On Practicing Yonkyo Jul 29, 2010

I figured out where the nerves on the forearm arm. In fact, I’ve dug out anatomical papers on how Aikido’s yonkyo works.¹ I’ve practiced on drunk roommates to see if they can still feel it, and I have practiced with friends in the dojo. It hurts!

I don’t want to hurt to my friends when we practice. That is why I choose to do yonkyo a couple inches higher on the inner forearm – there is muscle there to protect the nerves better. I try to think about my partner when doing this technique and follow the Golden Rule. Some people out there can put their whole body weight on my fragile nerve if they get upset and it is their turn to do yonkyo.

1. See http://wazajournal.com/techniques/yonkyo/yonkyo-pain-mechanism-explained.html [↩]

Aikido Student Stages Jul 28, 2010

These are excepts from Stefan Stenudd’s Aikido Dojo – How to Run One, November 2006¹

1. Beginner’s Stage

I’d say it’s the first year or two, depending on how intensely the student is training and how talented the student is.

2. Intermediary Stage

It starts at the time when the student has a comfortable ukemi technique, and can do many of the basic techniques in Aikido without much hesitation. From this point the students usually develop very quickly, and need to train often and with vigor.

The most common rule for dojos outside Japan is to allow hakama when the student reaches the grade 3 kyu. If later, I fear that the good influence the hakama can have on posture and circularity of movement is lost.

This is a very intense period in anyone’s aikido development, and it is full of intense memories that we keep forever on.

They still need to work on their basics, certainly, but they also need to discover how much they have already learned – even to show off, occasionally. They will sneak in such moments, whether the teacher allows it or not. Anyway, the teacher must work hard to keep these students challenged, or they will get bored – or quit at a later time.

The intermediary student might be able to teach others some Aikido techniques, but rarely has the patience to do so, and misses important aspects when doing it.

3. Advanced Stage

It commences at the level usually associated with shodan, or right before that. The grade itself is not a trustworthy indicator, but the student has reached an ability that is unquestionable. The student also has a level of authority in his or her Aikido. The advanced student is familiar with most of the Aikido techniques, and comfortable also in teaching them to others.

Maybe that’s the best indication of the advanced student: the ability to teach others the Aikido techniques.

For a continued development, the advanced students need to reexamine their techniques.

The refinement of Aikido is done by revision. Advanced students should question what they have learned. They should dare to let go of solutions they have trusted this far, so that they are open to continued improvement even when it means a change from what they know well into something that makes them feel like beginners anew.

Of course, it takes an advanced teacher to make advanced students continue to learn, to challenge and inspire them.

4. Teacher Stage

This arrives when the student is quite competent to have a dojo of his or her own, become its head instructor and take responsibility for the development of its students from the beginning to the advanced level. The competence signified by the grade 4 dan is probably where this stage commences, but again – grade alone is no guaranteed measurement.

1. http://www.stenudd.com/aikido/aikido-dojo.htm [↩]

20 Things To Do To Enjoy Aikido More Jul 26, 2010

“I’m going to list some things that anyone, no matter what level, but especially if you are a beginner, can do to enjoy their Aikido practice. Let’s get right into it.” – Autrelle (May 8, 2008)

1. Practice on your own. Even Ueshiba Sensei said that an instructor can only impart a small fraction of the lessons in Aikido. That’s a hint to do some keiko on your own time.
2. Read some books. Not just about Aikido, but any martial art. Not just martial arts – there are all sorts of books that might make your Aikido light bulb go off.
3. Visit other Aikido dojos. Especially the ones in your own city. These other dojos are your family also. You should make a point to make friendly with them. For extra credit, when you visit, bring a gift – usually a bottle of sake is nice.
4. Invest in a nice set of bokken and jo. I personally own a set of Iwama styled ken and jo, made of Japanese white oak. I was a bit hesitant to order them at first because they were on the pricey side, but once I got my hands on them, I fell in love.
5. Practice weapons of some sort. Whether it is suburi or kata or kumi. Whether it is Saito Sensei or Saotome Sensei. Whether it’s Aikiken, Iaido, Kali, or Okinawan Kubodo. Weapons practice always does something good for you.
6. Learn to fold a hakama. You don’t want to be the person that shows up with their hakama crumpled and stuffed lazily in a duffle bag. Plus, you never know when you will be asked to fold someone’s hakama.
7. Learn how to take ukemi. This seems like a no brainer, but really, the art is literally hidden in the ukemi. I tell anyone that really wants to get good at Aikido two things: 1) take lots of ukemi 2)takes lots of ukemi.
8. Earn your Shodan. No, not so you can write your book or open your own school. Do it so that you can train with the big dogs at the seminars. Do it so that when you go to seminars, the guest instructor may pull you aside to share some insight. That’s all.
9. Go to seminars. Any chance you can. Just do it.
10. Take notes. About anything. Add as much detail as possible. Add diagrams and illustrations. Add pictures from your own camera or the internet.
11. Video everything you can. Seminars. Daily class. Your own practice. Your students.
12. Participate in discussions on internet forums. There are some really nice people out there that share all sorts of knowledge on these boards. Some of them might be someone you met at a seminar. Some of them might live on the other side of the world. And you can access them easily via the internet.
13. Write about your experience. And share it. It could be as simple as writing a email to someone. It could be a blog. It could be an article for a magazine or website.
14. Watch videos. There are so many videos out now. Between what you can buy, and what you can watch for free on sites like Youtube, there’s no reason to not be watching videos.
15. Take your instructor out for dinner. Or your student. Or your fellow training partner. Hang out, enjoy each other’s company outside of the dojo.
16. Come a little early, stay a bit later. Get to the dojo early if you can. Help with any setting up. Talk to any visitors that may arrive. Sneak in an extra long warm up. Stay a bit after class if you can. Help put things away. Work a bit more on something else.
17. Focus on your worst technique. My teacher told me that to get better, one should practice their worst technique until it is their best technique. Then repeat.
18. Become an expert. Aikido is the sum of interconnected parts. For example, one could practice everything in Aikido by only focusing on ukemi, or weapons. Pick a part that you think you have a knack for, and go at it. Pretty soon, you will have a basis for a growing level of expertise, because you have specialized.
19. Find someone that you can’t pin or throw. There is a lot to learn in success, and a lot to learn in not succeeding. When you realize what you don’t know, what you are not good at, that’s when you can really start to take command of your own progress.
20. Contribute to the art. Don’t be the person that just shows up when they feel like, ho-hum and such. Learn Aikido so that you can transmit it, improve it, share it with others. Take care of your teachers. Things like simply coming to every class, or always paying on time are always really appreciated. Take care of your fellow Aikidoka – always a smile and a hug.

The Golden Rule Jul 25, 2010

If someone hammers you with rule after rule about the smallest things in life, will you ever discover the Golden Rule on your own and just care for your neighbour?

Why does the Aikido teacher teach? Jul 25, 2010

I have asked what other people want from Aikido. I have also asked myself what I want from Aikido. I wonder what instructors want when they teach Aikido? Have you ever wondered?

I image the ending to two Hollywood movies: The Karate Kid (any of the five), and Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. At the end of one, the sensei has one student he put all his energy into. At the end of the other, the final shot is the sensei atop a brick wall teaching his art to hundreds of students (or more).

Does one teacher want to promote the art as widely as he can? Does another want a few solid students who will continue his legacy? Does one teach as part of his next Dan requirement? Does one teach because he is expected to but doesn’t really want to? Does one teach so he can finally be called “Sensei”? Does one teach because he wants to discover himself more? Does one just love Aikido and want to share that feeling?

I often wonder why one person or another teaches, and this is a good thing to consider before anyone wants to become a teacher himself.

If I become a teacher one day, do I want to teach just to meet the kyu requirements? Do I want to micromanage, or do I want to let the students practice for bit without interruption? Do I want to teach mechanics after mechanics and impose rule after rule, or do I want to lead my students into discovering essence and principles? When my students make slips or step strangely, do I want to rush over with correcting words because I think that is what a good teacher does? Or do I smile and see if they can figure it out themselves as intelligent, heuristic learning beings first? Should I take soft ukemi so I can teach soft ukemi by example, or should I only throw and pin students because taking ukemi is above what a teacher stands for? Do I want talk a lot? Do I believe that talking is the only way to teach and that the ears are more powerful than the eyes? I don’t know how I should teach one day, but I do know the gami gami that students say today.

These are questions about how to teach, but not why?

Why would I merely want to teach for the kyu requirements? Why would I want to quickly move in with corrective words at the first sign of mistake? Why would I want to teach hard and fast rules? Why would I want to take soft ukemi for my students? Why would I want to talk a lot? I want to seriously ask myself these questions before I become a teacher one day years from now.

Look at whomever your teacher is and try to guess why he or she teaches? My hope is that a teacher teaches because he is addicted to that spark of understanding that a student shows when he realizes a principle and wants to start playing with it in other techniques.

Update: 2010.07.28 – Stefan Stenudd, 6th Dan, says, “Any teacher’s ideal is that the students should surpass him or her. But make them work for it, by your own continued development, at the same time as you do all you can to assist and inspire them in their progress.”¹

1. From http://www.stenudd.com/aikido/aikido-dojo.htm [↩]

What is the Appeal of Aikido: Survey Jul 23, 2010

When asked, “What is the appeal of Aikido?” and “What can Aikido give you?”, here are some anonymous electronic responses from trial students:

“Concentration, focusing strength on the mind.”

“The concept of alternative resolution.”

“It’s all about re-directing your opponents attack and using their own momentum against them.”

“I am a grown up now.  So I don’t want to cause any pain to others.  Just looking for a fun activity and to learn something new.”

“I am working on improving myself as a constructive part of the world.  Peaceful & constructive resolutions are my ideal but I recognize that violence exists.  In Aikido I hope to find an effective way to deal with violence (spiritual, emotional and physical) that is in line with my beliefs.”

“Aikido aims to resolve conflict in the most possible constructive way.”

“It is simpler to avoid and attacker and to disarm, distract or otherwise get away from at attacker rather then harm them and gain a bad reputation.”

“I respect the flow of the art. The balance that it seems to bring as a whole to your life.”

“The spiritual aspects of the art, as well as the physical skills and discipline.  I believe it will give me a strong center and improve all aspects of my life.”

“I keep a cool head in situation that panic others  and have a deep spiritual interest in discovering the self discipline that Aikido provides.”

“Aikido is primarily a defensive martial art concentrating on flow of movement and ki to fend off an assailant.”

“I have had past experience in martial arts and having practiced more agressive art forms … I am also looking to a martial art for the spirtual side and personal development.”

“I think this is because Aikido uses the attacker’s momentum and redirects it back to him or her. ”

“Utilize grace as a method of self-defense.”

“Inner peace.”

“It is meant to utilize the flow of the attack and inflict as little harm as possible to the attacker.”

“I have read that the awareness it brings benefits the mind, body and the spirit. The art is not focused on offensive techniques which also appeals.”

“A defensive art that uses flexibility and focus to utilize and redirect energy from an oncoming attack.”

“Better life quality.”

I invite you to draw your own conclusions from this about what students want to learn.

Yasashii Aikido Weapons Philosophy Jul 23, 2010

Yasashii in English is something like kind, gentle and graceful, maybe.

I accidentally forgot my weapons bag (the first and last time) and a kind janitor found them and looked after them until I came to him. I asked if he found a long fishing pole case. He replied, “Oh, you mean with the Aikido sticks in it?”

Aikido sticks?

What do you think of weapons practice?

A better question: In Aikido, do you want to be trained for mortal combat with the jo and bokuto? Do you wish to tie coconuts, watermelons and plaster plant pots to tree limbs for sunny-day target practice also? I’m betting all your plants are still safe in their pots, aren’t they?

I asked myself this question when I really started practicing 31-no-jo, and when I came to terms with the answer I started enjoying weapons for the first time. Do you want to do something with weapons or just go through the motions to make your teacher happy?

I do like weapons practice. To me, these wooden striking instruments are like large paint brushes with fine horse hair tips for painting in mid-air. My goal in weapons work is to make each stroke and curve more graceful and beautiful than the last. I want to write doka with my jo and have my partner read my poetry with his jo when we parry and advance. That is strength.

It can also be like a friendly game of chess you can play with a friend, or a game of solitaire.

It can also be meditation. You need to take your mind off work and it is your Aikido day off – grab your jo and work on #22 a few times. In fact, O-Sensei has been known to refer to joawase and kenawase as misogi – body and mind purification. That’s what it is to me, now.

Look at videos of Saito Sensei and both Kobayashi senseis. They are so smooth and graceful, and slow enough that they can have fun. Sometimes one shihan or another is criticized for how far back the jo is pulled, how far off the line they step, if they grip to the very end of the jo or not, and on and on. Who cares? Also, who am I to judge a shihan anyway? It is just plain silly to worry about phantom precision when learning a kata for misogi training. When you want to play your game of chess or do mid-air poetry it is wise to pursue this, but for now I just want to concentrate on remembering and blending safely with partners to enjoy this peaceful art.¹²

1. Image from http://forum.ashots.org/Web/search/porte+japonaise/ [↩]
2. Image from http://www.iaido-koeln.de/ [↩]

Rules and Principles Jul 21, 2010

Rule: Don’t J-walk.
Principle: Don’t create an opportunity for vehicles to strike you.

Rule: Throw water at the base a regular fire, not on it.
Principle: Cause the water to steam and push out the oxygen to starve the fire.

Rule: Cut down in shihonage by cranking on Uke’s wrist.
Principle: Cause Uke’s center of gravity to be outside his body so he falls.

Rule: Chew each bite of food 32 times before swallowing.
Principle: Reduce food chunks to easily digestible segments.

Rule: Don’t eat after 8 pm.
Principle: Don’t take in more calories than you can burn, regardless of the time of day.

Rule: Always cut down on Uke’s arm and attach it to your hip on the initial tenkan in iriminage.
Principle: Cause Uke to rotate/twist about a fixed center so he remains off-balance before the throw.

Rules are the result of other people thinking and pondering principles for those who do not. Do you want to follow the rule or discover the principle? Which one is more likely to guide you when in doubt?

Basic and Basis Jul 20, 2010

My friend T has me thinking about what a ‘basic’ technique means. Actually, because Aikido originated in Japan I should called it kihonwaza. So, maybe I should ask what kihon means instead. Please keep in mind this discussion is with myself and is a result of my training in several dojos of different organizations and in different countries.

基本（きほん）

From many accounts it is translated as “fundamental; basis; standard”. The first character alone (もと) means “origin; source; foundation”. However, it is curious that it is not translated as ‘basic’. Please notice that basic and basis have different connotations:

For example, you cannot say, “You have no basic for that accusation, sir.”
You also cannot say, “This is the basis package, but you can upgrade.” Trust me, four years of what-the-heck-was-I-thinking has taught me (probably just) this.

So, if we are into words like foundation and basis, don’t they then imply some vertical mobility? Can’t we go up? For example, the foundation of a building and the basis of its structure is in… the foundation (the basement) – the concrete and re-bar. That is, if a cement firm pours the concrete for a small basement, naturally we should expect a house to be erected on that same spot and not two blocks away in a field somewhere.

Stay with me.

Now, if I work hard on my basic fundamental Aikido technique, I should expect it to improve and for more dynamic and flowing versions to be built on top of it (like stories a building). After all, if I am in a fight-or-flight situation then I should instinctively revert to my basic fundamental waza as they are to me what a rifle is to a Marine. That is, all kihon waza must be intrinsically useful and never useless – that is my tenet. I should not expect a technique to be eventually scrapped, to be a test-only version, or to have the word ‘magical’ in the description – for example, tsuki ‘magical hand grab’ iriminage.

Finally, the third translation of kihon is ’standard’. This means that all the students should do it, and do it this way, and to this-or-that level. This would be analogous to the size, shape and depth of the concrete foundation of the building we are spending our lives to build. T essentially said to me that the Shihan decides what the kihon waza is, and individual shihan may have slight variations, but we do their kihon waza to emulate and honor them and to carry their waza into the next generation. I like that reason for doing kihon waza.

Caveat: I want to see the kihon waza from my shihan – the person my style will emulate for the rest of my Aikido life – and applications and variations I want to learn from my teachers. This is natural. You don’t want your math teacher to show you L’Hopital’s rule or the derivative rule of Newton from memory; maybe his memory is eidetic, but in my case I want him to guide me through understanding through application and practice. For if I am a teacher one day and I show a kihon waza and say it is O-Sensei’s and I tell my students to do it this way and only this way, but I do it slightly differently than O-Sensei, then I cannot claim to be doing the kihon waza of O-Sensei; I should instead tell my students I am doing my best interpretation, to save face. This is my personal goal.

In any event, basic != basis. I reject the word basic as a translation for kihon and so should you. If you ask yourself what basis means, I hope you experience a flurry a reanalysis.

Update: The “magical hand grab” is not really magical. I have been hearing over and over again that it is useless, and no attacker punches like this, how can one possibly grab a punch in mid-air? this is just the test version, and on and on. I used to believe that and snicker when other people snickered at it and just practiced it. It is actually useful within my recent Aikido paradigm of making ki-no-musubi and kami-hito-e critical Aikido features.

Iriminage Tobiukemi Jul 16, 2010

On Wednesday we were doing a form of iriminage waza. I was on one side of the dojo and Takashi was on the other side. I noticed he was doing something cool so I was looking at him while doing and taking the waza with my partners. I paid close attention to how he was doing his tobiukemi for iriminage. It was beautiful and slow. After I saw him take ukemi a few times, I tried to do that tobiukemi with my partner… and he fell down on his butt. :) After class we spent a good chunk of time practicing this tobiukemi.

This ukemi is not new. We used to practice it by way of one person standing with both arms outstretched and then aite runs to one arm, hooks underneath, and then does a controlled fall. It was only recently I noticed the connection with this ukemi and iriminage, and how it can make iriminage look so much more beautiful. But, it requires Tori to have zanshin after the throw or else Uke will pull him down and he will fall on his butt too.

Today before Ben Sensei came I got the class to set up and practice this and they all did well. It is a scary thing to hook onto Tori’s shoulder and throw your inside leg (or both) up in the air for a controlled fall to ground. But, getting over this kind of fear in Aikido will lead to great and amazing things both inside and outside of Aikido. When I practice this I want to throw both my legs up so I am almost inverted, then slap the floor with my free arm to slow my descent. It is such a cool feeling and freeing too.

I used to be afraid of this ukemi, but I had a scientist remove my fear gene… haha, no, but I did practice like crazy because this is so fun.