by Hoa Newens

Katsuhayabi calligraphy by O Sensei next to Aikido calligraphy by Saito Morihiro Shihan. Aikido Institute Oakland, California

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In the early eighties, the students at the Aikido Institute of Oakland (California) organized multiple fund-raising events to acquire a calligraphy of the kanji 勝速日 (katsu-haya-hi), authored by O Sensei. This calligraphy is displayed as part of the dojo shomen as an exhortation to all students. The more complete phrase is:

正勝 吾勝 勝速日
masakatsu agatsu katsuhayabi

All serious students of Aikido will have studied at some point in their training career the words of O Sensei. They would have identified certain common themes, among them, the concept expressed by Masakatsu agatsu katsuhayabi, which can be simply translated as “The correct victory is to overcome the self, in this instant”. As to the deeper meaning of it, several interpretations exist; I offer my humble understanding below.

O Sensei often used this phrase in his lectures to describe the principle of Aikido that allows us to become one with the universe. Considering that it was a refrain in his talks and that he authored many calligraphic versions, it must have been a key element of his martial art. He stated that “This supreme principle is symbolized by the Shinto deity Masakatsu katsuhaya hi ame oshihomi no mikoto.” [The Secret Teachings of Aikido, Kodansha 2007, as translated by John Stevens. All subsequent quotes from O Sensei come from this source.]

In ancient cultures throughout the world, every important aspect of life is overseen and represented by a divine authority, so it was with Japan through the Shinto religion. In the harsh living conditions of the rugged terrain of medieval Japan people lived at the mercy of Mother Nature and her whims, and naturally worshipped a host of deities and sought their help. Shinto places strong emphasis in purity and in living in harmony with nature, so it is no wonder that self-purification has its place in the Shinto’s hall of divinity.

O Sensei explained:

Misogi equals budo. . . Purify yourself, purify the world. Our work is like a lotus rising from the mire. . . In order to protect nature, we must cleanse ourselves of defilements. We must not be willful and selfish.

As with most oriental languages and concepts, their meanings are derived from contextual information. Focusing on the literal meaning alone often results in incongruencies and confusion. Below is an excerpt of O Sensei’s talk that provides relevant context for the subject phrase:

Aiki is activated by the resonance of the spirit of the universe’s grand design. Utilize the cosmic resonance to generate unlimited power, to discern the universe, to return to the heart of the universe, to become the universe. . .
The cosmic resonance of the spirit of the universe enables you to unify mind and body. By extension, that spirit can bring the hearts of all people of the world together. . .
In order to master utilizing the cosmic resonance of the spirit of the universe, you need to set aright your own heart and to establish your true self. For this purpose, we have the misogi techniques of Aikido. Misogi techniques forge the great spirit of love, protect the divine principles, and give purpose to your life. Masakatsu agatsu katsuhayabi is the form we must assume. It reveals the inner principles of this great and beautifully functioning universe. That is because all things originate from one source. Perceive the true nature of the universe, incorporate it within you, make it your base, and open your eyes – that is the grand purpose of the practice of Aikido.

You may have to read this passage more than once. The meaning of it is backward and can be summarized as follows. The ultimate purpose of Aikido training is to become one with the universe through self-purification using the method embodied in the phrase Masakatsu agatsu katsuhayabi. Such self-purification allows us to tune into the cosmic resonance of the spirit of the universe, which brings us to mind-body oneness and ultimately oneness with the universe, since all things originate from one source.

Though it is not our purpose here to discuss the cosmic resonance of the spirit of the universe, it would be helpful for our understanding of this passage to hold the image of the heavenly spirit descending on earth and creating life as we know it. Thus, life is viewed as the echo of the descending heavenly spirit bouncing back from earth.

From this contextual background we can infer that Masakatsu agatsu katsuhayabi is the form of training that we must undertake in Aikido to purify ourselves and become one with the universe. It is not so much an esoteric concept, but rather a formula to guide our training.

Instead of analyzing the literal meaning of the kanji, which is: “correct – victory – self – victory – victory – soon – day”, we should examine the practical ramifications of this phrase using the other requisite contextual element, namely training experience. True understanding will not be achieved until we have sufficiently trained our bodies and ingrained therein the Aiki principles. These seeds will be nurtured by the ki of the body and gradually germinate upward through the different layers of our being and finally deliver spiritual blooms that will reveal the secrets of the universe, as O Sensei stated.

Based on our five and a half decades of training we arrived at the following principles that we hope will help elucidate further the concept of Masakatsu agatsu katsuhayabi. The reader may get a modicum of guidance from this explanation; however, there is nothing that can take the place of diligent mat training in accordance with these principles on the path to understanding Masakatsu. Start from the physical forms, move on to the energetic contents, then explore the intangible essence. O Sensei admonished us thus:

The Way cannot be expressed in words or theories but must be found in the resonance that sustains existence.

The purpose of Budo training is to purify the self 

The object of Aikido training is not out there but within us. We are not trying to vanquish an evil outside of us. It is our own self that needs to be worked on.

The point is not to take another person down. It is not to win a contest. It is not even to apply a technique on an uke. The point is to use our interaction with another person, an object (a jo, bokken, tanren tire, makiwara, etc.) or other training implements to gather feedback on ourselves. Send a message and receive what comes back. Use the counterparty as sounding boards to find out about the self in us, and what it is made of. Sort of testing our mettle. Over time, numerous trials and errors will lead us to find our center and our training partner’s center.

For practice, the first order of training is to work directly on our own body using simple tools and exercises to strengthen the basic structure. The initial personal focus prepares us for the next level in which we take on more variables and interact with other persons. After obtaining a wide range of feedback from interpersonal contacts, we finally circle back to the personal focus and jump to the deeper level of mind practices. At this level too, we should strengthen the basics first before delving in more complex practices.

The list below illustrates the order of training.

Solo practices

• Kamae (Body stances)
• Tai Sabaki (including rolling)
• Ken and Jo Sabaki
• Ken and Jo Suburi, and Jo Katas
• Tanren undo
• Kokyu undo

Partner practices

• Awase Taijutsu
• Taijutsu waza (various levels) including ukemi
• Awase Ken & Jo
• Kumiwaza Ken & Jo
• Riai

Mind practices

• Kokyu ho (Breath practices)
• Chinkon kishin (Meditation)

The true self within us is pure and fragile and is protected by several energetic shells enveloping it. The key to opening the doors on these shells is to cleanse each layer thoroughly; once cleaned, the layer can be moved to the side to create an opening to reach the next inner layer. It is like going through many sliding doors in a castle before entering the inner quarters where the lord sits.

The self that must be purified is our mind 

The mind directs the development of the body: every decision of the mind results in an effect on the body. What to eat or drink, how much to exercise, how much to cater to the body’s wants, how we respond to impulses, how to hold the body in movement, etc. These are all mental choices.

The ordinary mind is ruled by our ego, which is a fragment of consciousness that has detached from the mother source by grabbing on to hooks of this world and now has become a conscious unit. Since it came from a larger whole it always longs for security and for wholeness. For this purpose, it grows by grabbing onto more things of this world. This growth is necessary for our survival and safety, up to a certain point.

When unbridled, the mind leads us into various entanglements with the world, which take us further from the spirit. The more outward the mind manifests the more it gets us tangled up and attached to worldly things, creating karmic bonds that defile its original purity.

To reconnect with pure spirit, we need to shake off this mundane detritus from the original mind. We must erase the karma and purify the mind.

This is the intent of our training; we do not train our mind in order to make the body stronger so that we gain more control of our external world. Rather, we train our body to cleanse our mind. During mat training, mind activity such as judgment should be kept to the minimum, or even shut off if safe.

The mind must be rid of impurities to return to the heart of the universe 

Our mind originated from the universal consciousness; it became a “mind” of its own when it separated from the mother consciousness by being “born” into the physical world and grabbing on to the mundane things of the world. The more it grows the more entrenched it gets and it becomes stuck like a fly is caught on a spider web. To extricate itself the mind-fly must dissolve the silk fibers trapping it in place one by one; it must undo its own doing.

Once the mind burns the chains and lets go of the worldly attachments such as greed and pride it can free itself and begin the journey home. Letting go gets us home, whereas acquiring more stuff weighs us down and shackles our energies. Therefore, a simple lifestyle and an orderly environment are most helpful to our training.

Drop the illusion of the mind at once to achieve liberation 

To be able to let go the mind must realize that its worldly possessions are its own creations and have no substance. They are like a story in a movie that can be turned off instantly by switching off the projector. We all know that it is not easy to turn off a movie when the mind is fully engaged in it; but when it is off, we often relish the realization that it was just a movie.

To achieve liberation all it takes is the realization that this world is an illusion created by our mind. This realization can occur in this instant. It works similarly to door locks that are based on magnets; when you scan your key card and demagnetize the lock the door instantly opens.

Although the opening happens instantly, we have to work hard to create the key card that causes all the rubbish to drop off our mind and release the unpolluted consciousness within. In training, we must use tanren (spirit forging) practices, or engage in shugyo (ascetic practices) and build the discipline and courage that are needed to effect letting go.

The body serves the mind, and the mind serves the spirit 

The key tools that we have been provided with to liberate ourselves are our body and the mind-to-be consciousness that came with it. They both had a strong connection to the universal consciousness at our birth. The body was to be used as a projection of the mind into the world, and the mind was to help keep the body in shape and in contact with the mother ship.

The mind was to listen to the voice of the universal spirit and direct the body. The body serves the mind and the mind serves the spirit. Not the other way around. We should periodically examine our lifestyle and training to ensure that this living order is maintained.

We are given a body so that it can be controlled by the mind and steered toward the salvation of our soul. We would go against Nature’s law if we were to let the body dictate its ways and have our mind cater to the needs of the five senses. Similarly, if we were to let the egoistic mind usurp spiritual power, it would appropriate all resources at its disposal to aggrandize itself while denying the existence of the spirit.


It is unfortunate that most modern societies in our world do not presently reflect the principles explained above. The primacy of consciousness is being buried under misguided scientific institutions that are dominated by mind logic and dedicated to pampering the senses and growing egos. Our socio-political systems are becoming slaves to egos and are operating in ignorance of the laws of Nature. Even religious institutions and systems are altering their teachings and practices to aggrandize their flocks and power.

This is a crucial time to heed O Sensei’s exhortation:

Masakatsu Agatsu Katsuhayabi.
In Budo the true work is to overcome the self; make it happen!