Throwback Thursday - Simon Says

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on March 14, 2005.

Do you remember the children’s game, Simon Says? In the game, nobody was supposed to move until the leader said, “Simon says” and if you were out if you did. All black belts in the dojo must constantly play Simon Says. What this means is that beginners and white belts all closely observe the black belts and imitate everything they do. Many black belts are not aware of this and often make mistakes before, during and after class.

If the seniors practice hard, the other students will copy them and practice hard. If the seniors are arrogant, the students will become arrogant. If you pick your nose, all the students will begin to pick their noses. If we are humble and respectful, they will all imitate and copy us. It is just like Simon Says, in a way - they will follow all of our Simon Says instructions.

A black belt is a special honor and a great privilege as well as a big responsibility. Part of our training as black belts is to always put our best foot forward in everything we do. It is, of course, not only for the sake of the other students who look up to us and will imitate everything we do, but for one’s self as well. In everything we do in Life, work, at home and at play, Simon Says, “Always put your best foot forward.”

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - Gyakute Kotegaeshi

Ito Sensei demonstrates gyakute kotegaeshi (逆手小手返し) or “reverse kotegaeshi.” Traditionally, we take kotegaeshi from the top. When you take the wrist from below, you will have to use a reverse grip or gyakute. Aikidoist should know how to take wrist locks from any type of grabbing attack.

Sometimes there's no time to read a lengthy message or watch a long documentary. So we've created these quick and easy 2 minute techniques to help you improve your Aikido technique and knowledge. Keep an eye out for them every Wednesday. 

Enjoy!

Watch other Aiki Dojo videos here: Video

Just Keep Going

竹槍戦術
Takeyarisenjutsu
The sole reliance on simple determination when fighting an overwhelming foe

The warrior’s spirit is largely one of determination. I can tell you this because, today, I have been involved in Aikido for 31 years. I don’t write about this to boast or brag and I don’t think that I am particularly talented or skillful. What I do know is that one should just keep going regardless of the hardship or challenge. It is said that martial arts training is supposed to be transformative. In one way, teachers are supposed to take a student’s iji (意地) or “willfulness” and transform it into konjo (根性) or “fighting spirit.” The reason for this transformation is best illustrated by this quote by Basketball coach Tim Notke: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.” Instilling persistence and determination is important because there will come a time when each and everyone of us will face some seemingly overwhelming adversity. When that happens we won’t be able to rely on talent to overcome it and we will need a mindset that enables us to reach deeper and go farther than we have ever had to go before. A warrior must have takeyarisenjutsu or the ability to rely solely on determination. Through training we learn that the secret to success in any endeavor, which is not really a secret at all, is to just keep going. We can’t rely on talent because having skill doesn’t necessarily mean that we have the heart or the fighting spirit to keep going regardless of the odds or the obstacle. Talent and luck play a role in our success but they are nothing without the sticktoitiveness to just keep going, no matter what. Persistence pays off.

Today’s goal: What obstacles are you up against? Try this, put your head down and just keep going. Remember, persistence pays off. 

Throwback Thursday - The Last Practice

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on June 27, 2004.

Training is very interesting, especially in how we must train our minds. We always talk about shoshin (初心) or “The beginner's mind” because it is important to have the mind of someone who is practicing for the very first time. Their mind is so eager and so naive and so ready to absorb everything about Aikido. At the same time, as strange as it is to say, we must also have the mind that this is "our last practice" as well. We practice each day as if this is the last day we will be on this earth.

We need the energy and freshness of practice on the very first day, but we also need the desperate and anxious energy as if it is our last day on earth as well.

Some people call this, "life and death" practice. How do we achieve such a state of mind? Please find it on the mat!

A Warrior Rises Above

Here is the English language version of the El Budoka article

A Warrior Rises Above 

“Be grateful even for hardship, setbacks, and bad people. Dealing with such obstacles is an essential part of training in the Art of Peace.” - Morihei Ueshiba 

The coronavirus has created a unique situation that is impacting all martial artists the same regardless of style, border or nationality. What the adversity of the pandemic is a gift which is revealing our true character or lack there of.  

Regardless of the art, all warriors or martial artists follow a Way or do (道). The Way is a set of principles which guide every aspect of the warrior’s life.  Author, Nitobe Inazo outlined the Way as Eight Virtues: Righteousness (Gi 義), Courage (Yu 勇), Benevolence (Jin 仁), Respect (Rei 礼), Honor (Meiyo 名誉), Honesty (Makoto 誠), Loyalty (Chugi 忠実) Self-control (Jisei 自制). However, on paper and our lips, these are just words because without action, they are meaningless. 

Following a Way necessitates that the warrior be a righteous person. Righteousness are the rules which govern our actions and it is something that we cultivated through training. Every budo has kata (型) or “predetermined forms.” These “models” are the rules which govern our movements but they also hide within them mental and spiritual teachings. So, in a sense, budo training shapes the person that we are inside and out. Righteousness doesn’t begin and end at the door of the dojo. It is in everything we practice at the dojo from cleaning and bowing to the way we defend ourselves and eventually these practices become part of everything that we do. Practicing righteousness enables us to improve the quality of our daily lives. Also we are only able to follow the virtues of budo because we are righteous.

The famous Zen quote, “fall down seven, get up eight” typifies the courageousness of a warrior. Typically, a person has to be brave in order to even start a martial art. Courage is put into practice many times a day in class when our partners attack us. With every technique and each block, punch or throw, we are learning to stand our ground in the face of adversity. In the beginning it can be hard to keep going especially when things get hard or are overwhelming, but the warrior inside us says, “Be brave and do it again.” It takes courage to keep going when adversity rears its ugly head.

The greatest strength a warrior can have is to be benevolent. It doesn’t require any training to hurt or kill another - anyone can do it. That is why in the martial arts, they say, “true budo does not kill” or “shinmu fusatsu” (真武不殺). Budo training is about developing the strength of character to be kind. The more one trains, the gentler we become because we realize the fragility of life and lethalness of the art we wield. It  takes a tremendous amount of inner strength to not give in to the desires of our egos. True inner strength is not demonstrated in what we can do, but in what we choose not to do. There is a famous Japanese proverb which illustrates the strength of benevolence, “Nasake ni hamukau yaiba nashi” (情けに刃向かう刃なし) or “There is no sword which can oppose kindness.” Anyone can kill but only a select few can choose to be kind. 

There is a saying in budo, “Everything begins and ends with respect” (礼に始まり礼に終わる) or “rei ni hajimari rei ni owaru.” Conventionally speaking, most think this about bowing as a gesture of respect towards one’s opponent and that is ostensibly true. However, the respect that we are actually cultivating when we bow is not only for our opponent, but for ourselves as well. The only truly way to have respect for others is to have respect for ourselves. Thus, in training, we learn to move with dignity and grace which comes with having self-respect. That is why the Japanese say, “Yaiba ni tsuyoki mono wa rei ni suguru”  or “The best warrior surpasses all others in decorum.” To act with respect is to have self-respect.  

A warrior is a person of honor. Having true honor is when our inner person matches our outer person. Some might call this integrity. Many of us say, but fewer actually do. For me, honor should be the last virtue because it is the virtue which ensures all others. There is no righteousness, courage, benevolence, honesty, loyalty or discipline without honor.

It goes without saying that all warriors are honest, but a warrior’s honesty goes further than just telling the truth. Honesty is about intention. Do we live a life similar to the Five Precepts of Buddhism of not killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying or intoxication. Our actions speak to our character. Thus, in training, honesty is really about the intention of our actions. When we are having a bad day, refrain from taking it out on others. When we are up against adversity and act this way, we aren’t aware of ourselves and thus not acting with an honest intention. 

The best warriors aren’t always the loyalest. The movements of budo can be learned by anyone and so anyone can pretend to be or say that they are loyal. It is easy to do  when others are looking, but the truest test of loyalty is when there is nothing to gain and when no one is looking. True loyalty reveals our true character and our real motivation. 

The hallmark virtue of all warriors is self-control. All of these other virtues are just concepts which require self-discipline to carry out. Perhaps that is why self-control is the last virtue. True budo is about change, but not just the physical change. The change that we all seek in training is the realization of the self. Concepts are just words, but they are brought to life with diligence and that practice over time creates a change or self-realization. To follow the way of budo is hard and requires constant and consistent work. That is why in budo they say, “Living is hard, dying is easy.” In class, we learn the discipline to have self-control. Without discipline, words are just words. With discipline words help to guide our actions and help us reach our goals. 

Adversity tempers the sword of our character. The pandemic is a test which reveals our true character. American author James Lane Allen said, “Adversity doesn’t build character, it reveals it.” The coronavirus forces us to look inward and ask the hard question, “Am I truly living the way of budo?” Regardless of the answer it reveals where we truly are and where the work needs to be done, physically, mentally and spiritually.  

Warrior’s create their own destiny. The pandemic can either make us or break us. Regardless of the outcome it reveals who we truly are. An often used theme in Zen and the tea ceremony is nichi nichi konichi (日々是好日) which is intended to mean, “every day is a good day,” but it can also means to “Live meaningfully.” We cannot control what happens to us, but we are in control of who we choose to be and what we choose to do. A warrior rises above and does their best and leaves the rest to fate. We are warriors and people of true character, let the pandemic make you, don’t let it break you. 

Warriors Overcome Adversity

Here is the English version of the article that I wrote for the Spanish Language magazine El Budoka.

Warriors Overcome Adversity

Someone once said, “Adversity is only karma and resistance seen differently.” People today like to use the word “unprecedented” a lot when they talk about the coronavirus pandemic. The situation only seems “unprecedented” because we are struggling and some have forgotten how important adversity is in the building of one’s character.

My teacher, Rev. Kensho Furuya Sensei once wrote, “When we suffer bad times, we always think that the world is against us. Actually, we can look at it in another way. The bad times that we suffer are actually blessings in disguise. Only the purest gold is tested in the hottest fire, lesser metals cannot take the heat.” 

Adversity is a theme in every martial art. If we allow it, adversity can be the catalyst for great change. Oftentimes, we never really know what we are capable of until the opportunity arises which brings out the best in us. American novelist James Lane Allen once said, “Adversity does not build character, it reveals it.” 

Long ago in Japan there was a short civil war called the Hogen Rebellion in 1156 which lasted about a month. The Hogen Rebellion is thought to be the beginning of the rivalry between the famous Minamoto and Taira clans and was said to have ushered in the Feudal era in Japan.

There was one standout samurai during the Hogen Rebellion named Minamoto no Tametomo. Tametomo was said to be one of the best and most powerful archers in the history of Japan. In the Azuma Kagami, a medieval history book from the Kamakura era, Tametomo is referred to as the “Peerless Master of the Bow.” Tametomo is often depicted using a bow that is eight feet six inches long with a five foot long bow string. A bow of that size with such a tight drawstring would likely take three men to draw and would be impossible for a single man to handle. Tametomo’s prowess with a bow is legendary. During the Hogen Rebellion he was charged with guarding the West gate of his master’s castle. His brother Yoshitomo was part of the opposition force and was poised to attack across the castle’s moat. With one arrow, Tametomo hit a silver ornament off his brother’s helmet while he and the other general’s were strategizing their attack. During that same conflict Tametomo also was reported to have killed two generals with one single arrow. However, Tametomo’s most celebrated battlefield accomplishment, which became a legend, was that he sank an enemy’s ship with just a single well placed arrow that punctured the hull of the ship just below the waterline. 

However, Minamoto no Tametomo didn’t start out as a great archer. Tametomo was a descendant of Emperor Seiwa and was born into the Minamoto clan which was one of the great samurai families of the Feudal era. After the Hogen Rebellion, his brother, Minamoto no Tameyoshi went on to become the first Shogun. With such an auspicious family tree, one might think that things would come easy to Tametomo. On the contrary, Tametomo was shunned because he was born with a genetic defect. Tametomo’s arms were not the same size or length. Any birth defect was frowned upon in those days and to make matters worse, his father disowned him at age 13. Despite being a weak child, Tametomo grew to be about seven feet tall and was large in stature. When Tametomo was an adult, his left arm was four to five inches longer and slimmer compared to his right arm which was shorter and considerably muscular. Throughout his entire life, Tametomo’s family thought that he would never amount to anything and would always be a disappointment.

The problem with having irregular arms is that the sword is the weapon of the samurai. Being born into a samurai family with that specific birth defect was like being given a death sentence because he would be a liability on the battlefield. However, this is not the way Tametomo looked at it. It is not clear who Tametomo learned archery from. All that is written is that he was a great archer. Understanding archery, the bow is held with the left arm and drawn with the right. Thus, anyone with Tametomo’s specific defect would be perfect as an archer. Tametomo could have hid himself and let his birth defect and childhood difficulties make him feel self-conscious. However, as the legend clearly shows us, Tametomo used his adversity to his advantage to make himself great. 

When things aren’t going our way, we tend to hyper focus on what is not going right rather than what we can fix. Focusing only on the negative can cause us to lose our center and inner balance or in a sense lose our minds to the situation. Ken Watanabe Sensei once said, “The martial arts are supposed to bring order to chaos.” What he means is that we are supposed to cultivate calmness within ourselves regardless of what is happening to us or around us. Truth be told, all adversities are either a test of our personal development or lesson that we need to learn. French novelist, Albert Camus said, “In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer.” These trials and tribulations give us an opportunity to show ourselves just how good we really can be.

Martial arts training is supposed to challenge us in the same way and prepare us for the hardships of daily life. Sometimes we are challenged by the technique while other times by the strength or speed of our partner. Regardless, the arduousness of training provides us with the opportunity to test our mettle, surmount challenges and grow. In battle and in life, some of us will sink while others will swim. No matter what we do in life, a little rain will fall and adversity will always be there in some way, shape or form but that struggle is what makes us stronger. 

Dogen Zenji said, "The greater the aspiration, the greater the enlightenment.” Looking at Tametomo’s story it is clear that greatness comes from accepting the circumstances of the present and being resourceful enough to use whatever traits, skills or assets we do have in order to improve. Our mettle will always be tested and polished by hardship. Martial artists are people who rise to the challenge. We don’t know what heights this unprecedented time will take us to. All we do know is that its adversity is showing us the way and all we need to do is see it as such.

Don’t let the pandemic break you, use these unprecedented times to make you. 

Learn to Listen

The quieter you become the more you are able to hear. - Rumi

The spirit of the warrior is rooted in learning to listen. In our dojo, Aikido training is conducted in silence or rather in the practice of chinmoku (沈黙) or “silence.” Both teachers and students are not supposed to be engaged in excessive or loud talking. The main reason for this quietness is to not distract others from their training, but there is a deeper reason. Sound, whether it be music or talking, can disable us from finding our true center or the sound that resides within us. This inner sound or vibration in Hindi is called nada (नाडा) or “The premise that the entire cosmos and all that exists in the cosmos, including human beings, consists of vibrations.” In an interview, 3rd Doshu, Moriteru Ueshiba touched upon this when he said, “When you practice and your mind is still or in mushin (無心) your movements are spontaneous and [you’re] in [a] premeditated silence almost a state of nothingness [and] being combined with the universe. The Founder referred to this as sumikiri (澄み切り) or being [in] a state of stillness or a clear state of mind. Sumikiri is reached through [the] practice of using mushin and concentration.” There is a link between our brains and our nervous systems which can be seen in the movement of our tongues. When our minds are relaxed and calm, our tongues are relaxed or do not move. When we are thinking or talking, our tongues become rigid or move. Thus, when we are practicing and talking we are not able to get into the relaxed state of mushin and cannot reach sumikiri or nada. Most of us don’t know how to actively listen and are generally just waiting for our turn to talk and so getting into this state is not something that we are used to. Thus, we need to learn to be quiet and learn to listen so that we can hear the sound, vibration or voice that exists inside of us and that is why the spirit of the warrior is rooted in learning to listen.

Today’s goal: Try your best to spend time in quietude and listen. What is your inner sound trying to say? 

Aiki Dojo Message - Food, Water and Budo

If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and you could only bring three things with you, what would you bring? Obviously, food and water, but budo? Yes, budo. Budo is the skill of all skills. Training in the martial arts teaches us to not only have perseverance but also have shuyo (修養) or self-discipline. If we don’t have self-discipline or the will to see something through to its end, then it won’t matter what else we bring with us. Bushcraft survival expert, Mors Kochanski said, “The more you know, the less you have to carry.” If we are stranded on a desert island, a person will need self-discipline and willpower in order to survive. Self-discipline and will power are not things that can be taught, but one can learn them. They can’t be taught because both of these things are choices. One chooses to be disciplined or to have the will to see something through to its end. In other words, we succeed because “Where there is will, there is a way.” Martial artists are not normal people. The paradox in the martial arts is that we spend time an inordinate amount of time studying how to hurt other people in order to not hurt other people. What enables us to not use the skills that they have learned is self-discipline and willpower. Martial artists are the type of people who like a challenge. We relish in the opportunity to test our level of self-discipline, willpower and tolerance and thus a desert island would be a great test. Martial artists have a certain amount of willfulness. A Japanese proverb which explains this willfulness is, “Doku kuwaba sara made nebure” (毒食わば皿まで) or “If you eat poison, be sure to lick the plate.” Only a person with a warrior’s spirit would have the fortitude or tenacity to lick the plate after eating poison and so only a a person with a warrior’s spirit could survive any adversity. Thus, bring food, water and budo.    

Today’s goal: Self-discipline and willpower are a choice. Start small, but choose to be more disciplined and have more will. “The more you know, the less you have to carry.”

Throwback Thursday - It's All in Your Mind

Furuya Sensei memorial service Saturday March 6th at 11:00 AM
(see information below)

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on January 7, 2005.

I was watching a documentary about the life of a well-known artist. He became very sick with many health problems and eventually had several strokes which destroyed his ability to paint with his right hand. Eventually, he was able to continue his painting by switching to his left hand. The hand he was told was simply an extension of his mind which allowed him to continue his work. Actually, this is a pretty amazing feat although I say it rather matter-of-factly.

I believe this is very true in Aikido practice as well. We often criticize our own physical ability because of talent or age or stiffness or some ailment but generally, these can all be overcome through the power of our own mind - if we have the right determination and motivation.

Most obstacles life presents are difficult to overcome by ourselves. Yet, such problems are not limited to our own selves. Each suffers in their own way and each person can overcome them in their own way. Aikido practice however allows us to explore our own minds very deeply and it is through this that great power can be released.

Memorial Information 
Saturday, March 6th 11:00 AM

On Saturday, March 6th 11:00 AM, the Aikido Center of Los Angeles will be holding the 14th annual memorial service for Rev. Kensho Furuya. 

The in person memorial will be held at the dojo. Rev. Kojima from Zenshuji will be inside the dojo and all other participants will be outside socially distanced. 

11:00 AM: Memorial service at the dojo 
12:30 PM: Grave site visit

Zoom ID: 864 062 7172

Pass: acladojo

Note: For those joining us on Zoom, you will be asked to register to enter so please take this into account.

We hope that you can join us!

11 Unorthodox Aikido Joint Locks

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - 11 Unorthodox Aikido Joint Locks 

David Ito Sensei demonstrates some of the more unorthodox joint locks that aren’t so main stream. Generally joint locks or katame-waza (固め技) fall into two categories: osae-waza (押技) or pinning techniques or kansetsu-waza (関節技) or joint manipulations. Every Aikidoist should know a plethora of joint locks besides the kihon-waza or basic techniques. 

Sometimes there's no time to read a lengthy message or watch a long documentary. So we've created these quick and easy 2 minute techniques to help you improve your Aikido technique and knowledge. Keep an eye out for them every Wednesday. 

Enjoy!

Watch other Aiki Dojo videos here: 2 Minute Techniques

Be Strong

風は吹けども山は動かず
Kaze wa fuke domo yama wa ugokazu
The wind blows, but the mountain does not move 

Yesterday, I was interviewed by a Youtube channel called BudoTV Online. The last question the interviewer asked me was, “What is one thing you would like to say to the budo community?” I answered, “Be strong.” “Be strong” doesn’t only refer to physical strength. Physical strength, albeit necessary, pales in comparison to mental, emotional and spiritual strength. I have seen countless numbers of “strong” people quit because of a few terse words. A martial artist has to be strong enough to weather any storm. For each person the storm is different. For some it is a mean word while for others it is a pandemic. Regardless of the situation or circumstance, martial artists need to gaman (我慢) or “persevere” and overcome their obstacles and not give into the desire to quit. In training and in life, we are confronted by all sorts of trials and tribulations and each one can be seemingly insurmountable. However, with training and perseverance we learn to be steadfast and gain the confidence to ride out any storm. We do this by learning to to develop equanimity which is one of the highest teachings in budo. Equanimity is the ability to be mindfully aware of the situation and observe them before acting. With an equanimous mind, we can then act appropriately instead of mindlessly react. Thus, in training, we learn how to become mountains and as the saying goes, “The wind blows, but the mountain does not move.” His Holiness the Dalai Lama said, “If the actions of others are determining your emotions and responses, then you have given your power away. You should be the one to determine how you're going to respond in each situation. No one has control over your emotions or your reactions but you.” Have the power of a mountain and be strong enough not to let anything blow you away.  

Today’s goal: When things get tough, take a breath and try to observe rather than react. 

Fatigue Can be Fatal

厭戦
Ensen 
War weariness 

Fatigue can be fatal. General George Patton once wrote, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.” What he might have meant was that fatigue has a way of bringing out our true character. Fatigue is the main symptom of war weariness or in Japanese ensen (厭戦). We become battle weary as exhaustion and dejection set in from a prolonged conflict. When we get fatigued, we are more apt to make mistakes, lose our tempers or do something which is out of character. In the sports world, it is commonly thought that physical skill begins to degrade when an athlete’s heart rate stays at 145 bpm or higher for too long. In the dojo, fatigue can bring out our true character or personality especially when the class is very physical or during long seminars. In the dojo, when people get tired, they either become a teacher and teach instead of train, a talker who talks instead of trains, someone who runs away, or a bully who becomes too rough and takes it out on others. Regardless, fatigue reveals our true inner nature and reveals where we need to put in the work. As we approach the one year mark of the pandemic many of us are starting to get war weary. Deaths, people getting sick, riots, protests, confusing information, isolation, and loneliness are pushing us to the edge of fatigue. Nietzsche said, “Battle not with monsters lest ye become one.” What he possibly meant was that fatigue can become fatal because it can accidentally change us and we can become a monster because we allow ourselves to succumb to fatigue and end up doing something that we regret or is out of character for us. Martial artists are people who aspire to live their lives at a higher level. Furuya Sensei once wrote, “Martial artists survive day by day, welcoming adversity and using their skill and personal power to slowly but surely reach their goals and aspirations.” Remember, wars are marathons. If you get tired, rest. Don’t let fatigue become fatal; don’t let it change who you are.   

Today’s goal: Pay attention to your thoughts and actions. Has fatigued set in? If so, find some way to rest and recuperate so that fatigue doesn’t change who you are. 

Watch this video to better understand pandemic fatigue

Throwback Thursday - 1,000 Miles

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on February 11, 2004. 

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been thinking about the last 30 years of building our dojo and reflecting on all of the hardships and obstacles that were overcome, all the battles and struggles we survived and all of the grief and sad moments that still must be remembered. Truly it was a struggle but nothing I would ever exchange for if I had another opportunity to do this over again. The greatest struggle of all, I suppose, was to remain true to one's self and the principles of Aikido.

As I was pondering this for our upcoming anniversary program, I watched a program, "Escape from Tibet." It is about the many Tibetans who have been imprisoned, tortured and killed in Tibet and those who have tried to escape this oppression into India to join their spiritual and governmental leader, His Holiness The Dalai Lama. I was so moved to see these people struggle on this freezing-cold, snow bound 1,000 mile walk over the Himalayan mountains into India. When I saw their struggle, sitting here in my office with a small heater to warm my feet, I realized that my own struggles are so small compared to many others in this world.

We should never be so proud of what we do, especially when so many people all over the world are suffering so badly. It would be such shame to brag about my own struggles now and so I have to change my speech.

We all go through this 1,000 mile journey in our lives, each one of us must cross over their own Himalayan mountains to reach the other side. If we can see the suffering of others, we can respect their circumstances above our own. Isn't this a natural human sentiment from the heart?

More than boast of our own courage, struggles and victories, we must count our blessings and be compassionate to those less fortunate than ourselves.

Ultimately, we can be proud as long as we serve others and train correctly in the Path of Aikido.

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - Koshinage

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - Koshinage 

Santiago Almaraz Sensei demonstrates the basics of koshinage or hip throw. In other arts, there are distinctions between the use of the hip, shoulder or leg when throwing from the rear. However, in Aikido, all throws over the back are classified as hip throws. Almaraz Sensei demonstrates the most basic cautionary steps that need to be included in koshinage in order to make it effective and safe for both the nage and the uke.    

Sometimes there's no time to read a lengthy message or watch a long documentary. So we've created these quick and easy 2 minute techniques to help you improve your Aikido technique and knowledge. Keep an eye out for them every Wednesday. 

Enjoy!

Happy Lunar New Year!

新年快乐 
Xīn Nián Kuài Lè!
Happy New Year!

This Lunar New Year is the year of the Ox which should bring calmness with a sense of steadiness and prosperity. Incidentally this year is also the start of a new decade and the date is a palindrome. It is said that a warrior rides swiftly forward on a horse while a man of peace rides slowly upon an ox. Wisemen, like Lao Tzu, are often depicted riding on the back of an ox. The ox and the ume or plum blossoms are the symbols of the coming of spring and the beginning of farming. In Asians cultures, the ox is a symbol of prosperity and when we think of an ox, we think of a hardworking animal, but also an animal that has a quiet sense of determination and is quite stubborn. Hopefully, the ox will be a steadying force that guides us forward into not only a new year but a new decade as well. It is easy to think that the growth of a martial artist is linear as most only “see” the end results. However, most martial arts training, regardless of style, is tangential and full of ups and downs. The journey of a martial artist is much more like a ride upon a slow ox than a swift horse. Most of the time, our progress doesn’t seem like progress at all and it can be quite discouraging. However, what most don’t know is that learning to preserve through the struggle is the training. In Asian culture, the ox is often depicted by a man pulling it while it pulls a cart. The man pulling the ox is supposed to represent the struggles that we all experience following the Way. When we climb upon the oxen’s back we stop trying to pull and learn to go with the flow. That is when we supposedly begin to see the Buddha nature which supposedly exists within all of us. It is a constant that every year will have its ups and downs but the factor which can change is how we perceive those ups and downs and how we choose to deal with them. We get to choose whether to ride a horse and do battle with them or harmonize with them and ride an ox toward inner peace. I wish you all a year of quiet determination filled with calmness, hard work and peace. 

Today’s goal: What things are you fighting with that you can instead harmonize with? Learn to let go. 

Throwback Thursday - Spirited Energy

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on February 14, 2003. 

Both in Aikido and Iaido practice, we must think about ikioi (勢い) - a Japanese word meaning "spirited energy.” Another meaning is "to be full of ki.” This word is really very difficult to translate into English. We should always think about making our movements, techniques and practice very energetic and spiritual - not lackluster, limp or lazy. This does not mean to be harsh, stiff or brutal nor does it mean to apply more strength in the technique against our partner. More than anything, I think, it is a mental state of being in the moment, energetic and "lively." In Iaido, it is the same. Be decisive, spirited and full of energy!

This does not only apply to practicing on the mats but off the mats as well. Of course, everyone is tired from work, family and daily life's trials so we like to drag our feet into the Dojo as an "escape" from all of this. No, Aikido is not an escape. Quite on the contrary, more than our family, work, and everything in this environment, Aikido training requires more, very much more, energy, effort, attention and awareness! Many of us do Aikido like relaxing in front of a television after a hard day. We only think of it as a recreation or distraction from real life. We think our practice is a time to just space-out. NO, it is not!

What is amazing about Aikido is that we will always feel more energized after practice no matter how tired we are when we enter the dojo. Before you come into the dojo, change your attitude and mind, and become like a sharp sword - this is ikioi.

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - Ura-nage

Mike Van Ruth demonstrates Ura-age in this week’s 2 Minute Technique video. Ura-age means “behind throw” and is another unorthodox Aikido technique. It is not the same as the Judo version nor is it similar to a wrestling suplex. The main difference is that those throws utilize the arch of the back to lift the person off the ground. In the Aikido version of Ura-nage, you lift the person off the ground and throw them straight down while stepping back. The goal is to either slam their back on the ground and knock the wind out of them or make them hit their tail bone. In the Judo and wrestling versions the goal would be to make them hit their head which could be fatal. In the Aikido version it would debilitate them but not be fatal. This technique is most often used as a kaeshi-waza or reversal technique.   

Sometimes there's no time to read a lengthy message or watch a long documentary. So we've created these quick and easy 2 minute techniques to help you improve your Aikido technique and knowledge. Keep an eye out for them every Wednesday. 

Enjoy!

Mind Your Sleeves

Warriors must mind their sleeves. Once, when I was younger, my mother took me to a very formal Japanese inn. One of the things she and her friends marveled about was how well trained the server was by the way she deftly negotiated her kimono sleeve while serving us dinner. The sode or “sleeve” of our keiko-gi or uniform is a very important training tool. Incidentally, we should never use our sleeve to wipe our face - that is what a tenagui or “hand towel” is for. The hem of our keiko-gi sleeve or sodeshita should normally fall to the base of the wrist. Oftentimes, I see people roll up their sleeves or hem their sleeves mid way up their forearms. This is not bad or wrong per se, but it just shows a lack of sophistication in a Japanese etiquette sense. A samurai would normally wear their sleeves down and would only tie up their sleeves with a tasuki or “sash” when going into battle. Short or rolled up sleeves are more of a western custom that isn’t really done that much in Japan. One reason for sleeve length could be to hide our forearms because the development of our forearms speaks to our level of training. Obviously, a person who engages in the martial arts has more developed forearms. Another possible reason could be that the sleeve adds another impediment that the attacker would have to deal with when attacking. Without knowing the size of the forearm hidden under the sleeve, an attacker might misjudge their grab and give their victim the advantage. One more possible reason comes from swordsmanship. More experienced and higher ranking Iaidoists usually have kimonos with longer and wider sleeves. One reason for this is that it takes a higher level of skill to do the techniques while negotiating a longer sleeve. Our sleeves are not just the things which cover our arms or that we use to wipe our sweat upon. Our sleeves can demonstrate to others our level of training and martial arts ability. That is why good martial artists always mind their sleeves.  

Today’s goal: The sleeve is a metaphor for how we do things. The best always take care of the smallest details.

Situational Awareness

“All things can be deadly to us, even the things made to serve us; as in nature’s walls can kill us, and stairs can kill us, if we do not walk circumspectly.” - Blaise Pascal, Author

A warrior is supposed to have situational awareness or an awareness of their surroundings at all times. Situational awareness can be broken down into three parts: perception of the elements in the environment, comprehension of the situation, and projection of future status. Seems like commonsense. O’Sensei is quoted as saying, “Shihonage is the foundation of Aikido. All you ever need to master is shihonage.” Some take his quote to mean that shihonage is the only technique one might need. Maybe. However, if you look at the kanji for shio (四方), perhaps he is talking about situational awareness. Shiho translates to mean the four cardinal directions (NSEW) but it can also refer to one’s “surroundings.” For fun, one can posit that being aware of one’s surroundings is the foundation of Aikido and that one only needs to master their surroundings to master Aikido. In Aikido class, when we act as nage or tori, we are supposed to be able to place our opponent when throwing them. We shouldn’t throw them where they could get injured or injure others. When we throw someone into another person, it shows a lack of skill, nefarious intent or low situational awareness. Likewise, when we are the uke and being thrown, we should be setting ourselves up to be placed into a position which is safe and most advantageous for us. For instance, in crowded classes we shouldn’t lay on the floor for extended periods of time because someone could fall on top of us and get hurt. By practicing both roles, we learn to become more situationally aware. Being situationally aware doesn’t mean paranoid. Situational awareness means being mindful of not only what we are doing, but also aware of what is going on around us.     

Today’s goal: The easiest way to be situationally aware is to put down your phone and get out of your own head. 

Watch this video of the situational awareness of pilots to better understand the situational awareness in Aikido training.

Today's Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - Kamakubi

Ito Sensei demonstrates Kamakubi in this week’s 2 Minute Technique video. Kamakubi refers to the shape of the arm in the joint lock. The arm when twisted looks like a kama or Japanese sickle and kubi refers to the neck of the wrist. Generally, joint locks fall into two categories: Osae-waza or pinning techniques or kansetsu-waza or joint attack. In an osae-waza the joint and the opponent are immobilized but in a kansetsu-waza the joint is manipulated but not the opponent is not always immobilized. Sometimes people call kansetsu-waza style joint locks “come-alongs” as they are used to move people like in a police situation. An example of an osae-waza joint lock would be nikyo. Examples of kansetsu-waza joint locks would be kamakubi and sankyo. Students should know the difference between the two and not mistake one for the other. 

Sometimes there's no time to read a lengthy message or watch a long documentary. So we've created these quick and easy 2 minute techniques to help you improve your Aikido technique and knowledge. Keep an eye out for them every Wednesday. 

Enjoy!

Watch other Aiki Dojo videos here: 2 Minute Techniques