started their first work of creating countries (islands).
This Ame no Ukihashi—the link between
Heaven and Earth—was located wherever O-Sensei might be at a given point in
time executing works on behalf of the kami or deities to bring about a
harmonious, peaceful world. In other words, this is the mission of aikido.
O-Sensei’s elaborate jo kata consisting of up-and-down and spiraling movements
that he would perform at demonstrations symbolized this link with divine energy
emanating from the heavenly sphere.
Up and down, to and fro
The Founder was adept at dictating
the terms of a would-be attacker’s movement. Among the ways he would achieve
this end was to execute various body manuevers with exquisite timing just
before an attack. Using up and down, side-to-side, and slipping movements, he
was able to make it virtually impossible for an attacker to launch an
aggressive movement from a stable posture. Uke’s mental composure would be
disturbed through such leading movements to the point he lost any will to
attack.
Sometimes the Founder would raise his
arms high up or even leap into the air as he approached his partner leaving the
latter virtually helpless as he tried in vain to muster an attack.
Leading and redirecting
Leading uke
O-Sensei made frequent use of arm
extensions and circular hand movements as a prelude to physical contact with
his uke. Such leads served the same effect as the body shifting movements
described above. The attacker’s attention would be drawn to the Founder’s hand
and arm motions and any impulse on his part to attack was preempted. These
leads when carried to completion would result in spiral and up-and-down
movements that would be a prelude to a throwing technique or joint manipulation
and pin.
Changing directions
Another typical manuever used by the
Founder involved a set-up and reversal of direction. This would take the form
of a body movement or subtle body shift from one side to the other prior to
entering. His taisabaki would force uke to commit to a movement in one
direction thus allowing O-Sensei to enter from the side as uke proceeded
forward locked along the initial attack line already abandoned by the Founder.
Aikido and the sword
The Founder showed a great interest
in the sword throughout his martial arts career. He even received a Yagyu
Shinkage-ryu sword certification from Sokaku Takeda in 1922 although the exact
content of his sword training under Sokaku is not known. Later in 1937, he
officially joined the Kashima Shinto-ryu classical school which had an
influence on his experimentation with the sword especially during the Iwama
years from 1942 to about 1960.
O-Sensei made no attempt to codify or
develop sword kata to be used formally in aikido training. The sword was for
the Founder an extension of divine power to be used only for life-giving
purposes. His sword work—and the same can be said of his jo—was merely a
different tool for the expression of aiki movement based on the same universal
principles as taijutsu techniques.
In that the sword is an extension of
the body, certain uses and principles of movement are more clearly understood
in comparison to empty-handed techniques. Often the Founder would illustrate a
movement or principle both with and without the sword during training in order
to clarify their interrelationship.
In this light, comparisons of
O-Sensei’s swordwork with classical sword schools are completely beside the
point as his intention was not to impart battlefield techniques but to show how
divine energy channels through the human body, the space around it, and all
throughout the Universe.
Kihaku
“Kihaku” - Spirit
“Kihaku,” usually translated as
“spirit” or “vigor,” is a term that can be used to describe the overall energy
level or focus evident in the Founder’s aikido. There was an “electric” or
“charged” quality in his movements that was so palpable it could be picked up
even by an observer. All of the characteristics of O-Sensei’s aikido that we
have alluded to above taken together can be summed up as kihaku. It is a
dynamic intensity born of total focus in attunement with one’s surroundings.
The Founder’s art was truly magical.
Even by watching the old films that preserve his movements one is captivated by
his commanding presence, joyful ebullience, and complete mastery of energy and
space. Such a level of expertise could only be attained by one who has reached
a state that many would hasten to call “enlightenment.” In any event, he
without doubt transcended normal human consciousness and entered into a state
of elevated alertness and sensitivity. This state of oneness is a goal that
should stand as a shining example for aikidoka everywhere who are touched by
his timeless message. Why should we settle for anything less in our own
training.
