May 20, 2008

Yoshinkan Aikido’s Three Key Principles

It is often said that kamae, aikido’s basic posture holds the secrets to its power. I’m sure you have heard this from other teachers, if you have been to seminars. I know my students have all heard it more than once. Ando Sensei reinforced the point regularly. And of course he was taught by Shioda Gozo Sensei who obviously transmitted the lesson to him. But what does it mean; if you understand kamae you understand the secrets to aikido’s power. Perhaps it would be helpful to look at the key principles used to govern Yoshinkan Aikido’s techniques. It is important to understand that these principles are build upon the one another, meaning if the first principle is weak the others can’t be achieved. They may be all practiced concurrently however, and the results of the training are cumulative.

Chushin Ryoku, Centre Power is simply the body’s ability to maintain an erect posture and control its centre of gravity. This is easily said, not so easily done. We must first be able to sense our centreline and understand when it is perfectly straight. Of course, aikido is a dynamic art requiring at times explosive body movements. As babies, we had to learn to stand before we could walk and walk before we could run. Why? Because we had to develop a sense of our centre of gravity and how to control it before we could begin to move first slowly then fast. Aikido is the same, but at a different level. Throughout our life we develop what is akin to coping strategies to bad posture, poor gait, and misaligned body parts and so on. We have to relearn how to feel our centre of gravity and our body alignment in aikido in order to develop Centre Power. Without understanding this principle, it is impossible to truly go further. Aikido can never have real power unless you develop it. How is it developed? Through kamae Centre Power is born. The first step is to understand and practice kamae.

Shuchu Ryoku, Focused Power is the second principal. This power is realized by being able to coordinate all of your power to one point – one point of contact and one point in time. In other words you must learn to move your strong centre and apply your power to one point of focus. This means that once you can maintain your centre in a static position, kamae, you must then learn to coordinate it on the move. In come the kihon dosa, basic movements. The kihon dosa are the tools we use to learn to maintain our Centre Power on the move thus developing Focused Power. The kihon dosa have other purposes as well to support the development of this power including: leg and hip strengthening; developing knee and ankle flexibility and; stabilizing the shoulder girdle. But in truth their main purpose is the development of Focused Power.

Kokyu Ryoku, Breath Power is the most elusive of the principles. It often defies description and because so few of us have achieved a level where we can ‘summon’ it at will, we have very few explanations of what it is and how it is developed. Because Breath Power, the direct Japanese translation of the words, sounds so out there for some of us who prefer more tangible concepts, I often explain it to my students as Timing Power. It seems to give more meaning to the principle when you think of it as a coordinated effort to match your partner’s speed, energy, power, and rhythm, than it does to think of it as a coordinating your breath with that of your partner’s.

There is nothing you can do to develop kokyu ryoku, but practice aikido diligently with the right spirit and by training to develop the first two principles. kokyu ryoku cannot be taught. It develops naturally from continual training.

Ando Sensei once described kokyu ryoku like this. He said kokyu ryoku is acquired unconsciously. We can develop shu chu ryoku through training in the basic movements and basic techniques. The feeling is like breathing out, consciously. Think of it. The techniques always have us pushing our power out, into our partner. We can consciously breathe out again and again, but eventually we will have an involuntary reflex to breathe in, to absorb the energy we have consciously expelled. We will inspire naturally without any conscious effort. This is the analogy of how kokyu ryoku develops. Practice the movements and techniques again and again, developing shuchu ryoku and one day, without knowing how it came about, you will be able to absorb your partner’s power, timing your movements, speed and breath with their’s. You will have experienced and achieved that which is known as kokyu ryoku.

That is what is meant by the ‘secret to aikido is in kamae.’ If you don’t understand the purpose and training required each time you stand in kamae, your kamae will not develop and you will not develop Centre Power. Consequently, you will not be able to achieve true Focused Power despite all your efforts. And Breath Power will remain something out of a science fiction movie that only little old Japanese masters can understand and use.

Train hard everyday at Aikido and remember everything you do in training has a purpose. The secrets lie in the details and the simplest things – Kamae!

~Stephen Ohlman

Relationships

It is interesting that the Japanese martial way of aikido which has evolved out of battlefield hand-to-hand combat techniques of feudal Japan have come to be a method of understanding relationships. It is hard to think of the fighting strategies of medieval Japanese knights, the samurai as having any connection with the philosophies for developing good interpersonal relationships in modern society. It is however the case. If we ponder the reasons, it may be because even the samurai realized that it was hard to do battle with a foe that wasn’t there. As the saying goes, “It takes two,” or more, “to tango.” Warriors of old spent hour upon hour practicing for a time, sometimes the only time they would do battle. During their practice they would time and time again engage in serious training with others. It is impossible to become skilled at any fighting art without the participation of others. And like the samurai who would go on learning quests to test their skills and learn new ones, aikidoka must practice with a wide range of people in order to develop. Of course, we must develop strong technical skills, but just as importantly we must develop our interpersonal skills. By meeting and practicing with a wide range of people we can, though experience, develop an understanding of people in general. We can learn to sense people’s intent.

When people first begin their study of aikido, they see it as a means of self-defence in which to learn some fighting technique or strategy to overcome others should a conflict arise. When I began my budo studies at the ripe old age of twelve, I was not a very aggressive person. Although bigger than most lads my age, I believed, as most young teenaged boys, that at some point I was going to have to fight for some cause. Being quite passive and not very athletic, I figured that my best chances of survival from the perceived dangers I felt were eminent, was to study martial arts as one of my childhood heroes James Bond had done.

That is where my pursuit of the ultimate fighting strategies began. And I learned a lot of them. In time, my repertoire of techniques to injure, mangle and maim others grew as did my confidence that should my skills be called into use I would be ready for the confrontation. It wasn’t until well over a decade later that I began to see my training differently. I had just graduated from the International Instructor Course in Yoshinkan Aikido, obtained my sandan, 3rd degree black belt, and was accepted into the dojo of my teacher Ando Tsuneo Sensei.

The change in the aikidoka’s spirit is subtle and takes time to develop. It is not as though someone takes years of perceptions and changes them with a simple explanation. It must be understood that Ando Sensei spoke very little English when we met and I understood even less Japanese. As my Japanese improved, I began to realize that Sensei was talking about partners, not opponents. This message was reinforced daily in every practice. It wasn’t something I was used to hearing, but it gave me comfort to think that as I tried daily to nock Ando Sensei’s block off, he considered me his friend, his partner in a necessary relationship to study aikido. Unfortunately, our relationship ended time and time again with me being smashed to the ground. As I said previously, changes in perceptions take time and the way to achieve understanding is sometimes long and painful, but always well worth it.

Now in my lessons to my students I often talk about relationships, both physical and interpersonal. Physically, in aikido we must not concentrate our effort on ‘doing’ something to our partner. Rather, we must focus on how to achieve a certain physical relationship between our partner(s) and ourselves. This is a very difficult concept to explain verbally and it is best understood by seeing it or better yet feeling it. That being said, there exists in aikido techniques optimal positions (physical relationships) between shite and uke when initiating and realizing a technique. Through experience and guidance from a skilled teacher, we can come to understand that the correct relationship between people is the way to achieving a positive outcome – in this case the completion of a technique. Once we can understand the connection between the physical relationship and the technique, the ‘secrets’ of aikido begin to be revealed to us. We can in time understand what the masters mean by ‘one technique is all techniques.’

During the 5th International Instructor Course that I participated in, Ando Sensei had to stop teaching full-time at the Yoshinkan Hombu Dojo. He had been running his own dojo for sometime and it was growing to the point where he could not teach full-time at two locations. In addition, his young wife had been stricken with cancer and the majority of the responsibilities of the household and their two young children were left to him. His last day as a full-time teacher at the Hombu Dojo was a very sad day for me and I think for him as well. Luckily, I eventually gained admittance into his dojo upon completion of the Course. But I digress. On the day Ando Sensei left the Hombu Dojo, he had done as he had so many times before, used me as uke. It was an amazing day! He taught technique after technique. He kept explaining how every technique was the same. At that time I didn’t understand, but I knew it had to be important. In time I understood every technique is the same once I realized the importance of the relationship between shite and uke. An aside from that last day was the final technique Ando Sensei did or perhaps didn’t do to me. It is to this day the most interesting technique I have ever felt or not felt, but more on that another time.

Relationships in aikido from a philosophical point of view is summed up by one of the most powerful statements ever made by Shioda Gozo Sensei, the late founder of the Yoshinkan style of aikido studied at the Hiryukan was this, and I paraphrase, “When someone comes to you with the intent of killing you, the strongest aikido is to keep the mind that they are your friend.” I once watched a Japanese television clip where this quote was read aloud. The audience and T.V. show hosts alike gasped and exclaimed in unison “Kakoii!” Translated, “That’s cool!” The English translation really does an injustice to the unified, heartfelt response. In essence those that heard these words were saying it is an awesome ideal, art, and a person that can maintain this mental attitude in the face of confrontation, and truly see their aggressor as a friend. They understood what is meant when I say aikido is a study of relationships.

Although the outcome may be the same, the mind of the master aikidoka is different. While outsiders or novices see a confrontation, the master sees a relationship being created. Even though it may be short lived, and one of the parties involved may be displeased with the outcome, the spirit the aikido master maintains is such that they feel they are engaged in a relationship.

Relationships – the Life Lesson:

Throughout our lives we will encounter a multitude of people with whom we will by necessity, interact. Aikido training is a tool by which we learn how to relate to others. By disciplining our mind and taking control of our emotions, we can truly develop the attitude that everyone is our friend. Aikido is not really a means of learning to defeat others but rather a tool to train us and give us the discipline to relate to others with a positive attitude. Ultimately, we should always work towards positive outcomes in our dealings with others. This goal may not always be achieved, but by keeping our state of mind such that we intend no ill towards others, we may just notice that the hearts of others may change too, and the World may just be a little better place.

~ Stephen Ohlman

Become the Greatest Uke (ou-kay)

Years ago when I had only just begun my study of budo, the martial ways of Japan, I had a conversation with a friend’s father. Now my friend had little use for his father’s advice. “What does my old man know about budo,” he used to say. But as I saw it, his father had studied under one of the pioneers of judo in North America before I was born. It couldn’t hurt to listen.

In my teenage years, I took every opportunity to practice. On weekends I frequently found myself in my friend’s basement training on the previous week’s lessons. Usually after training, we would sit around and chat into the wee hours of the morning until his parents would get home. His father among other things belonged to a Country and Western band. After playing his usual Friday night gig, he would have a few drinks to wind down then come home and have a few more.

One night upon his return home, his father who also had the gift of gab once he had had a few, decided to join us to impart some of his wisdom. He began to talk of the good old days, his judo training when he was younger. I remember very little about his monologue except for a small piece that I must have stored in my subconscious until over a decade later. As my friend gestured that his father was a drunk, crazy old fool, I listened to a piece of advice that has proved to be invaluable to my study of budo.

“Learn uke. Become the greatest uke, Hatashita Sensei used to tell us,” he said. “If you understand uke, the movements and techniques will become clear.” This was his simple lesson, one not clearly understood at the time, but one I banked away for some unknown reason until I was mature enough to understand what wise words they were.

Years later I found myself enrolled in the International Instructor Course in Tokyo, Japan at the Yoshinkan Headquarters (Hombu Dojo). The Course, according to Yoshinkan Aikido practitioners, is the most intensive training available. It is a gruelling 11 months of blood, sweat, tears and serious budo study. Designed as a long term boot camp type training in aikido, participants were constantly reminded that we were the lowest form of life in the dojo, but we were required to set the highest standard of etiquette for others to follow.

The reason I bring this up now is that during the initial six months of the Course, as we who have graduated refer to it, the Japanese sensei all had assistants and translators. The sensei never used one of the participants to demonstrate technique. Why would they, after all we were the lowest life form, unable to do anything correctly. We were there to observe and learn – learn. Then one day, something miraculous happened. As the assistant prepared to take Ando Sensei’s uke for the class’ lesson, he was motioned to sit down and Sensei called me up as uke. I snapped to attention, and although my heart was pounding wildly as the adrenaline surged through me, I bowed and did my best to stay alive as Sensei demonstrated for the others what was the most powerful throw I had ever felt. My body slammed to the floor and as the aging concrete like tatami sent shock waves that reached my core, a memory from the distant past like a bolt of lightning flashed in my mind – “Learn uke. Become the greatest uke.” And at that moment I understood the ramblings of my friend’s old man. Ando Sensei wasn’t teaching the others at that moment, he was teaching me. As I regained my balance and stood in front of Sensei, he smiled at the dorky grin that must have been on my face. He joked with the others, “Look, good aikido makes people happy when you throw them.” I was smiling, but it wasn’t because I was just planted into the tatami like it was nobody’s business. It was because I had an epiphany of sorts. The words ring as clear today as they did the day Ando Sensei smashed me to the ground that first time.

Being uke, as I came to understand that moment, means understanding what the technique feels like from the inside. Learning to be the greatest uke means that you can receive the hardest techniques, thus understanding how they work so that you can make them work from the inside out.

When the Course finished, such a bond had developed between Ando Sensei and I in the few short months of being his uke that I requested to stay in Japan and become his student and later his deshi, apprentice.

The first time at his dojo I expected to see his regular students jump at the chance to be uke for such a great teacher. I didn’t think I would have a chance to get to be his uke. As Ando Sensei stood waiting to demonstrate a technique, no one rushed to face him – to be his uke – to have the best seat in the house from which to study. I actually couldn’t move because I was so stunned. Finally, one of his regular students stepped forward and the technique was demonstrated. I decided at that moment that things would change. While I was around, Ando Sensei would no longer have to wait for his uke, and no longer would I ever give up the best seat in the house without a fight.

At every opportunity I took uke, I learned aikido from the side of uke. This is how I learned to be shite.

Uke - the Life Lesson:

Being uke, being on the receiving end in a conflict or confrontation is not a comfortable experience. It can be overwhelming to be in a conflict whether it is physical or more likely in our lives mental, emotional or interpersonal. It is not for the weak of spirit or body. It takes sincere training and effort to strengthen ourselves to be prepared to deal with confrontation and come out unscathed. Aikido’s physical training to be uke is a metaphor for the forging that must occur if we are going to temper our spirit and make it strong enough to overcome adversity and emerge safe and well.

In Aikido practice in a traditional dojo, uke is commonly seen as the aggressor in the practice of physical techniques. We take turns being uke, in filling the shoes of the one who initiates conflict, but who receives the repercussions of this initiation.

This training is essential to the proper development of the mind, body and spirit. It is naïve to think that we will never be the instigators in a conflict, and even more so to believe that we will always be lucky enough to always come out on top regardless of who initiates it. Training to be uke prepares us for the bumpy road down which life sometimes takes us.

~ Stephen Ohlman