Historical use of a term can influence meanings and be passed down by those wishing to illustrate ideas with the best word or phrase available to them. This is particularly true when the words we use today have been derived from symbols, in this case, Japanese kanji, which represent ideas rather than literal translations of the components. However, care must be taken about the absolute meanings of words when discussing concepts derived from other cultures and expressed in different languages. Thus aiki's meaning is to fit, join, or combine energy. Hence, ki symbolizes energy (in the body). The kanji for ki represents a pot filled with steaming rice and a lid on it. Aiki should not be confused with wa which refers to harmony. Hence, ai symbolizes things coming together, merging. The kanji for ai is made of three radicals, "join", "one" and "mouth". In Japanese Aiki is formed from two kanji: When applied, the aiki practitioner controls the actions of the attacker with minimal effort and with a distinct absence of muscular tension usually associated with physical effort. No claims of superiority, just loads of honest curiosity and a willingness to have all of our assumptions and preconceptions shattered.Aiki, a Japanese budō term, at its most basic is a principle that allows a conditioned practitioner to negate or redirect an opponent's power. For three days we’d train and ask questions and then train and ask questions some more. A particularly thick-skulled judoka who was sure he’d seen pretty much all there was to see in Japan got schooled in just how limited his experience really was. Lots of people from all sorts of arts developed an interest in jodo. I saw sword people conclude that some of those “dinky” weapons weren’t so silly after all. I saw experienced aikidoka go from thinking they knew something about swords to deciding that they really needed to take up a sword art. Afterwards we’d all go out for dinner and quiz each other about everything we’d seen and try to get answers to some of the million or so questions that leapt into our minds while we were trying all of this new stuff. In one weekend I got to do jujutsu and naginata, a couple of styles of iai, maybe some jutte or spear, and a little kyudo. He invited all sorts of senior teachers from various koryu to Guelph, and we’d each teach a 2 hour introduction to some aspect of our art. Kim Taylor used to host the best cross-training event I’ve ever been to. Just doing something outside your specialty can open your eyes and clear out myths. They enjoy my attempts to counter attack in the middle of their techniques, and the challenge of finding ways to stop me. Since then I’ve gotten to know some great aikidoka with exposure to judo. That’s not a problem with aikido, it’s a problem with training. I didn’t know about that assumption, so I surprised quite a few people when I counter attacked while being thrown or even as I was being slammed into the mat. Many people in aikido assumed that once uke was off balance and being thrown, the action was over. That became interesting for me when I started training with aikidoka from time to time. It’s over when both people agree it’s over, especially in dojo randori where you’re not competing for points. For example, we don’t make an assumption about when the fight is over. Judoka make all sorts of assumptions for training purposes that are silly outside the dojo but are perfectly reasonable from the perspective of making regular training safe. Action must be appropriate to the situation.Ī little cross training can open up whole vistas of realizations. Right, you move when uchitachi has committed to the thrust and youĭeflect the sword tip just enough to miss but not so far that the sword canĬome in through a new opening. Overreact you block the thrust but leave yourself open to a number of follow-upĪttacks that flow smoothly from your excess movement. When uchitachi thrustsĭuring Sakan, if you don’t act you will be stabbed in the gut. Where overreacting is nearly as bad as failing to act. Where action is essential to not getting hit in the head with a weapon, but I can think of many kata in Shinto Muso Ryu Lessons about moving enough, but not too much, emphasize the need to respondĪppropriately to whatever happens. Learning this is solid preparation for life outside the dojo. Just how narrow the difference between success and failure, life and death, Whack that would be deadly with live weapons. Most koryu budo kataĪre paired, and being off just a little for either person can result in a nasty We stare death in the face with every kata we practice. Budo reminds us, every practice, of our limits.
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