Aikido: The Path of Harmony of the Spirit
Aikido is seemingly a young martial art compared to many of the various styles that exist today. Yet it is still an elaborate style which can be seen copiously by merely translating the name itself. The name composed of solely three syllables conveys a clear depiction of the principals of the art itself. The ai in aikido symbolizes harmony. Ki stands for the Japanese word for energy or spirit. Lastly, do signifies way or path. Examining the meanings holistically creates an ultimate translation which amounts to, “The path of harmony of the spirit” (Cina par. 2).
Morihei Ueshiba, the creator of aikido, developed this innovative martial art from various other Japanese arts he studied during his life (Tegner 1). Ueshiba developed aikido in 1925 when he experienced an enlightenment and created the ideas that aikido philosophies thrive on to this day. In his revelation he discovered a way to combine martial arts skills and the ideologies of Shinto and Zen religions into one common entity. Blending the two aspects together, Usehiba developed the pinnacle of all martial arts (Westbrook 30). Although all martial arts provided a means of defending oneself against an assault, aikido introduced a revolutionary system which used the “dynamic sphere” (Westbrook 9) to subdue assailants quickly and effortlessly without injuring them by using their own aggression against themselves.
An essential element to aikido is the concept of the dynamic sphere. The main concept of the spheres is that aggressive power of ki can be redirected if properly harnessed. When an individual attacks he throws his own ki forward. At this point the sphere can be used to redirect hi ki in such a way that he will lose his balance. Using the dynamic sphere antagonists can be stopped without much physical exertion, while also preventing injuries to the assailant. Violence is discouraged in aikido because aikido teaches to live in harmony with the world, which is related to its close relation with Japanese religions. However other martial arts also discourage violence they contradict themselves because after an attack is defended they retaliate and strike back (Aikiweb par. 3). For this reason other martial arts can be picked up by a beginner much more rapidly than aikido. Aikido is more difficult to grasp than other martial arts because countless hours of training are needed to apply aikido techniques effectively without harming the aggressor. In the end aikido becomes the wiser choice, because it provides a peaceful solution to a problem as appose to other martial arts, due to its profound philosophy.
The ideals of aikido are genuinely thought-provoking. The ultimate goal of aikido is to find one’s true self (Shirohira par.2). This is done by applying the ideas of shugyo to everyday activities. Shugyo teaches to be committed to every moment of life. When it is time to eat, eat; to work, work; to be nice, be nice (Shirohira par. 3). Applying shugyo puts an individual in a state of total being. In other words shugyo means where you are, be all there.
An example of an aikido practitioner finding himself can be seen in a story from the Pacific Aikido Federation. Tan aikido practitioner was waiting on a subway, when a drunken man entered the car and began to harass the passengers of the car. As the drunken man walked closer the aikido practitioner stood up slowly, eager to test his martial arts kills in a real-life situation. The aikido practitioner had waited for the chance to play the role of the hero, and it seemed inevitable that the drunk and he would clash. However, at the last possible second and old man stepped in the way. He began to talk to the drunkard. The old gentleman found a point of unity between them; they both shares an appreciation for sake (rice wine). The old man then led the man to a point where he expressed his grief and pain through tears and the telling of his sorrowful story, rather than through aggression towards others. The aikido practitioner watched in awe and felt ashamed for wanting to punish the drunken man. As he thought deeply he realized that the old man’s aikido was much more powerful than his own (Cina par. 3). The old man had began by harmonizing, or blending with the drunk, a common aikido principal; and had used this unity to pacify the aggression in the drunk man.
An occasion may arise however where merely talking will not pacify the confrontation. When such situations develop, physical techniques of aikido can provide a peaceful alternative. Abiding to their non-violence philosophy no punches or kicks are taught in aikido (Cina par. 1). Instead, aikido teaches throws and holds which do not significantly hurt the individuals that they are used on. The basic motions of all the moves in aikido consist of a blending motion and a redirecting motion. In the blending motion the aikido practitioner positions his body in such a way that his ki flows in the same direction as his attacker’s. Once he has merged with the attacker’s force he can now use his own ki to redirect or more the attacker’s ki. After shifting the assailant’s ki, it is possible for throws and holds to be executed. To be able to blend are redirect ki and individual must use his mind not his body. An example of mind over body is the unbendable arm demonstration. This demonstration of mental projection shows the mind’s dominance over the physical body. The individual who is demonstrating the unbendable arm extends their arm, inclines it slightly forming a shallow semi-circle. The arm is then relaxed and the demonstrator focuses on an object beyond his extended fingertips. If the individual grasps the idea of mental extension and does not resist physically, the arm will be unable to be bent when force is applied to bend it. While aikido practitioners learn the techniques they can apply to suppress attackers, they must also learn what kinds of falls will hurt their foes and how to avoid them. Aikido practitioners need to learn these dangerous falls because they possess the responsibility for their actions, as well as the well being of their opponent (Westbrook 40).
Aikido is an excellent method to learn which enables an individual to defend oneself. However it can be used in various other ways. Aikido has been used to train baseball players in Japan, and police all over the world have begun to incorporate aikido for restraining tactics. The baseball players who took classes in aikido were able to concentrate much more clearly, ultimately helping their game immensely. Police have used aikido’s peaceful art as a way to control their suspects without hurting them. Aikido can be literally interpreted as simply a martial art or deeply as a philosophy in which to live one’s life. Whether it is for self defense or for a means to calm the mind aikido has developed into one of the greatest martial arts of this day.
Works Cited
Aikiweb. “Aiki Web: The Source for Aikido Information.” 1997-2002. 9-27-02.
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Cina, Peter. “Philosophy of Aikido.” 1996. 9-25-02.
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Shiohira, Shihan. “Pacific Aikido Federation.” 9-24-02.
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Tegner, Bruce. “Aikido,” Encyclopedia Americana. V.1. 1998 ed.
Westbrook, A. Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere. Boston: Tuttle Publishing, 2001.
