Tony's Aikido Fundamentals

Here is my personal (and entirely worthless) guide to some of the key elements of Aikido training. Please forgive me if I appear to repeat myself, but its difficult to draw clear lines between the different topics (as they're all really one!). Also I must apologise for the haphazard arrangement of the information,….I just typed it as it came to me!. Hopefully this will at least make you think about how you are training and provoke some useful discussion in the pub!!!

Posture (Kamae)…
Whilst no-one appreciates this part of training it is the most important of all. Correct posture means balance and stability which generates unified body power (kokyu). Nothing can be accomplished from poor posture. Shioda kancho said "only through attention to posture will you discover true aiki!".

The Aikido Handblade (Tegatana)…the sword of no sword?
Aikido is derived say about 50/50 from ju-jutsu and from ken-jutsu (japanese sword fighting) the body movements in aikido in particular originate from the sword arts.. In empty handed techniques the tegatana becomes the sword and in applying techniques the feeling must be one of cutting with a sword. Hence sword cutting practice is fundamental to aikido training…..so get out there and cut!!!!!

Body Movement (Tai Sabaki)
Aikido is first and foremost an art of body movement. Movement is first used to avoid or join with an attack and secondly, through good body mechanics to transfer power into the attacker to overcome their balance. Generally aim for smooth even movement, without bobbing up and down, and aim to minimise the number of steps taken using big flowing motions in preference to pigeon steps. Also don't forget to move from the hips and to unify the lower and upper body…..move as one!!

Working Together….
When learning aikido it is important to work WITH your partner not against them!. You are all quite capable of resisting just about all of the techniques, but this way no-one learns. The problem with aikido training is that we all know in advance whats coming, and can therefore stop it. Good aikido is not about performing a given technique but about responding to a situation as it develops, but training is not like this. So help each other and in time you can judge when to offer just enough resistance for your partner to benefit.

Ukemi (the art of receiving technique)
Receiving techniques is at least as important as doing them. Performing as uke , as well as helping your partner to learn, teaches sensitivity and timing and teaches you about your own aikido through your partner. Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido apparently said "the secret of Aikido is in the ukemi". So don't undervalue this bit, try to give it as much effort and thought as doing the techniques. It is a real buzz to receive a really good throw - suddenly you're in mid air , then you're on the mat looking at the ceiling…and you never felt a thing….that's ukemi!!

Hips (Koshi)
This is the most important part of the body - all movement acts through the hips. Some talk about the "tanden" a point 2 inches below the navel - this is the centre of the triangle which forms the pelvic girdle. Power is generated by the big muscles of the legs and buttocks and transferred to the hips. The upper body must link itself to the hips and move in unison in order to transfer the power effectively. So each time you practice, whether it be doing a technique, performing a movement exercise or cutting with a sword, try to be aware of your hips.

Centreing
This also relates to the hips or the hara, the lower belly area containing the tanden. The key to centring the physical body is to relax and drop the hips. Koichi Tohei of Ki Aikido uses the term "weight underside" to suggest this awareness of slightly giving in to gravity. This principle can be seen in the respective physical development in eastern martial arts masters and western athletes.
The westerner desires an inverted triangle bodyshape with broad shoulders and narrow waist (even women these days!) -this is top heavy with no stability. The old budo master in contrast has underdeveloped shoulders (he doesn't need them!) and a bit of a paunch but can perform miracles due to his command of balance.
Centring is also about mental stability - focussing on the moment in hand and maintaining a clear undisturbed mind, but this topic is for another day (when I understand it myself).

Discipline and etiquette
Aikido is a japanese budo and contains many cultural aspects taken from Japan and in turn from the code of conduct of the samurai warrior caste who ruled Japan from the 12th to the 19th Century. In those days failure to behave correctly could result in the loss of your head!!. We are not Japanese however and we are certainly not that harsh in imposing discipline. In fact O'sensei, founder of Aikido, stated that it should be practiced with a joyful spirit, so we need not be over serious.
Aikido's etiquette (reigi) exists for 3 reasons:-
1. It provides a focus for the mind, a series of mini-meditations.
2. It ensures that we practice orderly and safely.
3. It is simply part of what Aikido is and represents. If we remove these cultural aspects then it is no longer Aikido.
If you intend to stick at Aikido it is worth getting familiar with the etiquette as if you venture to other dojo's or to seminars, especially those conducted by Japanese sensei, you may find that you don't get past the door!

Everyday Aikido
Aikido is not like an aerobics class - you shouldn't just go there, practice, then come away and forget about it. Aikido is a way of life and the key principles should be lived every day:- posture, centreing and balance, attitude, discipline, ettiquette, non-resistance, harmonising, awareness etc, etc. Also if you're serious about budo you should supplement your practice with study to get an insight into the culture and history. There is a plethora of excellent written material to be had!. If all this seems a bit over the top…there's an aerobics class up the road.

Unbending Arm
You should by now be familiar with this idea, i.e. how the arm is stronger when relaxed and extended rather than tensed. If not ask an instructor, because this is absolutely fundamental to all aikido techniques. Play with this idea from time to time so that you can maintain the feeling!

Don't Fink….Feel!!!!
Yes this old chestnut from Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon, whilst cuffing his young disciple round the ear! Its true though!, no martial art should be approached too analytically, it just leads to confusion and frustration. Martial arts are what I call "right brain activities", i.e. they are about spacial awareness, timing and co-ordination which are essentially intuitive and experiential.
By all means study aikido books, analyse your performance in class and quiz your teacher, but don't get too hung up on technicalities. Things will turn out fine if you just stick with it and put in some effort.

Persevere!!!
Aikido is one of the more complex and subtle martial arts. Generally the kicking and punching arts (karate, kung fu, kickboxing etc.) are much simpler technically and therefore easier to master. Because of its complexity it is wrong to offer up aikido as a form of self defence. Yes it can be excellent self defence, BUT (notice it's a big but) it takes at least 10 years to get to a level where it could be effective and useful on "the streets".
Aikido may appear complicated enough just by the appearance of its techniques, but this is the easy bit!. The real skills are invisible and cannot really be taught, your body has to learn these through long term training.
So the only qualities you really need for aikido is a genuine interest and perseverance , the rest will come with time!………
Budoka….."master what is the secret of aikido?"
Master…."practice, practice and….more practice"
Budoka…. "and……..?"
Master…..."more practice!"
Budoka…."uh?"

Think Angles
If you're trying to unbalance your partner and its not happening take a glance at his/her feet. Imagine a line between the two feet.
The best direction for taking the balance is perpendicular to that line. It is often the case that uke's posture is wrong, help them correct it and review the technique.

Question Everything but have patience also
Don't just accept everything you are told as absolute gospel. Some things may not work for you, some may not work at all. Beware however, the main reason for ineffective technique is yourself . If I had £1 for every technique I have questioned, I would be rich by now, but these days I'm not so quick to pass judgement as in the majority of cases I was wrong. Often it takes years for the "truth" of a particular technique or movement to materialise. Stick at it and see!

Belts
Try not to get fixated on achieving the next belt colour. It pays not to be too goal orientated in the martial arts. Rapid progress is shallow and short lived , it takes time to build strong foundations and that's what you need. Remember …a belt is there to hold your dogi jacket together (there are no buttons in the martial arts!), that's all!.

Empty Cup
Steven Seagal said that moreso than any other martial art, it is important to come to aikido with an empty cup i.e no preconceived notions about how things should be done, what works and what doesn't. Without this beginners mind progress either won't happen or will become painfully slow. Effective aikido depends on correct use of the body - not simply knowing the mechanics of the techniques. This often leads to people thinking that they understand a technique before they really do, sometimes judging it as inneffective. So please try to bring your "Shoshin" or beginners mind when you come to practice!.

Art Attack
Being an uke during practice is not just about receiving a technique, it is also about delivering an honest and (within the limits of your partners ability) realistic attack. A weak or misdirected attack doesn't even need defending against. Aikido is based on using uke's power and momentum against them, if your attack has neither then there can be no Aikido…yes its that important!!!
So practice your attacks and stay focussed on your actions when you are the attacker. A good attack also adds that essential bit of intensity and risk to the practice that makes for "real" budo.

The loneliness of the long distance aikidoka
When all is said and done, the path of aikido or any budo is a lonely one. A teacher can only point the way - its up to you to walk it. Also, whilst your dojo may have a friendly atmosphere of mutual assistance, your budo path is unique to you , no-one elses experience is quite the same….so you're on your own. Learn to recognise this loneliness and be comfortable with it.

In conclusion
It is of course not really possible to conclude on such a deep and profound subject as Aikido, especially as all I've done is open a can of worms! and probably missed some important points completely!
Just remember that what you are getting yourself into (i.e. Aiki) is not a hobby, a fitness regime or another martial arts trophy to add to your collection but a true 'Way of Life' with its own unique philosophy . Aikido , like Zen or the Tao must be "lived" every day not just reserved for a few hours a week in the dojo.
Now that I've frightened everyone off please note that these views are my own personal ones and do not necessarily correspond to those of the Koshinkan, Shinwakai, BAB , U.N, NATO , Al Quaeda or other powers that be!

Tony Hughes - Nidan - Assistant instructor, Koshinkan Aikido