To the best Aikidoists, there are no opponents.
In Japanese, one word for “opponent” is aite (相手). Ai means “together” and te means “hand.” This goes along with the other definition of aite which is “companion” or “partner.” Whichever definition we use is based upon how we see the person challenging us and it dictates how or what we do.
Thus, it is necessary to make this distinction for us to reach the height that we want to reach in our training. The word opponent has an unconscious negative connotation which implies danger and brings about fear and other negative emotions like anger. So, we might not move in as deep or create an advantageous position because of this. Conversely, the word partner has a more neutral tone and gives us the feeling of someone who is working with us rather than against us. This enables us to do things which we wouldn’t ordinarily do like move in closer into the proper spacing. Changing the connotation of the person confronting us enables us to train with our partner without this air of hesitancy. We train with our partners so that we can defeat our opponents later on.
They say that the best Aikidoists command timing and spacing. Interestingly, there is no Japanese word for “timing.” Most just use the Japanized word timingu. One reason could be because, in a martial arts sense, timing and spacing are synonymous. The word for “spacing” in swordsmanship is maai (間合い) and means “the distance between opponents.” It can also be used when discussing the “suitable time” in terms of doing something. It is thought that if one can dictate the spacing, then they would automatically control the timing and vice versa.
This is where the concept of the partner versus opponent comes into play. In training, if the person attacking us is our opponent, then along with that distinction comes fear, stress, and/or negative emotions like anger. This simple label could disable us from moving into the proper spacing or alignment with them out of trepidation and so we never truly learn the right positioning or spacing.
If we can see them as our partner, we don’t have the same fear or emotional baggage and thus we can get into the right position with the right spacing using the right footwork. This lack of negative connotation in a controlled circumstance enables us to learn what the proper spacing or positioning not only looks like but feels like too. In any real encounter, seeing and thinking are too slow. We have to go by feeling or in other words intuition. Getting the feeling is what makes getting into the proper spacing second nature.
Over time, not seeing the person as our attacker, begins to become our everyday mindset. Thus, if no opponent exists, then there is no one to blame, get mad at, or vent our anger towards. And so, anger, negativity or another fear then become unproductive and so we stop engaging in them.
Our perception creates our reality. As Anaïs Nin said, “We don't see the world as it is, we see it as we are.” Thus, if we can shift our minds from looking for negativity (aka an opponent) to realizing that peace, positivity, and abundance are all around us, then not only our Aikido but our daily lives begin to change.
This is not an automatic process. This is a mindset to cultivate, and this can only begin when in class we see the person attacking us as our partner instead of our opponent. That is why to the best Aikidoists, there are no opponents.
Today’s goal: Remember everything that happens is happening for you not to you and thus there are no opponents or enemies.