Aikido Basics. Phong Thong Dang

Ueshiba, third doshu

      The leadership of aikido was passed from father to son in 1969, when the third son of O'Sensei Morihei, Kisshomaru Ueshiba (1921-1999), was named aikido doshu (leader or keeper of the way) and chairman of the Aikikai Foundation. Many attribute a more formalized training curriculum to Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba.

      In 1999 the son of Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba and grandson to O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, Moriteru Ueshiba, became the aikido doshu after his father's death. Born in 1951, Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba graduated in 1976 from Meiji Gakuin University, became master of the Aikido World Headquarters in 1986, and in 1996 became the chairperson of the Aikikai Foundation.

      Today, we can say that aikido is different from other martial arts in that its goal is to defeat opponents by unbalancing them, rather than harming them. Aikido is also different in that its modernization has not led the art into being a competitive sport with contests and tournaments, or ranks based on winning.

      MANY OF THE TECHNIQUES of aikido originated in other martial arts that O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba studied, but what makes aikido unique is its strong philosophical and spiritual base. Aikido is not just about how you move your body, it is also about moving your mind. The mind must learn to let go of a warlike philosophy of hate and fear, common to most martial arts, and embrace a loving philosophy of peace and harmony. The paradox of combining a martial art and a loving philosophy demonstrates that inclusion is much more powerful than exclusion: When the power of love and the power of martial arts are combined, the result is far more powerful than either could be alone.

      At first, it would seem that an opponent and a defender are in two distinctly different positions, yet neither position could exist without the other. Understanding, accepting, and harmonizing this relationship to each other, instead of accepting the separation and difference from each other, is what makes aikido's philosophy unique.

      Before O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba's creation of aikido, the concept of attack and defense formed the basis of most martial arts. Aikido was the first Japanese martial art in which the actual training practice, application of technique, and philosophical foundation all work together.

      Philosophical Principles of Aikido

      Philosophically, aikido began as, and continues to be, a martial art. The goal of traditional Japanese martial arts is victory on the battlefield. History teaches us that such victories are very short-lived, however; they only lead to more fear, resentment, and eventual retaliation. The goal of aikido is victory over self, rather than victory over others.

      The symbol of traditional Japanese warfare is the sword, and many of aikido's unarmed techniques come directly from the art of sword fighting. Some traditional schools teach the sword movements before the unarmed movements, but this is to give students a sense of how the movement or technique should be done. The practice of sword techniques helps students to appreciate the origin of the technique within an armed fighting context, illustrates a practical application, and demonstrates the principles of aikido in action. The sword master's fluid skill shows the total coordination of a well-executed aikido technique. Every movement is carefully practiced and precise, using every part of the body and mind.

      This unification of body and mind is one of the reasons that aikido is a spiritual discipline, as well as a martial art. By realizing that all of their movements must come together in the present action, students of aikido become aware that they can be one with everything around them.

      This emphasis on the philosophy, or worldview, of aikido often makes understanding the art difficult for the beginning student. On one level, the student of aikido must adopt a worldview that accepts violence and attacks. On the other hand, aikido does not meet like with like—aikido does not retaliate with more violence and attacks. It is easier to understand the details, or more subtle qualities, of aikido by first understanding the larger picture that they fit in. The basic techniques of aikido demonstrate the principles and philosophies of aikido; they illustrate, and make practical, aikido's underlying, ever-present philosophical concepts and generalizations.

      Budo: The Way of War

      The first philosophical term one should understand is budo. Do translates as "way" or "path." Bu translates as "martial." Budo is the "martial way" or "martial arts." True budo has more to do with protection than victory. Warriors do not fight so fiercely because they hate the enemy; they fight fiercely because they love the people they protect. Many modern martial arts schools and media presentations miss this underlying motivation, the positive intent that was so important to O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba's vision and dream. Aikido is an extension of the budo code of love and respect for others, and is also a means of self-discipline. Training in aikido stresses cooperation, not competition, between training partners.

      As: Harmony

      Ai can be translated as meaning "harmony," "unity," or "to join and become one." The concept of harmony in combat is hard for most people to comprehend. We are all used to fighting force with force, to meeting attack with resistance. The idea of meeting an attack with love and harmony appears contradictory and impossible.

      Within the concept of harmony is the necessity for difference. Music is the easiest example to illustrate this. For harmony to occur, two or more different notes must exist. There must be a certain interval between notes, usually a 1-3-5-7 spacing. Together the notes produce one chord—in essence, the different vibrations combine and become one chord. Discord happens when the notes are not at a proper distance from each other. The concept of distance, referred to as ma-ai in aikido, refers to the ability to combine with another's energy of attack in a way that is the behavioral equivalent of musical harmony. While you may not be in control of your attacker's position at first, you are in control of your distance, or interval, from him. As in music, when you change the position, or distance, from the attacker to the defender, you can turn discord into harmony.

      Ki: Energy, Spirit, and Life

      Ki translates as "spirit," "energy," "essence of life," "life force," and "universal energy." Energy is also the power to act, lead, affect, or respond. The goal of aikido is to harmonize the ki of the individual with the universal ki. The energy within is the same as the energy without. An aikidoka, a practitioner of aikido, enters and blends with the universal ki through training. This allows him to feel the ki of an approaching opponent, to sense his energy before he comes into range, and to enter and blend to avoid harm. In this context, enter and blend mean to move along with the line of momentum of an attack. With practice, an experienced aikidoka can sense or detect the attack before physical contact is made. It is as if through training, the aikidoka reads the energy, or ki, of his attacker and can "roll along with it."

      It is actually quite easy to illustrate this sensing of ki. We have all had the experience of sitting down next to somebody and feeling his or her bad mood. The more intense the feelings, the farther out the energy seems to travel, and the easier it is to actually sense it from across the room. Positive emotions have the same effect, but instead of pushing people away they draw us to them. We all like to be around someone who is positive. If both positive and negative ki is expressed and felt, then you have to choose which you send away and which you let in.

      The essence of all life is breath, and ki is closely associated with the breath. Your breathing rate and depth change with both your emotional and physical experiences. Breath is one of the few automatic systems of the body that we can take conscious control over. Fluid, relaxed breathing is necessary for the proper execution of aikido techniques. The aikido practitioner