by Hoa Newens

​Throwing a ball back and forth to each other is an enjoyable pastime for two people. Similarly, engaging in a conversation brings pleasure to two human beings. In these exchanges, a person deliberately sends an object, a message or energy to the other who intently receives it and sends back a response. The exchange creates a bridge between the two participants, over which their energies flow back and forth. Humans are inherently gregarious; connecting with each other is a basic human need, though it manifests in diverse formats. A game, a conversation, a meeting, texting, sharing in social media, even competition and fighting are instances of human connection that satisfy this need.

In Aikido training, a similar exchange of energy takes place; not just between bodies and minds but perhaps at a deeper level, between one consciousness and another. The deeper exchange is made possible by a practice called Ukemi. In ukemi we intentionally suspend our innate self-defense mechanism and consciously adjust our body and mind to allow the other participant to express himself fully without harming anyone. In plain English, we refer to this practice as “receiving the technique”.
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​Nature of Ukemi. Ukemi creates a safe flow of energy that allows both participants in an Aikido technique to continue their harmonious interaction through the conclusion of the technique. By convention, one of the participants, the Nage, expresses a technique on her partner, the other is the Uke, who receives it safely and allows it to run its course, as intended by the nage. The uke serves as a sounding board that provides feedback to the nage as to the effectiveness and efficiency of her technique.

In the ensuing discussion, we examine the interaction between a female nage (who executes the techniques) and a male uke (who receives the technique).

What is an effective technique? When can we affirm that an Aikido technique has fulfilled its purpose? As we view Aikido in this essay, the technique is effective when the source of conflict is resolved (neutralized) with no resultant harm to anyone. In Aikido, it is not our intent to neutralize one of the participants to resolve the conflict. We should keep this understanding in mind because it defines the role of the uke.

What is an efficient technique? When can we state that the technique was accomplished with the minimum effort and energy? In the training context, the technique is efficient when the nage can connect instantly with the uke, center to center, and pin or throw him off balance. In other words, there is no superfluous movement, no waste of energy.

Therefore, from the uke’s standpoint, he serves nage best when he facilitates the instant connection with nage, from his center to her center, and maintains this connection throughout the technique, while protecting himself by constantly shifting and realigning to maintain the integrity of his body, and by tapping out timely or rolling on the ground to escape at the end of the technique.

In this essay, we look at the larger picture of ukemi without focusing on the last part of the technique in which the uke rolls on the mat.

The three key phases of good ukemi can be discerned from the above description of uke’s role: connect; stay safely connected; escape. We examine these phases in detail below using the example of nikyo.

Connect. When nage performs nikyo on uke she grabs his hand and wrist and align her body to effectively connect her center to her arms and his arm and attempts to find his center to pin him to the mat. If she has not yet mastered the technique, she may resort to an improper shortcut, which consists of applying force to twist his wrist and subdue him through wrist pain. If uke lets this happen every time, the nage will miss the opportunity to learn the proper technique. To help nage channel her energy properly, uke should align his body to receive the technique such that the nage can feel that the technique has “clicked”, that is, she has successfully connected with his center and is in a position to pin him down. Should uke be skilled, in addition to adjusting his body position, he could also help nage adjust her own body to achieve a correct internal alignment.

A most crucial qualitative attribute of an uke is his willingness to receive the technique without reservation; that is, the pre-requisite for good ukemi is the ability to be open and vulnerable and accept a risk of injury. If this openness is not present, certain parts of the body will be closed and resist the oncoming energy rather than cooperate, resulting in an incomplete ukemi. In this respect, keeping an open mind and a flexible body is extremely helpful.

Connecting to nage also means providing a focused “attack” on cue. A good uke is always alert, with his sensors out to constantly scan the surrounding, including nage’s energy. To begin the technique, nage initiates a movement toward uke (such as in Shomenuchi Ikkyo) or creates an opening by presenting a vulnerable part (such as a wrist, a shoulder, side of the head, etc.). These are the cues that uke must catch and respond to timely. Watching a skilled uke taking fall for Saito Morihiro Shihan for example would reveal the fact that he often interacts with his uke through these subtle cues as if through telepathy. The ukes had to constantly remain alert and move in sync with the cues. When he had to explicitly tell uke what to do, then uke had been unconscious.

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​Stay safely connected. While shifting and realigning his body to receive the technique, it is critical that uke protects himself by maintaining the integrity of his body. Toward this end, he must assess and absorb the impact of the technique by bringing to bear all available resources: he must muster the help of all body parts that can move to distribute the impact widely. Additionally, he must stay aligned with gravity (that is, stay balanced) by keeping his central axis vertical to the extent possible. Body awareness and suppleness are of great use for this purpose.

Note that while moving his body to fine-tune response to nage’s technique, small and smooth movements provide the most versatility and safety, as opposed to large movements that tend to result in over-adjustments.

Escape. Aligning his center timely means that he needs to move his entire body at the right time to receive the technique; if he receives late, he may get injured because his wrist will bear the brunt of the oncoming force without support from the rest of the body; conversely, if he yields too early, the nage will not feel the connection and her body will not register the technique correctly. Uke should receive by moving his body such that the pressure on his wrist remains constant. He should tap out only when he can make no further movement to absorb the oncoming energy. This is exactly when nage has effectively pinned him down. Awareness, suppleness and sensitiveness are critical attributes in this phase of ukemi.
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Note that for a technique that results in a throw, uke needs to allow all parts of his body to move and absorb the impact so that he remains connected with nage as long as possible. When his balance is about to be compromised, he switches his connection with nage to one with the mat (or ground) and saves his body by performing a roll or a high fall.
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The instant right before the escape presents the most risk to uke. Should nage have the intent to cut off any escape with an abrupt and violent move – taking advantage of uke’s willing openness – then injury probably results.

Ukemi allows dialogue. Throughout the above discussion, for simplicity we have assigned the role of nage to one person and uke to the other person in the interaction. We should note that, in reality, both participants continuously switch roles through the execution of the one technique. The designation of “nage” and “uke” is only a practical convention that does not reflect the reality of equal contribution to the technique; it is like two faces of the same coin, one called head and one called tail. Aikido is truly a dialogue: the participants alternately listen and respond, in a conscious manner. The uke does not provide an attack and go to sleep until it’s time to escape. Ukemi requires full consciousness. Both nage and uke own the technique and they are jointly responsible for the successful completion of the technique. To the casual or uninformed observer, the Aikido technique looks like a dance, due to equal cooperation from both partners. Yes, it is a dance. More specifically, it is a martial dance of spirits. On the other hand, if one were to view Aikido as a fighting art and use its techniques for fighting purposes, then the views offered in this essay will make no sense. More on this in another blog.

Trust and responsibility. During the engagement, the uke deliberately helps his training partner complete the technique by accepting the risk of exposing his vulnerability. He gives her a focused and sincere “attack”, knowing that she is going to execute a technique on him, and that there is a risk that she may not be doing it correctly, thus potentially hurting him in the process. This is a risk of training in martial arts. However, due to the nature of Aikido, the average technique takes longer to execute, and the uke does much more work than in other martial arts, and as a result, incurs more risk exposures. Good ukemi entails effort and risk. Note that Nage has the same expectation of trust of uke, and the same responsibility to protect herself and the uke. Therefore, participants should have a high degree of trust in each other in order to do good Aikido: I have complete trust that my partner will take care of me, so I give her 100% of my attention and energy. On the flip side, the partners should also take full responsibility for protecting themselves and each other during the interaction, and not readily assign blame in case of accidental injury.

Principles of Ukemi. Below we summarize the principles for good ukemi derived from the above discussion. These principles address both the technical and qualitative aspects of ukemi in Aikido.

1. Connect with partners throughout the technique physically and energetically.
2. Maintain body integrity and balance throughout.
3. Remain guardedly open throughout.
4. Stay fully alert in each moment of the engagement.

​Nage expresses herself by executing a technique on uke. Good ukemi is a mirror for nage. Uke reflects her technique; she learns from this feedback and discovers herself. Proper ukemi in Aikido training allows participants to find their true selves. Ukemi is at the heart of Aikido.
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Hoa Newens
March 5, 2020

​By Dr. Paul Williams, PT, DPT

​I recently taught a 20-minute class on kaeshi-waza (reverse technique) at Takemusu Aikido Association’s Shidoin training course. It’s a difficult topic to teach. Precisely due to the fact that one can’t talk about or teach kaeshi-waza without also teaching proper ukemi. To do so would be like putting your socks on after your shoes.
 
So, there I was teaching a class on an advanced technique in front of two senseis, Hoa Newens Sensei and Hans Goto Sensei. Who together have over 100 years of aikido experience and everyone else watching is a 4th dan or above. I felt that I had to bring something new to the table.
 
In my panic, I reached into my physical therapy bag and pulled out my central themes. First, was the importance of constructive resistance from uke and the healing benefits of eccentric contraction. Then I juxtaposed how important this kind of training is when applying reversal techniques. I’ll talk about this in more detail later but for now please humor me on an intro to terminology in the next few paragraphs.
 
For those that never heard the word, ukemi translated from Japanese is the “receive-body”. (1) In Japanese martial arts, the uke is the one who receives the technique from the nage after attacking them. So, nage, as you might have already gathered, is the person performing the technique.
 
In aikido there is a very unique relationship between uke and nage. This relationship has many complexities and differing levels of application. What most people are familiar with are aikido demonstrations where nage is throwing uke around a mat effortlessly in a display of impressive acrobatic collaboration. This would be called embu which is strictly translated as “performance-military”. (1) In the context of aikido, embu is really a demonstration which is usually in front of a crowd like the annual All Japan Aikido Demonstration in Tokyo.
 
However, in some styles of aikido this is only one aspect of training and one form of ukemi. In the above example of ukemi, it is uke’s job to move with nage and respond in a way that allows for the uninterrupted flow of the technique. In day to day training, there is another facet to ukemi that differs from the above example. It involves uke providing nage constructive resistance.

“In this form of training, the attacker is allowed to get a rigid grip on the defender before the defender begins the defensive technique. This is training to the hilt, because the defender must overcome the entire power of the attacker, who knows in advance which technique the defender is going to use.” (2)-David Alexander Sensei

When writing this quote, I am reminded of a story told about Rickson Gracie who is arguably the greatest Gracie of the martial arts family. He would go visit other schools to teach and allow his opponents to get him in an arm bar or rear naked choke. Then the sparring would start. He laid waste to every one of them or so the story goes.
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This training is much like constructive resistance. The uke is allowed to grab hold of you as hard as you can handle and then you must use proper technique with breath power (kokyu ryoku) to execute. (1) The biggest difference is that, in order to maintain harmony, the uke should not stop you. Below is a sign posted by Morihiro Saito Sensei in the Ibaraki Dojo in Iwama, Japan which clearly states the concern he had for this practice getting too out of hand. This was to prevent a sparring situation. Some of his students were even kicked out of the dojo temporarily for not following this important rule.

​Some may say that since you only use a hard grab or attack initially but then allow the nage to do the technique then what is the point? Aren’t you only colluding with your partner after the attack just like we see in aikido demonstrations? This is a good question and it highlights the ignorance of the primary role of ukemi as I see it.
 
Ukemi is to build the body. If I take ukemi passively this cannot happen. Conversely, if I resist you and stop your technique then this not only feeds my ego but does nothing to strengthen myself and my partner.
 
“The proper level of resistance is such that a trainee is able to complete a technique with great difficulty. This is also extremely good physical exercise, straining many muscles of the body.” (3)  – David Alexander Sensei
 
This is my point exactly! In fact, this type of training is incredibly beneficial but more so for the uke than for the person doing the technique. That’s right! Uke gets most of the benefit due to what we know in physical therapy as eccentric contraction (muscle elongation).
 
You see, when you receive a technique with constructive resistance you are slowly elongating your muscle fibers and tendons against an outside force’s influence on your body’s joints. In physical therapy, we emphasize this contraction a bit more so than concentric contraction (muscle shortening). Reason being that research and decades of clinical knowledge have convincingly shown that eccentric contraction versus concentric contraction is better as a therapeutic exercise. 

​If you are having a difficult time understanding the difference, refer to the above illustration. When you are doing a biceps curl there are two actions being done at the biceps. One is shortening (concentric) which is represented in (b). The other is elongation (eccentric) as shown in (c).
 
To relate it to an aikido technique, imagine receiving nikkyo. As nage applies the wrist lock, uke slowly receives the energy via stretching the lateral wrist structures. This is a great work out that strengthens the tendons and muscle fibers not just in the wrist but also every joint down the kinetic chain to the feet if that energy is received properly throughout the whole body.

​The term, constructive resistance, has often been the common nomenclature in Iwama style aikido for a long time. It has chiefly been seen as a way to correct nage’s technique. I believe it has an even deeper meaning than previously thought.
 
This training has been understood to be beneficial primarily for nage to perform the technique correctly. Yet, when we slowly resist techniques by maintaining our bodies structure and keep our bodies alive by absorbing our partners energy, we are doing far more than benefiting our partner. We are benefiting ourselves. We are building and strengthening our bodies in a way that increases resiliency, accelerates healing, and improves flexibility. 
 
Research has shown that eccentric contraction can reduce rates of injury. In a study that looked at two groups of elite soccer players, one group performed eccentric hamstring exercises and the control group implemented their regular training. After 10 weeks, the eccentric exercise group had significantly fewer hamstring injuries 3/15 compared to the control group 10/15 that did the regular exercises. They also demonstrated statistically significant increases in strength and speed. (4)
 
Strengthening is another benefit of this exercise. A meta-analysis of eccentric versus concentric exercises showed a number of surprising results. One is that eccentric training is more effective at increasing total strength when compared to concentric training. It is also more efficient at a metabolic level requiring less oxygen in the muscles and tendons. Therefore, eccentric training produces less fatigue with the same work. (5)
 
If one has a tendon injury and comes to an outpatient physical therapy clinic, you can bet your month’s salary that they’ll be getting a regimen of therapeutic exercises that involve eccentric contraction. It’s not only beneficial for tendon healing but it has also been found to reduce pain, improve range of motion, and reduce stiffness. (6)
 
In a nutshell, this kind of contraction is good for repairing tendons, building muscle mass, and preventing injuries. Hence, constructive resistance in ukemi is in fact not just for improving nage’s technique. It is a necessary practice to build our bodies for the high demands that aikido training requires.
 
“Ukemi is, when done properly, always an implicit counter. The best ukemi puts the uke in the position to reverse the ‘attack’ of the nage.” (7) – Ellis Amdur
 
“There is Kaeshi-waza for every technique. But Kaeshi-waza is too dangerous for the beginner. Perfect command of authentic basics and constant harmony with your partner’s movements are the indispensable prerequisites to untrammeled Kaeshi-waza performance. In other words, Kaeshi-waza is a sophisticated art by itself.” (8) - Morihiro Saito Shihan
 
Kaeshi-waza is translated as reversal technique. (1)  In my opinion, it is one of the highest levels of training in aikido for uke. Unfortunately, I find that this level of aikido is not being passed on to the next generation as it once was. This may be due to what ukemi has become in many circles.
 
Instead of using ukemi to build up one’s body, it has become a way of passively taking what nage has to offer. Some even see the definition of ukemi as “falling”, “breakfall”, or just “taking it” versus its efficacious meaning as a “receiving body”. Ukemi becomes purely an aerobic activity and any resistance is shunned. On the flip side, in other aikido circles, ukemi has become a competition of egos to see who is strongest. Again, this is a misunderstanding of what “receiving body” means in its utility.
 
I don’t believe helpful ukemi exists at either end of this spectrum. To properly practice kaeshi-waza one needs to be in the middle somewhere. Without using constructive resistance to slowly move through a technique, one would have a difficult time understanding where the openings in a technique exist.
 
From beginning to end, there are minimally three points where one could reverse any technique. Staying connected to your partner through each stage of the technique is a must at this level of training. Always maintaining balance and structure as a technique is being performed on you is the pinnacle of ukemi.
 
With all that said, I felt it was my obligation when teaching the kaeshi-waza class to make a distinction between receiving versus taking a technique. The reason being that the reversal I taught was at the last opportune moment before the shoulder would be pinned against the ground in shomenuchi ikkyo omote waza. Without emphasizing constructive resistance, uke may well miss the opportunity to reverse the technique at the appropriate time. It was an added bonus and the inspiration for this article to be able to teach the therapeutic benefits of constructive resistance.
 
I hope that this article helps anyone looking for another tool in their training toolbox. Plus, my intent was to help clarify any misunderstandings of this kind of vital aikido practice. Making value judgements in this context is very difficult not to do. I am aware that not everyone and perhaps most do not train in aikido this way. For some it may even be antithetical to how they’ve been taught ukemi. My aim of this article was to provide another perspective and discuss the inherent benefits to constructive resistance. Receive it as you’d like. Happy training!
 
 
 
Bibliography
1. J. Hacker, Michael. The Language of Aikido:A Practitioners Guide to Japanese Characters and Terminology. 2017.
2. Alexander, David. Offensive Technique in Aikido. Iwama Aikido: As taught in Iwama, Japan. [Online] http://www.iwama-aikido.com/articles/offense.html.
3. Alexander, David Sensei. Constructive and counterproductive use of resistance in aikido training. Traditional Aikido: As taught in Iwama, Japan. [Online] http://www.iwama-aikido.com/articles/resist.html.
4. Hamstring injury occurrence in elite soccer players after preseason strength training with eccentric overload. . Askling, C, Karlsson, J and Thorstensson, A. 2003, Scand J Med Sci Sports, pp. 244-250.
5. The effects of eccentric versus concentric resistance training on muscle strength and mass in healthy adults: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Roig, M, et al. Vancouver : British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2009, British Journal of Sports Medicine, pp. 556-568.
6. The Role and Implementation of Eccenctric Training in Athletic Rehabilitation: Tendinopathy, Hamstring Strains, and ACL Reconstruction. Lorenz, Daniel and Reiman, Michael. 2011, The International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, p. 27.
7. Amdur, Ellis. Hidden in Plain Sight: Esoteric Power Training Within Japanese Martial Traditions. Tracing the Roots of Morihei's Power. . s.l. : Freelance Academy Press, 2018.
8. Saito, Morihiro. Traditional Aikido: Sword, Stick, and Body Arts Volume 4. Tokyo : Minato Research and Publishing Co., LTD., 1974.
 
 

by Hoa Newens

With modern publishing tools, we are seeing a bevy of publications related to higher state of consciousness, including sharing of personal experience, research analyses and how-to manuals. Add to these publications other online sharing tools such as Facebook, YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, etc. and the average person has access to plenty of useful information and insights on these higher states. Search for “self-improvement” in amazon.com or Google and you’ll see what I mean.
 
The question that comes to mind is that, given this abundance of information shouldn’t we also see an upward trend on the number of highly conscious people in the world? Well, the world has generally become more conscious, since we are not killing as many of our fellow human beings as in the past century (120 million casualties resulting from World Wars I and II combined). However, it appears that the correlation between plentiful information and enhanced states of consciousness is still anemic. The mass wants to be more conscious and has a treasure of information, yet it does not know how to use it.
 
We have abundant and useful information, why aren’t people acting on it and elevating themselves? what is missing? I explain below how we are not using properly the most effective enlightenment tool at our disposal.
 
Most human knowledge is converted into information that feeds the mind. What the mind does with it determines its eventual benefit to us. As an example, most people are aware of the three essential requirements for a healthy and happy life, namely healthy diet, regular exercises, harmonious personal relationships. Yet healthcare expenditures account for 18% of the U.S. gross domestic product in 2016 in a continuingly rising trend. Internationally, the U.S. is the top spender in health care per capita. Apparently, the overabundance of information on healthy lifestyle does not have an effect on public health.
 
Normally, we come across valuable information first through our mental faculties, that is, we either read or hear about it. The mind grabs the information, processes it and digests it, then files it away as an “experience”. So, when the same or similar information is fed to it a second time, its automatic response is “been there, done that, don’t need it”.
 
Here is an example. Oh, Zen? I’ve read all the popular Zen books in the 1960’s and 1970’s written by the likes of Dr. D. T. Suzuki, Shunryu Suzuki, Eugen Herrigel, Alan Watts and others, including Zen Mind Beginner’s Mind, Zen in Archery, Zen in the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, etc. I even had discussion with a couple of Zen monks. I understand Zen, I know Zen, I’ve done Zen. So my mind says, and I’ve checked off Zen on my to-do list. Next?
 
If I am to believe my mind, then I have experienced Zen. I am my mind, and the mind represents me. Well, an awakened person would see through the fallacy of such statement. The mind, which is a minute part of the conscious self, impersonates the totality of the self and attempts to take over the entire domain of consciousness. If we are not vigilant, this is what our mind does all the time. It gobbles up data and processes it then inducts it into the realm of human experience.
 
You can try this experiment. Before traveling to a new destination, Google it and review all the information that you can find online, including narrative, images, sound and video clips. If you have done sufficient homework, when someone asks if you have visited the location, and even if you have not physically done so yet you’d hesitate before answering. This is because your mind has been there and has experienced a sample of the local sights and sounds and is tempted to misrepresent that the totality of you has had the experience.
 
The big difference between a mental exploration and a total body-mind experience is that in the former your consciousness is limited to a rather passive role and the stimulants (images and sounds) are very limited and captured through intermediate sensors, whereas in the latter, when you were physically present, your total being is able to interact directly with real life in all of its glory, and make choices. This active participation causes friction between the totality of yourself (your consciousness, your mind, your emotions and your body) and other life agents that results in residual “feelings” about the experience which are stored in the body. Subsequently these “feelings” become memories of the experience, or karma.
 
These residues of interaction with life gradually become part of our internal make up and shape our future choices and decisions. In other words, if the memories were negative and we do not want to repeat the experience, we would make choices to avoid the experience in the future. If the memories were positive, we would seek repeats. This is how we extract lessons from life – by rubbing our total being against life and making choices. Below is a more esoteric explanation of this life growth process that underscores the importance of physical experience.
 
The consciousness that we were given at birth transforms itself upon contact with the manifest world into energies of various densities. In the human body, these energies are gathered in energy vortices that are joined together in a vertical pole in the middle of the body, sometimes referred to as the Taiji Pole, or just the Central Axis. Each energy center governs one aspect of our total being. At the simplest level, the center in the abdomen regulates the densest energy that makes up our physical body; the center in the chest controls the more subtle emotional energy; and the center in the head governs the more refined energy of the spirit. These energies constantly feed into each other and are bound together by a common central thread, our innate consciousness, which retains its connection with the unmanifest.
 
Life throws at us a variety of situations that impact each aspect of our being differently. Each of these impressions is a potential life lesson that we can choose to ignore or process. If we choose to ignore it, we should  let it go completely; if we choose to process, we should process it fully in order to extract the lesson and grow on it. Full processing means to process the experience through the three energy centers. Unfortunately, most of us choose to process these life impressions partially, never arriving at the lessons that they contain.
 
For example, you might have read about how the most effective and holistic pain management method is to face the pain and accept it. The description of the practice and the benefits made a lot of sense to you, at least mentally. However, if you left it at this intellectual understanding stage, the experience is incomplete. The next phase of processing might be to take up one of the practices and engage in it daily. Feel the physical pain in your joint; don’t take drugs to mask it. Let it come, listen to what this painful part of the body is telling you; don’t put up any resistance, mental or physical. As pain is given free rein to surface, it may uncover other pain of an emotional nature, such as repressed anger. Acknowledge it, and let that pain come out too, and let it go. 
 
This internal processing by all three centers, mental, emotional and physical, may last a while and require much forbearance on your part. However, the end result is that, as the pain is fully processed by your being, an amazing transformation takes place: the pain disappears, or rather transmutes into its original essence, which is consciousness. The pain that we store is made up of energies that have been locked up due to our inner resistance; the inner processing subjects it to the cleansing vibrations of consciousness. These high frequency vibrations shake off the detritus that attached to our consciousness when it interacted with life agents in past encounters. This is how pain or other sensation that taints our consciousness, is removed to allow the reabsorption of consciousness. This is how we learn from life and grow our consciousness.
 
During the full processing of any experience, physical pain or sensation is liberated through the guts; emotional pain or sensation is liberated through the heart; and mental anguish or sensation is liberated through the head center. Skipping any of these phases will not allow the full alchemical transformation to take place. To grow wiser, we need to turn on all our processors and take on the multiple facets of life directly.

by Paul Williams

​I’d like to preface this in acknowledging that the following story is not an anecdote of how aikido saved my life. I was not strolling in a dark alley where I fended off several attackers unscathed. That would be cool. No, this is The Pool Story.
 
It was winter 2005 and my apartment complex had a great pool area with grills for cooking out and a jacuzzi. My friends and I had many a pool party where we would take full advantage of the amenities and the South Florida weather. One day, I had just gotten off from work and could hear my friends and neighbors were at the pool. So, I thought I’d drop by and stick my feet in the water. Bad idea! Why? Well, if you’re near a pool with friends that are drinking and you’re fully clothed, then you may be an easy target for a two-man rush.
 
There I am sitting down at the end of the pool with my feet in the water. In that moment, two of my so-called buddies split up attacking me from each side. I recognized instantly their nefarious plans for me. I quickly arose to my feet anticipating that they would try to grab me somehow and throw me into the pool.
 
At about this time, I’d been practicing Iwama style aikido for several years. Due to my training, I knew that even with my back turned to the pool I still had the advantage with Ni-nin-dori. As they inched closer, I provided my arms out to both of them as targets hoping they’d take the bait. They did! As soon as they grabbed, I raised one arm as if to raise a bokken and stepped toward one of them. I then turned and drew the other arm toward me with my other friend attached. Lastly, I tied them up by crossing their arms. With them tangled and still holding on to me, the pool was now directly behind them and in front of me. I stepped forward and pushed both of them into the pool. Even today I can still hear the sound of them smacking into the water. It puts a smile on my face every time.
 
Look below to see this technique illustrated by Morihiro Saito Sensei. To see this technique in action click on the link to watch Saito Sensei demonstrate it (in YouTube) in the first Ni-nin-dori demonstrated.

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​​I’ve remembered this event from years ago like it happened yesterday. I was just as surprised as they were that it worked so well but of course I was more pleased. It brought to light some crucial principles that I look for in my aikido. Those principles consist of maintaining a relaxed body, keeping connection with my partner, facilitating grounded zanshin, and preserving a non-combative mindset. 

​Relaxation
 
When I was forcibly grabbed, I realized no amount of strength was going to save me. They were both my size and one is a Marine. I say “is” because “once a Marine always a Marine,” regardless if they are still serving. With that said, they both were trying to separate my arms away from my center line. There was no way I could pull myself back into alignment with the pool directly behind me. Relaxation was the only thing that was going to save me from a wet demise. I relaxed my body, stepped toward the Marine first, dropped my body, and used kokyu ryoku (breath power) to enter under his arms.
 
Maintaining Connection
 
As soon as I dropped and entered, my connection with him was set and he instantly became reliant on me for his balance. Had I stiffened my body at all, disconnected, or caused tension in my body it most likely would have broken the grab. For this to work I needed them to hold on.
 
Maintaining connection is one principle that I have really looked into establishing as a keystone in my aikido. Just about everyone that had been an uke for Morihiro Saito Sensei has stated to me that it was like being on ice skates once you touched him. If you watch him on YouTube, you’ll often see uke instantly off balance after the attack and relying on him for stability. I have felt this in many instructors including Hoa Newens Sensei, Hiroshi Ikeda Sensei, Ryuji Sawa Sensei, Shigemi Inagaki Sensei, Hitohira Saito Sensei, Roy Goldberg Sensei, and many more. With them there’s no push or pull with their technique. It’s as if they are reaching into your center and lifting you up causing you to be reliant on them for balance. This is aiki in my opinion.
 
Groundedness
 
The practice of groundedness in hamni (half stance) kept me from being pulled into the pool. At the end of every technique it is important to practice zanshin with a strong stance. Zanshin is a grounded awareness of not just our surroundings but also internally within your body during and after a technique. Even though both of my friends were tied up together, they still maintained strong grips on my arms. With the front foot forward and pointing toward my partners I was able to produce in my hamni stance the strongest structure in the universe, the triangle. If hamni and grounded awareness had not been a part of my practice, they would have successfully yanked me into the water. Instead, the energy of their weight transferred through my body into the front foot and dissipated into the ground thus breaking their grab.
 
Avoiding Fight or Flight
 
Lastly, and probably the most difficult to reproduce in a real-life situation of self-defense, is the principle of remaining in a mindset of non-conflict in order to avoid fighting with them. I believe this is what O-Sensei was trying to convey in his teaching and what most traditions would call the non-dual mind. This mind set does not see in terms of black and white, right or wrong, or us versus them. Instead the mind of non-duality is yes/and. It is accepting of all things that include both the bad and the good or in my case wet and dry.
 
I honestly can’t say that I truly achieved this higher state of consciousness because they were my friends and the consequences were only getting wet. Thus, the principles above were more than achievable to a novice like me. Thankfully, I was able to avoid a fighting state of mind.
  
There you have it, The Pool Story. It’s not a grandiose epic, however, this experience at the pool allowed me to reflect on these principles for years to follow. They have given me a bearing toward a greater understanding of aikido. I feel very fortunate to have had such an event in my life. Even if it was just playful. Nevertheless, it was a moment of conflict turned into harmony through the principles of aikido set  into motion by O-Sensei- a human being that I believe achieved far more than just feats of physicality but also a way of being that we should all strive to realize.  

by Hoa Newens
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[This essay was originally published on Awase Newsletter - July 2018 and is posted here to complement the preceding blogpost titled "Zanshin"]

​In martial arts as well as in certain esoteric circles the concept of no-mind (mushin, 無心) generally refers to the desirable mental state in which our consciousness is crystal clear and undisturbed by thoughts or emotions. Most forms of meditation also uses this state as a goal or an intermediate stage for further practice.

On the face of it, the concept of no-mind seems to reject the utility of the mind, and poses a serious contradiction to our western culture which glorifies mental achievement and put mind on some of the highest social pedestals. In this essay we examine the essence of this incongruity and explain the need for no-mind.

People regularly use the term “mind” to mean consciousness, awareness, self, mental state, or thoughts. Consider these idiomatic expressions: make up one’s mind; get something out of your mind; have something in mind; speak your mind; mind your own business.

To clarify the subject matter of this discussion, we make the following distinctions.

Consciousness is the inherent intelligence that animates a sentient being. This intelligence is of a divine source that precedes Existence. It is the aspect of a sentient being that makes it alive. In certain contexts we also refer to consciousness as Spirit or Soul.

Awareness is a cognitive function of Consciousness that recognizes various forms of energy within Existence. Consciousness, which is pure by nature, acquires Awareness as it projects into Existence.

A human being is endowed with pure consciousness at birth, a piece of the omnipresent divine consciousness. The human consciousness gradually recognizes various elements of Existence through awareness. Awareness builds up overtime until it begins to differentiate itself from the rest of Existence. Then a Self emerges as a distinct entity from the original consciousness. The Self continues the cognitive process of consciousness and builds a Mind of its own from the awareness that it accumulates.

As it grows, the Mind recognizes its earthly limitations since it has separated from its infinite source and realizes that its primary motive is to preserve the newly born Self. As soon as the need to preserve and protect arises, threats are perceived, and the Emotion of “fear” is born. As Mind continues to grow by bumping into Existence, other human emotions come to life: anger, jealousy, sadness, etc.

At one point in its growth, Mind becomes aware of the cycles of nature and register these repetitive patterns as it creates the concept of Time. One cycle becomes a unit of time. Temporal awareness slowly grafts itself onto various human activities including daily routines as well as cyclical activities according to the seasons.

With time, Mind further develops the ability to compare and to measure, until the capacity that we call Intellect is born. The intellect is further developed and reinforced through our education process. The intellect accumulates Knowledge and creates its own set of rules that we call Sciences. One such rule dominates all others and is known as Logic. Another key rule that is derived from the coupling of finiteness and time is Efficiency. These two rules build the essential fabric for our modern society.

As it happened, in the West, the Intellect grows rapidly and dominates all other facets of the original Mind, and often usurps its powers and authority to become “the mind”.

In this way, little mind that was a part of big Mind wants to proclaim itself the whole Mind. Consequently, mental ability becomes the highest faculty of human being and takes up residence in the penthouse of the body, the brain (so it thinks).

The evolution of Western society has reduced the original Mind, which is a differentiated part of cosmic consciousness, into the smaller component, the intellectual mind, sometime referred to as the thinking mind.

In our current society, mind has become a dictator who condemns anything and everything that is not its derivative. An autistic savant is a special mental health case. Faith healing, intuition, life force and telepathy are unexplained phenomena relegated to esoteric realms outside of mainstream sciences.

Little mind goes so far as creating its own offspring, labeled artificial intelligence, with the goal of replacing human mental activity, and possibly humans themselves. In other words, it is preparing a coup to take over Divine Creation and create a new form of life.

A number of science fiction writers have already visualized these scenarios and several have already been made into movies (Google artificial intelligence in movies).

Despite this dire futuristic view, fortunately, our universe has a self-correcting mechanism: when life reaches an extreme it begins the reverse flow.

A growing group of frontier scientists have realized the limitations of mind and have initiated exploration beyond the boundaries of sciences. Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity toppled the traditional Newtonian model and spawned a new trend. Einstein declares: “Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex… It takes a touch of genius – and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction”, and that “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world”, and further “A human being is part of a whole called by us the universe.”

The revolution to restore mind to its former glory as Mind has begun. A new breed of frontier scientists are more readily accepting the notion that reality might also contain a non-physical dimension that includes consciousness and the human soul, and also the possibility of multiple parallel universes.

We have led the discussion thus far mainly to show that through human history mankind has not been using the Mind properly and has caused a depreciation of the Mind, mostly by focusing excessively on the thinking faculty and while ignoring largely more omnipotent faculties of consciousness.
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Then what is the correct perspective on Mind?

Mind as we see it, is a post-birth transformation of a part of the divine Consciousness that animates an individual human being. Our mind is an allotment of divine consciousness that is focused on our physical world and is dedicated to help us navigate this world, including figuring out what our purpose in this life is and how we can accomplish it with the tools available to us.

If we view Mind in this manner, certain corollaries follow naturally.

The mind is provided to us as a tool to help our physical being adapt to the physical world. As such, it has four uses, which are described here in increasing complexity.

First, mind is used to direct the body, that is, to initiate and control its activities. For example, in a voluntary motion the mind sets a purpose for the body to accomplish, monitors the execution of the motion and gives the body feedback so that it can fine-tune the motion.

Second, mind helps us understand our environment so that we can adapt and thrive. During its daily activity the human being constantly bumps into its environment, and mind helps us to learn about the properties of the environment so that we can find the best way to survive and thrive. Here is where the intellectual faculty comes in most handy. For example, the mind helps the body recognize that fire is hot and that it should not come into direct contact with it, but also that fire can be harnessed to provide warmth and to transform raw fauna and flora into human food.

Third, mind helps our consciousness process the lessons learned in daily life. Most of these lessons are learned through effort and failure during our interaction with our environment including interaction with other human beings. Here is when the capacity of mind to feel emotions plays an important role. Through the education process, mind learns to fear failure. Following a failure, Mind suffers through a temporary downshift then bounces back and searches for cause and effect connection to identify the cause of failure. It uses the results to adjust itself and the body to prepare for the next attempt.

Fourth, at the higher level of functioning, the Mind introspects and questions itself and its own existence then directs the ensuing spiritual quest of the human being. It engages in a search for a deeper meaning of its existence because it senses that it misses the presence of something larger than itself that would bring more comfort, peace and lasting joy.

To aid in furthering the understanding of the proper uses of mind, we describe below instances of inappropriate uses of mind.

Mind should not be used to alter our environment. Existence, including our universe as we know it, has been present for eternity. Human beings came into the picture recently as one small element, and have no right or reason to upset the pre-existing balance. To survive and thrive, there is no need for human beings to cause massive changes to our environment, including sentient beings at all levels, from rocks to humans. We may need to move the soil a little to build shelter and grow food; we may cause some friction with other beings (animal and human) in our hunt for scarce resources; we may need to rearrange or displace certain natural groupings such as move and transport certain things and animals out of their natural habitat due to our need to congregate; we may create mechanisms and systems to facilitate and enhance our life on earth.

But we must not go so far as to upset the balance in our ecosystem to such extent that it becomes detrimental to other life forms, and our own. When our human-manufactured plastic fills the oceans with trash and debris that kill birds and fishes, then we have gone too far. When we generate greenhouse gas and other polluting elements including an abundance of chemicals (some labeled as medicinal drugs) that destroy such essential elements to the food chain as our bio-diverse coral reef ecosystems, we have gone too far.

Similarly, when we have created so much automation that the body and the mind are in lack of work-out and their inborn potential faculties are diminished due to lack of use, we have gone too far. Witness the obesity epidemic, the lack of true artistic creation reminiscent of ages past, and the myriad of social issues arising from lack of meaningful interpersonal communication.

Mind should not be allowed free rein. Mind is a special power granted to us by the Divine for the purpose of navigating the physical realm and making sense of our stay on earth. For this purpose, Mind can function as the intellect and create sciences to accumulate knowledge. However, mind must not be allowed to build multiples layers and structures to sustain itself, aggrandize and perpetuate, to such extent that it usurps the position of its originator, Mind. As explained earlier, humans tend to let Mind degrade into mind, specifically the intellect, when they focus narrowly on their physical activities on earth. Allowing the intellect to rule our life without constraint is like allowing a child to govern a nation; lacking the breadth of an adult perspective, the juvenile ruler will surely focus on its immediate needs at the exclusion of all other beings’. Was it proper scientific application to create nuclear bombs that eliminated two hundred thousand human lives? As philosophers Francois Montaigne and Rene Descartes have pointed out, science without conscience is but the ruin of the soul. Science has its limited utility and it must be kept under leash by Mind, which in this context, represents Spirit.

Presently, little mind is taking humans deep into a world that it created with our blessing, called the digital world. Our youth spends untold hours living with digital friends, communicating through digital media, and toggling back and forth between this digital world and the physical world without distinction. Should we let this trend ride unchecked into the future, we can foresee the atrophy of the physical body and the thinking mind, and the eventual disappearance of our physical world.

Mind must not be allowed to denigrate or disavow big Mind. As we pointed out earlier, little mind is a constituent of Awareness, which itself comes from the Consciousness that is allotted to each of us at birth. Little mind is the tiny tip of the Mind iceberg in the ocean of Consciousness. The huge part of consciousness that is submerged and often ignored and referred to as sub-conscious is the part that carries our divine heritage and links us to the ocean. This submerged part contains our true human potential and stays submerged so that we can float in the ocean of life. Were it not for the submerged part, the tip would not float. To navigate to its true destination, little mind should constantly dig deep into the submerged Mind to find guidance. The way to do that is to go deep, that is, to dive into meditation, and not to build more towers on the tiny surface above water.
When mind does not reach inward to its roots for support, and instead permanently point outward it will run out of motherly sustenance and head toward self-annihilation, with the eventual demise of the individual.

Mind should not be fed incessantly. By its nature, mind needs constant stimulation. Mind is a form of subtle energy, and energy constantly flows. Therefore, mind is always in need of objects that it can hook on to propel itself and will grab any stimuli that is recognized by our senses: a sight, a sound, an odor, a taste, a tactile sensation. Especially in our digital age, there is no lack of stimulation, thanks to texting, Facebook,  e-books, podcast, electronic games, 24/7 radio and TV broadcast, and the ubiquitous smart phone. If we do not consciously exercise restraint, the mind beast will avail itself to this massive feeding, and consequently gobble up all sorts of useless data which are absorbed into our mental make-up and covertly affect all of our decisions.

Photos and videos on Facebook and YouTube captivate our consciousness and drain our energy. In its early years, the Internet might have proven to be a useful invention, but nowadays it is beginning to become the scourge of mankind and the black hole of consciousness. Only information that serves our goals becomes useful knowledge to the mind. Information that exists to be devoured by the mind just to satisfy itself is clutter. An overly active mind will squander its energy into useless spins which will cause such ailments as attention deficit disorder, nervousness and anxiety. When mind cannot find an anchor and is not actively forming thoughts or feelings, its energy is dissolved and re-absorbed into the next more refined level, which in this case is awareness. When the mind is stilled, its energy is recycled into consciousness.

Now more than ever, there is an urgent need to shake free of the shackles of mind and find the true meaning of life by turning inward and listening to that little inner voice that has undoubtedly sounded the alarm of our mental excesses. If going inward proves too difficult, we should at least slow down and watch and listen to Nature, and realize the changes that are taking place as a consequence of our misdirected mental activity.
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For those of us involved in the practice of Aikido, we should make it a part of our practice to still the body, the breath and the mind. Only when the mind is still, will the layers of mundane dust that it has acquired drop off to gradually reveal our true Mind. Then we discover the real meaning of Aikido. This is the direction that we should take, rather than projecting outward and entertaining ourselves with new forms, or make comparisons to form useless opinions.
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In summary, each of us is a soul born out of universal consciousness. A physical body and a mind are given to the soul so that it can adapt to living environment on earth and learn lessons. We should always remember that the body is controlled and animated by the mind, and that the mind serves, and is guided by, the soul. Lessons are harder to learn when this order is not respected and we allow the part to separate from, and control, the whole.
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Hoa Newens

by Hoa Newens

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​Zanshin is the soul of martial arts

In the Budo environment, zanshin has traditionally been linked with the moment immediately following the execution of a technique, such as the release of an arrow in Kyudo, the completion of a Karate kata, the completion of a lethal cut in Iaido, the completion of a throw in Aikido. Experience has shown that these are the most vulnerable moments of a warrior, and zanshin reminds the warrior to not let down his guard yet.

Zanshin (残心)is best translated as “lingering awareness” and refers to the state of alertness that must be maintained even when the risk or danger appears to have subsided. It also means that the alertness is always on, irrespective of the degree of risk. It is a state of consciousness that has vast applications in life.  

In general, martial arts can be viewed as movements performed with zanshin for control purpose. Recall the story of the tea master with no sword fighting skill who successfully warded off a samurai by adopting a solid defense stance with zanshin? That’s right; the same zanshin used in Chado can be used for martial purpose. Conversely, without zanshin, there is no martial art.

Zanshin makes the technique effective, irrespective of the purpose. The most well-thought out technique or tactic executed without zanshin will not have the desired effect. With zanshin, intense awareness allows the subject to assess circumstances accurately and bring to bear all resources available to accomplish the action. The action can be as simple as placing the tenth pebble on a vertical stack of nine.

A hit on the target is the result of the continuous focus of consciousness; the technique is only of secondary importance. You might have seen Miyoko Shida Rigolo on the Youtube video that shows her calm concentration during a balancing act. Watch it then imagine that you are in a fight facing Ms. Rigolo holding a sharp blade.

Zanshin is internal

An average person may display zanshin spontaneously while under extreme danger in order to survive. However, such person would not be able to replicate the feat under normal circumstances. The extreme conditions act as a catalyst that gives a temporary boost of awareness and energy to accomplish the survival act. This temporary change in awareness is caused by external factors and is not part of the normal makeup of the person. On the other hand, a seasoned martial artist is perpetually in a state of relaxed alertness, which can be ramped up instantly into a state of zanshin, at will; such as during a training encounter.

Zanshin is not high alert

Lest we become hyper-stressed we must understand that zanshin is not the same as the fear or fright that leads to hyper-arousal of the body before a fight-or-flight response. Zanshin is pure consciousness being aware of its environment; there is no mind involvement, no judgment of any kind, hence no fear. There is no stress and hardly any tension. There are calmness and acceptance. Therefore, practicing zanshin is not the same as the state of mind when one prepares to deal with a crisis.

What happens in zanshin?

During zanshin, the subject is totally focused on the present moment; that is, consciousness that would normally be consumed by thoughts and worries regarding the future or thoughts and feelings about the past, is suddenly made available and concentrated on a single instant. This moment.
In this timeless moment (no past and no future), our consciousness regains its wholeness, as well as its natural access to universal consciousness. In that one moment our energy is abundant and fluid, allowing us to draw from resources beyond our normal individual physical and mental capacities. If we know the technique and are willing to receive, we can avail from these resources.

The problems are, first, these timeless moments are rare; second, most of us are inhibited by unfamiliarity with these powerful resources; and lastly, we do not know how to receive and use these resources.

How to increase zanshin?

As alluded to in the discussion above, the answer is a three-pronged approach.

Be in the moment. How often are you clear-headed, lighthearted and bubbling with joie de vivre? Most of the time we are saddled with thoughts and emotions related to past events or future worries. We need to let go of these thoughts and feelings and practice being present, in the moment. Thoughts and emotions lock up our energy and create traffic jam in our energetic grid when we need to rally the troops urgently. Here is a simple practice: close your eyes, be completely still, let go of all thoughts and emotions, and feel your body and feel alive. The more we practice this presence, the more we increase the occurrences of timeless moments that open portals to our original Source.

Have no fear of losing your mind. In those timeless moments, we lose our sense of self. Fear will naturally set in because our sense of self is comforting. Our normal sense of self (our ego) is derived from our continuous identification with our thoughts and emotions since the beginning of our life. Without my accumulated thoughts and emotions, what am I? Try this: sit still, hold on to no thoughts and let go of all emotions, and see how long you can hold this state. A distracting thought might be “This is a waste of my time” or “This doesn’t make any sense”. Our ego will come up with all kinds of excuses to let the mind return to its usual monkey business. To realize the power of the present moment, we must trust firmly that letting go temporarily of the thinking mind and of our feelings is liberating. Have no fear of losing your mind. Practice a little every day to get used to these no-mind instants. [For additional discussion on the mind refer to my essay Mind and Mutiny published in the Awase newsletter in July 2018.]

Ride the flow and go forth. When we have conquered the fear of losing our mind and our feelings, a large portion of our consciousness is released and becomes available to face the present. When facing the moment, this chunk of additional consciousness captures all the glorious details of life and transforms into increased awareness that in turn creates clarity. The path forward is unequivocally clear. Concomitantly, the boosted consciousness links up with the universal consciousness and automatically creates the favorable conditions and resources that we need. Whatever comes to us at that moment, we need to grab it and run with it, trusting completely that it serves our needs, even though it may not make any sense yet. Carpe Diem. In fact, it is imperative that we not let the thinking mind interfere with the flow at this critical juncture.
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Martial artists use this three-pronged approach naturally during high-level training such as jyu-waza or randori. 

​Zanshin in daily life

Beside martial arts, other ways to practice zanshin are derived from meditation; all meditation practices eventually lead to the state of expanded consciousness embodied in zanshin. The more popular methods are derived from the Zen tradition and are built into arts in Japan, such as Sumie, Ikebana, Chado, etc. and all the Budo. The Chinese internal martial arts and Taoist arts also cultivate zanshin, for example through the Zhan Zhuang (pole standing) practice.

However, as explained above, opportunities for zanshin practice abound in daily life. One can practice any moment by focusing intently on the action at hand, allowing no gap in concentration. For example, when walking, consciously retract one leg as you simultaneously extend the other leg, feel your feet landing and rolling on the ground, feel your arms swinging. At other times, even when there is no outward action, such as during moments of stillness, one should remain fully conscious of the body and the mind, tracking any movement (thoughts, sensations, feelings or emotions) as a witness. Such daily practice, even if just for ten minutes, will gradually lead to the state of zanshin.

​Zanshin in Aikido

The approach described above applies to all aspects of our daily life. In Aikido training, we have several tools that help to enhance zanshin.

Code of etiquette. Strict application of etiquette in the dojo and use of proper rei in our relations with other Aikidoka are the easiest ways to practice zanshin.

Connection with training partner. Maintaining continuous connection with our training partners physically and energetically on the mat requires zanshin and makes our techniques more effective and safer. The connection begins at the moment we bow to our training partner and is maintained through the engagement until we bow to disconnect. Remember not to disconnect immediately after you have executed a technique. Note how Saito Morihiro Sensei finished his techniques in his photos or videos.

Ki no nagare, Randori and Embu. These are specialized practices that require solid zanshin. Any deficiency in zanshin is reflected immediately in these trainings. Use them to test your zanshin occasionally.

For now, stop reading and stop thinking; take a deep breath, feel your body full of vital energy. Feel the joy of this moment, taste zanshin.
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Hoa Newens
September 27, 2019

by Hoa Newens

​There should be no question as to the significance of bukiwaza in Aikido training. One just need to glean from all the available pictures of O Sensei holding a bokken or a jo to realize that it was an important aspect of his Aikido training. The practical question that arises often is not whether, but how much bukiwaza: how many hours a week should be devoted to bukiwaza, versus taijutsu?

What is bukiwaza?
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Let’s first clarify this distinction. In Aikido, taijutsu means “body techniques”, and refers to the practice of empty-hand techniques that do not involve the use of weapons. Bukiwaza means “weapon techniques” and refers to the practice of Aikido using weapons such as bokken (wooden sword) and jo (wooden staff). For the purpose of our discussion, we regard the practice of weapon-taking, bukidori, as part of taijutsu.

Though we often see O Sensei wielding a bokken or a jo in extant movies and photographs, it is widely recognized that his student of 23 years in Iwama, Saito Morihiro Shihan, was the key proponent of Aiki Ken and Aiki Jo, the two components of bukiwaza. Saito Shihan organized bukiwaza into six types of practices:

1. Tanren: spirit forging practice such as tanren uchi, which consists of striking with a suburito against a hard object. A similar practice existed with the jo.
2. Suburi: simple moves with the ken (7 ken suburi) or the jo (20 jo suburi)
3. Kata: series of moves with the jo stringed together (13-jo kata and 31-jo kata)
4. Awase: paired practice consisting of simple moves with the ken or jo
5. Kumi: paired practice consisting of complex moves with the ken (kumitachi) or jo (kumijo), or both (kentaijo).
6. Henka and Riai: variations of the above, and correlations between bukiwaza and taijutsu.

 
We should note at this point that there are related arts involving the use of ken (e.g. iaido) and jo (e.g. jodo) that are part of Budo (Japanese martial arts) but are essentially different from Aiki Ken and Aiki Jo in several respects. For our purpose here, suffice it to point out that the key difference is that, in Aiki Ken and Aiki Jo, the weapons serve the body, whereas in the other arts the weapons take precedence and the users have to adapt their bodies to maximize the effectiveness of the weapons.
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Aiki Ken and Aiki Jo are especially created to support taijutsu, and are not intended to be intrinsic arts in themselves. Therefore, no comparison should be made with these other systems of training involving blades or staff.
 
Saito Shihan considered Aiki Ken and Aiki Jo an integral practice of Aikido and went as far as creating an instructor certification program to protect and preserve the critical components of bukiwaza. In order to determine how much bukiwaza to practice, we must first understand how it affects our practice of Aikido.
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​Why bukiwaza?

There are six observable aspects of bukiwaza training that enhance taijutsu and make it an integral part of Aikido training.
 
Reinforce the foundational stances. Aiki Ken is based on the hanmi stance and Aiki Jo is based on the hito e mi stance. These two stances form the foundations of Aikido techniques. Continued practice of Aiki Ken and Aiki Jo reinforces these stances by constantly putting them to the test. Without a solid stance, the ken or jo technique would fail, whereas this is not so obvious in taijutsu.
 
Enhance precision of movement. When using the ken and the jo we treat them as extensions of the body, thus the effect of our hip movements is enlarged, and errors and inaccuracies are easier to spot and fix. The ease of correction contributes to increased precision.
 
Promote extension of Ki. The use of a ken or jo requires constant extension of consciousness and ki (energy) through the weapon, either extending downward when striking with a ken or extending forward when thrusting with a jo. This sustained effort to extend energy creates pathways of energy that help students maintain ki extension in empty-hands techniques.
 
Reinforce alignment and connection of energies. To execute Aiki Ken and Aiki Jo properly we need to continually check the alignment of the weapon with our body center; and the alignment of our center, weapon and partner’s center. This practice ingrains the feeling of alignment and connection between our center and the partner’s center in the long run and transfers it into taijutsu.
 
Promote body integration. In Aikido, we hold the ken and jo with two hands, creating a merging of ki from both sides of the body that is directed toward the target. The two sides of the body bolster each other and work in tandem, such that even when the weapons are not used, as in taijutsu, the feeling of oneness and circularity between right and left persists.
 
Encourage alertness. Use of hard weapons in practice increases the risk of injury through accidents. A simple error in timing or angle may result in a severe bruise. The higher risk encourages the students to be more alert during practice, and this awareness is often carried over into taijutsu.

Bukiwaza alone is not Aikido

As explained above, bukiwaza is important to Aikido practice; it complements Aikido taijutsu but does not represent Aikido. Bukiwaza serves Aikido similar to how the suburi helps to strengthen the kumitachi. The benefits of bukiwaza practice are reflected in the quality of taijutsu. Bukiwaza is not an intrinsic end product in itself; in other words, we do not become sword or jo experts as a result of training in Aiki Ken and Aiki Jo.
 
We should recognize this subordinate relationship to correctly assess the need for bukiwaza within an Aikido training program.
 
Let’s also make it clear that an overemphasis on bukiwaza can be detrimental to a student’s training, mostly due to its lack of human physical contact. To understand this, we need to hark back to the ultimate purpose of Aikido training, which we stated in another blog: we train on the mat to get feedback from our partners as to where our center is and hence, find out who we are. This feedback is initially physical and results from the constant interaction of bodies on the mat. Therefore, when we remove the physical contact, or replace it with a bridge that involves wooden weapons, we diminish the amount and quality of the feedback.
 
Only those experts who have mastered their energy bodies would benefit from an interaction of the energetic bodies during bukiwaza training, with minimum taijutsu training.
 

Bukiwaza training program

We return to the basic question of how much bukiwaza training is optimal?
Based on the complex issues discussed above the reader might have guessed correctly that there is no simple answer. My experience indicates that the sooner the student starts on a weapon training program, the better; what is important is the relative composition of the program. I recommend the following approach.
 
In the first five years (e.g. through shodan) when the student is focused on learning kihon waza (basic techniques) he should emphasize tanren practice, suburi and kata.
 
This solid groundwork will prepare the student well for the next five years (nidan and sandan) during which they can emphasize awase and kumi practice.
 
Once they are thoroughly proficient in the core bukiwaza curriculum, students (around yondan and godan) can explore in earnest the henka and riai practices.
 
Seasoned practitioners (rokudan and above) may intentionally curtail their taijutsu training (perhaps due to physical limitations in advanced age) and increase the bukiwaza training (which is less physically demanding).
 
I still have not mentioned anything about the amount of time one should devote to bukiwaza on a regular basis. The sensei of each dojo should assess the collective level of bukiwaza skill in her dojo and decide how many buki classes to hold a week. A rule of thumb that worked in our case has been 2:1, that is, one third of the classes are devoted to bukiwaza.
 
The 2:1 ratio may not fit the need of every student, so supplementary training may be necessary; in this case, I recommend that students work on suburi and kata regularly outside of class (before or after). It might be beneficial to get together in small groups to polish up awase, kumitachi and kumijo.
 
For a presentation, either as part of an exam or a public demo, I recommend that no more than one quarter of the time be devoted to bukiwaza and the rest should be taijutsu. We should remember that bukiwaza is only a training tool, not the end product, which is better displayed through taijutsu.
 
In summary, I hope to have conveyed to the reader the essential notions that Aikido would be incomplete without bukiwaza, that excellence in Aikido is built with bukiwaza training, and that bukiwaza is a training tool and not the end goal.
  
Hoa Newens
August 30, 2019

by Hoa Newens

At the recent Gasshuku in Bolinas we put into practice the  “ai” of Aikido as I explained the concept throughout the classes. Here is a recap with supplementary comments to further clarify this foundational concept in Aikido.
 
The kanji “ai” in “Aikido” generally means “to come together as one”. Just like the ideogram illustrates, the lid and the pot become one (a container). The word that we often use in training that is derived from this kanji is Awase, which means “blending,” or “to be in sync with each other”.
 
Note that this kanji “ai” is different from the more popularly used kanji “ai” which means love.
 
Within the context of Budo, Ai-Ki suggests the idea of coming together with the Ki of the universe, with Ki representing not just the energy itself but also its multitude of manifested forms, including sentient beings, such as human beings. When we practice Ai-Ki, we come together with other human beings as one.
 
Ai contains two underlying principles that bear on our Aikido training.
 
The first key principle inherent in Ai is connection. Ai-Ki-Do shows us the way to come together with the Ki of the universe. It suggests that the Ki of the universe originally binds us all together (humans and all creatures) and that we have lost this original tie; Aikido shows us the way to reconnect to the universal Ki and to each other. This principle of connection has several important implications in terms of mat practice.

• “Aiki is the harmonizing principle that ties the elements of the world together. It unifies the spirit. It binds things as one.” O Sensei, The Secret Teachings of Aikido.

 
One, we are already connected, we just need to rediscover this link. If there is a way for us to connect then this means that the connection already exists, except that it is dormant. Our work is to dust it up and refresh it, by taking the various paths offered by Aikido training. In this process of rediscovery, rather than adding to the variety and complexity of the techniques, we should aim to narrow our focus and drill in depth. As we dig deep, we can find a few of the hidden links, and they will help us uncover the rest.
 
Two, when training with other people, our attitude should be that of welcoming an old friend, or family member. “Aikido is family”, Saito Sensei used to say. On the mat we should treat each other with love and respect, knowing that we all came from the same source, rather than defending ourselves against opponents. We must willingly train with anyone who bows to us; when they learn, we learn too.

• “The universe is like one family, and the subtle breath of life envelops past, present, and future; comprehending this principle will help guide us in all aspects of our lives.” O-Sensei, The Secret Teachings of Aikido.

 
Three, in the Ai concept, we are connected with all things and creatures, not just Aikidoka or other human beings, through the vast web of Ki in the universe. It is as if each one of us is one strand in a huge tapestry that spans the universe. We need to realize that everything that each one of us chooses to do or be, affects everything else, and vice versa. Therefore, in Aikido training, we should be mindful of our interaction with our training partners in such a way that it results in mutual benefit.
 
Four, since our fates are all linked, we should protect and help all to co-exist at an optimum level. Competition has no ultimate use, except as a temporary boost to shake us out of our lethargy. Competing in Aikido training can only come from inadequate understanding of the essence of Ai.
 
Five, as a further corollary to our connection to the Ki of the universe and to each other, the pathways of connection already exist and represent the multitude of ways that we can interact with each other. This means that all possible Aikido techniques already exist; the student’s work is to tune into the connective matrix and find these pathways/techniques, through personal effort, with or without a teacher’s guidance.
 
The second key principle inherent in Ai is nonresistance. In Ai, the primary force is that of attraction, not resistance. Ai begins with acceptance of what is and moves on with receiving what is coming our way. This key principle has several derivatives.
 
One, Aikido techniques are based on non-resistance. This does not mean passivity but rather an open-mindedness toward the unknown and the uncontrollable, as well as an acceptance of the circumstances of the present moment. We cannot mix well with something unless we already accept it for what it is. The phrase “go with the flow” is a simple expression of this concept. In performing an Aikido technique, I do not go where I want but rather where is best for my training partner and me, given our interaction in the moment. This is easier said than done and takes much conscious effort on the mat.
 
Two, in Ai we attract rather than push away.

• “In my heart, I always attempt to stay centered between heaven and earth and in tune with the universe. When I face an important challenge, beams of white light appear before me and I can stand boldly without fear, amid any turmoil.

. . .

• In Aikido, before an opponent can take a solid stance before us, we must absorb his spirit completely. Use the gravity of your spiritual power to advance” - O Sensei, The Secret Teachings of Aikido.

 
The most advanced way to practice Aikido, or any martial arts, is to move while firmly anchored in the energies of Heaven and Earth, and with such a presence that the opponent’s energy is drawn to one’s center. Serious students are well advised to work on strengthening their stances to fortify their center so that it becomes a powerful magnet.
 
Three, the nonresistance in Ai also implies that our energies are tightly knit, without any gap. In Aikido techniques, though we are absorbing the incoming energy, we are not running away from it; we are with it every moment. This sticking energy is the hallmark quality of good Ukemi: yield just enough and no more than you need to. The more we pay attention to this point in our Ukemi, the better we understand Ai.
 
The Ai of Ai-Ki-Do is vast and deep. I hope that these notes help to point students in the right direction in their training. The only way we can comprehend it is to practice it daily on the mat. Eventually, a deeper understanding of Ai will help us grasp O Sensei’s statement of his own mission in life, upon his enlightenment:

How beautiful
this form of
heaven and earth
created from the Source -
we are all members of one family.
 
Hoa Newens
July 27, 2019

by Hoa Newens

​In 1973, as part of a college course, I read a book titled “The Waste Makers”, by Vance Packard, in which he exposed the way businesses manipulate the needs of consumers to induce excessive consumption, and he predicted the increasing commercialization of American life. The consumer culture has since roared with its excesses wreaking havoc on the environment as well as the human psyche. The bigger the better, more is good, growth is a must.
 
The advent of consumerism was a few decades ago. Now, a new scarier trend has emerged as an offshoot of the habit of “excess”: the one of “extreme”. We are seeing not just increasing violence in movies but that of a gorier and more realistic nature. Use of recreational drugs is not only skyrocketing, the drugs are getting more potent and causing more fatalities. In 1971, the Center for Diseases Control reported 1 death from drug overdose per 100,000 people in the US. In 2014, just over four decades later, that statistic rose to 14.7 deaths per 100,000.
 
The “extreme” trend is showing in mundane facets of our culture. Our vernacular is suffused with extreme terms. “Absolutely” is replacing the simple “yes”; “good” is no longer good enough, “perfect” is; “the best” is not really the best until it is “the best without a doubt”; is “extra special” more special than special?
 
We adore extremes. The best-selling copyrighted book of all time is the Guinness World Records that records annual extremes in human achievements and natural phenomena. Even our healthiest pursuits such as sports are tainted with extreme. Here is a recent headline on the British-based newspaper The Guardian:
 
Why are deadly extreme sports more popular than ever?
Five people died in the French Alps last weekend in sporting incidents from paragliding to wingsuit flying. What pushes people to test the ultimate limits of their own safety?
. . .
It is hard to find exact figures on the popularity of extreme sports, but it is even harder to find anyone who thinks that they aren’t booming. In 2006, the British Parachute Association recorded 39,100 first jumps. Last year there were 59,679. Numbers of “full members” – regular skydivers – have been rising at a similar rate.
. . .
According to a report from the US entertainment company Delaware North, 100 hours of GoPro video are uploaded on to YouTube every minute, and sales of action cameras are growing at 50% a year. “By 2020, extreme sports will challenge professional and collegiate team sports for the title of most-watched category of sports content,” the report says.
. . .
A decade ago, plain base jumping was the new frontier. Today base jumping is tame without a wingsuit, and wingsuits are tame unless you use them to get close to things, at times so close – like Emanuele flying through a 2.6m hole in the rock – that it is obviously dangerous. But the danger made him famous.
 
When I was growing up in the 1960’s, news were helpful bits of information that were shared at appropriate times in the media. Nowadays, there are 24-hour news that are designed to hit your attention rather than help you. Only sensational (read: extreme) news are worthy news; when was the last time you read or watched the news media report anything on the average life of the average American? Instead, this information is buried in boring research archives of government or academia.
 
In modern society, our modes of judgment and value assignment are designed to reward exclusive traits and behaviors: the fastest; the brightest; the cutest; the strongest; etc. everything else does not measure up. Folks who operate at the frontiers of science or any human endeavors usually get more attention than those whose activities are part of mainstream. Pioneers and inventors are honored, and their inventions or ideas bear their namesakes. Those who come after and work hard to develop practical applications get scant mention in the human annals.
 
This way of thinking encourages extreme behavior. It chooses the uniqueness of the abnormal over the commonality of the normal.
 
In our society, average is not good enough, moderate is boring, balanced or centered is not worthy of mention. Along the spectrum of human activities, the general mindset is oriented toward the extremes. This orientation results in three large-scale observable social phenomena.
 
One is that we, as individual human beings are growing further apart from each other. As more people move toward extreme right, the same or more move toward extreme left. As the number of billionaires increases, so does the number of homeless people. Our society is becoming more polarized, and the gaps between factions are getting wider.
 
Two, the above-mentioned polarization creates intense division within the population and conflict within the individual mind, resulting in a faster pace of changes and threats to mental stability. Society is becoming more fragmented and less homogeneous We note with alarm that 1 in 25 U.S. adults has a serious mental illness that limits or interferes with major life activities, and that 18% of U.S. adults – some 40 million people - have anxiety disorders, the most prevalent mental disorder.
 
Three, we are fast getting away from the calming effect of a strong center as our lives are becoming more vulnerable to destabilizing factors arising from the above two observed phenomena and the resulting effects on our living environment.  Global warming and other climate changes are some of those effects.
​
It may appear that the Gods are not watching, and humans are on a path of self-annihilation. One may feel that the current state of the world is deplorable and depressing. Not so fast. Do we really think that tiny humans can truly make a mark in the multi-universe (zillions of worlds) ruled by the Gods? The Gods have designed a built-in control that preserves balance in our universe. Such balancing mechanism reinforces the center of the universe by providing that an extreme state is only a transition to the opposite state. This wonderful balancing system is illustrated by the Yin Yang symbol, also known as Tai Chi symbol.

 
Tai Chi (太极)literally means poles (Chi) of extremes (Tai). Note that, although it is referring to polar extremes, the symbol is not linear, but circular. It illustrates that even though two elements may be heading toward opposite directions; they eventually meet again. This posits that there is a center that exerts a pull on these elements and forces them to revolve around it.
 
In the current social climate of extremes, methods and arts that revolve around the center, that help humans remain anchored to the center, may be losing appeal since they promote the antithesis to the extreme trends. However, the law of Tai Chi ensures that as things move toward one extreme, the seed for reversal germinates and prepares for the next compensatory phase. Refer to the white dot in the midst of the thick black in the symbol. The further away you get from the center the stronger the force that pulls you back, thus creating a turn. You can get as black as you can be, but the center will drop a white dot on you and the only way to go on is to allow the white dot to grow and develop. 
 
The arts of Aikido, meditation and Tai Chi are examples of such centering arts that are currently operating mostly below the radar of the average American, whose attention is captivated most of the times by extremes. Mixed martial artists fighting in a rink is definitely a more popular spectacle than aikidoists training on the mat.
 
During this cyclical period of downtime, it is critical that teachers and students of these centering arts not lose faith in the value of their arts to humankind, and continue to polish their skills and preserve the teachings so that they may participate meaningfully in the upcoming return-to-the-center phase.
 
The statistics may report a relative decline of these arts, but not for lack of need. The need presently exists and is stronger than ever, but it is not being recognized when most of the population is enamored with the fast and furious. Using the opposite to neutralize an extreme is a common fallacy. Only centering can neutralize extremes. Aikido, Tai Chi and meditative arts offer this centering training, and yes, I believe that they can help solve the current mental health crisis – when the opportunity arises.
 
June 28, 2019

by Toby Hargreaves

About three weeks before my exam at the Takemusu Aikido Association Memorial Day Gasshuku this year, I tore a muscle in my rib-cage area. The cause was likely a confluence of two factors: a period of time at work involving long strenuous days and heavy lifting in awkward positions; and my intensifying training schedule at the Dojo.
                Initially I was devastated, as well as in pain, because it hampered my ability to work, as well as required taking time off from classes at the Dojo, and even cast doubt on my ability to test at the Gasshuku. As I took time off, however, and began recovery through resting, icing, ibuprofen, etcetera, I noticed that the process felt oddly good. Of course I was in pain, and very limited in what I could do for several days, but it was refreshing to be listening to my body again.
                There were warning signs before the injury. I strained the muscle in the weeks prior, and it bothered me, but other than noting the pain, I ignored it and didn’t let it get in the way of my daily schedule. In the end, it took a fairly severe muscle tear for my body to get through to command central that it needed some attention.
                Our goal oriented culture is great at getting things done, but it can come at a cost if caring for oneself is not also one of those goals. Our attitude toward the body and its needs tends to be that it is an inconvenient setback when the body fails us. When this happens, we may stop, try to find a fix for the problem by going to the doctor or taking some medications, and as soon as we are able (but often too soon), we are back in action, back in the fray. Could it be that we have it backwards and it was the taskmaster mind that failed to take care of the body?
                Getting injured this time around, I began thinking, maybe I need to shift the way I relate to my body, so that I can practice self-care as a part of my daily routine, and not just when I am forced to out of necessity.
                After recovering from the initial shock of the muscle tear, I noticed my awareness drawing inward. I paid close attention to the injured area, and to what movements were painful and what were fine. I also over the longer term have felt myself become more reflective. I question myself: What happened? Why did I get injured? What was I doing? How was I overextended or vulnerable to injury? I think this reflective process is extremely important, but often the space is not made for it to happen. In society’s hyper-valuing of productivity, of progress, of stoicism and self-sacrifice, you have to run counter to a lot of core values in order to prioritize the body over other external goals. This is especially true for men and boys, who are encouraged to push through pain and “tough it out”. Of course this strength can be invaluable in certain situations, but it can also lead to self-destruction.
                I think injuries and sickness are more likely to occur when we are over extended, stretched thin. We are beyond our base, not grounded, disconnected from our source of strength and energy. Thinking in this way, injuries may be pointing the way to where our training needs to develop.
                 O’Sensei and many other Sensei have affirmed that at the core of Aikido is love. I think we should investigate what that means. Certainly loving and caring for one’s training partners is well understood and talked about. What is less often talked about is love for oneself, and the process of creating internal peace. I think it is tricky to talk about it, because some will interpret self-love as self-infatuation or narcissism. After all, aren’t we training to defeat the ego?
                Turning to a different tradition, many Buddhist teachers (i.e. Cheri Huber, Thich Nhat Hanh) teach that the capacity to love someone or something derives from one’s capacity for self-love. What exactly self-love is, I don’t know, but it does seem to be tied to being present in the moment with the body, the feelings, the perceptions, and consciousness, and valuing what those elements have to say over what external things have to say. As for Aikido practice, I think self-care translates pretty directly to care for others. May we all treat our bodies and those of our partners not as mere tools, but as miraculous gifts and integral to the Path.
 
 (Submitted on 5/23/19 as requisite essay for Yondan)