Composure

平静を保つ
Heisei wo tamotsu 
To maintain one's composure

The best warriors know how to remain calm. The other day someone sent me a DM asking me this question: “Can Aikido work on an animal?” I never answered because I thought the question was moot. Then a coyote followed me this morning for a quarter mile while I was on my walk at 5:00 am while it was still dark outside. Most times the coyote kept its distance but there was one moment when it came about 20 feet from me. When that happened, I stopped and turned to face it. We stood there for a minute and just stared at each other and then it just turned and walked away. The coyote trailed me for a little while then abruptly ran off. During the rest of my walk, I thought seriously about this person’s question. The question was accompanied by a link to an article about Mas Oyama, the founder of Kyokushin Karate who was famous for fighting bulls and actually killing three with his bare hands. I imagine this was the impetus for this question. Most martial arts use pain compliance, intimidation techniques or psychological warfare to “win” fights and so, based on this, most martial arts would not be effective against animals who are bigger, stronger, more agile or hungrier. Apart from brute strength or a weapon, our minds are probably our best weapon in defeating an animal. If that is true then our biggest asset lies in our ability to maintain our composure. Being calm enables us to make the right decision at the right time which will hopefully lead to the right outcome. In randori (乱取り) or “freestyle” Aikido training, we usually take on several attackers at once. In the beginning of this type of training, all the opponents attack with the same attack. As one progresses in their training, the attackers are allowed to attack with any attack. This type of training tests our spontaneity and our ability to flow but most of all it tests our ability to remain calm. Whether or not a martial art can work against an animal or not is not the point. British author, Leonard Woolf said, “Anyone can be a barbarian; it requires a terrible effort to remain a civilized man.” The true test of a person is whether or not they can remain calm and retain their humanity in the face of adversity. An attack is an attack, regardless if it comes from a person or an animal. What matters is if we have the composure to face whatever comes and that is why the best warriors know how to remain calm.

Today’s goal: No matter what happens, be calm and don’t lose your head.

Quick Thinking

その蜘は素早い反撃をする
Sono kumo wa subayai hangeki wo suru
The spider responds with a swift attack

A martial artist is supposed to be decisive. When a suki (隙) or “opening” presents itself, a martial artist has to be able to act, but not just acting for the sake of acting. The act has to be decisive and precise. The faster that we can recognize an opening, process that information mentally and then act physically determines how successful we can be. Being able to see an opening and quickly understand it is called subayai (素早い) in Japanese. It is said that the conscious mind can only process 40 bits of information per second while the subconscious mind can process 20 million bits. We see the inherent strength in the subconscious mind in reaction times as a conscious reaction is around 0.20 seconds while a subconscious reaction is about 0.08 seconds. This is the reason why in martial arts training there is so much value placed upon repetition. Repetition is how we program our subconscious mind. After a certain number of repetitions, our subconscious mind takes over and that is when the movements become programmed into our subconscious. When does this happen? There is a certain point in class when we become bored. Boredom is a function of our conscious mind. Somewhere after boredom, our conscious minds relax and our subconscious minds begin to take over. Many of us have experienced this same phenomenon while driving. Some people call his subconscious programming “muscle memory.” Recently, I was watching the All Japan Kendo Tournament in 2007 that was filmed with a high speed camera. During the final match, at full speed, it appeared as if the Kendoists had hit each other simultaneously called aiuchi (相打ち) or “double death.” However, with the high speed camera, they were able to show how one kendoist reaction time was 0.0009 seconds faster. Something that quick could not be a product of that person’s conscious mind. Something that fast had to be programmed into his body with thousands of hours of subconscious repetition. In life and in the martial arts, when an opportunity presents itself, we have to be in the right mind to quickly choose the right course of action and that’s why a martial artist has to be decisive. 

Today’s goal: What can you do repetitiously to program yourself for success?

Watch this video to see the lightning fast Kendo reactions

Throwback Thursday - First Move

Throwback Thursday - First Move

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on September 23, 2004. 

As soon as one picks up their sword, we can tell their level. When an Aikido student first bows into class, we can tell their level. When someone first opens their mouth, we can tell where they are coming from. Everything, in every moment, must be like facing our opponent or partner. Training is life and death and thus our first move is important. This is the meaning of practice.

Horizontal or Vertical

けっきょく実力が勝つ
Kekkyoku jitsuryoku ga katsu
Real ability wins in the end

The other day an anonymous martial arts expert on social media commented on one of my videos that “Speed dictates whether your technique works at all, and most of these do not.” I replied that “All techniques are a function of speed, timing, reaction and technical skill. So what works or doesn't work depends on the practitioner doing them.” On the internet, it is easy to be a keyboard warrior and fall into speculative game of judging something from the comfort of one's sofa. However, like Ip Man says in the movie Grandmaster, “Kung fu - two words. Horizontal. Vertical. Make a mistake - horizontal. Stay standing and you win.” In other words either you can do it or just talk or type about doing it. Regardless of style or rank, the martial arts are about life or death and that means it relies heavily on the ability of the individual. Each person is judged by what they can or can’t do and not on what their rank is, who their teacher was or what style they are doing. In Aikido, the person throwing is referred to as the nage (投げ) or “the one who throws” but they are also called the tori (取) or “taker.” It seems strange that the one doing is the “taker” but the word tori actually has an ominous origin that makes sense. When we look at the kanji, 耳 means mimi or “ears” and 又 means mada or “still.” This kanji came from Chinese history where warriors used to cut off the left ear of their opponents as a proof of their prowess on the battlefield. Thus, we can posit that 取 means that the tori is the one who survived and is able to take the ear of their opponents. It is easy to speculate on what will work or what won’t. Ranks and styles are subjective and so effectiveness comes down to the individual and whether or not they have the ability to remain vertical or end up horizontal. 

Today’s goal: My friend and fellow Aikidoist, James Takata once said, “Don’t just talk about, be about it.” Wise words indeed. 

Watch or listen to the latest episode of the Aiki Dojo podcast to better understand the role of rank.

A Warrior is a Cut Above

This article originally appeared in the July issue of the Spanish language magazine, El Budoka

花は人は武士
Hana wa sakura, hito wa bushi 
Cherry blossoms among flowers, the warrior among people 

I have always loved samurai or chanbara movies. I really enjoyed the beauty and grace of the samurai but also I really admire how they always acted with honor and morality. 

When I was young, probably too young, my father often took me to see samurai movies in the movie theatre like the Lone Wolf and Cub series or Seven Samurai. I have always loved the wonderful fight scenes, but I have always wondered why or how a lone samurai could kill so many bad guys in one fight. In those movies, there is always a series of showdowns as the hero gets surrounded and kills dozens of henchmen before facing off with the movie’s main villain. Besides the fact that it doesn’t make for good cinema, I have always wondered why all the bad guys don’t just attack all at once and score a victory. 

One reason as to why the samurai don’t attack all at once is because culturally as a samurai warrior, they were always supposed to act with honor and courage. To fight with honor and courage means to be brave enough to meet someone face to face. Therefore, attacking someone from behind could be seen as dishonorable or cowardice. However, during these altercations, there is always a few samurai who attack from behind but the hero always handedly dispatched them in dramatic bloody fashion to punish them for their dishonorable action. 

Another reason why a samurai didn’t attack from behind was because even if a they did score a victory, they risked being seen as a coward or as someone who acted without honor. A samurai clan is, up to a certain point, about striving to move upward in duty, status and compensation. Samurai were rewarded with promotions if they worked hard or were successful. Therefore, any dishonorable act could cause a samurai’s stock to fall within the clan or cause them lose face amongst their peers. Any disreputable act could bring shame upon them and cause them to get released from the clan.  

In the old days, samurai often dueled or got into skirmishes outside of fighting battles. When that happened, it was always a serious affair. In this order, samurai were always supposed to state their name, clan or school, style of fighting, teacher or lord’s name, and the reason for attacking before they could fight. This was supposed to be the most honorable way to confront someone and leave no doubt as to who they were or their intentions.  

Being a samurai was not considered a great job. The word samurai (侍) itself means “One that serves.” For a samurai, their life was not their own as it belonged to their lord and at a moments notice, they could be requested to throw it away at the whim of their lord. Their lives being an expendable asset meant that the only thing that they could control was their conduct and their humanity. 

Acting with humanity means that whatever is done is done with grace as quickly, and causes the least amount of suffering possible. That is why a samurai trained to kill with one cut.

When the Japanese think of humanity and the samurai they always say, “Tekini shio wo okuru” (敵に塩を送る) which comes from a famous story about the 16th century daimyos Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen. Both warlords were fierce warriors and brilliant military commanders. Kenshin was known as “The Dragon of Echigo” and Takeda Shingen was “The Tiger of Kai.” According to Chinese philosophy, the dragon and tiger will always be bitter rivals but neither will ever be able to best the other. The Dragon and Tiger fought many battles and were generally always at a stalemate. At one point during their battles, Shingen was under siege by another warlord who had cut off his supply of salt. In Japanese culture, salt is deemed sacred and it is an integral ingredient in preserving food. Without salt, Shingen’s army would eventually fall. Hearing about the siege upon Shingen, Kenshin sent him a load of salt with the note, “I do not fight with salt, but with the sword.” Kenshin could have capitalized on Shingen’s weakness, but instead he chose to act with humanity and honor and enabled his rival to weather the siege. Two years later, upon hearing of Shingen’s death, Uesugi wept and said, “I have lost my best rival. There won't be a hero like that again!”

A person who follows the way of budo is not a normal person. A normal person seeks comfort and routine and isn’t very rigid about their morals or behaviors. A warrior follows the way of budo and purposely puts themselves in uncomfortable situations and is strict about their conduct. Hardship is necessary to create growth and one’s  conduct sheds light on their true character. There is a Japanese saying, “Cherry blossoms among flowers, the warrior among people.” The cherry blossom is considered the most beautiful flower of all flowers just as the warrior is considered the best among all people. 

Death is serious and so a warrior chooses to treat it with the utmost respect. Death has a way of teaching us the value of life and so the highest teachings of the warrior is that of honor and humanity. Anyone can hurt or kill another human being but only a warrior can choose to act with dignity and grace. 

Life is like that too; because we care, we must always face our problems head on with courage and dignity. Anyone can act despite being afraid, but what separates the warrior from all others is that they do it with honor and dignity. We all want to win, but at what cost? The cost is usually our humanity. Warriors take pride in themselves which means that their honor is important and that is why warriors fancy themselves a cut above all others.

Throwback Thursday - The Mathematics of Practice

Throwback Thursday - The Mathematics of Practice

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on May 21, 2002. 

A young student came up to me a while back and said: "I don't think ikkyo works very well as a fighting technique!" I only replied: "You need more practice," and didn't say anything else because I really don't want to answer such a silly question. 

Many aggressive, young students practice very little and after a few months or years, begin to think, "I have mastered everything." Maybe if a student practices ikkyo everyday during class, maybe they would only do ikkyo about 10 or 20 times at the most, considering they are practicing other techniques as well during each class. If they practice ikkyo 7 days week in every class, maybe they would practice ikkyo about 70 to 140 times or, at the most, about 550 times a month. Not much according to my mathematics. 

It is just like suburi or “cutting practice.” I see students practice bokken suburi but they only do a couple of hundred at a time during class. Most students do not practice suburi everyday in class, even less at home. If they did 200 everyday, I would say it is very good for the normal student. This comes to about 600 swings with the bokken a month. However, in general, I see most students only do a couple of hundred suburi about once or twice a month, if any at all. My old kendo teacher used to do suburi 3,000 times a day, without fail, everyday. This comes to about 90,000 times a month. My teacher was a strong 8th Dan at the time. In proper ratio, how many times should we be doing suburi each day? Please do the math.

When I see students practicing jo. Everyone's most jo thrusts are so weak. Maybe students on the average do thrusting practice with a jo class about ten or twenty times, how many jo classes are there in one week, or one month, or every year? Please do the math. No wonder their jo thrusts are so weak! One of my good friends is a well known Kung Fu teacher and he mentioned the same question to me about his long spear class. His student did about 500 thrusts and said that it didn't work. My friend commented, "Only 500? Maybe he should look after one million!" Yes, in Aiki Jo, as well, we should see our jo thrust after a million thrusts - maybe it will even begin to slightly resemble something like what O'Sensei had in mind. To do a million jo thrusts, about how many thrusts with the jo do we have to make each day, if we were going to accomplish this in maybe one year, or two years? Please do the math.

Nowadays, students want to do "instant" martial arts and teachers are out there to take their money promising such things. Please do not insult me! Is instant martial arts something like instant ramen? How much does it cost? And how much will it cost you in the end ultimately? Please do the math!

Watch Furuya Sensei being interviewed on The Collector’s Gallery

Persistence

Talent wins battles, persistence wins wars 

Today in Japanese history, the joint forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Oda Nobunaga defeated Takeda Katsuyori in the Battle of Nagashino when Takeda’s army was laying siege to Yoshida Castle in 1575. This battle is thought to have ushered in the modern era of Japanese combat which would rely more heavily upon firearms. The battle and the victory are a study in military tactics and strategies. Ieyasu was known for being a great military tactician, Nobunaga was an innovative general and Takeda was a known for his cavalry prowess. Each one in their own right was considered talented and could have won the battle on their own. However, their talent was no match for the persistence of a lowly ashigaru (足軽) or “infantryman” named Torii Suneemon. Yoshida Castle had been under siege by Takeda’s formidable cavalry and 15,000 men for over a week and it was starting to waiver. Suneemon volunteered to escape the castle and run 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) to Okazaki and deliver a letter to Ieyasu asking for reinforcements. Ieyasu agreed and Suneemon traveled back to the castle. On his way back he was captured, tied to a cross and tortured. Takeda told Suneemon to say that Ieyasu wasn’t coming and to advise them to surrender. When the cross was raised Suneemon shouted, “Men of Nagashino Castle, don’t give up! Ieyasu’s men are on the way! Hold on a little longer!” Before he could say more, he was stabbed with a spear and killed. Suneemon’s brave persistence led him volunteer, swim the castle’s moat, traverse Takeda’s garrison, then run 35 kilometers to get help and then turn around and ride, walk, or run another 35 kilometers only to be strung up on a cross and tortured. At that point most of us would have given up, but Suneemon clearly is someone who had a persistent type of character even until the end. Posthumously, he was promoted to the rank of full hereditary samurai that gave his family a 25 times raise in pay and his family went on to serve the Okudaira clan for almost 300 more years. Ieyasu and Nobunaga may have won the battle with their talents, but Suneemon won the war with his persistence.

Today’s goal: Whatever it is that you are trying to accomplish, be persistent

Throwback Thursday - A Little Patience

Throwback Thursday - A Little Patience

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on February 11, 2005. 

点滴が石を穿つ
Tenteki ga ishi wo ugatsu
Even a drop of water can pierce a stone.

If we go to the seashore, we can see rocks that have been smoothed by the ocean waves. In the mountains, we can see rocks that have been spilt in two by moisture. Although one tiny drop of water can do nothing to a hard stone but one drop after another - drop after drop - we can easily see the results.

In practice, it is impossible to see any real results in one or two classes. But by taking class after class, after a while, our progress will be quite noticeable. Just like tiny rain drops hitting against a huge rock, our practice will only be clear after a while. The only thing you need to get good is to be committed to a regular training schedule and to have a little patience.

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - One Exercise to Improve Your Rolling

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - One Exercise to Improve Your Rolling 

David Ito Sensei, Aikido 5th Dan, demonstrates the one leg reach. Obviously, if you want to improve your rolling, one should just do more rolling practice. However, sometimes we can’t get to the dojo or don’t have a place to roll at home. Doing the one leg reach slowly can help to improve your body control which can improve not only one’s rolling but also their Aikido technique as well. Ito Sensei recommends doing this exercise twice per leg to start out progressing to 10 times a side. Give it a try and let us know if it helps. But, don’t forget to do it slow. 

Let us know if you want us to do a full length video on this or any other topic.

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!

Inconvenient

道場で泣き戦場で笑う
Dojo de naki, senjou de warau
Cry in the dojo, laugh on the battlefield 

Martial arts training is supposed to be fukatte (不勝手) or an “inconvenience” or “something that makes life hard.” The arduousness of training was oftentimes purposeful and done to prepare the student for the trials and tribulations of battle. When discussing martial arts training, Furuya Sensei would often say, “Cry in the dojo, laugh on the battlefield.” Making training purposefully inconvenient was supposed to force the student to become diligent, disciplined and to have foresight. For instance, when our dojo was at its previous location, it didn’t have a public bathroom. Sensei lived in the dojo and the only bathroom was in his private residence. So in order to use the restroom, a student would have to have the courage to knock on Sensei’s door, interrupt him, walk past him and use his bathroom and then interrupt him again, walk past him and leave. From the moment you knocked on his door to the time that you left, you were open to being criticized for something or given a task that you didn’t want. You didn’t want to be the nail that sticks up drawing his ire, so most students elected to use the bathroom before arriving at the dojo or find some other place to relieve themselves. Inconveniences or hardships force the students to have to get good at circumventing obstacles by preparing themselves ahead of time and/or coming up with workarounds. The thinking was that when things are easy and user friendly, they lull us into a certain complacency which opens us up for attack. Thus, making things hard, user unfriendly or inconvenient forces the students to be on their toes and ready for any eventuality. Today, things are lauded for their ease and user friendliness and so we have to find ways to make ourselves more diligent, more disciplined or to think ahead. Thus, the ownness of making our training inconvenient is now on us. Inconvenient just means purposefully making yourself work harder for your own benefit to achieve whatever it is that you want. That’s why harshness or inconveniences enable you to cry in the dojo so that you can laugh on the battlefield. 

Today’s goal: Are there things you can purposefully make inconvenient that will make you better? 

Throwback Thursday - For Others

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on July 24, 2003.

We feel much better inside when we do something for others - more than when we do something just for ourselves. This is undeniable proof that we all have good hearts - never forget this feeling and continue to refine it in your Aikido practice. Although most people have good hearts, few people know how to realize this outside of themselves and channel it towards others. This is what Aikido teaches us to do in its practice.

We think of Aikido as doing something for ourselves, but, in reality, we are doing something for the other person. Aikido is NOT self-protection - it is saving the lives of others. 

We think we want to protect ourselves, but what is “self?" It is insubstantial and does not really exist according to the old masters. I guess it depends on how we understand the concept of "human being." As just one person, yourself, or everyone on this planet?

Even though we may understand the truth of things, it makes no difference - we are still focused on "me, me, me!" Perhaps this is the destiny of man and this is why we will always be at war with others. We know that in Aikido, our ki is stronger when it is joined with others - but we only understand this at an intellectual level and does not yet filter down into our "real" lives.

Some do Aikido as a sport. For them, life is a sport, everything is a sport, everything is here for their own pleasure. We call this ukiyo or “The floating, transient world which glides by like a cloud.”

If we only think of Aikido as power and winning over others, then Aikido is just like any other martial art or fighting discipline. To think that we understand the "true" meaning of Peace, only means that we are not training correctly. We all need more practice, more study, more refinement of character!

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - Shomenuchi Ura

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - Shomenuchi Ura

Ken Watanabe Sensei, Aikido 6th Dan, Iaido 5th Dan discusses shomenuchi  ura (正面打ち裏) or “moving behind when someone strikes you.” Shomenuchi is an overhead or straight strike to the head or face. Shomenuchi is based on the overhead cut of a sword. Thus, one cannot retreat or move away from the strike or attempt to block it. Aikidoists move forward into the strike and we call this irimi. One can move in front of the attacker or “omote” but also behind them or “ura.” In this video, we are covering ura or “Moving behind or to the rear of the attacker.” 

Let us know if you want us to do a full length video on this or any other topic.

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!

Effectiveness

効果抜群
Koukabatsugun
Exceptionally effective

Is Aikido effective as a martial art? Effectiveness is defined as “Being capable of producing a desired result.” Thus, based on the definition, Aikido is effective. This is probably the most asked question when someone calls my dojo. It seems that despite my response, most callers are still skeptical. What most probably want to know is if Aikido can be a valid form of self-defense. The answer is still yes. Look at it from the standpoint of a gun. A gun is considered a deadly weapon. However, on average, a trained police officer is only about 30-50% accurate in a gunfight. If I told you that Aikido can be lethal, which it can be, but only 30% of the time then you’d probably laugh at its ineffectiveness. However, like a gun, Aikido’s effectiveness increases with training and is based upon the individual. Furuya Sensei used to tell us that a martial artist, regardless of style, can expect a 40% drop in technical ability if they were to get into a street fight and that is why he wanted us to train as close to 100% as possible. But, 40%!? What if we only trained at 60-80% and then lose 40% of that? The martial arts aren’t the most effective weapon in battle. Joseph Stalin said, “Artillery is the god of war.” What he was referring to was that in combat range is the king. In terms of warfare, the hierarchy of arms is supposed to be: fist, knife, sword, spear, bow, gun, artillery and nuclear bomb. The farther you are away so as to not sustain damage while still being able to harm your opponent is supposed to be the best. Thinking about Sensei’s assertion, this hierarchy and that range is king, then one might make a case that the martial arts are obsolete and, on a certain level, they wouldn’t necessarily be wrong. However, in terms of self development, there is no better way to develop a human being than with martial arts training. Martial training builds our character and strengthens our bodies and teaches us things like self-discipline, perseverance, and dedication. However, when we think about effectiveness, most don’t realize that there are many different levels of effectiveness. At every level of training, effectiveness means something different. For example, when we are young or just starting our journey, effectiveness means being able to win a fist fight. When we get older, effectiveness might mean being able to control one’s temper and have self control. So the long story short is that if effectiveness means being able to bring about the desired result then it depends on what we want that result to be. If we just want to fight then Aikido can be effective but Aikido and life can be so much more than just mere violence. Aikido can be effective in helping us become better people on so many different levels and thus Aikido is an effective martial art. 

Today’s goal: Want to change your life? Start taking a martial art. 

For more on the effectiveness of Aikido, watch the Aiki Dojo Podcast: 

Be Vulnerable

敵を知り己を知れば百戦危うからず
Teki wo shiriono wo shireba hyakusen ayaukarazu
Know your enemy, know thyself, and you shall not fear a hundred battles 
- Japanese proverb

The best warriors show that they are vulnerable. In the old days of budo, it was a sign of weakness to share personal issues. Most would just quietly and stoically gaman (我慢) or “persevere” through it. Recently, Naomi Osaka, the world’s number 2 ranked women’s tennis player, pulled out of the French Open citing self-care. Osaka discussed her anxieties about public speaking and said, “I was already feeling vulnerable and anxious so I thought it was better to exercise self-care and skip the press conferences.” The WTA’s steadfast position forced Osaka to pull out of the tournament. My first thought when I heard the news was, “Wow so powerful.” It reminded me of Brené Brown’s mantra for authenticity, “Don't Shrink, Don't Puff Up, Stand Your Sacred Ground.” Osaka was forthcoming with her struggles and chose self-care over money, making others happy or toeing the line. Most would never share their personal struggles let alone mental health issues. Osaka chose to be vulnerable and thus showed her true power. In swordsmanship, the highest expression of attainment is when a warrior adopts an “open” stance. To open one’s stance is akin to dropping one’s guard and by doing so it creates a suki (隙) or “opening” which invites an opponent to attack. Beginners create openings by accident while experts do it on purpose. In Japanese to let one’s guard down is referred to as “ki wo yurusu” (氣を許す). Yurusu means to “permit” or “consent.” Thus, we purposefully open ourselves up and allow the opponent to see our opening in hopes that they will mistaken it for weakness. True warriors are great not because they are impervious or indestructible. The best warriors know who they are and what they are capable of doing but knowledge becomes true power when we are willing to not only show our strengths but our weaknesses too. Brené Brown also said, “Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it's having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it's our greatest measure of courage.” Most think that opening ourselves up shows weakness. On the contrary, being vulnerable shows our true inner strength and it actually shows how strong we really are.

Today’s goal: Please do whatever it takes to take care of yourself no matter what anyone says.

Throwback Thursday - Form

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on April 24, 2004I think one of the big misinterpretations in the martial arts is this term "form." We often hear - "formless" or "break the form" as a way to transcend one's self in the art. However, where we misstep is that to be "formless" or to "break the form” never once means to abandon the form. We never ignore form nor disregard it - "formless" means master even the farthest and highest boundaries of the form.

When we view a great masterpiece of art - it may seem like it is totally new and innovative - but upon closer inspection we will see that it also conforms to all aspects of artistic form only at a new and heightened level of the art.

This certainly has nothing to do with mundane and trivial ideas of “best" and "better." These are concepts of the “political" world, not the artistic or spiritual world. It refers to something, not really "beyond" form, but form in a new, fresh, heightened and enlightened light.

From this, I think we can begin to grasp the saying: “Matsukaze Kokin Nashi” or “The gentle breeze through the pine trees has no sense of past or present (it is eternal).”

Please do not forget this in your training. . .

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - How to do a Sutemi-waza

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - How to do a Sutemi-waza

David Ito Sensei explains the basics of how to do a sutemi-waza (捨て身技) or “sacrifice throw.” A sacrifice or suicide throw is classified as an advanced Aikido technique. As a rule of thumb, one should only use a sutemi-waza as a last resort because doing it incorrectly can actually put us in a more dangerous position. We can break our opponents balance mechanically, but an Aikidoist prefers to use timing, spacing, speed or reaction to do a sutemi-waza. Being able to do a sutemi-waza is a great indicator of one’s advanced level skill.

Let us know if you want us to do a full length video on this or any topic.

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!

Polish Your Heart

Yaki-tachi wo saya ni osamete, masumasu masurao no kokoro wo togarikeri.
Keep your tempered sword in its scabbard - first polish a heart of courage. 
- Old Samurai maxim

More than mere self-defense, the martial arts teach us to have self-restraint. Some might wonder if hand to hand combat has any place in modern warfare or in the modern world. Josef Stalin once said, “The artillery is a god of modern war.”  What he was referring to is that in warfare, “Range is the king.” The farther we are from our opponent while still being able to inflict damage or death upon them without sustaining any damage ourselves is the best possible scenario in any conflict. So the hierarchy goes: fist, knife, sword, spear, bow, gun, artillery and nuclear bomb. If the martial arts or hand to hand combat is so ineffective with its mere six feet of range, then why practice it in modern warfare? The reason is because there is no better way to develop one’s self than through martial arts training. Through training we are able to access our sokojikara (底力) or “Our hidden reserve of strength.” This strength is what we will rely upon when find ourselves up against something that is seemingly insurmountable. Training forges things like self-discipline, perseverance, and confidence to name just a few but most of all we learn how to become better human beings. Furuya Sensei once wrote, “Through training, strive, commit, persevere, endure, overcome, be patient, honest, open, humble, seek and achieve - this is what makes Aikido the great art that it is and this puts the final polish on all of us as human beings.” After a certain amount of training and experience, we come to realize the futility in not only hand to hand combat but in fighting as a whole. With this realization, we come to understand why O’Sensei advocated for non-violence. O’Sensei knew that our true inner strength comes not from being able to dispatch someone but in having the power to resist the temptation to. Thus, our real sokojikara is in having the ability to restrain ourselves especially when someone is trying to hurt us. 

Today’s goal: Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. How can you show restraint today? 

Learn more about the role of philosophy in Aikido by watching or listening to our podcast:

Throwback Thursday - What is True Practice?

Throwback Thursday - What is True Practice?

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on March 4, 2003.

I know that people put a lot of energy into getting their black belts - of course, it is everyone’s goal and of course, we should put efforts into developing our skills. It makes perfect sense.

What I would like my students to know is that True Practice is not simply to get stronger and is not simply to get their black belts. Aikido practice goes far beyond this - much farther.

Coming to practice each day - one learns commitment and perseverance. Trying hard to understand the techniques and what is being taught - one learns to develop their awareness and depth of perception. Practicing with various students in class - one learns the importance of getting along with others and working together in harmony. Following the teacher's instructions - one learns the difference between right and wrong. Cleaning the dojo after practice - one learns responsibility and a caring heart. Keeping one's uniform clean and in good repair - one learns the value of our daily lives - whoever we are. Trying to follow O'Sensei's teachings - one learns about virtue and wisdom. All of these are far more important than a belt color but there is no reward for all of this.

This is the meaning of spiritual training - everything is from within. By devoting yourself in this way, you will somehow be rewarded - but in a way that no one will know or see or recognize. You will never get a black belt for it, but please trust me in this! This is true practice and this is what I look for in my students.

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - 15 Different Iriminage Throws

The Aiki Dojo 2 Minute Technique - 15 Different Iriminage Throws

Maria Murakawa, Aikido 4th Dan demonstrates the various iriminage (入り身投げ) techniques from different attacks. Irimi means “body moving or entering in” and nage means “throw.” Commonly most people do iriminage focusing on accomplishing the throw with their arms. However, we can see from the translation of the name that it is the body and not the arms which make the throw work. Let us know if you want us to do a full length video on this or any topic.

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!

Aiki Dojo Message - Life’s Thorns

“The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.” ―The Emperor, Disney’s Mulan

One of the major things that all martial arts teach is resiliency. In terms of Aikido, the proverb that comes to mind is “Nana korobi ya oki” (七転び八起き) or “Fall down seven times, but get up eight.” Every day in Aikido practice someone throws us down and we have to put this proverb into practice and get up. We have this wonderful student who started during the pandemic. She comes to almost every class and really exemplifies what it means to be a “good” student. The other day while rolling out of a technique she landed on her hip a little too hard and got injured. One of the senior students advised her to take some time off. To our surprise, she showed up one day later and didn’t make a big deal about it and just trained. At the end of class, I said, “Congratulations!” She and everyone else looked around quizzically. I explained that I congratulated her because our first training injury is supposed to be auspicious. Most people think that our first promotion makes us a real Aikidoist, but in all actuality the true right of passage is our first injury. Our first injury tests our mettle and demonstrates our true inner character. This won’t be her last injury and there will undoubtedly be bumps and bruises or keikyoku (荊棘) or “obstacles” throughout her journey in not only Aikido, but in life as well. Epictetus said, “It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” Thus, our reaction demonstrates our true inner character. She could have quit but instead she chose to gaman (我慢) or “persevere” in the face of her obstacle. The word keikyoku means “obstacle” but it literally translates as “thorns” and it seems apropos for the martial arts. Keikyoku remind us that we have to get past the thorns to enjoy something’s beauty. Thus, Aikido training teaches us that life is really about surmounting obstacles.

Today’s goal: If you are considering giving up, don’t. The perseverance is worth it.