剣は瞬息心氣力一致
Ken wa shuniki shinkiryoku itchi
“You must use your sword in an instant with mind, spirit, and body in unison.”
- Chiba Shusaku Taira no Narimasa, Founder of the Hokushin Itto-ryu Hyoho school of swordsmanship
The best martial artists learn to let go. How we grab our opponent is an indicator of where we are in our training. In swordsmanship, Chiba Shusaku Taira no Narimasa advocated Ken wa shuniki shinkiryoku itchi (剣は瞬息心氣力一致) or that “You must use your sword in an instant with mind, spirit, and body in unison.” To have this unison in an instant begins with how we hold the sword. Watanabe Sensei said, “Proper grip usually means proper posture, a balanced center and a clear mind.” When we face off with our opponent and touch the tip of their sword, the sword acts as a conduit and will tell us everything we need to know about our opponent. Through how hard or soft they are gripping the sword, we can gauge their inner calmness, balance, and posture, just to name a few. All of these things that the sword is telling us are indicators of how well the opponent is trained and their level of prowess. O'Sensei often said “We should execute Aikido technique as if holding a sword.” Thus, that which holds true in swordsmanship also holds true in Aikido. In Aikido, how an opponent grabs us is an indication of their level of ability. In the beginning, we are taught to grab strongly and purposefully with our whole body. However, what happens is that beginners think that more is better and end up putting so much strength into their grab that their body can no longer move with the technique which causes them to get tired faster and maybe even injured. Later on, we learn to grab with that same intensity but also with a sense of legerity or to grab properly and with the right power which creates a connection with our opponent but at the same time allows our bodies to move with the technique rather than against it. Grabbing with legerity enables us to protect ourselves in the movement. How hard we hold on is also an indicator of where we are in life as well. One of the highest teachings in swordsmanship and just about every other traditional Japanese art is equanimity. Equanimity is the ability to notice what our minds are holding on to, letting go of that thought and returning back to the present moment. Yoda said, “Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” Yoda said that because being able to let go demonstrates one’s true prowess while holding on too long to something only shows our real weakness. In life and in the martial arts, we shouldn’t hold onto any one thing too tightly and that is why the best martial artists are learning to let go.
Today’s goal: What are you holding on too tightly to?