継続は力なり
Keizoku wa chikara nari
To continue is power
Warriors strive for connection. The thing which bonds all relationships and intertwines two or more people together is something called en (縁) in Japanese. It’s kind of metaphysical and it seems mystical but it’s something that we’ve all felt. This “connection” is something we have all felt with family or friends, but en can also be used when talking about one’s fate or destiny. In Aikido training, this idea of connection is cultivated in two regards: the connection with one’s partner and with one’s teacher. In training, the uke or the “one receiving the technique” and the nage or tori or the “one who does the technique” are both try to keep the physical and energetic connection with their partners. When one is able to stay connected, there is an almost sticky quality to their movements as they are both able to utilize or feed off the energy or power of the other person. When we see this, it’s almost magical in the way that the two people are able to work together and stay in sync. This connection is also something that one is trying to develop with their teacher. On some level, it looks like a high degree of anticipation as the subordinate is almost able to kuuki wo yomeru (空氣を読める) or “read the air” and anticipate the needs or movements of the teacher. This connection is also ishin-denshin (以心伝心), or “When two people’s hearts/minds are linked.” The reasoning for learning to develop this connection with others is so that a student can then take this ability to the battlefield and use it to anticipate and ultimately defeat their opponents. In Aikido, when we translate ai (合), we say “harmony,” but its literal meaning is “To meet.” In order for two things to harmonize, they need to come together and this can only happen through the power of connection. We all need connection because the world can be a lonely place. Today, more than ever, the world needs to come together. To be connected and continue is power, to be divided is to be conquered.
Today’s goal: Don’t give up. Stay connected. Remember, continuing is power.