“To cut a man with a single blow is easy. To avoid being cut by a man is difficult.” - Yagyu Munenori
The best Aikidoists strive to be elusive.
To be elusive means to be “difficult to find, catch, or achieve.” One way to say “elusive” in Japanese is shutsubotsujizai (出没自在) which directly translates as “to appear and disappear at will.”
It is said that the “early bird gets the worm.” For the most part this is true. If we can get a head start on our opponents or our goals, then there is a higher likelihood that we will be successful. Thus, we seem elusive. Conversely, the normal everyday opponent won’t put in any more work than is necessary in that particular moment. The true opponent or enemy wakes up early or stays late, labors with us in mind, and is strategizing so that they can get out ahead of us.
Elusiveness can be both physical and mental. In Aikido, physical elusiveness begins with footwork or more specifically how we move our feet. One skill we are trying to develop in our Aikido training is to be light-footed or “to be able to step or move quietly.” This is different from being able to sneak up on someone or tiptoeing. Being light-footed is to be able to move quietly with a sense of smoothness, and calmness while still moving powerfully. One way we teach ourselves this is when we move in to strike or grab, and we don’t allow our foot to stomp or make an audible noise. This noise is the tell-tale sign that the person either leaped when attacking or that they are too heavy-footed when they move. There is a saying, “heavy foot, slow foot.” If we can lighten our feet, we should be able to speed up our feet and thus attack faster, dictate the spacing, and attack with better timing.
Mental elusiveness has its roots in the physical. A person who is ashigaomoi (足が重い) or “heavy-footed” is also a person who is “slow,” “indecisive” or “reluctant.” Regardless of the word we use, that person is a step or so behind and thus the timing and the spacing could be off when they engage their opponent. Another way of saying “elusive” is kaisoku (快足) or “being quick on one's feet” which people use to say that someone reacts quickly.
When we think of this idea of elusiveness and “appearing and disappearing at will,” what elusive means is that we get to dictate the terms of the engagement. We seemingly disappear because we are so far ahead or prepared that the opponent can’t see us. We only appear when we want to engage. Our elusiveness enables us to set the tone and put our opponents on the defensive.
Being elusive is nothing more than spending the time and energy to prepare. The Greek philosopher Archilochus said, “We don't rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.” The more we prepare in Aikido and in life, the harder we are to beat. Elusive is not so much about being able to dodge but in being so well prepared that the early bird gets the worm. Anyone at any given time can be beat, but to beat a good Aikidoist, you will have to catch up to them first.
Today’s goal: Don’t forget: “We don't rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.”
Watch this video to understand why waking up early is important