Advanced Aikido. Phong Thong Dang

a code of nationalism, patriotism, and bravery.

      O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba believed (UESHIBA 2002, PP. 12-13) that true budo was not an aggressive and intimidating demeanor, but rather is calm and gentle. Budo is the way of love and peace. Victory is not in overcoming the enemy, for if you see an enemy you have lost the vision and insight of harmony, unity, love, and peace. True victory is victory over, and loss of, the self. This attitude of budo is possible because of the confidence gained through persistent and consistent training and by using natural movements in a natural state of being, shizen-tai.

      Our enlightened ancestors developed true budo based on humanity, love, and sincerity: its heart consists of sincere bravery, sincere wisdom, sincere loves, and sincere empathy. (UESHIBA, M. 1991, P. 32)

      While Bushido, as the way or code of the warrior, is the way of war, the loss of life should never be over-idealized or romanticized. There is nothing glamorous about the bloody reality of war. At times, there may be a temporary necessity for short-term resolution. It takes courage and honor to live in the spirit of harmony among differences. The greatest enemy is one's own ignorance and fear which makes one feel disconnected and separated from others. Only when this enemy is conquered will we find lasting peace. Each day the warrior must "polish the mirror" and attend to the discipline of facing him- or herself. Aikido is a tool used for "polishing."

      The true purpose of the methods described herein is to teach a warrior how to perceive and fill his mind and body with a valorous spirit— one must polish one's ki and forge the spirit within the realm of life and death. (UESHIBA, M. 1991, P. 27)

      DEDICATION AND DEBT, RESPECT, AND RESPONSIBILITY

      No one makes advanced rank or ability in aikido without the compassionate guidance and instruction from a competent aikido sensei. Eventually, with consistent and persistent training, students openly express their dedication to their Sensei and their style. They acknowledge a great debt that can only be paid or fulfilled by continually showing respect and alliance to their teacher and school and by representing themselves as members of an affiliation in a responsible and ethical manner.

      Dedication is not just to one's own training. That would be relatively selfish. Selfishness is not the ultimate goal of aikido. Dedication is what aikido stands for in its concepts, application, and model for human interaction. Eventually, with consistent and persistent training, the students become dedicated to their training and to the training of all those they train with. They are dedicated and proud of their direct lineage traceable back to the founder, O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba.

      Giri is a word that literally means right reason. It is a sense of obligation, duty, and debt. Eventually, with consistent and persistent training, students must always ask themselves if they are doing what they are doing for the right reason. Does it serve the higher good of all and does it honor those who have given their time, patience, and expertise? Is what they are doing or saying, paying back the debt they personally owe for what was given to them? This is a very different concept than the one seen in westernized society. Today, most people take up martial arts as a hobby to fill leisure time. Since they pay their monthly dues, they believe that whatever they are given belongs to them. They can do whatever they want with it. This is very shortsighted and not only goes against aikido's philosophy but also goes against traditional martial arts practice as well. Using the right reasoning in how the gift is honored and perpetuated pays the debt. The sensei was given, and honors, his or her own personal lineage. With consistent and persistent training, students come to know that they are only a temporary point in the passing on of knowledge. Like momentum in the application of aikido techniques, the inertia from the past generates the wisdom of the future.

      Respect is another word seldom used in modern westernized society. Most people are more concerned with receiving respect than with giving it. People tend to believe they can demand respect due to their position rather than their merit, genuine knowledge, and by being respectable.

      With consistent and persistent training, the student of aikido willingly accepts the responsibility to carry on the tradition of aikido given through his or her sensei and style. Responsibility means accountability to the past and to the future for what one does and teaches today. Responsibility means the acceptance of the consequences of one's behavior. Every behavior has a consequence; some will bring honor and some will bring shame. All behavior and communication has an effect and thus a consequence. The slightest movement in the execution of an aikido technique can add or diminish its effectiveness and efficiency. Likewise, the slightest behavior or communication can show dedication, an honoring of the debt of having been given a great skill and knowledge base, and respect for one's sensei, style, and the lineage of the family of aikido.

      Part One

      The Inner Development of the

       Advanced Practitioner

      Chapter 1

      Omoto Philosophy for

       Today's Practitioner

      While Daito-ryu aiki-jujitsu was the martial root of aikido, the Omoto cult of the Shinto religion was the spiritual root. O'Sensei created aikido based on a fusion of the spiritual and the martial. The Omoto philosophies are deeply ingrained in the study of aikido. Though a practitioner of aikido does not become a convert to a different religious practice, one does encounter and apply universal spiritual truths to strengthen his or her personal philosophies. Above all, aikido emphasizes physical training and practice; in its spirituality, aikido welcomes people of all faiths, allegiances, and denominations in the name of a higher spiritual truth based on inclusion and the loss of judgmental and dualistic thinking.

      SHINTO-SPIRITUAL BEGINNINGS

      O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba was originally a follower of the Shinto religion. Shinto, or Shindo, is a native religion of Japan. It is the way of kami, the spirit, deity, or God. Shinto believes that there are invisible superhuman powers in everything in nature. Spirit and nature become one and emphasis is placed on ancestor worship.

      THE WAY OF PEACE

      As any advanced student of aikido knows, the word aikido has many definitions. Literally, it means the way of harmonizing energy or spirit. More often, most know aikido as the way of peace.

      O'Sensei Morihei Ueshiba designed aikido as both a martial art and a spiritual art. Aikido is martial in its practical and powerful techniques. Aikido is spiritual in its attitude of application and philosophy of nonresistance and loving protection of even the attacker. Many martial art systems and artists say that the ultimate goal is peace, while their training methods and techniques are extremely violent. Aikido is congruent in training, application, and ultimate goals. All training and application in aikido is practiced in the spirit of harmony, cooperation, peace, and protective love and respect.

      Throughout training in aikido, one vacillates between the way of peace and the martial application, the way of war. Eventually, the advanced student trains against realistic honest intention and intensity and applies the techniques of aikido with equally honest intention and intensity. This honest intent and intensity demonstrates and expresses the powerful and effective techniques of aikido, while the practitioner maintains a sense of inner peace and protection of his or her training partner. Honest intent and intensity are very important in aikido training for the advanced practitioner on both a martial and spiritual level. To progress on this journey, one must be honest and genuine in discipline and training. The desire to train and progress must come from deep inside and be something that you are willing to make an honest commitment to and to keep that commitment with honor. Further, you must be very honest about the reason why you are training. Is it your honest and genuine intent that directs your training and your ki? With a genuine committed intent to the discipline and training in aikido, there must be an equally honest and genuine commitment to the physical intensity of that training and discipline. Intent is of the mind. Intensity is of the body. When both share in an honest and genuine commitment toward the same goal or direction, this unity provides the basis of and potential for spiritual awakening and enlightenment.

      The way of peace only comes through strength. Peace through weakness is acceptance of defeat and compliance. Strength allows peace to