Basic Strategies

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In Aikido, we are taught that O’Sensei utilized two major strategies: Break Maia (or distance) and inviting the attack in order to counter attack.  While there are other strategies, these are the two he emphasized for the most part.  First we will look at these strategies.  In a later article we will consider ancillary strategies.  The text we will utilize is Miyamoto Musashi’s A Book of Five Rings, particularly the Fire Book within the text.

Specifically, Musashi includes three methods.  (1) You launch the attack, (2) you feign weakness and counter attack or (3) you attack simultaneously with the enemy’s attack.

In Aikido, when inviting the attack, we attempt to create a vacuum or suction like feeling, drawing in the attack.   Then we evade the attacking movement and control the attacker so as not to harm them.

Breaking maia is straightforward.  When the opening is there, or you have taken your partner’s center, then a straightforward attack can abruptly end the violence.

Again, in Aikido, the objective is not to kill the attacker, but control them without harm.  In this manner, we may launch a strike to trigger a block from the potential attacker.  When they block, we use their blocking motion to apply a joint lock, pin or throw.  The emphasis is not to strike with the intent of causing damage.  We can also actually strike as a distraction to apply a controlling technique causing damage.  We can also actually strike as a distraction to apply a controlling technique afterwards.  At times, we withdraw the force of the attack  before making contact.  Should the attacker expect the pressure of the attack and then suddenly not receive it, he/she may become unbalanced and we can then lead them with a more typical controlling technique without really making contact.

The objective in Aikido is not to harm or kill, or even to win a competition.  It is to defend oneself while protecting the attacker to the best of our abilities.  However, sometimes the best defense is a good offense.  Therefore, we do not simply wait for an attack passively and try to defend ourselves after it is launched.  In this sense, Aikido does not conform to the mainstream ideas of a “defensive martial art.” Effective strategy suggests a need to keep the attacker off balance by taking advantage of any opportunity to attack.  However, the point of the attack, again, is not to harm, but to control.

Below is an excerpt from Musashi’s  Book of Five Rings (Fire Book) that details his view of the strategies:

The Three Methods to Forestall the Enemy

The first is to forestall him by attacking. This is called Ken No Sen (to set him up).

Another method is to forestall him as he attacks. This is called Tai No Sen (to wait for the initiative).

The other method is when you and the enemy attack together. This is called Tai Tai No Sen (to accompany him and forestall him).

There are no methods of taking the lead other than these three. Because you can win quickly by taking the lead, it is one of the most important things in strategy. There are several things involved in taking the lead. You must make the best of the situation, see through the enemy’s spirit so that you grasp his strategy and defeat him. It is impossible to write about this in detail.

The First – Ken No Sen

When you decide to attack, keep calm and dash in quickly, forestalling the enemy. Or you can advance seemingly strongly but with a reserved spirit, forestalling him with the reserve.

Alternately, advance with as strong a spirit as possible, and when you reach the enemy move with your feet a little quicker than normal, unsettling him and overwhelming him sharply.

Or, with your spirit calm, attack with a feeling of constantly crushing the enemy, from first to last. The spirit is to win in the depths of the enemy.

These are all Ken No Sen.

The Second – Tai No Sen

When the enemy attacks, remain undisturbed but feign weakness. As the enemy reaches you, suddenly move away indicating that you intend to jump aside, then dash in attacking strongly as soon as you see the enemy relax. This is one way.

Or, as the enemy attacks, attack more strongly, taking advantage of the resulting disorder in his timing to win.

This is the Tai No Sen principle.

The Third – Tai Tai No Sen

When the enemy makes a quick attack, you must attack strongly and calmly, aim for his weak point as he draws near, and strongly defeat him.

Or, if the enemy attacks calmly, you must observe his movement and, with your body rather floating, join in with his movements as he draws near. Move quickly and cut him strongly.

This is Tai Tai No Sen

These things cannot be clearly explained in words. You must research what is written here. In these three ways of forestalling, you must judge the situation. This does not mean that you always attack first; but if the enemy attacks first you can lead him around. In strategy, you have effectively won when you forestall the enemy, so you must train well to attain this.

Methods to Remain Calm during Violence

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This is a very good question as a suggested topic.  While it may be possible to write extensively on it, I will give several examples.

I recall when I was about 18 years old, and had been practicing aikido for about a year or two, my teacher developed an exercise where he would attack with a wooden sword and we practiced evading it. As a Vietnam vet, I think he wanted to impart something he experienced while facing his fears during 2 years of combat.  So one day he picked up a real samurai sword and began attacking us with that during these exercises.  Slowly, he built them up to the point where I found him attacking me 7 times in rapid fire movements at full speed and with full commitment.  He did not have the experience or control to train people in this manner, and we have disagreed on this practice he developed ever since. However, on the last sword cut, I realized I was too late to evade the attack.  I immediately felt panic welling up.  However, at the moment I noticed panic develop, I had a powerful reaction to it: I knew panic = death.  I shut it down instantly and began an evasive move.  After I began to evade the attack, again, I knew it was too late.  I recall seeing that the sword was going to cut off my right shoulder and arm.  I thought there was a hospital across the street from the dojo so I would be alright, but then I realized I would not even live to get to the hospital.  There was nothing left to do, so I relaxed and waited for my fate to complete itself.  What I did not realize was that at the very moment when I shut down the panic and began to move, my feet went into the air and my movement continued.  As I watched the sword come down to slice off my shoulder, my shoulder continued to move out of the way from my initial reaction.  One could say that the sword practically shaved the hair off my chest rather than slice off my right shoulder.  I remember how my face became pale and my knees began to shake.  My instructor was also quite shaken up as well.  I tell this story to highlight a method of staying calm in an attack.  To the extent one learns the lesson that fear is self defeating through awareness, one will learn to cut off the reaction and do what is necessary constructively.  In my case, this situation was an example of plain dumb luck, I was not aware so much.  But I use it as an example that can help others realize the importance of cutting off one’s fears through awareness and then returning to appropriate action a hand, an important tool in staying calm during a violent situation.

In point of fact, the entire practice of aikido is a method to help one remain calm during a violent situation.  We practice having someone attack us.  We learn a movement.  We practice it over and over until muscle memory takes over and the calculating mind dries up.  We focus on closing openings by being aware and relaxed.  Our partner should, in a non-combative way, show us where we are open during regular practice so we can close each opening over time.  Then we practice defending ourselves in more pressured situations where numerous people are attacking us simultaneously.  We learn to become relaxed and aware of our entire environment, so we can perceive sneak attacks, etc.  Through awareness during practice, we learn to calm ourselves down and become more efficient, and importantly we learn that this is critical in making our efforts effective.  We also perform during tests so people who feel that environment as pressure will learn to relax while coping with it.  All these forms of practice lead to a substitution effect: when an emergency situation develops, rather than become tense, we are relaxed, aware and react reflexively based upon muscle memory.  This practice is called takemusu aiki, or the highest form of practice in any martial art (obviously with different names for each art, but the practice is the same).

For some people, learning to concentrate on their center of gravity is a useful form of practice to learn to control their fears.  The center, or hara, is an infinitesimal point about 2 inches below the naval.  We practice learning how this center is a receptacle where we receive ki and allow that ki to flow from there. Ki flows freely and should not be obstructed, but it is also not something “special.”  Like air, it is everywhere and ordinary.  This is not a method of training we regularly use in our school, but it can be a useful to help people learn to control their fears and remain calm.

ON KI – USAGE IN MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING (2ND ARTICLE IN SERIES)

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First, let’s look at what ki is:

(Note: All quotations with pages given are from Zen and Aikido by Kamata Shimizu)

“Aikido is a martial art which aims at the cultivation of ki. The aiki in aikido refers to harmonizing one’s ki or vital energy not only with a partner, but with all living beings of the universe. This harmony enables one to realize that the flow of an individual’s ki exists as part of the flow of ki of the universe…” (pg 4)

“…it is often difficult to get up early for work whereas it is easy to rise early for pleasure. This is entirely due to the action of ki. It is our ki that orders the body to take some action and, therefore, it is essential to cultivate the spirit to develop ki-power.” (pg 10)

In aikido, the philosophy of ki can also be explained in terms of kokyu power, or breath power. “Kokyu-power is a force which unites one’s consciousness and breathing, which emanate from the center or lower abdomen (seikatanden). This power is not physical strength or a form of trickery. Using kokyu-power, which originates in the lower abdomen, a practitioner can entirely absorb an opponent with his breathing…” (pg 38)

Before one goes off and spends all their time focusing on their lower abdomen, remember Takuan’s comment from the first entry: “You should not place your mind within yourself. Bracing the mind in the body is something done only at the inception of training, when one is a beginner.’

Continuing: “Then, what is kokyu-power? I regard it as a power which fundamentally unifies the movements of consciousness, breathing, and the body. There is a phrase in Zen philosophy referring to the ‘oneness of mind and body.’ The mind is ‘the spiritual body’ while the body is ‘the physical spirit.’ To consider mind and body as separate is abstract thinking. In Zen, the most important thing is to act.  And action is nothing but the physical manifestation of will.” (pg 38)

So how does this apply to the actual performance of technique?

According to Munenori Yagyu, mentioned in the Takuan post, “That which is kept inside one and which thinks continuously is called the will. That this will, which remains inside, emits outwardly is called ki. For example, the will is the master while ki is the servant. The will remains inside and uses ki. If too much ki is emitted, one will meet with a setback. The will should control the ki to prevent it from excess.” (pg 85-86)

“…In all aikido techniques, you control your opponent with the flow of ki which comes from the center.

It is important in aikido to begin the flow of ki to control the opponent before he projects his own ki. This concept, known as kizen, is also considered to be important in the teachings of Yagyu-ryu swordsmanship…

For example, kizen must be utilitzed when executing the aikido technique ikkyo. Unless you are able to step in at the exact moment your opponent strikes you, you cannot make the technique work fully. Kizen is to take advantage of the instant just before your opponent projects his ki.” (pg 86-87)

A very famous analogy suggests that there is no space even for a single strand of hair. “If your mind hesitates with the movements of your opponent’s hands or legs, an opening appears, your defense weakens and the maai (combative distance) is lost. You should make sure not a single strand of hair can fit between the opposing technique and the movements of your hands and legs in response.” (pg 88)

Regarding another famous phrase, swift as sparks from flint, “This expression should not be misunderstood to mean simply instantaneous. It means that one’s mind does not stop even for a second. In aikido terms, it means one’s ki does not stop even for an instant…If one thinks about doing something quickly, his mind will be carried away with that thought and this will create an opening…

The importance of seeing this ki – [timing [meaning that the flow of ki should not be stopped even for a second, as opposed to the ki of aikido]] is explained in the following manner in the Katsujinken.

‘The first strike of the sword (itto) is not actually made with the sword, but is rather to see the ki [timing] of your opponent. The first sword sees the movement of your opponent and is thus the secret of swordsmanship. You should keep in mind that the ki [timing] of your opponent is seen through the first sword, while you strike your opponent according to this principle using the second strike of the sword (nitto).

‘The essence of the first strike does not lie in the sword itself, but rather in seeing the ki [of aikido] of your opponent. It is most important in swordsmanship to see the movement of the ki [of aikido] that your opponent emits. You see the ki [timing] of your opponent through the first strike and actually cut your opponent with the second strike. It can be understood that grasping the concept of ‘swift as sparks from flint’ is the essence of the martial arts.” (pg 89)

So the next question is what is this seeing…

“Musashi distinguished ‘physical seeing’ from ‘mental seeing’ because he believed that ken [sight] means to see something with your physical eyes while kan [perception] means to see things with your mind…Normally, we see [and hear] things with our physical eyes [and ears]…our eyes and ears only see and hear well the things which we like; this occurs merely because of our personal prejudices. We see and hear things with our own egos. Although we believe that our eyes and ears accept things quite objectively, we are totally mistaken. No matter how much we can see or hear, we do not see or hear what does not interest us.  Therefore, it can never be said that we always see and hear things correctly.” (pg 91)

“…Although usually when we talk about hearing we are talking about the ears, here it says that to hear something with your mind is the equivalent of perception….one can hear the movement of the opponent’s ki [with one's mind]. Since you hear with your mind you don’t have to see with your eyes…You feel the movement of your opponent with your mind and this is perception. Perception is seeing the will…you should see things without stopping your mind in any one place. Mental seeing is not seeing the movement of your opponent , but rather the movement of your opponent’s ki…

It is not possible for one to learn to use this perception in a single day…Seeing with the mind comes first. Seeing with the eyes must follow seeing with the mind. We see things with the mind in order to see things with our eyes. Therefore, it is necessary to train ourselves to see things with the mind.” (pg 92)

Some of these concepts may be difficult to fathom. The text itself repeats these points many times in the discussion; but we don’t have space here to rewrite the text in its entirety. Rather, perhaps a rereading of the discussion above a few times may help. However, these ideas may simply be difficult for many people to fathom, and training is an essential element in developing an understanding. Genuine understanding cannot come simply from the conceptual mind. For example, while I cannot find the quote at the moment, I seem to recall a poem where the founder talked about seeing with the ears and hearing with the eyes. While the topic is the same as above, clearly trying to understand a statement like this with the intellectual mind will not be fruitful. In answer to such questions as these, my teacher often replied with a “just practice.” Through training, that is the quickest way to understand the meaning. Anyway, the above explanation is the best one I have found in discussing the uses of ki in the context of martial arts training, while simultaneously integrating the discussion with the key points from Takuan regarding the stopping mind.

On Ki – History of the Term (first in a series of two articles)

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Ki (or Chi – Chinese) are central to many martial arts.  In fact, two martial arts use the term in their name: Aikido and Tai Chi Chuan.  The notion of ki will be explored in two articles below, detailing the historical development and usage in martial arts training.

Before embarking on these two topics I first wish to tell a story.  I took a number of classes in Tai Chi where chi became a central topic of conversation.  On one occasion, the master said that people should not think about chi as if it is something special…it is like air…all around us.  Then, he replied to questions about the location of chi in the body, in the center of gravity normally assumed to be 2 inches below the naval.  He explained that the real center of gravity is in a central point on the left foot when one’s weight is on the left foot, and in the same location on the right foot when their weight is on the right foot. Some time afterwards, he updated these comments and said the real center of gravity is in thenose.  Being Jewish, I naturally had to ask whether that particular instruction would apply equally to Jewish people as to say Chinese.  For example, in my case I was concerned about becoming top heavy…

On Ki: History

“The original idea of ki developed as a metaphysical principle in a number of Chinese schools of thought.  Ki was, for example, the essential principle of harmony, and it was the source of creativity expressed in the form of yin and yang (Lao-tzu), the vital fullness of life (Huai-nan-tzu), the courage arising from moral rectitude (Mencius), the divine force that penetrates all things (Kuan-tzu).

As a term, it was never clearly defined.  Sometimes it was equated to empty space (the void) or nothingness (Lao-tzu), at other times to the formative energy emerging out of chaos (Chuang-tzu).  It was regarded by some philosophers as the dualistic principle that structures the universe…this dualism evolved into the ki operating as yin and yang, darkness and lightness, from which arose the Five Elements Theory and the divinations of the Book of Changes.” In point of fact, I have heard ki equated to prana and even the Holy Ghost.

“The primary metaphysical principle of ki was introduced into Japan in the Nara (710-94) and Heian (794-1185) periods and generally upheld, but the introduction of Buddhist thought from India to China affected its meaning, due particularly to the idea of karmic retribution.

More significantly, the idea of ki combined with indigenous views of nature responsible for the cyclic process of growth, budding, flowering and the withering of plants and trees…

The most dramatic changes in the interpretation and application of ki began to take place with the rise of the samurai class from the late Heian period…reaching its apex in the early Tokugawa (1603-1868). The samurai who faced constant threats of death in an age of warfare understood ki in terms of courage, shi-ki; will power, i-ki; vigor, gen-ki; and bravery, yu-ki.  They were also concerned with equanimity, hei-ki; and conserving energy, shu-ki; which attempted to prolong breathing, ki-soku, as a matter of life and death…”

Ultimately, O’Sensei discussed his ideas of ki: “…I saw clearly that human beings must unite mind and body and the ki that connects the two and then achieve harmony with the activity of all things in the universe.”  Later, “When one unifies mind and body by virtue of ki and manifests ai-ki [harmony of ki], delicate changes in breath-power occur spontaneously and waza [proper technique] flows freely.”

According to Kisshomaru Ueshiba, “[the unity of individual-universe] inherits the idea of ki held by the ancient Chinese masters… [the free, spontaneous expression of breath power] teaches that a person’s breath controls his thoughts and bodily movements…The reason for Master Ueshiba’s emphasis on the dual functioning of unity and spontaneous expression is that he saw the essence of ki as being the essence of his budo.”

[Quotations above from Spirit of Aikido by Kisshomaru Ueshiba pg 21-25 - [bold brackets my own]]

As Aikido continued to develop, unfortunately, the term ki became a political football.  Koichi Tohei, a top student of the founder, separated from the founder’s organization (Aikikai) a few years after his death and formed his own style of Aikido, called sometimes ki-Aikido or Aikido with mind and body coordinated. During his years under the founder, he was known for giving detailed and clear explanations of ki. While O’Sensei gave primarily mystical explanations, Koichi Tohei explained ki almost as a mathematical formula, easily understandable by contrast.  The Aikikai responded by virtually writing Koichi Tohei out of the history of the organization and cleansing the term ki out of the records of instruction.  Meanwhile, Koichi Tohei’s trademark became the ki of his Ki-Society, and while many aikido masters left the Aikikai for his organization in the early 1970′s, they all left in droves beginning in the 1980′s.  Fumio Toyoda Sensei was one who followed this path, later to rejoin the Aikikai.  We now have the relics of this political strife in our midst.  For years training under Sugano Sensei, the term ki was never to be heard.  It simply developed naturally with practice and there was no need to discuss it.  Under Toyoda Sensei the training left from Koichi Tohei, considered to be a valid method, continues on only absent the word ki as it is replaced by the term energy in daily practice.

When asked once about all the different teachers in Aikido and their political strife, Sugano Sensei wryly commented how strange it must seem to outsiders for us to call Aikido the art f peace.  They then observe how we all fight vehemently over who is teaching the real art of peace.

Takuan’s Unfettered Mind

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Takuan Soho, as legend would have it, was friend and teacher to famed Miyamoto Musashi, arguably the greatest swordsman in the history of Japan. As a Zen monk, poet, painter, calligrapher, etc, he lived during a particularly violent period of Japanese history. He therefore confronted war and violence, instructing both shogun and emperor and befriending the likes of Yagyu Munenori, head of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu school of swordsmanship. Zen and martial arts training maintain a long history of inter-relationships in Japan. Zen practitioners also needed to interact with other religions/philosophies, and did so by supporting each individual in pursuing the belief system of their own choice.

That said, the interaction of Zen monks with famed martial artists during their growth and development can be quite instructive regarding the underling principles of martial arts training. A critical aspect shared by both traditions, Zen and martial arts, is learning to face one’s mortality. Takuan, himself, faced death unflinchingly. He requested no funeral ceremonies be done, that everyone simply go about their business for the day, and at the moment of death penned the Japanese character for dream and departed.

In his essay “The mysterious Record of Immovable Wisdom,” written to Yagyu Munenori, he addresses certain very basic principles of all martial arts training. I’ve selected several quotations from the first two sections below:

“Abiding place means the place where the mind stops…

Abiding signifies stopping, and stopping means the mind is being detained by some matter, which may be any matter at all.

To speak in terms of your own martial art, when you first notice the sword that is moving to strike you, if you think of meeting that sword just as it is, your mind will stop at the sword in just that position, your own movements will be undone, and you will be cut down by your opponent. This is what stopping means.

Although you see the sword that moves to strike you, if your mind is not detained by it and you meet the rhythm of the advancing sword; if you do not think of striking your opponent and no thoughts or judgments remain; if the instant you see the swinging sword your mind is not the least bit detained and you move straight in and wrench the sword away from him; the sword that was going to cut you down will become your own, and, contrarily, will be the sword that cuts down your opponent.

…This is what you, in your style, call ‘No-Sword.’

If you place yourself before your opponent, your mind will be taken by him. You should not place your mind within yourself. Bracing the mind in the body is something done only at the inception of training, when one is a beginner.

The mind can be taken by the sword. If you put your mind in the rhythm of the contest, your mind can be taken by that as well. If you place your mind in your own sword, your mind can be taken by your own sword. Your mind stopping at any of these places, you become an empty shell…

Glancing at something and not stopping is called immovable. This is because when the mind stops at something, as the breast is filled with various judgments, there are various movements within it. When its movements cease, the stopping mind moves, but does not move at all.

If ten men, each with a sword, come at you with swords slashing, if you parry each sword without stopping the mind at each action, and go from one to the next, you will not be lacking in a proper action for every one of the ten.

But if the mind stops before one of these men, though you parry his striking sword, when the next man comes, the right action will have slipped away…

When facing a single tree, if you look at a single one of its red leaves, you will not see all of the others. When the eye is not set on any one leaf, and you face a tree with nothing at all in mind, any number of leaves are visible to the eye without limit. But if a single leaf holds the eye, it will be as if the remaining leaves were not there…

This religion, that religion, there are various kinds but at their deepest points they are all settled in one conclusion.

At any rate, when one practices discipline and moves from the beginner’s territory to immovable wisdom, he makes a return and falls back to the level of beginning, the abiding place.

There is a reason for this.

Again, we speak with reference to your own martial art. As the beginner knows nothing about either his body posture or the positioning of his sword, neither does his mind stop anywhere within him. If a man strikes at him with the sword, he simply meets the attack without anything in mind.

As he studies various things and is taught the diverse ways of how to take a stance, the manner of grasping his sword and where to put his mind, his mind stops in many places. Now if he wants to strike an opponent, he is extraordinarily discomforted. Later, as the days pass and time piles up, in accordance with his practice, neither the postures of his body nor the ways of grasping the sword are weighed in his mind. His mind simply becomes as it was in the beginning when he knew nothing and had yet to be taught anything at all.

In this sense one sees the beginning being the same as the end, as when one counts from one to ten, the first and last numbers become adjacent…

…of the beginning, the abiding place and the immovable wisdom that comes later become one. The function of the intellect disappears, and one ends in a state of No-Mind-No-Thought. If one reaches the deepest point, arms, legs and body remember what to do, but the mind does not enter into this at all…

There is such a thing as training in principle, and such a thing as training in technique.

Principle is as I have already explained above: when you arrive, nothing is noticed. It is simply as though you had discarded all concentration…

If you do not train in technique, but only fill your breast with principle, your body and your hands will not function. Training in technique, if put into terms of your own martial art, is in the training that if practiced over and over again makes the five body postures one.

Even though you know principle, you must make yourself perfectly free in the use of technique. And even though you may wield the sword that you carry with you well, if you are unclear on the deepest aspects of principle, you will likely fall short of proficiency.

Technique and principle are just like the two wheels of a cart.”

I suspect most of the words written above, on some level are familiar to those who practice in the dojo. For example, on technique versus principle, Saito Sensei has often explained that there are two sorts of people in Aikido, those who talk about practice and those who do it. Regarding the unconscious ability of the body to respond naturally to attacks, Sugano Sensei terms this muscle memory. He also describes the way to look at an attacker, “glance as if looking at a mountain in the distance.” In other words, don’t look at his fists, his hips, or any specific aspects of their body in attempting to calculate how the attack will be launched and/or how you will respond.

However, the central theme his is the abiding mind versus the mind that does not stop. The description of how these aspects change throughout one’s practice, from beginner to middle to expert levels, is very important. Consider this point in how you train on a daily basis. How does the stopping mind leave you open to be defeated. We may begin to see this in some small way in daily practice, but it is also important to understand the process on an intellectual level, so we may become more aware of what is happening in practice and consider them in more depth.

Video…MMA fight between Randy Couture & James Toney…What strategy did Randy use?

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This is an incomplete video of the fight.  You can see the entire 2-3 minutes here http://www.boobootv.com/2010/08/30/randy-couture-vs-james-toney-full-fight/ if you give it time to load and start at the 3 minute mark. It ends in about 3 minutes.

So can you figure out which strategy he used? How many different strategies? If you want to know about strategy in real self defense situations, in business or anywhere, this will really help you.

If you want some hints, check out the Firebook chapter of Miyamoto Musashi’s “A Book of Five Rings.” He goes through the basic strategies and subsidiary strategies, which we discuss in Aikido classes from time to time. You can find it in our library (username and password are both: sa).  Just go to http://www.scarsdaleaikido.com/Library/A-Book-of-Five-Rings825.html , put in the username and password, go about 2/3 of the way down and you will see the Firebook chapter. The strategies list starts at “The Three Methods to Forestall the Enemy.”

If you want to comment or discuss, feel free to post it here. Later this entry will be listed on the Video Discussion page for reference…

“True Budo is love” – Morehei Ueshiba…was O’Sensei just some kinda hippie?

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This realization captures the feeling the founder had after the profound experience of gaining genuine insight into the discipline of his art.  Yet, for most of us who read this statement, we will think of it in very idealistic terms.  The founder’s realization, however, was anything but idealistic.  If we take our ordinary state and smile lovingly at a mugger, we will most likely get killed.  The point here is to transcend our ordinary state, which means the loving smile emerges from the depths of dealing with very real and extreme violence.  The founder studied self defense in a traditional and realistic setting.  He dealt with attackers who meant him serious harm.  Out of THESE interactions, he looked beyond the immediate threat and realized the point of training was not petty hatred and vengeance, but to find love for this aggressor.  With this love, he found genuine power, not of his own personal ego but emerging from universal forces.

O’Sensei used two key words in this line – Budo & love.  Budo is the path of the warrior, defined in terms of mortal combat.  Let’s be realistic for a moment.  What would be our first reaction in the face of the threat of death?  I recall speaking to a detective in the Eastchester Police Department, who upon hearing I taught martial arts, wanted to run his philosophy by me.  He explained that when in a fire fight, if you are supposed to be protecting an innocent civilian, just drop them and do whatever you need to do to protect yourself.  He felt this was the best way to insure his survival.  He did not seem to want to listen to any other point of view, so I simply did not support his theory.  But let’s think about what happens when we practice.  Many of us have experience training against a knife attack in a dark room.  If someone attacks fast in the dark and we are fearful, we generally have trouble assessing the distance and direction of the attack.  Against a real knife, we would surely be killed.  So the detective advocated hunkering down in fear to protect oneself, which is exactly what leads to getting killed.

Love, on the other hand, is the unconditional caring for the well being of others.  Aikido is the development of unconditional caring for others (even the attacker) in the midst of mortal combat.  Why does this make sense?  We can see the problems with batting down the hatches in the midst of a panic attack.  But dripping with love does not seem like much of a solution either.  Here again we can investigate the matter.  Imagine seeing your spouse threatened.  If your life was threatened, you might be afraid.  But what happens when you see your spouse’s life threatened?  Are you still as fearful of losing your own life?  Most of us would experience some reduction in fear for ourselves. (As a note, if we substitute fear of losing our spouse for fear of losing our own life, we actually accomplish no martial gain).   In class, we know a reduction in fear for ourselves translates into an increased possibility of survival.  As described above, suddenly we can perceive the distance, direction and speed of the attack with greater accuracy, and our reflexes are not so obstructed from immediate reaction.

So here we can begin to see the logic of the founder.  Caring for others (in this case the attacker) gives us the strength to relinquish our fears for ourselves.  With the reduction in fear, we are free to see and respond to an attack with greater perception and creativity in self defense.  Our response time is faster and we don’t unbalance our posture out of fear.  By extending this approach to ever increase our perception, we can discern the faults of the attacker and deliver to THEM the same sense of peace we learned to access ourselves.  When we are peaceful, the attacker may not experience our peace through a gentle smile, but perhaps a stern strike or wrist lock delivered out of caring for their suffering and seeking to correct their imbalances.  Again, the founder teaches that these skills do not emerge from our own limited ego or a wish to harm, but from more universal forces of compassion we are able to discover through this elimination of fear and increased perception.  So by investigating our own practice we can begin to see the point of the founder’s realization that “True Budo is Love” is not at all idealistic, but fundamentally logical and actually the most efficient approach for real self defense purposes.

Respect – The First Step Towards Practice

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As for the actual practice of Aikido, think about the first act in every class.  As soon as we enter the dojo, we bow.  When we get on the mats, we bow.  When we start class, we bow and when we engage a partner, we bow.  Aside from exercising our hip joints, what is the purpose of all this bowing?  Generally, we are told the reason is to show respect.   If we do not respect a subject, we will not be able to learn it well.  This fact is true of every subject, not just Aikido.  However, why should we respect the practice of Aikido?  In earlier posts, Aikido was established as a means to promote genuine peace and happiness within ourselves, while at the same time learning how to perform a function in the most efficient manner humanly possible.  As it turns out, the function is to preserve our life in the face of grave threat.  In this sense, Aikido touches upon the two most important facets of human life: the wish to be happy and the wish to live.

So, in essence we look to the practice of Aikido to learn how to become happy and survive in the face of a difficult threat.  We look to our lineage of teachers as setting out the path to accomplish this goal.  Dojo protocol suggests we respect this path and the lineage of teachers.  Well, excuse me for being devil’s advocate, but WHY?  Who are these people?  What do they know?  How do I even know it is possible to accomplish these goals?  Yes, in order to be successful, we need to be confident that success is at least possible and that our lineage of instruction can lead to success.  Being confident because the person sitting next to me seems to be okay with the idea is not our target level of confidence.  We need to do some real inspection.

The first question we need to address is whether or not success is possible.  The previous entry “Back on Track…Targeting the Source of the Problem” explored how we can be confident genuine happiness is possible.  We can apply similar reasoning for self defense.  Try an experiment: become enraged about something and ask your partner to punch you.  Then relax and be peaceful and do the same.  Under which circumstance can you perceive the attack earlier.  I will let the cat out of the bag here – you should be more perceptive when not angry.  So by eliminating anger and other such negative/uncomfortable emotions we can perceive an attacker earlier, and with training can respond reflexively for defense.  Taking this process to its natural conclusion, we become invincible as we become aware of the attack before someone immersed in these negative emotions is even aware of their own physical movements.  The only possible exception from the stand point of logic is the question of immovable object meets irresistible force.  Specifically, if 2 people are 100% successful in finding happiness (and also perfected their perception) and they try to kill each other, who would win?  I will let the absurdity of the question provide the answer.

Any process which can produce complete happiness and protect us from harm efficiently is worthy of great respect.  So the next question to address is whether the practice of Aikido and our lineage of instructors fall into this category.  The answer might not be as straight forward as you would expect.  The fact is that the world is comprised of an enormous number of people with different dispositions and cultures.  If we are going for the extreme result of 100% happiness, and why should we target anything less, we are going to find that different people have different ideas on the subject.  Not surprisingly, while most have not achieved 100% success, they all feel their particular approach is the correct one.  (If they felt they were on the wrong track, obviously they would change to the right track, so believing you are correct is healthy.)  The practice of Aikido does not regulate or even try to manipulate which belief system, if any, to which someone might ascribe.  Instead, the idea is more one of how to blend with different people.

So while some people might believe Morehei Ueshiba was the pinnacle of human existence, no one is really expected to draw that conclusion.  Others might take Jesus, Mohummed, Ghandi, Mother Theresa, Buddha, Jung, Socrates, etc. as their role models.  Another population might be divorced from religion, philosophy, psychology and other traditions that do target the search for peace and happiness, yet they have not lost interest in the pursuit themselves.  Perhaps the institutions representing some of these traditions caused them to lose confidence in the underlying tradition or its practice.

So for someone who wishes to follow a particular tradition, whether participating in an institution or not, they can compare the teachings of the leader, say Jesus for instance, with those of Morehei Ueshiba.  Where they are the same, they study both because they are the teachings of Jesus; where they differ, they follow Jesus.  They believe following the teachings of Jesus will lead to pure happiness and use that confidence when practicing Aikido.  When they bow, they simply consider they are showing respect to Jesus.  For someone who takes more of a secular approach, they might have noticed that individuals on the above list did seem to be happier and more effective than the average person on the street.  They might then take a common sense approach to their search for happiness: generally reducing extreme emotions is helpful, ethical conduct is beneficial, compassion for others is useful, etc.  In showing respect for the practice of Aikido, they might think “All of those people can’t be wrong.  I can show respect for the locus where they all agree.”  Such areas as compassion, the importance of ethics, etc, are examples.

So showing respect for the practice is critical in order to be successful.  And in targeting respect, merely a mundane level will be a hindrance.  Targeting complete respect and appreciation for the practice can lead to a more completely positive result.  So the answer to how to show respect does not take a rigid form where everyone follows the same protocol.  Instead, each person should inspect their own thinking and follow a process suited for themselves to gain the best result.  Since the practice of Aikido targets benefit for each participant, the approach is not prescribed based on a fixed practice but rather specifically directed to each individual according to which will produce the most positive results for them.  We blend/harmonize with each person by doing what is purely best for them.

Testing Children in Martial Arts

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Some questions came up with the recent children’s tests that I thought should be addressed for everyone.  The questions are along the lines of “If a child is being lazy because they think they can get away with it, how/when do we ‘get tough’ on them.  How come children never seem to fail their tests?  If a child can do better on a test, how do we encourage it, and why can’t a child who has the ability to perform the test techniques actually take a test if they haven’t practiced long enough?”

These are good questions that bring out the differences between the philosophy of education and goals in martial arts training vis a vis the school system and other activities such as gymnastics.  In other endeavors, children are pushed to perform at higher and higher levels.  Martial arts training uses a different model.  The goal is not to maximize performance by encouraging children to find the quickest way to achieve a goal.  The quickest way is often memorization.  Also, a significant component of martial arts training is development of positive character and compassion.

Martial arts training is designed to teach children how to “do something.”  In this particular case, they are learning self defense, but the process can be generalized.  Learning does not involve so much memorization as it does in depth study.  A child should ask questions about why a technique works so they can understand how to use it or how to adjust it to changing circumstances.  The questioning evolves out of a natural sense of curiosity which is developed in the context of a fun and relaxing environment.  Children learn through play and we do not over-ride that process.  The questioning needs to come from the child and not be forced upon them.  They should experience a moderate challenge and not be pushed to any extreme such that their own curiosity and study is cut off, being replaced by memorization to accomplish a short term goal.  This environment not only fosters in depth study now, but also brings about an appreciation for life time learning.

In addition to learning how to do something, children are introduced to ideas that will help them develop good character and compassion for fellow human beings.  Other activities may not expressly target these aspects, but instead may focus on short range performance objectives where a coach or teacher may sprinkle some lessons learned during their personal lifetime among technical information.  In martial arts we tend to target lessons learned through the profound training passed down from countless generations of highly realized individuals.  The lessons tend to be more precise, more clearly thought out and more profoundly beneficial.

The testing process is quite different from what we expect in the west.  We think of tests and certificates as a means to certify the accomplishment of a particular grade of technical skill.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  We do give tests, colored belts and certificates to children because they need such encouragement.  However, the test is not designed to certify their level of knowledge at all.  Testing is nothing other than a teaching tool that will be applied to each person individually.  The process of learning involves developing a practice over a period of time.  If a student has not done so, even if they can perform certain test techniques they will not be allowed to test.  Once the practice is developed, we pick out and emphasize certain techniques for study.  The child is supposed to examine these techniques in more detail and ask penetrating questions which arise out of their practice.  We don’t force depth in questioning technique, but place the children in a fun and relaxed environment where the questions arise naturally.  Once this study is accomplished in these techniques, they can apply this knowledge across all the techniques they practice.  If a child is awkward or cannot memorize their material, but they are kind hearted and helpful for others on a regular basis, they will assuredly pass their exam.  Advancement in rank therefore does not certify accomplishment, but merely represents the child is practicing and learning with sincerity appropriate for their age and capabilities.

We have yet to fail a child fully on an exam (meaning they do not pass and are not allowed to test again for another 6 months).  The reason here is that there is a difference between a child failing a test in school in private and failing a test here in front of their peers and friends.  We do not wish to take harmful action towards children.  The process is more one where a child will not be allowed to test if they are expected to fail.  If a child is lazy, we will definitely address the issue, but not normally by failing them on an exam.  We have taken harsh action towards certain children from time to time to deliver a message directly that certain lazy habits are unacceptable on the mats.  Those messages quite definitely were received.  If a child shows disrespect for the testing process, we will address that as well.

Hopefully this explanation will help people understand our methods.  Our objective is not to produce athletes or high performance individuals in an immediate sense while sprinkling in an occasional lesson of character.  Instead we seek to encourage students to dig into the training methods, ask questions that arise out of their own imaginings so they will know how to use the material when needed.  Testing is only a small portion of the overall program where the purpose is strictly to facilitate study and not to identify standard levels of knowledge or ability.  Character is also emphasized in the testing process.  Ultimately, the objective is to foster deep understanding of the material and lifetime learning in an enjoyable setting while being cognizant of the character of the society we develop.  If our objective is met, the child can become a high performance individual through in depth study and sustain the effort indefinitely.  I encourage everyone to kick these ideas around and develop a discussion here to the extent you have further thoughts or questions.

Aikido and Self Defense – How to Acquire the Skill

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All martial arts talk about self defense benefits, yet they can be very elusive.  Some people offer self defense classes where you learn a couple of techniques in a day and go off certified as equipped to handle yourself if someone out there really attacks you.  Chances are the student will become overconfident in their abilities and get themselves into trouble without knowing how to get themselves out of it.  So how do we approach acquiring real skill in self defense?  What are our responsibilities as a student?

As in any martial art, Aikido teaches the notion of non-attachment.  To the extent you are attached to any phenomena, that phenomenon becomes your weakness.  As a reference, Takuan explained the matter well.   So to become truly effective in self defense, we must release our attachments to all phenomena, and anything short of complete success will leave us open to defeat.  Once open, a perceptive attacker will always be able to harm us, and so we may only rely upon the fortune that they do not figure out our weakness.  The ability to defend ourselves will not be based upon skill.  So if we begin our practice hoping for self defense skill, that wish will act as an attachment and we will fail.  Instead, the initial approach to training should involve dropping that motivation and simply practicing.  Through practice one learns to drop all attachments, including the fear of being harmed if attacked, and this approach is the fastest way to accomplish the goal.

Over the years, I have heard people from virtually every martial art talk about how they believe their training would never work in real life, and the grass is always greener in some other discipline.  Aikido does not work because you do not start out with 100% resistance.  Judo does not work because you don’t deal with people striking.  Tai Chi does not work because you spend all day doing these weird forms.  Karate does not work because if you miss and the opponent gets up close and personal, you are at a complete loss.  MMA does not work because if there are two opponents or one is armed you are clueless.  Proposed solutions?  Do Aikido, Judo, Tai Chi, Karate and MMA.  Each method teaches the same principle: nonattachment.  If you achieve the goal of nonattachment, any of these methods will work.  The point is that one should not become frustrated at the intermediate levels of practice and give up training for nonattachment or success will never be achieved.

There is, however, another point.  In Aikido I was taught that there are two methods of study.  One is to study Aikido itself.  Another is to study other forms of knowledge and use what you learn there to see and understand what you are learning in Aikido.  To the extent someone finds certain avenues of study helpful, approaching self defense via cross training in another martial art can be very helpful.  One steps outside the Aikido world and attempts to examine the same principles through a different lens.

This opportunity addresses the student’s responsibility in achieving success.  No martial art is designed as a method to spoon feed information to the student.  In fact, in olden days they used the term “steal the technique.”  Stealing the technique does not refer to taking something which does not belong to you.  I would reference the article in Hoa Sensei’s book for further interest, but basically the idea is the student is responsible to investigate matters and find the solution themselves.  The teacher is not responsible to offer up everything on a silver platter.  The student must investigate on their own with 100% thoroughness, or success will never occur.  So the student must investigate the points completely and simultaneously be completely unattached.  Perhaps you can get a sense for why genuine skill in self defense is considered to be elusive.

The decision on whether to cross train or not is completely personal.  If someone, in the process of diligently studying the notion of nonattachment, feels examining the matter through a different lens would be helpful, they should certainly pursue it.  If they find a school that can help them and have the time and opportunity, the process can be very productive.  If they are not interested or cannot find the appropriate opportunity, continued study of nonattachment in the midst of self defense related activity in Aikido can work as well.  Again, the decision is completely an individual matter.

So in summary, the student of Aikido, in order to learn genuine self defense skill, must take on complete responsibility to examine the principles of the art down to their very core.  The principles teach nonattachment, and so the study must also employ complete nonattachment in the process.  The task is difficult and the goal is elusive, but the effort along the way is designed to provide benefits of all kinds as we continue to transform ourselves.  Some of these benefits are described in earlier entries of this blog and more will be posted later.  Some wish for the alternative of instant self defense, just add water.  The idea that someone else will take responsibility to give you the skill you wish immediately without any responsibility on your part simply does not exist in any martial art.  Anyone who makes such a claim, if believed, will only bring trouble.  You will expect to have a skill that you really don’t possess and make poor decisions based upon false information.  Depending upon circumstances, the results could be devastating.  The only sane alternative is to relax, drop the attachment to the wish for self defense skill, enjoy the basic practice of Aikido and study hard.  That approach is the most direct path to acquiring many benefits, including self defense skill.