The best Aikidoists wait for nothing to happen.
The cycle of Aikido training seems to be short bursts of something happening wedged in between long periods of nothing happening. The ardent Aikido student knows that nothing has to happen first before something great can happen.
In class, there is a moment within every technique when the uke feels weightless. Mujuuryoku (無重力) or this “state of weightlessness” occurs only for a fraction of a second and within that moment, the opponent’s balance is broken.
In Judo, they mechanically “take” their opponent’s balance in order to create a throw and call this kuzushi (崩し). In Aikido, we do not directly take the opponent’s balance per se. We use our movement to create a situation where our opponent “loses” their balance. This is something that some people call aiki (合氣). In that moment, our partner momentarily becomes weightless and loses their balance, and we use that loss of balance to our advantage. If we can stretch out that fraction of a second, along with the feeling of weightlessness there is this sense of mu (無) or “nothingness.” Nothingness is a concept that is hard to explain but for just a fraction of a moment, there is no sound, no smell, or any other perception other than a feeling of weightlessness. At this point, when the experienced practitioner feels weightless, they guide their partner, and the opponent falls into their technique.
Nothingness is similar to the Void in Greek philosophy which is defined as “a necessary space for atoms to move, thereby enabling the existence of matter.” This corresponds with one explanation of ki (氣) whereas ki is “energy on the verge of becoming matter and matter that is on the verge of becoming into energy.” The Void aka “nothingness” is the place where ki energy is in the process of transforming into something tangible.
The hardest part is to not misinterpret this moment of nothingness as being a moment where we have lost control. It is easy to feel this way because nothingness is so foreign to us. Society has conditioned us to think that something always has to be going on. We have to be in control, accomplishing, or achieving measurable gains. Anything other than what can be tangibly perceived is most likely a sign that we are not doing enough, going in the wrong direction, or are on our way to defeat.
Lots of times in life and in Aikido, we get discouraged because we think that nothing is happening. Change takes time but when it does happen, it seems to happen overnight. Every day we toil and toil and nothing seems to happen. Then, one day we experience a shift, and we no longer move the way we used to move. If we have been working on it, it somehow got better. If we haven’t been working on it, it somehow all falls apart seemingly overnight.
Weightlessness or nothingness is the place where things are about to happen. In Aikido, when we feel this weightlessness, we take the advantage and guide our opponent into our technique. In Aikido and in life, if you can realize the feeling of nothing, then you just might be on the precipice of that energy shifting. Just before any breakthrough, the energy has to build up before it can transform. Thus, the feeling of nothingness is an important factor in Aikido and in life. The best Aikido students know the value of nothing and that’s why they are waiting for nothing to happen.
Today’s goal: Don’t give up, instead give in to nothingness. Remember, nothing always precedes something.