Throwback Thursday - Complete Training
Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on May 27, 2002.
The scroll that I placed in the dojo tokonoma reads: Seichu no do (動中の静) or "Movement in calmness." This comes from the complete saying: Seichu no do, Do chu no sei (動中の静 静の中動) or "Movement in calmness, calmness in movement." This calmness does not come from a mental other-worldliness or from a psychological denial of what's going on around us. It is a calmness which is derived from “complete training” which allows us to think and move freely at will.
As we develop awareness of ourselves or the technique through training, we should also be aware of our mental state - how we are aware, how we are focusing our energies and how we are concentrating our energies towards the action. In incomplete training, as soon as one issues speed or strength, they immediately lose their balance or timing. When we try to only develop strength, we end up only becoming stiff and inflexible, this is not complete training. When we try to go faster, and break our posture or get confused and lose our focus on what we are doing, this is not complete training. When we try too hard, and cannot blend with the opponent, this is not complete training. The technique should be strong and well balanced, without being forced, stiff or awkward. We are moving quickly but not rushing things. We should be strong but at the same time not muscling it either. Within the technique, we should feel the time and space but at the same time we should also be able to see and be aware of everything else around us - this is calmness in movement. Within our technique, we should always feel balanced and at ease with ourselves, without any idea to show ourselves off or demonstrate our strength, this is movement in calmness - this is complete training.
There is no end to Aikido training. As we train, the spiritual aspects of the art only get deeper, wider and more profound.