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AIKIDO
HOW DOES IT WORKS?
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By the very nature of the principles and the way of practicing,
aikido is opposed to all forms of competition wich prevails in many aspects of
everyday life.
In aikido we are not confronted
with an adversary: "tori" accepts and redirect the attack of the partner
called "aité". The objective is to adapt to the force and speed
of the attack without opposing it, without the use of muscular force, and to follow
the natural direction of the force in order to unbalance the partner and bring
him in a controled state. Since there is no
courses for beginners, the most experimented will, when receiving the attack,
help the neophyte in its movements, and while attacking, control it's own movements
to preserve the physical integrity of the partner.
Aikido founder, Maître
Moriheï Ueshiba (1883-1969), used to say: "The
objective of aikido is not to control others, but to
master yourself". He therefore elaborated
a martial art in adequation with his philosophy. We
use to say that aikido is a "physical philosophy".
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Aikido techniques |
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aikido starts by learning the basic martial techniques, but theses are to be taken
as pedagocical tools to catch the principles underneath.
Normally, there
is no means to calculate how many techniques aikido possesses, because each martial
situation generate a particular response. But to help simplify, we can count about
20 "major techniques" wich can decline in about 300 different forms,
depending on the nature of the attack (punch, kick, grabbing, etc) and where it
is placed (head, belly, elbow, wrist, etc) | | | |
Aikido
can be practiced with one or many adversaries, wheter armed or not with wooden
weapons: bokken (wooden saber), jo (wooden stick) or tanto (wooden knife), each
partner will either be standing, on standing and one kneeled, or both on knees.
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The same principles are
to be found in every technique. If one
of them is absent, then the technique is inneficient
and loses all signification.
When working on a technique it is the whole discipline
we are working on. The objective is not to learn or
practice a technique, but to learn aikido.
The aikido weapon training is an excellent mean to learn
the basis and avoid errors.
In weapon training we see clearly
that we must stay the center of the movement and not
to turn around the opponent.
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- All techniques have the same
centripedal spiral principle. The objective is to
deviate the opponent attack and amplify it until the
required position is reached. The movement must be
centered around tori, the aite (uke) must be the one
who moves the most, then he is kept in movement and
unstable. Tori, by keeping the center, stays stable
and controls his surroundings. This principle is similar
to natural laws, like in astronomy, where by example
the sun is in the center and the other celestial objects
are moving around.
- Since every movement takes
time, long techniques will take time and therefore
become ineffective, cause in a martial situation time
is precious. We must react in a second. Movement must
therefore be reduced to minimum in order to be fast
and effective.
- Ma-ai (space-time concept)
is common to every martial art. To keep the right
distance.
- Shisei-Kamae. A straight and
strong posture, physicaly and mentally.
- Ki No Nagare and Ki Misubi.
These are proper to aikido. They mean to go in the
same direction, to follow the movement.
- Ikkyo Undo. To push using
the lower belly and to keep body and limbs in right
position
- Kokyu. Means breathing. Aikido
requires to have muscles relaxed. Tension in the body
cuts the breath. relaxed muscles helps to breath regularily.
- Tai Sabaki. To move freely,
to be able to move in every direction without taking
to much place.
- Te Odoki. to be able to get
free of holds.
- Atemi. To be able to hit at
a precise vital point at every moment of the technique.
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