Aiki. Daito ryu aiki. Modern Aikido aiki. Morihei Ueshiba's aiki. Aiki, the word that evades definitions while at the same time is defined in an infinite way. Why are there such various definitions from love to harmony to appropriately matching energy? The answer is that Modern Aikido wasn't taught Ueshiba's aiki.
Let me first turn to Modern Aikido. Morihei Ueshiba didn't really teach everyone, and most importantly, he did not teach everything that he knew about aiki. No wonder then, that his students were left to gather bits and pieces of what they could. A very noteworthy item is that the rest of the world had little to no interaction with fully aiki capable martial artists. There were few people who actually had hands on training with Takeda, Ueshiba, Sagawa, Kodo, or even Mifune of judo fame. Instead, like blindfolded men in a room trying to describe an elephant, which is not even in the room, Modern Aikido students had no basis upon which to define the martial aiki. They were left with Morihei Ueshiba's spiritual ideology of how he defined aiki in a secondary sense and as explained by Kisshomaru.
Kisshomaru Ueshiba modified his father's spiritual ideology enough so that aikido would be better suited to a worldwide appeal. He focused on the secondary spiritual definition of harmony for aiki rather than the primary martial definition of aiki. There are two very good reasons for this. First, it was after the Second World War and those times in Japan were extremely difficult. I can't imagine the tough times that he had to live through. I can only respect him for everything that he accomplished, which was a great many things. The second reason was that Morihei Ueshiba never really taught anyone the full complement of the martial aiki, not even his son. By the time Kisshomaru Ueshiba came to power, his father was nearing the end of his life. No one can really find fault in Kisshomaru Ueshiba's decisions or actions. Through Kisshomaru Ueshiba and Koichi Tohei, Modern Aikido became popular throughout the entire world.
Modern Aikido has more than fulfilled Kisshomaru Ueshiba's views of a spiritual aikido. In a world full of fighting, war, killing, murder, and cruelty, the people of Modern Aikido have stepped up to show that there is a better way of living. Even Morihei Ueshiba said that one could make his/her own way in regards to the spiritual and one didn't have to follow in his footsteps. Let's turn the focus to Ueshiba's aiki now.
Let me start with the yin/yang aspect. From Invincible Warrior by John Stevens: Regarding Takeda, "His extraordinary ability was due to mind control, technical perfection honed in countless battles, and mastery of aiki, the blending of positive and negative energy."
Here we have an account of Takeda's aiki being defined by a blending of positive and negative energy. Yin/Yang. Not just one or the other, but both of them working together. Other people have defined that as contradictory forces. When Henry Kono asked Ueshiba about what he was doing, Kono was told that he didn't understand in and yo. (1) In and yo are yet more terms for yin and yang. Daito ryu uses in and yo instead of yin and yang.
Rinjiro Shirata writes: The purified workings of Mother Nature, which keep the whole great universe in order, are but manifestations of the Great Love. By means of the breath (iki) of the Heavens and the breath of the Earth, through the in and yo (yin and yang) the multitude of things has come to be born. The breath of the Heavens and the Earth is the abdomen of everyone, and when a person partakes of this breath the techniques of aiki are born, with and by means of the Positive and Negative Principles. That is to say, the kotodama is born and aiki techniques are born. (2)
Donald Deed quotes Michio Hikitsuchi as saying: The Kojiki started from the birth of the universe. By studying this you will understand the true meaning of aikido. There were two gods Izanagi and Izanami, a couple from whom several other gods were born. Both of them mean the breath in and out (akatama and shirotama). (3)
and Everything comes like yin and yang. Izanagi is yang and heaven. Izanami is yin and heaven. (3)
Contradictory forces of Izanagi and Izanami. One is yin while the other is yang. And everything should be like yin/yang. Ueshiba is also quoted with the following: If you wish to apply Ki-no-Miyoyo from the foundation of this nen, be aware that the left side of the body will be the basis for Bu, while the right side will offer an opening for connection with the ki of the universe. When the links between left and right are complete, then one's movements become totally free. (4)
Some of Ueshiba's writings that incorporate contradictory forces (5):
Bujutsu: The form and the spirit of the gods
The parent of Izu and Mizu
So precious!
Put the active principle (yo) into the right hand
Turn the left into the passive (in)
And so guide the adversary.
Whenever I seem to confront
Another dead end on my path
That precious way of Izu and Mizu
I bring to mind once more
Assume gedan and see
The spirit of the positive (yo) as
in shadow (in)
Recognize the cuts and thrusts of
the enemy's blade
As merely seigan
The Pine, the Bamboo, and the Plum
The make up of Ki that we are training to purify
From where do they arise?
The Water and Fire of the change in the self.
Takemusu comes to be
Through Aiki with fire and
Water of the Holy Parent
The workings of this union are
The superlative beauty of the works of God.
Let us bind together
Heaven and Earth, God and Man
So we may guard and protect
This age of ours.
Stand on the bridge that was built
Through the Aiki of fire and the water
In the great expanse of the void
There is the Mountain Echo.
Ah, the precious Izu and Mizu
Together, the Cross of Aiki
Advance with courage
In the voice of Mizu
Jigoro Kano visited Morihei Ueshiba to watch a demonstration of aikido. Kano was so impressed that he remarked that what he saw was what he considered an ideal budo. Let's take a step back and see what Kano viewed as an ideal budo:
Kano’s concept of Ju no Ri, was based upon the Taoist precept, “reversing is the movement of the Tao,” also described by the statement “the most yielding things in the world overcome the most unyielding.” Kano combined Ju no Ri with the interplay of forces as defined by the precept of in-yo (yin and yang, hardness and softness, negative and positive, receptiveness and resistance), and used the following to explain his concept of Kuzushi founded on Ju no Ri. (6)
Even Kano knew the great importance of the concept of in-yo. He saw his ideal made physical in that aikido demonstration and he voiced it. When we turn to Modern Aikido, we find that most of the concept of in/yo, yin/yang, contradictory forces has all but disappeared. This was one aspect of Ueshiba's aiki that had not been fully transmitted to students.
The forces, by definition of in/yo, must be going in opposite directions at the same time. If we look to Tohei's unbendable arm example, we find it explained commonly by using a fire hose analogy. When attempting the unbendable arm, one imagines that one's arm is the hose and there is water rushing outward from the body through the arm and out the hand. However, this is just one half of the concept of in/yo. While the water is rushing outward through the arm, one must also have water rushing inward at the same time. This concept of contradictory forces is used throughout the entire body, not just in one area.
Now let's shift the focus to take a look at the body training. Rinjiro Shirata has stated: Ueshiba Sensei's way of explaining techniques was first of all to give the names of kamisama (deities). After that, he explained the movement. He told us, "Aikido originally didn't have any form. The movements of the body in response to one's state of mind became the techniques. (7)
Morihei Ueshiba says that the movement of the body (which is directed by the mind) is what creates techniques. Rinjiro Shirata also notes: He said that the ken and body are the same and the same was the case for the jo. We were taught that the mind is the source and the movement of the body is expressed through the hands which becomes the jo. Thus, the jo is an extension of the mind. (7)
Again, we find talk about the mind leads the body and the movement of the body. It isn't the techniques which are the source, but the mind while the aiki body creates techniques spontaneously. In an interview with Masando Sasaki, we read:
I remember he got angry at me when I asked him, "Sensei, how should I explain when people ask me what aikido is?" (laughter) Hardly anyone had even heard of aikido back then, so I always had a hard time explaining it. I figured Ueshiba Sensei would be able to explain it since he was the one who created it. But when I asked him, he stamped the ground and exclaimed, "Aiki? I am aiki!" (8)
Note that Morihei Ueshiba didn't say that the myriad of techniques are the way of aiki, but Ueshiba himself is aiki. Aiki is a training method to change one's body. Through the exercises and training for aiki, one's body is rewired and rebuilt to work in a more martial manner.
Yukiyoshi Sagawa, Kodo Horikawa, and Morihei Ueshiba shared similar abilities and skills. We can look to them to find instances of how they viewed aiki and training in regards to how it changed the body. We find that aiki and techniques are totally different in Transparent Power by Tatsuo Kimura: The elder Sagawa, who sometimes had a fiery temper, would take what he learned from Takeda and try it out on strong and mean-looking construction workers he came across. He quickly realized that if you lacked the sort of aiki that Sokaku Takeda possessed, none of the techniques would work against a persistent opponent. So Sagawa's father said to Takeda, "I'm already so old, I think it would be better if you'd teach me Aiki instead of techniques."
Also in Transparent Power, Sagawa states boldly that aiki is a body training method. Aiki is not technique based training. Aiki is not about training timing and body placement. Aiki is about training the body to function differently. Even Mrs. Horikawa knew that aiki changed the body.
Stan Pranin talking about training and states, It's the idea of "stealing techniques with your eyes," isn't it?
Mrs. Horikawa replies, It's not with the eyes, it's with the body. (9)
When we turn to look at Modern Aikido, we find that most of the focus is on learning techniques and not changing the body. Aiki as a body changing method has all but disappeared. This was another aspect of Ueshiba's aiki that had not been fully transmitted to students. During the post-war period, Ueshiba was not teaching regularly, not physically present at the dojo often, and when actually teaching he spent most of the time talking about spiritual ideology that no one could understand, it is plain to see that his students focused on techniques in their attempt to mimic Ueshiba.
1. Aikido Today Magazine; #31 Dec.93/ Jan. 94
2. Aiki News Issue 091
3. Black Belt 1976 Vol 14 No 3
4. A Life in Aikido: The Biography of Founder Morihei Ueshiba
5. Aiki News Issue 046
6.
http://www.aikidojournal.com/?id=21387. Aiki News Issue 062
8. Aikido Journal Issue 116
9. Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu. Stan Pranin
