another philosophy: 合気道

The more I get into the Japanese art, the more I get the philosophical impression. Couple months ago was the flower arrangement turn and this time would be the martial art.
Can you read the Chinese character below?



The first kanji is 合"ai" means harmony, the second is 氣 or sometimes simplified to 気 "ki" meaning spirit, mind, or universal energy, and the last is 道 "dou" meaning path or way. Put it together, it becomes 合気道 or "Aikido", that commonly translated as the way to harmonize the spirit.

Aikido is one type of Japanese martial arts, that was found by Morihei Ueshiba, innovated from the combination of the derivation of jujitsu, his father's political ideologies, and his deep understanding toward life. As its consistency to its name meaning, Aikido does not focus on punching or kicking, but on self defense that harmonize the opponent's energy to throw it away from you. In practice, I found that it is not only a matter about how to use the opponent's energy, but also the matter about how to meet your spirit -and your mind.

However, don't you ever think that it is indeed important to fully use your spirit when doing things? I mean, in the real world? Well, we practised an attacking technique today. It was the "one hand holding one opponent's hand" attack, and sensei explained it by 「心が手で持つ」 meaning the heart holds by the means of the hand, instead of saying 「手が持つ」 meaning the hand holds. He emphasized: heart.

You may say that it might be nonsense. But I was shown that the state of the mind works. When I really meant to hold my partner's hand, I really held it. It was simply light hold -not a grab, but it was hardly loosened. Another example, I was forcefully trying to push my partner away. It was impossible, sure, since he was stronger than me and one of the jyokyusei (advanced disciple). Sensei told me to unintentionally push him, and think to reach something steps ahead. Finally I made him fall, and I felt nothing meaningful was heading. Another good illustration that sensei mentioned was, assume that we have something ahead as our goal -he took Tokodai as the example because there were many first year students, and our opponent is the rock heading our way to get to Tokodai. And think, he said, that we are now walking reaching Tokodai -the goal, instead of focusing that now we are pushing the rock -the problem away.

Keep focusing on your goal, eh?
It is about to keep your mind -and your spirit sticking into it, isn' it?
-and well, it is what aikido about anyway ;)

-desiree-
...my goal today is to finish the experiments here before going home, and my rock is that i couldn't help not writing this blog...