Slow or Fast Movement?

Fast movements can conceal flaws and mistakes can slip by. One does not do the movements slowly for the sake of doing them slowly, and it is most certainly untrue that the slower it is done, the better. There has to be a purpose for doing them slowly; there has to be “substantially” to those movements or progress will not come. It is about “Ishiki”

Ishiki 意識

Ishiki has 2 kanji, 意 = I, and 識 = shiki.
“Shiki” means identification, it is the act of recognizing someone or something.
“I” means intent, it is the determination to do something.

Why slow movements?

Posture and Health

Slow movements help you with the help of intentional thinking (Ishiki= 意識) to raise awareness of your posture. This will allow your posture to be adjusted to make the body function better and improve energy efficiency.

Slow movements with the whole body will affect and help the micro-circulation in the capillaries. It goes much deeper than fast movements.

Mindfulness training

Martial arts in Japan refer to a variety of physical and mental practices developed based on historical combat techniques. Nowadays, martial arts are considered not only as sports and/or fighting methods, but also as activities aimed at obtaining a unity between mind and body.

Aikido is a Japanese martial art that includes multiple components, such as musculoskeletal training and improvement of both interoceptive and exteroceptive consciousness.

Aikido and related styles include practices (randori – sparring) that are considered elements similar to those of sport, although these practices (randori – sparring) are not aimed at winning the competitions as typical sports do.

Aikido essentially emphasizes the importance of paying attention to one’s own breath and body, and the awareness of both internal and external environments.