一念岩をも通す
Ichinen iwa wo mo tosu
Single-mindedness pierces even a boulder
A good martial artist has intentionality. Shikousei (志向性) or “intentionality” is “the fact of being deliberate or purposive.” As a philosophical construct, intentionality is the mental state which guides our actions. Alan Cohen said, “When your intention is clear, so is the way.” The Japanese character for intention (志) is made up of the character for warrior (士) and for heart (心). One can surmise that to have intention, or a focus is to have the heart of a warrior. In everything we do, we must first set our intention and then constantly reaffirm our intention to ensure that we are on the right track. Intention is akin to positive self-talk or a positive affirmation. Intention gives us direction and thus having the proper intention sets the tone, keeps us on track and helps us to succeed. In Junichi Haga’s book Secret’s on Kendo, he writes how his initial attack is always a strong tsuki or “thrust.” He commented that the tsuki is almost always parried but what it does do is set up the success of the subsequent attacks. The same thing happens in class. Students should take a moment before class starts and quietly set their intentions. What do you want to work on? What do you want to achieve? What type of class do you want to have? Setting our intention by answering these types of questions helps to bring us into the moment and puts our minds in the right space. In Aikido, and I am sure in all martial arts, every movement is itotekina ugoki (意図的動き) or “purposeful movement.” Conversely, in the martial arts, there also should not be any muda (無駄) or “waste.” When our minds and bodies move intentionally, we achieve something called shinshinichinyo (心身一如) or “mind-body unity” and it is at this juncture where we become truly undefeatable. That is why the Japanese say, “Ichinen iwa wo mo tosu” or “Single-mindedness pierces even a boulder.” Intention is then the basis for true inner strength and inner strength is what we use to overcome adversity and achieve our goals. What makes a martial artist good is having the ability to know where and how to apply their focus. When talking about focus, Furuya Sensei used to say, “Don’t just dig holes, you have to dig in the right places.” Therefore, in the martial arts and in life, we should always think and move intentionally and purposefully because when the intention is clear, the way will be too. That is why a good martial artist always has the right intentionality.
Today’s goal: Before you start, set your intention.