written and/or compiled by Eddy Wolput °1948 – 7th dan Aikido (JAA-Tokyo/Japan) – 5th dan Iaido – 5th dan Jodo. Part of the material in this article is not directly linked to the Japan Aikido Association (NPO) program or Shodokan approach. Other concepts are incorporated into the study of the subject presented.
Introduction: Beyond the Mat – Exploring the Deeper Dimensions of Tomiki Aikido
It has been a while since I wrote about my thoughts on martial arts, particularly on Tomiki Aikido. Recent challenges regarding the use of Kenji Tomiki’s books as study tools have forced me to reconsider my involvement in this martial art. I find myself at a crossroads: I could simply disappear from the Tomiki Aikido scene, or I could take a different path—one that explores and articulates the ideas and concepts within Tomiki’s work that extend far beyond its competitive format.
This alternative approach views Tomiki Aikido not merely as a sport, but as a form of “performance art”—a practice that transcends the physical techniques and competitive aspects to touch something deeper about the nature of movement, conflict resolution, and human interaction. In this exploration, I aim to uncover the philosophical and artistic dimensions that make this martial art a vehicle for personal transformation and understanding.
Martial arts without Combat
The term “martial arts” contains an inherent contradiction that becomes increasingly apparent in modern practice. “Martial” derives from Mars, the Roman god of war, explicitly referencing violence and combat. Yet “art” suggests creativity, beauty, and human expression. This tension becomes acute when martial arts are practiced primarily as methods of self-defense, personal development, or artistic expression rather than actual combat preparation.
Does martial art belong to the realm of artistic experience, or is it fundamentally a sporting pursuit? From a purely functional standpoint, terms like “fighting system” or “combat method” might be more accurate, though these carry the negative associations of violence and aggression. However, when the fighting element is removed from “martial arts,” the functional foundation disappears entirely. What then remains of the original practice?
What remains when you remove the fighting:
1. Movement Philosophy
Acting without forcing
Spatial-temporal harmony
Aesthetic and spiritual concepts that transcend the functional origin
2. Physical Culture
Codified movement languages
Ritual movement forms
Aesthetics of precision, power, and grace
3. Philosophical Concepts
Ethical codes in movement
Contemplation through repetition
Meditation in action
The Core of the Question
When you remove the fighting, an abstracted movement language remains – just as abstract painting no longer depicts “things” but becomes pure form.
The Different Approaches
Eastern Traditions
Eastern martial arts often owe their popularity to the abstracted movement language where movement is central and the functional aspect is a vague reflection of the original fighting method. As examples, we can mention Taichi, Aikido and Iaido. These movement forms still retain a vague perception of what was once a deadly fighting method. The functionality that must be characteristic of an efficient fighting method has practically disappeared entirely.
Performance Art
Performance art is a temporal, physical artistic practice in which the artist themselves is the primary medium. The body becomes a living artwork, time becomes material, and the liveness of the moment is essential.
Performance art remains radical because it resists the commodification of art by placing presence and temporality at its center. It is art that only exists in the moment of the encounter between performer and audience.
Demonstration Sport
Characteristics:
Competitive but functionally not focused on efficiency in combat
Spectacular for the audience through acrobatic actions
Technical virtuosity in choreographed sequences
Cultural legitimacy by referencing the origin
Sport Logic:
Standardized rules and scoring systems
Comparable performances
Objective measurement systems
The Delusion of Efficiency in Martial Arts
A critical issue emerges when examining the claims of effectiveness made by various martial arts systems. It is important to distinguish dangerous-and-efficient fighting from safe-and-inefficient fighting, so that practitioners can easily understand what kind of activity they are engaging with, and can have realistic expectations about the effectiveness of it.
Many traditional martial arts that have undergone philosophical transformation continue to claim combat effectiveness while simultaneously removing the very elements that made them functional in real conflict. This creates a fundamental contradiction: systems marketed as “self-defense” or “martial arts” that have been systematically stripped of their martial applications.
The efficiency paradox manifests in several ways:
Traditional forms performed with combat narratives despite having no pressure-testing against resistance
Demonstration techniques that work only under choreographed conditions being presented as combat-applicable
Philosophical frameworks used to justify the absence of realistic training while maintaining claims of martial effectiveness
Cultural authority substituting for empirical verification of techniques
This delusion becomes problematic when practitioners genuinely believe they possess fighting skills that have never been tested under realistic conditions. The transformation from functional fighting system to performance art or personal development practice is legitimate, but the continued claims of combat effectiveness without corresponding training methodologies represents a fundamental misrepresentation of the art’s capabilities.
Do you like testing this way?
Some martial arts advertise a method useful for the street—brutal techniques tested and approved. The question arises in this case: are you ready to perform such a cruel action?
In Kenji Tomiki’s comprehensive framework for understanding martial arts in the modern world, two contrasting yet complementary philosophical approaches to physical education emerge: tanren-shugi (鍛錬主義) and goraku-shugi (娯楽主義). These concepts represent different dimensions of how physical activity, particularly martial arts, can be approached in educational settings.
Tanren-shugi (鍛錬主義): The Discipline-Oriented Principle
Tanren-shugi literally translates as “discipline-centered principle” or “forging doctrine.” The term draws on metallurgical imagery—just as metal is tempered through fire to become stronger, the human character is forged through rigorous training.
Key characteristics:
Emphasizes rigorous, systematic training that develops mental fortitude alongside physical skills
Values the cultivation of perseverance, focus, and self-control through challenging practice
Prioritizes long-term character development over immediate enjoyment
Maintains the traditional essence of martial arts as paths for self-cultivation
Views struggle and difficulty as essential elements of meaningful growth
Goraku-shugi (娯楽主義): The Recreation-Oriented Principle
Goraku-shugi translates as “recreation-centered principle” or “entertainment doctrine.” This approach emphasizes the enjoyment and leisure aspects of physical activity.
Key characteristics:
Focuses on making physical activity pleasurable and accessible
Emphasizes participation, social interaction, and enjoyment
Recognizes the value of physical activity as leisure in modern society
Addresses the need for healthy recreational outlets in increasingly mechanized lifestyles
Makes physical education more approachable for a broader population
While traditionally some Japanese physical education discourse viewed goraku-shugi with suspicion (associating it with indulgence or frivolity), Tomiki recognized its legitimate place in modern physical education.
Kenji Tomiki’s View
What makes Tomiki’s philosophy noteworthy is his recognition that both approaches have value in modern education. Rather than seeing them as mutually exclusive, he advocated for their integration: Complementary Functions: Tanren-shugi provides depth and character formation, while goraku-shugi ensures accessibility and sustainability of practice. Educational Balance: A complete physical education system requires both the discipline to develop character and the enjoyment that makes practice sustainable. Cultural Bridge: By acknowledging both principles, Tomiki created a conceptual bridge between traditional martial arts values and modern educational needs. Adaptability to Different Life Stages: The balance can shift throughout a practitioner’s life—perhaps more goraku-shugi elements for beginners and children, with deeper tanren-shugi emphasis for advanced practitioners.
Tomiki argued that school martial arts (gakkō budō) should primarily embody tanren-shugi while incorporating enough goraku-shugi elements to make them accessible in modern educational settings. This balance allowed traditional martial arts to find a place in post-war Japanese education while preserving their essential character-building qualities. By recognizing both dimensions, Tomiki created a framework that helped martial arts evolve from war techniques into valuable educational tools that contribute to developing well-rounded individuals in a peaceful, democratic society.e.
Professional athletes and recreational athletes
The distinction between “tanren-shugi” (鍛練主義) and “goraku-shugi” (娯楽主義) in Japanese physical education philosophy does closely resemble the Western distinction between elite/professional athletes and recreational athletes.
Top/Elite Athlete ≈ Tanren-shugi Approach
Dedication Level:
Rigorous, systematic training regimens
Sport as a primary life focus
Willing to endure significant hardship and discomfort
Mindset:
Pursuit of excellence and mastery
Constantly pushing boundaries of performance
Development of mental fortitude alongside physical skills
Purpose:
Transcends mere enjoyment
Embraces challenge and difficulty
Views sport as a path for self-development and self-actualization
Philosophical Elements:
Character development through discipline
Cultivating resilience and determination
Striving to reach human potential
Recreational Athlete ≈ Goraku-shugi Approach
Engagement Level:
Casual, flexible participation
Sport as a supplementary activity
Primarily seeks enjoyable experiences
Mindset:
Focus on fun and social aspects
Maintains comfortable level of challenge
Balances sport with other life priorities
Purpose:
Primarily for enjoyment and health benefits
Social connection and entertainment
Stress relief and work-life balance
Philosophical Elements:
Sport as a healthy leisure activity
Emphasis on participation over performance
Physical activity as life enrichment
Key Similarities in the Comparison
Spectrum of Engagement:
Both cultural frameworks recognize a spectrum of involvement
The same sport can be approached either way
Individuals may shift between approaches at different life stages
Societal Value:
Both Western and Japanese perspectives recognize value in both approaches
Each serves different but complementary functions in society
Both contribute to physical and mental wellbeing in different ways
Educational Applications:
Both frameworks inform how physical education is structured
Schools in both contexts struggle with balancing enjoyment and discipline
Both recognize the developmental potential of physical activity
Cultural Nuances
Despite these parallels, there are some cultural nuances that distinguish the Japanese concepts:
Spiritual Dimension:
Tanren-shugi often incorporates spiritual and moral development more explicitly than Western elite sport philosophy
The concept of “do” (道/道) or “way” emphasizes lifelong pursuit of mastery as a spiritual path
Historical Context:
Japanese martial arts tradition brings unique historical context to tanren-shugi
The “life force” (生命力) concept mentioned in the text has specific cultural resonance
Philosophical Framing:
The Japanese concepts are more explicitly framed as philosophical approaches or “-isms”
In Western contexts, the distinction is often described more in terms of participant categories or levels
Bibliography
Kenji Tomiki wrote many books and essays, all in Japanese. He wrote only one in English: Judo and Aikido. His most famous work is of course Budoron, a collection of essays on Budo, Judo and Aikido.
Please email me if you are interested in his writings and would like more information.
The translation of Kenji Tomiki’s “Budōron” (武道論 – “Theory of Martial Arts” or “Discourse on the Martial Way”) presents unique challenges due to its rich philosophical content and historical context. Several critical concepts in this seminal work require careful clarification to preserve their full meaning and significance.
The ultimate goal in translating Budōron should be to make Tomiki’s innovative martial philosophy accessible to non-Japanese readers while preserving the depth and subtlety of his thought. This requires not just translation in the narrow sense but genuine cross-cultural interpretation that builds bridges between Eastern and Western philosophical traditions.
The Significance of “Budōron” as a Text
The title itself—”Budoron” (武道論)—merits examination:
武 (Bu): More than just “martial,” this character encompasses military matters, combat, and the control of violence
道 (Dō): Beyond “way” or “path,” this indicates a life discipline and philosophical approach
論 (Ron): Signifying “theory,” “discourse,” or “treatise,” this indicates a systematic philosophical exploration
This work represents Tomiki’s comprehensive philosophical framework for understanding martial arts in the modern world, bridging traditional practice with contemporary educational values.
Critical Concepts Requiring Clarification
1. Technical-Philosophical Terms with No Direct English Equivalents
Terms like “waza” (技) and “kokoro” (心) appear frequently in Budoron but resist simple translation. “Waza” encompasses technical skill, practical application, and artistic expression simultaneously. “Kokoro” represents the unified heart-mind-spirit complex that Western languages typically separate.
2. Historical Transitional Concepts
Tomiki writes during a pivotal period in Japanese martial arts history. His discussion of the transition from “jutsu” (術) to “dō” (道) marks not merely a terminological shift but a profound reconceptualization of martial practice from battlefield techniques to paths of personal development.
3. Complex Educational Philosophy
Tomiki’s contrast between “tanren-shugi” (鍛錬主義 – discipline-oriented principle) and “goraku-shugi” (娯楽主義 – recreation-oriented principle) requires careful explanation. These aren’t merely opposing approaches to physical education but represent different philosophical orientations toward human development itself.
4. Religious and Ethical Dimensions
The text contains numerous references to Buddhist concepts (無心 – mushin, 不動心 – fudōshin), Confucian ethical principles, and Shinto perspectives. These require contextualization within Japanese religious traditions to be fully understood.
5. Evolution of Technical Systems
Tomiki describes the systematization and differentiation of martial techniques using terms that carry nuanced meanings in martial contexts. His discussion of the standardization of “kata” (型) and development of “randori” (乱取り) reflects not just technical evolution but philosophical adaptation.
6. Socio-Political Context
Written in the post-war period, Budoron engages with the transformation of martial arts from militaristic training to democratic education. Terms like “minshū kyōiku” (民主教育 – democratic education) carry specific historical connotations related to Japan’s post-war reforms.
7. Metaphysical Concepts
Tomiki frequently references East Asian philosophical concepts like “ki” (気 – vital energy or spirit), “wa” (和 – harmony), and the principles of yin-yang and the five elements. These require explanation of their traditional metaphysical foundations.
Translation Approach Needed
Translating Budoron effectively requires more than linguistic conversion—it demands:
Contextual notes: Providing historical, cultural, and philosophical background
Conceptual mapping: Explaining how Japanese concepts relate to Western philosophical frameworks
Terminological consistency: Maintaining consistent translations while acknowledging the limitations of English equivalents
Explanatory expansions: Sometimes expanding one Japanese term into several English phrases to capture its full meaning
Preservation of ambiguity: Where Tomiki intentionally employs terms with multiple meanings, preserving this richness rather than narrowing to one interpretation
The Book: Budōron
The book appears to be organized into three main chapters plus an introduction, conclusion, and commentary sections:
Major Structural Components
Introduction: “What is Budō?” (6 subsections)
Chapter I: “The Modernization of Budō…Harmony of Tradition and Modernity” (7 major sections)
Chapter II: “What is Judo?…From “Waza” to “Michi”” (6 major sections)
Chapter III: “Modernization of Aikido…Creation of Competitive Aikido” (4 major sections)
Conclusion: “Educational Love and Physical Education” (4 sections)
Commentary section
Essay Count Estimate
Counting each major numbered section as a distinct essay (as they appear to be standalone pieces compiled into this volume):
Introduction: Contains 1 comprehensive essay with 6 subsections
Chapter I: Contains 7 distinct essays
Chapter II: Contains 6 distinct essays
Chapter III: Contains 4 distinct essays
Conclusion: Contains 4 distinct essays
Total estimated essays: Approximately 22 separate essays or articles
This estimate is based on the structure visible in the table of contents. The book appears to be a compilation of Tomiki’s writings on martial arts philosophy, likely published over several years and brought together in this volume. Each numbered section has its own title and appears to be a complete piece that could stand alone, suggesting these were originally separate essays or articles that have been organized thematically into chapters.
The comprehensive nature of the collection, spanning from fundamental questions about the nature of budō to specific discussions of judo and aikido techniques, indicates this is a substantial compilation of Tomiki’s philosophical and technical writings on martial arts.
Mushin Mugamae is a Japanese expression often used in the context of Tomiki’s Aikido. It is usually translated as ’empty mind, no posture’.
But is this really the case? We need to understand and describe this expression in a much broader context.
A summary of the comments made by Kenji Tomiki regarding Mushin Mugamae
“No mind” (“mushin” 無心) represents the highest mental state in human cultivation. It must be the ultimate goal of martial arts, which reaches the “path” (“michi” 道) through “technique” (“waza” 技). Making martial arts competitive and establishing an arena for winning and losing is an educational “place” to learn “no mind” by transcending victory and defeat. However, competition comes with limitations. One tends to fixate on stances, drift toward specialized techniques, and forget the ideal of “no stance” (“mukamae” 無構). To learn “no stance,” one must repeatedly train in the correct “kata” (形) that emphasize self-defense.Emphasizing kata practice not only approaches the essence of martial arts and avoids the pitfalls of competition but also meets the needs of lifelong physical education in the coming era and greatly benefits the maintenance and promotion of national health through martial arts.
When we read and translate texts by Kenji Tomiki, we will certainly notice that he often uses the same parts of texts in different essays on Japanese martial arts. It is important for us to understand the purpose of the frequent repetition of an explanation of his concepts. Some of the texts (in Japanese) are available at:
When translating and trying to understand “mushin mugamae”, there is confusion when trying to understand this expression without the necessary background.
Mushin
In the context of martial arts, “無心” (mushin) is a profound concept that translates to “no-mindedness” or “no-mind.” It represents a mental state where the mind is free from distractions, fears, and ego, allowing for instinctive and fluid reactions. This state is highly valued in martial arts because it enables practitioners to respond naturally and effectively to any situation without hesitation or overthinking.
In Martial Arts:
Focus and Clarity: Mushin allows martial artists to act with complete focus and clarity, unhindered by conscious thought or emotion. This state is often achieved through rigorous training and meditation, where the practitioner learns to quiet the mind and trust their instincts.
Spontaneity: In combat or sparring, mushin enables spontaneous and intuitive movements, making the practitioner more adaptable and unpredictable to opponents.
Unity of Mind and Body: It signifies a harmonious unity between the mind and body, where actions flow naturally without conscious interference.
In a Broader Context:
Mindfulness and Presence: Beyond martial arts, mushin can be applied to daily life as a state of mindfulness and presence. It encourages living in the moment, fully engaged with the current task or experience without being distracted by past regrets or future anxieties.
Flow State: Mushin is akin to the concept of “flow” in psychology, where a person is fully immersed and focused on an activity, leading to a sense of effortless concentration and enjoyment.
Creativity and Problem-Solving: In creative endeavors or problem-solving, mushin can help individuals approach challenges with an open and uncluttered mind, leading to innovative solutions and expressions.
Emotional Balance: It promotes emotional balance and resilience, helping individuals manage stress and maintain composure in challenging situations.
In essence, mushin is a state of mental clarity and readiness that transcends the boundaries of martial arts, offering valuable insights and benefits for personal growth, creativity, and overall well-being.
Mugamae – Mukamae – Mukō
The term “無構” (mukamae) is composed of two kanji characters:
無 (Mu): This character means “nothingness,” “none,” or “without.” It represents the absence of something or a state of emptiness.
構 (Kamae): This character means “posture” or “stance.” In martial arts, “kamae” refers to the physical and mental readiness or posture that a practitioner adopts.
Together, “無構” (mukamae) can be interpreted as a state of “no posture” or “no fixed stance.” This concept is rooted in Japanese martial arts and Zen philosophy, emphasizing a mental and physical state of readiness without preconceived notions or rigid positions. It signifies being prepared for any situation without being confined to a specific form or expectation, allowing for fluid and adaptive responses.
But here is where the confusion comes in:
In martial arts contexts, the term 無構 can be read as either “mukamae” or “mukō”, depending on the specific tradition and context:
“Mukamae” (無構え) – This reading is more commonly used in martial arts discussions about posture and stance. It literally means “no stance” or “no posture” and refers to a state where the practitioner has transcended formal stances, achieving a natural readiness that isn’t fixed in any particular form. In this context, it’s often written with the final え (e) as 無構え to clarify the pronunciation.
“Mukō” (無構) – This alternate reading is sometimes used in more philosophical contexts, particularly in certain traditions of kenjutsu (sword techniques). It maintains the same fundamental meaning of “no predetermined form” but might be emphasized differently depending on the school.
無構 or 無構え
In his texts, Tomiki often uses the abbreviated form 無構 rather than the more explicitly pronounced 無構え when discussing this concept.
This is significant because:
Tomiki is deliberately using the classical, condensed form 無構 that appears in traditional martial arts texts, particularly those from sword schools like the “Book of Five Rings” (五輪書, Gorin no Sho) which he references. This connects his ideas directly to historical martial traditions.
Despite the abbreviated written form, the concept should still be understood as “mukamae” in pronunciation and meaning – referring to the state of “no stance” or transcending fixed postures.
This writing choice reflects Tomiki’s deep connection to traditional martial arts literature while developing his modern perspective on martial arts education.
When Tomiki discusses 無構 (mukamae), he’s emphasizing the paradoxical nature of martial arts mastery – that the highest level of technique appears to have no technique, and the most effective stance appears to have no stance. This aligns with his broader philosophy of moving from form to formlessness, and from technique (waza) to way (michi).
The abbreviated writing style also reflects classical Japanese scholarly tradition, where concepts were often written in condensed form with the understanding that practitioners would know the proper reading and full implications. This approach is consistent with Tomiki’s position as both an innovator and a preserver of traditional martial arts knowledge.
A person is identified not just by their name but by the human values they embody. Strip away those values, and the person becomes an object, easily manipulated by dictators, corporations, and social media. Similarly, a martial art is defined by its name and the human values it imparts. Remove those values, and it becomes vulnerable to exploitation by salespeople, corporations, or worse—it loses its purpose and is discarded as irrelevant.
Introduction
Aikido, a modern Japanese martial art founded by Morihei Ueshiba, is renowned not only for its self-defense techniques but also for its aesthetic and performative qualities. While Aikido maintains its roots in practical combat, it seamlessly integrates elements of performance art, creating a harmonious blend of martial effectiveness and artistic expression. This exploration delves into how Aikido embodies performance art, examining its choreography, theatricality, and the balance between physical technique and mental discipline.
Kata: The Foundation of Aikido’s Performative Aspect
Understanding Kata
At the heart of Aikido’s performative nature lies kata, a collection of structured movements that simulate real combat scenarios. Kata serves as both a training tool and a performance medium, allowing practitioners to internalize techniques while presenting them in a visually engaging manner.
Static and Dynamic Structures: Kata comprises static structures (key-pictures) and dynamic structures (transitional movements). Static structures provide a foundational stance or position, while dynamic structures facilitate smooth transitions between these positions. This interplay creates a fluid and aesthetically pleasing sequence of movements.
Memetic Naming: Post-World War II, high-ranking students began naming techniques to aid memory retention. These names function as “memes,” triggering mental images and structures that enhance the practitioner’s ability to recall and execute movements with precision.
The Role of Go-Kyo and Basic Techniques
The Go-Kyo system in Kodokan Judo and its counterparts in Tomiki Aikido illustrate the structured approach to teaching and performing techniques.
Go-Kyo in Judo: This classification system organizes throwing techniques, providing a systematic framework for learning and demonstration.
Basic 15 and Its Evolution: Kenji Tomiki introduced Basic 15, a foundational set of techniques in the 1950s. Although not classified formally as kata, Basic 15 laid the groundwork for subsequent iterations like Basic 17 and Tanto Basic 17, which incorporated more refined and varied movements.
Randori no Kata: High-ranking instructors coined Randori no Kata to formalize basic techniques, culminating in its inclusion in the JAA syllabus in 1980. This formalization underscores the performative intent behind kata, emphasizing both technical proficiency and aesthetic presentation.
Theatricality in Aikido
Historical Context of Martial Arts and Theater
The intersection of martial arts and performance art is not unique to Aikido. Historically, martial practices have often been intertwined with theatrical traditions:
European Fencing: Once part of theatrical studies, fencing evolved into both a competitive sport and a performative display.
Chinese Opera and Kabuki: These traditional art forms heavily incorporate martial choreography, blending combat techniques with dramatic storytelling.
Aikido’s Theatrical Elements
Aikido adopts similar principles, integrating martial techniques with performative choreography to create a captivating spectacle:
Choreographed Performances: Aikido demonstrations often showcase the fluidity and grace of techniques, emphasizing the seamless execution of movements. These performances are meticulously choreographed to highlight the harmony between practitioners.
Character Development: Modern Budo (Gendai Budo) emphasizes character development alongside technical skill. In Aikido performances, practitioners embody specific roles—Tori (the attacker) and Uke (the defender)—each with distinct movements and intentions, enhancing the narrative aspect of the performance.
Social Interaction: Performances are designed to engage spectators, conveying the “truth of action” by simulating realistic combat scenarios. This interaction fosters a connection between practitioners and the audience, elevating the performance beyond mere technique demonstration.
Balancing Combat Effectiveness and Aesthetic Expression
Combat Roots vs. Aesthetic Focus
Aikido’s dual emphasis on combat effectiveness and aesthetic beauty presents both opportunities and challenges:
Combat Effectiveness: At its core, Aikido remains a practical martial art aimed at self-defense. Techniques are designed to neutralize opponents efficiently, emphasizing leverage, timing, and precision.
Aesthetic Expression: Simultaneously, Aikido values the visual appeal of movements. The flowing, circular motions not only serve practical purposes but also create a visually harmonious performance.
Potential Conflicts and Solutions
The balance between combat utility and aesthetic form can sometimes lead to conflicting priorities:
Neglecting Practicality: An overemphasis on aesthetics may result in the neglect of combat effectiveness, leading to the spread of misconceptions about the applicability of techniques in real-world scenarios.
Integrating Concepts: The ideal approach integrates combat principles into the performative aspects, ensuring that aesthetic movements retain their practical origins. This synergy enhances both the visual appeal and the functional integrity of Aikido techniques.
Training Methods and Their Performative Implications
Static and Dynamic Structures in Training
Aikido training incorporates both static and dynamic structures, each contributing to the performative quality of the art:
Static Structures: These are foundational stances and positions that provide stability and serve as reference points for movements.
Dynamic Structures: These involve transitions and fluid movements between static structures, creating a seamless flow that is both practical and visually engaging.
Role of Instructors and Advanced Practitioners
Guidance from experienced instructors is crucial in bridging the gap between technical proficiency and performative execution:
Choreographic Guidance: Instructors help practitioners refine their movements, ensuring that techniques are executed with both precision and grace.
Mental Discipline: Beyond physical training, practitioners cultivate mental structures that underpin their movements, enhancing the authenticity and fluidity of their performance.
Use of Media in Enhancing Performative Skills
Modern training methods leverage various media to augment the learning and performative aspects of Aikido:
Visual Aids: Books, videos, and digital platforms provide visual representations of techniques, aiding in the comprehension and execution of complex movements.
3D Insights: Video demonstrations offer three-dimensional perspectives, allowing practitioners to observe and emulate the intricacies of dynamic structures.
The Aikido Syllabus: A Blueprint for Structured Performance
Memetic Collection of Techniques
The Aikido syllabus functions as a structured collection of “memes,” each representing a technique’s underlying structure:
Memory Aids: Technique names act as mental triggers, facilitating the recall and execution of movements through associated images and structures.
Structured Learning: The syllabus organizes techniques in a logical sequence, promoting progressive mastery and enabling practitioners to build upon foundational skills.
Impact on Performative Demonstrations
A well-structured syllabus enhances the performative aspect by ensuring that practitioners have a comprehensive understanding of each technique’s nuances:
Consistency in Performance: Standardized techniques allow for uniformity in demonstrations, making performances more coherent and impactful.
Depth of Understanding: A thorough grasp of the syllabus ensures that performances are not merely superficial displays but reflect a deep understanding of the art’s principles.
Static and Dynamic Structures Training: Enhancing Performative Excellence
Technique Demonstration and Perception
When demonstrating techniques without specifying the initial action, practitioners reveal their personal interpretation and understanding of the movement:
Individual Interpretation: Each practitioner’s unique perception influences how they execute and present a technique, adding diversity to performances.
Visual Representation: The balance between static and dynamic structures in demonstrations creates a visually engaging narrative that captivates audiences.
Skill Development: Athletic vs. Martial Skills
Aikido distinguishes between athletic skills (physical prowess) and martial skills (combat effectiveness), both of which contribute to performative excellence:
Athletic Skills: These enable practitioners to execute movements with agility and strength, enhancing the visual appeal of performances.
Martial Skills: These ensure that techniques retain their combat effectiveness, maintaining the art’s practical integrity.
Integration in Competitive and Performative Contexts
Tomiki Aikido’s emphasis on competitive formats like Randori and Kata illustrates the dual application of techniques in both combative and performative settings:
Randori: A free-form practice that emphasizes adaptability and combat readiness, showcasing martial prowess.
Kata: A structured form that highlights the aesthetic and choreographic aspects of techniques, emphasizing grace and precision.
Theatricality and Character Development in Aikido
Expressing Narrative Through Movement
Aikido performances often convey a narrative, portraying the interaction between Tori (the attacker) and Uke (the defender):
Role Embodiment: Practitioners embody their roles, infusing movements with intention and purpose that narrate a story of conflict and resolution.
Emotional Expression: Beyond physical movements, Aikido performances express emotions and psychological states, adding depth to the portrayal.
Character Development Through Practice
Modern Budo emphasizes character development as a fundamental aspect of martial arts training:
Discipline and Respect: Practitioners cultivate qualities like discipline, respect, and humility through rigorous training and performative practice.
Social Interaction: Engaging in synchronized movements and coordinated techniques fosters social bonds and mutual understanding among practitioners.
Challenges and Solutions in Balancing Aesthetics and Practicality
Risk of Aesthetic Overemphasis
An excessive focus on aesthetic elements can compromise the martial effectiveness of techniques:
Misconceptions: Overly stylized performances may lead to misunderstandings about the practical application of Aikido techniques in real-world scenarios.
Technique Dilution: The essence of techniques may be diluted if aesthetic considerations overshadow functional execution.
Integrating Combat Principles into Performance
To maintain the integrity of Aikido as both a martial art and a performance medium, it is essential to balance aesthetics with combat principles:
Functional Choreography: Choreograph movements in a way that preserves their combat effectiveness, ensuring that performances remain authentic and practical.
Educative Performances: Use performances as opportunities to educate audiences about the underlying principles and practical applications of techniques, bridging the gap between art and combat.
This is a technique typical of Tomiki Aikido practitioners. There are many versions and of course you will find this technique in other martial arts as well.
The skill of bending over
Bending over the body is a skill that is often used in Tomiki’s Aikido, especially in the Gedan Ate technique. Unfortunately, when you get older or lazy, bending over becomes more difficult. This sometimes leads to using the body in the wrong way.
Use the body as a harmonica and not as a lever when bending over.
Picture 1 shows where in the body to focus. Picture 2 shows the correct use as a kind of harmonice, using the waist to bend over. Picture 3 shows us the use of the hip joints as the focus, which creates a much less efficient use of the body.
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the idea of cross-training in martial arts. Cross-training is rejected by traditionalists in particular. Nonetheless, cross-training can provide valuable insight into the art of fighting. When talking about cross-training in martial arts, grappling arts are frequently mentioned. But we can also cross-train in combat systems with weapons.
Fencing
The origins of contemporary fencing must be found in Antiquity and medieval fighting methods. The swords used then were suitable as impact weapons and less so as stabbing weapons. The use of a shield to absorb the blow of a sword was widely accepted. Therefore, the warriors of the time were probably physically very strong. One cannot speak of true fencing. During the Renaissance, the use of stabbing weapons came more to the foreround. Probably because firearms made their appearance and heavy armour was replaced by lighter clothing. With the change in clothing, the way of body-to-body combat was also adapted. Impact weapons were replaced by stabbing weapons.
We do need to distinguish between civilian and military weaponry. The origins of modern fencing and the resulting stick fencing must be sought in civilian weaponry. Civilian weaponry served 2 purposes:
Duel, an arranged engagement in combat between two people with matched weapons
Self-defense, about protecting yourself and your family against the hostile actions of criminals.
Dueling remained highly popular in European society, despite various attempts at banning the practice. From 1841 to 2000, Belgium had a criminal law on duelling.It offered reduced sentences for those who injured or killed someone during a duel. The concept of ‘dueling’ can be found in numerous competitive martial arts styles. Today’s competitive fencing is largely based on a stabbing technique. Three types of weapons are promoted. Floret and epee are stabbing weapons, a sabre is a stabbing and impact weapon.
Stick fencing – La Canne
Stick fencing became popular in the 19th century as a result of the ban on carrying a sabre for civilians. Although a stick doesn’t have a sharp point or cutting edge, it still has the potential to kill or injure an adversary through its striking technique.
Stick fencing has several tendencies that can be derived from the different European fencing traditions. We distinguish between the German tradition, the Italian tradition, the Spanish tradition, and the French tradition. Despite regional distinctions, there have been many transfers between traditions in terms of technique and philosophy. By the end of the 19th century, French traditions were the most prevalent methods. La Canne, as the French called their method, was part of a self-defence system that included French boxing. Outside the French language area, stick fencing can also be found.
A popular version is the “Bartitsu stick fencing system”, an English method that gained fame thanks to Conan Doyle’s books featuring Sherlock Holmes as the main character. The stick fencing component has its origins in La Canne’s Vigny system, a method from the French-speaking region of Europe.
An upside-down world
Of course, we cannot forget the Eastern traditions that found their way into the Western world of martial arts and martial arts in the 20th century. Despite the European influence in Tanjo Jutsu being denied by some Jojutsu practitioners, stances and striking technique share similarities. One notable tradition is Japanese Shindo Muso Ryu Jo-jutsu. This tradition promotes a form of stick fighting using as its central weapon the Jo, a stick about 130 cm long. In this tradition one finds the Uchida-Ryu Tanjo Jutsu, a method based on European walking stick fencing from the 19th century.
The link with Aikido
hdr
Aikido was created by Morihei Ueshiba’s students after the war. In most modern aikido systems, weapons are used in training. A cane or a walking stick belongs not to the traditional weaponry in aikido. Nonetheless, a short stick was employed by a few of Ueshiba’s students in their training methods.
Kenji Tomiki, who created competitive aikido, also played a role in the creation of Goshi-jutsu no kata, which is a formal exercise in Kodokan Judo that has a self-defense section that involves the use of a short stick.
In the Tomiki Aikido training syllabus, a “Softo”, a short stick is used for example to practise “avoidance”.
Integrating a walking stick into your training requires a lot of study to determine which elements you would like to incorporate into your training. If your training is focusing on the sports side of Tomiki Aikido, practicing with a walking stick is a waste of time. As usual, there are no absolutes. Le Combat de la Canne is a French competitive system with a stick that originated from the ‘La Canne’ methods for self-defense.
“La Canne” or the French Stick Fighting system
If the purpose of your training is to study practical elements for self-defense or aikido weapons training, practising with a walking stick can be very rewarding training supplement. La Canne is build upon a more than 500 years experience of sword masters. Their knowledge is equal to that of the famous Japanese Swordmen.
Most of the La Canne methods have a similar syllabus that contains the following items.
Guards / Postures
Moulinets – Circling of the cane
Footwork
Striking, thrusting, ….
Parries
Combinations
Freeplay
A lot of attention is paid to:
Distance – 3 basic distances
Timing – 3 basic timings
The concepts of distance and timing are integral to Eastern martial arts. It can be said that they are the ‘essential concepts’ of all martial arts.
This concept can be practiced at different levels, with beginners generally moving slowly and not using powerful actions.
Are you intrigued?
The internet is a great place to find a lot of information. But fundamentally, practicing is the best solution. For those who are interested, our group offers introductionary sessions.
The use of excessive power is always a concern when practicing ‘randori’. Although we stress the importance of softness during practice, sometimes it is necessary to use all your human resources, including muscular strength.
Effective use of controlling techniques requires a solid grip. Your opponent will overpower you during randori practice if your grasping method lacks the strength to keep your grasp solid. A grip that is strong must also have the ability to be flexible. Your techniques will become static and tension-filled if you lack movement skill.
The skill of ‘ju-and-go’ is to balance power and flexibility.
Basic Grip
Exercise to create a solid grip
To create a solid grip, we use a set of two sticks (tanjo, jo or bo). A solid grip is necessary to keep the two sticks together. Without a strong grip, the two sticks will move freely and there won’t be any transfer to your training partner. A solid grip and movement is based upon 2 basic methods:
Inside rotation of the arm
Outside rotation of the arm
The use of a solid grip
Developing a basic grasping method by using a solid grip. Different ways of grasping the wrist and hand to control the opponent’s arm. Three fingers (middle, ring and little finger) are grasping the hand. Index and thumb are holding the wrist.
Solid grip and stretching or bending the arm
A basic grip on the wrist can be used for various applications. By understanding the fundamentals of a simple controlling technique, one can gain a better understanding of the complexity of the old Aikido techniques (Koryu no kata).
Timing – Hand-Body-Foot
Timing is crucial for controlling the distance between you and your opponent. Your actions can be more powerful and efficient by controlling the distance. To get a solid grip on your opponent, it’s crucial to have the correct distance. Your actions will become more effective if your distance control is more precise. Your opponent will block or evade your hand action when you start with your foot. Before making any attempts with it, make sure to establish the distance before starting with the hand. At the appropriate distance, use offensive movements like thrusting, striking, or solid grasping techniques. The best timing is when your hand touches the opponent and you don’t have to step. When you reach the target with your hand, utilize the body and power from your feet without taking a step. When using your front foot to step towards the target, the time it takes to use your power will be much longer. This is a weakness in your strategy, but your actions can still be efficient. Using both feet to step to touch the target takes a significant amount of time, and your opponent can exploit this weakness in your strategy. A clever strategy can still give you a chance to win the confrontation.
Power is always absent when touching the target with the hand. The only way to use power after touching the target is by standing correctly.
Martial arts marketing mainly emphasizes the idea of winning against a much stronger opponent. This idea is enforced by a clever training system that has rules and limitations for the attacker. A competing format tries to break out of those limitations. Unfortunately, the competitive format to become safe requires limitations and rules. The study and training in a martial art occur in a specially equipped hall. For Japanese martial arts, the training hall is called a dojo. Dojo training is not comparable to a hostile environment in the real world. Your belief that a competitive format will significantly improve your self-defense abilities is incorrect. A problem with many competitive martial arts is that they continuously assume the conditions of mutual combat. Before starting the fight, the opponents are identified and lined up at a comfortable distance.
It’s important to remember the physical and mental aspects of good health. In order to survive in the arena, it’s important to be in good shape and have practiced the technical and tactical aspects of competitive fighting.
The reality on the street is totally different. Your attacker is not following the rules that govern the competition format. Your body and mind are conditioned by rules and limitations. Self-defence courses emphasize the idea of running away from potential conflicts rather than engaging in physical combat. In the event that your condition is not good, what is the outcome? Can you run away? Are you fully prepared for the confrontation? Your limitations are highlighted by those questions.
Performance-oriented
Our society’s foundation is performance. If you cannot fulfill this concept, you will always be considered a member of the lower class. Religions are also using this concept. Entering Paradise is possible if you adhere to the rules set by the religious leaders.
Martial arts are not excluded from this concept. In certain martial arts, their founders are treated as gods and their successors are treated similarly. Certainly, some founders have the ability to excel in the field of martial arts. To become such a skilled martial practitioner, they lived a life based on training for both the mind and body.
Is it possible to become a skilled warrior in our society while maintaining a family relationship and performing well in your occupation for a living? The chance to become a military or police officer is not available to everyone.
Your limitations
Physical and mental limitations
Social limitations
Educational limitations
Fat-belly syndrome
Other
Most of the limitations are interwoven and cannot be separated from each other. If you see the founder of your martial art as a godlike person, your way of thinking will be restricted by the dogmas outspoken by the founder and the successors. Dogmas can restrict your search to the truth in martial arts. Of course, if there is a truth in martial arts.
We cannot forget, most of the founders had a life as a professional martial art practitioner and their training was almost a full-time job. Most of us have a responsibility to our family and social environment. These limitations, we have to accept, we cannot become at the same level as a professional martial art practitioner.
Physical and mental limitations are no excuses for not practising. Laziness are being often the origin of so-called physical limitations. But each physical training program must be adapted to the real limitations of the practitioner. We cannot expect the same performance from a 80 yr old person compared to a 20 yr old practitioner. Performing always at the maximum heartbeat is not healthy, especially for older practitioners. Knowing your heartbeat is a key to excellent performing taking into account the limitations of your age and condition.
Using a smart watch or other device to measure your heartbeat can be helpful to find out something about your condition when performing for example solo-exercises with or without a weapon.
You can estimate your maximum heart rate based on your age. To estimate your maximum age-related heart rate, subtract your age from 220. For example, for a 50-year-old person, the estimated maximum age-related heart rate would be calculated as 220–50 years = 170 beats per minute (bpm). A 20-year-old person would be 220-20 years= 200 BPM.
When you know your max heart rate, you can calculate the BPM for efficient exercising.
Target heart rate zones are five ranges of heart rates that generally determine how much effort a person is putting forth in their exercise.
Heart rate zones vary from person to person—someone who is younger or more physically active will have different target zones than a person who is older or currently less physically active—so they’re described as percentages of maximum heart rate.
Zone 1 – moderate to low intensity, at 50 to 60 percent of maximum heart rate
Zone 2 – moderate intensity, at 60 to 70 percent of maximum heart rate
Zone 3 – moderate to high intensity, at 70 to 80 percent of maximum heart rate
Zone 4 – high intensity, at 80 to 90 percent of maximum heart rate
Zone 5 – very high intensity, at 90 to 100 percent of maximum heart rate
Educational limitations
Not every martial art has an extensive educational program, some of them are very limited and physical. Others are very wide organized and require a lot of mental energy. Maybe, the martial art you practise has a very profound mental educational program. But you are very loyal to the group or teacher, but you like to practise more physical. This is your problem, not the system’s problem, and you have to solve it. You can look around for a more physical method or you can use your creativity and a good conversation with the teacher to find a solution for your problem.
The fat-belly syndrome limitation
There was a time when I was accumulating too much fat in the belly. A fat-belly is of course a limitation in proper martial art training. Some people with this syndrome will tell you about developing a powerful hara. Of course, this is only an excuse for not participating in a physical training program adapted to the person in question. After changing a bad habit of eating and drinking, my well developed hara disappeared and my training became more vigorous.
Knowing your limitations
We can detect a lot of more limitations, but deep in our heart we really know our limitations and we must adapt our training. Sometimes, you will find out remarks made by others about your performance. Those remarks can be very positive, but can have also a huge negative impact on your training. Especially social media is a well known source of negative influence.
Knowing your limitations is the path to “well-being”.
Dan ranks are mass produced these days and they no longer prove any real skill level or proficiency.
Around 1880, Jigoro Kano started transforming his Jujutsu method into what is now referred to as Judo. At the same time, a movement was underway to transform Kenjutsu into a competitive martial art called Kendo. Kano gave some of his students their first rank “Shodan” in 1883.
To standardize and nationalize the martial arts, the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai (1895) was established. The Dai Nippon Butoku Kai awarded titles (Shogo) such as Renshi, Kyoshi, and Hanshi in Shogo. Later, the system of Dan-ranking was introduced. The DAN-I (段位), a ranking system borrowed from GO or Japanese Chess was obviously heavily influenced by the system used in Judo that was instigated by Kano and used at Kodokan. Shogo (称号) in Japanese translates simply as “title” or “rank,” and the word can be used in many areas, for example formal titles of nobility, military ranks, scholarly ranks, etc, and informally in the sporting world, between friends, etc. Renshi was promoted to 4th-5th Dans, Kyoshi was promoted to 7th Dans, and Hanshi was promoted to 8th-9th Dans. The Shogo and Dan ranks were not automatically linked. Some were awarded Dan grades but not Shogo, while others were awarded Shogo but not Dan grades.
After the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai was dissolved as a result of defeat in WWII in 1946, the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai was reestablished again in 1953. Even though the same name organization was established it is not related to the original Dai Nihon Butoku Kai though they probably wish to claim as such as the prewar organization received a lot of respect and honor as it was sponsored by the Japanese government. The current organization is no longer well known or large in membership as it is only a private organization without any sponsorship from the government.
Shodan, most important rank
初段 Shodan: The meaning of the first kanji “first time, beginning”, the second kanji “grade, steps, stairs”. Is it a mistake to translate “shodan” as “first dan – black belt”? Literally it is a mistake, but it is not a mistake because it is the first “dan” you can receive.
1917: Kenjutsu, starts using the Dan-i system similar to judo. At this point the system went only as far as godan, after that the titles of seirensho (renshi), kyoshi, and hanshi are awarded. In 1919, the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai changed the name Kenjutsu into Kendo.
The dan-i system was gradually adopted by other martial arts, including Aikido, which Morehei Ueshiba adopted around 1940. Some of Ueshiba’s senior students were quickly promoted to high dan grades, e.g. Kenji Tomiki 富木 謙治 was awarded the first ever 8th dan in the same year.
It is very difficult to find out level-explanation. Most of the dan-ranking requirements are just a list of techniques, kata and/or getting points by entering shiai. Nevertheles, some Martial Arts can give you a glimpse of the differentiating in the dan-levels. For example Japanese Archery. Someone who starts Kyudo has to shoot the arrow into the target. Someone of a high level has to shoot the arrow in the same target. Fundamentally there is no difference, both they shoot the arrow.
Kyudo – Japanese Archery
Shodan: The shooting form (Shakei) and the formal movement (Taihai) should be consistent with the standard form. There should not be disarray in the placing of the arrows (Yadokoro).
Nidan: Both the shooting form (Shakei) and formal movement (Taihai) should have good arrangement with evidence of spiritual energy (Kiryoku) in the application of the shooting technique (Shajitsu). There should be less uncertainty in the placing of the arrows (Yadokoro).
Sandan: The shooting form (Shakei) is better established and the formal movement (Taihai) is more stable. The breathing is ordered and the application of the shooting technique (Shajitsu) follows the principles of shooting (Shaho). The arrow should fly straight and there should be more consistency in hitting the Mato (Tekichu).
Yondan: The shooting form (Shakei) is better established and the formal movement (Taihai) is more stable. There should be correct breathing, the application of the shooting technique (Shajitsu) should be consistent with the principles of shooting (Shaho) and Hanare should be sharp. Consistency should be reached in hitting the Mato (Tekichu).
Godan: The shooting form (Shakei), the shooting technique (Shajitsu) and the formal movement (Taihai) should be consistent with the principles of shooting (Shaho) and refinement (Shahin) should be apparent. In particular, progress should be shown over the previous levels.
Rokudan: Shooting form (Shakei), shooting technique (Shajitsu), and formal movement (Taihai) have reached the stage of excellence. The shooting shows a high level of refinement (Shahin).
Nanadan: Shooting form (Shakei), shooting technique (Shajitsu), and formal movement (Taihai) are evident naturally in the body. The shooting has reached a high level of refinement (Shahin) and mastery.
Hachidan: There should be perfection in the technique, the highest level of refinement (Shahin) and embodiment of skill in the art of shooting.
Kyudan: The truth of Kyudo should be transparent.
Judan: 😉
Shodo – Non-Martial Arts Dan-Ranking
Shodo 書道, sometimes also called shuji 習字, is one of Japan’s oldest traditional art forms. It is the art of Japanese Calligraphy and can be translated into something like “the path of writing”. It transforms kanji, the Japanese script based on Chinese punctuation marks, into true works of art. The point is to put the kanji on paper as beautifully as possible. Each kanji consists of several “strokes” that must be placed in the correct order and in the correct manner. Pay attention to the length and width of your strokes, the way they extend, connect, and flow into each other.
In most of the Shodo schools, they use the concepts of “fundamentals”, “beginners model” and “advanced models”. Models are basically different kinds of scrips how to paint the kanji, hiragana and katakana, the 3 diiferent methods of Japanese writing.
To be graded to shodan, you must master the fundamentals of Shodo and make a painting based upon the beginners model. From shodan students must start painting kaisho script using the advanced model, instead of the beginner’s model. From sandan students can start using the reisho and tensho styles. Also, from sandan students may submit works to the shoyuu gallery (書友ギャラリー), which is a relatively free form opportunity. The gallery model is only words in printed text: the submitting artist must decide which style to use.
As with Martial Arts, Shodo has several schools and styles and each of them are using different models in their dan-i system. But every school is painting the kanji, the hiragana and the katakana. Fundamentally it is like Kyudo, everybody is shooting the arrow.
Aikido, a generic term
The definition of Aikido will be shaped by the question of who created it. There are those who claim that Aikido was created by Morihei Ueshiba, while others will talk about Sokaku Takeda. Some of the followers of those teachers created their own system. In most cases the name Aikido was used to identify their method.
The word “Aikido” must be regarded as a generic term for all “Yawara” based method. The list did not include Kodokan Judo, which was considered a unique martial art. Of course, some methods are not using the term Aikido and prefer other terms like “Aiki (Ju) Jutsu”. The name Aikido is adopted around 1940 by the Dai Nippon Butoku Kai. After WW2. In an interview with Minoru Hirai (Korido Ryu) and member of Ueshiba’s dojo the following is about choosing the name “Aikido”
(Stanley Pranin with Minoru Hirai).« “Aikido,” rather than being a specifically selected name, was the term used to refer to “Butokukai-Ryu” aiki budo within the Dai Nippon Butokukai. The headquarters of the Dai Nippon Butokukai was located in Kyoto and Butokuden centers were set up in all prefectures. Tatsuo Hisatomi from the Kodokan, and Shohei Fujinuma from kendo, were close friends of mine. The Butokukai was an independent, umbrella organization for the martial arts, and it also was in charge of martial arts in the police departments. It was very difficult to create a new section in the Butokukai at that time. Mr. Hisatomi proposed the establishment of a new section including arts for actual fighting based on jujutsu techniques. The techniques of yawara (an alternate term for jujutsu) are comprehensive and also include the use of the ken and jo. I also made a number of suggestions and Mr. Fujinuma and Mr. Hisatomi understood my ideas. However, had I insisted on these things nothing would have been decided. There was discussion within the Butokukai about the choice of a name for this new section. It was discussed many times in meetings of the Board of Directors, and particularly in the judo and kendo sections. We had to consider all of the different individual arts encompassed when we tried to come up with an all-inclusive name. It was decided to select an inoffensive name to avoid future friction among the different martial arts. »
1976 – Practising Korindo Ryu “Aikido” with Hakamatsu Shihan at his private dojo in Shizuoka. Hakamatsu Shihan was a disciple of Minoru Hirai.
Aikido is typically promoted as a martial art and can be utilized for self-defense reasons. On the other hand Aikido became also popular as a method to create “harmony”. Regrettably, the word ‘harmony’ is poorly defined and frequently interpreted as a ‘new age’ concept.
Another form of Aikido is the controversial “Sports Aikido” system. A method for competing that utilizes the technical foundations of Aikido, influenced by Kodokan Judo and Sports Kendo.
Fundamentals of Aikido
The Dan-I system is being used as a ranking method in Aikido, just like other martial arts. To obtain the rank of Shodan, you must become proficient in the fundamentals of the art. The arts previously discussed, such as Shodo and Kyudo, also express this.
The fundamentals of Aikido must be based on how to use your mind and body under pressure in the environment. To perform at the best, your posture must be optimal and your mind must be focused on the task you are performing.
Tomiki’s Aikido Fundamentals
In Tomiki Aikido, the fundamentals are expressed through the concepts of:
Shizentai no ri – the concept of natural posture – a natural and unrestricted posture for attacking and defensive actions
Ju no ri – the concept of defensive power – do not oppose the offensive power of attacker
Kuzushi no ri – the concept of disturbing balance – creating an opportunity to attack with as little force as possible
The methods of kata and randori are employed to demonstrate these concepts.
An example of an early Tomiki Aikido Syllabus – Senta Yamada
The JAA syllabus
Shodan is built around the randori concept in Tomiki Aikido. The Principles (shizentai no ri, ju no ri and kuzushi no ri) are an integral part of the grading demonstration. Nidan grading focuses on traditional pre-war techniques and a kata based on the concept of kuzushi. Demonstrating the randori concept requires the opponent to demonstrate a flexible resisting action. Sandan’s grading demonstration is based on pre-war techniques. Weapons such as tanto, bokuto, and jo are demonstrated at a fundamental level. The randori concept is demonstrated with a flexible resistance action by the opponent, who can try to take over the actions of the defender.
The Fundamental Principles are the core of the grading demonstration. Without these fundamentals, the candidate will be failed by the panel or examiner.
If a candidate wins 1st place in a major tournament, they can climb up in the dan-I ranking without a formal grading demonstration.
Higher levels are a matter of technical proficiency demonstration or promotion for special services.
The Dark Side of the Dan Ranking
The Dan ranking system has a financial aspect. Promotion fees must be regarded as income for the organization. The organization’s prestige has a significant impact. Being promoted by a well-known organization is what most people prefer. Regrettably, this is not always a proof of understanding and skills. Nishioka Tsuneo’s book focuses on the compromised aspect of dan ranking.
A cure?
Finding a cure is not a problem. But accepting the cure is for most of the people the obstacle.
Do you have a passion for improving your skills? Your training is all about having enthusiasm. To enhance your skills, you need this secret ingredient. Even at a certain age, enthusiasm remains necessary.
A piece of paper can look beautiful on your wall, but it is not guaranteed that you have the necessary skills to demonstrate your art.
Author: Eddy Wolput °1948 – 7th dan Aikido (JAA-Tokyo/Japan) – 5th dan Iaido – 5th dan Jodo. In collaboration with Tim Wolput……as the illustrator and provider of ideas . Part of the material in this article is not directly linked to the Japan Aikido Association (NPO) program or Shodokan approach. Other concepts are incorporated into the study of the subject presented.
Enigma comes via Latin aenigma from ancient Greek ainigma. Hidden in this is the word ainos “narrative, fairy tale”. Enigma mainly translates as “riddle” but it is also referred to a coding device.
The Enigma machine is a cipher device developed and used in the early- to mid-20th century to protect commercial, diplomatic, and military communication. It was employed extensively by Nazi Germany during World War II, in all branches of the German military. The Enigma machine was considered so secure that it was used to encipher the most top-secret messages.
Wikipedia
The purpose of being a Sensei
Sometimes you will read that a Sensei is a rolemodel. But what rolemodel? Defining rolemodel is as muddy as the relationship of Sensei-Tori/Uke.
In the past when Japanese martial arts were introduced into Western society, a Sensei was a superhuman. Sensei could beat everyone and had an answer to all the questions. When Chinese martial arts were imported, the same happened with the equivalent of a Sensei. The Chinese use the word Sifu.
Nowadays, Sensei became more human and is not any more superhuman. Although some groups still rever their Sensei almost in a divine manner.
So, what is a Sensei?
A Sensei is an educator and a motivational role model. This is the starting point. To become an educator and a motivator, you need to have knowledge and skills of the subjects you like to teach. This is the first item to take into account.
Do you know your subject and do have have skills?
Although in the beginning of this post the definition of Sensei: “person born before another” or “one who comes before” As a Sensei you must believe in yourself and you need the knowledge and practical skills of the subject you like to teach.
Teaching Japanese martial arts is mostly done by the “Kata” method. Knowing and practising the Kata is a lifetime work. The study of a Kata is never finished, you will always find something new .
But what is a “Kata”? Kata an be seen as “the method” to teach people how to perform a certain task or job. We can distinguis 2 kinds of kata.
Kata in a narrow sense
Kata in a more broader sense
In Kodokan Judo, 2 kinds of Judo were mentioned by Jigoro Kano. The cultivation of a strong physical body (through rentai-ho) and the development of contest skills (through shobu-ho) together resulted in kyogi judo, or judo in the narrow sense. Kano intended that judo practitioners were also to go on to achieve a higher level of self-actualization through shushin-ho and thus achieve kogi judo, or judo in the wide sense.
Kano’s ideas are not unique because on other fields we can see the same concepts, the method in a narrow sense and the method in a wider sense.
It is believed that Budo can cultivate both the mind and body. However, if the meaning of Budo is unclear, then it is impossible to know what to train and indeed what method to utilize. In identifying Budo, it is important to understand why Judo (“the way of Yawara/Jujutsu”), Kendo (“the way of the sword”), Kyudo (“the way of the bow”), Aikido (“the way of Aiki”) and the like, are considered to be Budo (“martial ways”). To aid this clarification, the difference between “Michi (way)” and “Jutsu (technique)” should be known. Good guidelines and tuition have become indispensable for this aim, but if each person does not grasp what Budo is individually during practical training, then focus, concentration and discipline in Budo is not achieved.
Sensei is literally translated as “person born before another” or “one who comes before”. In general usage, it is used, with proper form, after a person’s name and means “teacher”; the word is also used as a title to refer to or address other professionals or persons of authority. Tori is the one who performs the technique – Uke is the one who receives the technique.
Sensei and martial arts
In modern Japanese martial arts, specifically Kodokan Judo or similar systems, tori is the one who performs a technique against the training partner, or uke. Sometimes tori is associated with winning, while uke is associated with losing. The difference between the two people is very obvious during “Kata” or so-called formal exercises. During “Randori” or sparring, the difference becomes misty because each person may be Tori/Uke as an individual.
When one of the practitioners is also the teacher or the Sensei, the situation becomes more muddled. How the teacher gets to be the loser if the sensei act as Uke? Such a situation is the perception of someone who don’t understand the classical methods of Japanese martial arts. It is very difficult to compare martial arts seen as a sportive activity (for example aikido-kyogi or sports-aikido) and martial art (Budo/Bujutsu) as a development of your body and mind. Some martial arts of course, can be practised as a sport activity and as a method for selfdevelopment.
Martial arts with a strong Budo/Bujutsu connection have a different name for Tori and Uke, but from an educational point of view the words have the same meaning when a teacher is involved.
Shidachi – someone who performs the technique
Uchidachi – someone who receives the technique
Uchidachi is leading shidachi with sincere attack. This allows to learn proper body movement, battle distance, appropriate mindset, and perception of possibilities. In the past, the role of Uchidachi was reserved exclusively to expert practitioners who were able to carry out meticulous techniques and possessed the right spirit and an understanding of their role. The roles of uchidachi as senior and shidachi as junior are always maintained, though the role of uchidachi is played by someone at a lower level. The mindset of uchidachi is always sincere but humble. Kata is practised so that they can learn to give and receive together. This is what makes possible the improvement of technique and the development of the mind.
Shu-Ha-Ri & Jo-Ha-Kyū
Shu-Ha-Ri roughly translates to “to keep, to fall, to break away”. (From Wikipedia)
Shu (守) “protect”, “obey”—traditional wisdom—learning fundamentals, techniques, heuristics, proverbs Ha (破) “detach”, “digress”—breaking with tradition—detachment from the illusions of self Ri (離) “leave”, “separate”—transcendence—there are no techniques or proverbs, all moves are natural, becoming one with spirit alone without clinging to forms; transcending the physical
Shu-Ha-Ri is related to another Japanese phrase -Jo-ha-kyū (序破急)- to define the strategy someone uses during practising his art in his life. This concept has to be seen as a macrocosmic and microcosmic event.
Jo-ha-kyū (序破急) is a concept of modulation and movement applied in a wide variety of traditional Japanese arts. It essentially means that all actions or efforts should begin slowly, speed up, and then end swiftly. This concept is applied to elements of the Japanese tea ceremony, to the samurai sword art of Kenjutsu, to the bamboo sword training art of kendō, and to other martial arts, to dramatic structure in the traditional theatre. (From Wikipedia)
Shomen-ate Kata
When performing kata, there is a structure that we cannot ignore. This structure contains all the basic concepts for performing an effective movement related to an opponent.
Jibun no tsukuri and aite no tsukuri are the building blocks proposed by Kenji Tomiki. Each method of “tsukuri” can also be divided into more distinct parts necessary for an effective technique. These elements have to be integrated in your actions. The danger exists of giving too much attention to an item with the result of less efficiency due to a lack of fluidity and integration in the overall action.
For instance, the first technique of “Basic 17” in the Aïkido Tomiki system. When Tomiki wrote “Judo and Aikido”, the first movement with the front hand is just a sweeping action.
A Sensei’s duty, explaining the alternative
Alternative in this case is another view about executing a certain technique. This is a different use of the term ‘alternative’. In another article, the term “alternative” is used in a different sense: The simplification of Ueshiba Aikido.
After striking Uke’s arm, the opponent is destabilized as in the picture. The danger exists of having a too mechanical technique as a result of a tunnel vision.
“Tunnel Vision”, a metaphorically way of expressing the reluctance to consider alternatives to one’s preferred line of thought.
Original or alternative?
Look at the picture of Tomiki and Ohba when executing sweeping the front arm as explained on the page of Tomiki’s new method of randori (Judo and Aikido). Uke’s balance is directed more forward. The posture of Uke is different as in the picture with Shishida. Uke’s balance is directed to the side and slightly back.
Hitting the wrist or sweeping the wrist are 2 alternatives of many solutions. A good sensei will insist on one method for beginners. Later on, multiple possibilities can be used for advanced persons.
Senta Yamada is clearly demonstrating a sweeping action.
Practising – The Sensei Way
As said before, a Sensei acts mostly as Uke in the traditional way of martial art training. Unfortunately, many sensei only perform “mouth” waza or embu with a willing partner. In order to be a Sensei, you have responsibilities to your students. You should communicate with them through your mind and body. Teaching your student is a bodily experience and speaking is just an add-on to give some additional guidance. Many Sensei are older than their students and as a result, the “personal” training program is slightly different from that of the student.
From a western point of view, we have to take into consideration that an older body needs a different physical training program. From a more holistic perspective, the concept of “Ki” has to be taken into account. We cannot deny the existence of bioelectricity (Ki) and the ability to manipulate Ki in some exercise programs. Hachi Danken or eight brocade exercises is but one example. Another important training tool for senior and experienced practitioners is the Ritsuzen method, the way to stand like a tree.
And keep in mind, Tomiki’s Tandoku Renshu*. Of course, a deeper understanding is needed to understand and acquire the skills of this unique training method. Tomiki’s Tandoku Renshu is not performed as college students do. It is practiced according the older methods, for example, taught by Senta Yamada. And of course, you must take into account your own experience.
As a practitioner of Aikido Tomiki, I am certainly very proud of the efforts of our Sensei. He examined Morihei Ueshiba’s archaic system and made it accessible to the rational man. His simplification of the many techniques in the so-called “Aiki-randori-no-kata” can be considered a work of art. Is this simplification one of a kind in the world of Aikido? No!
In 1969, Aikido by Kisshomaru Ueshiba was published and can be seen as a simplification of Aikido as practised by the Ueshiba family and in a broader sense the Aiki-Kai community. The book was based on two previous Japanese books written by Kisshomaru Ueshiba. Aikido (1958) and Aikido Giho (1962)
Complementary and alternative
Old Waseda dojo
Complementary and alternative are terms used to describe many kinds of practices or methods that are not part of the mainstream system. You may hear them outline methods for improving the method. This is called “complementary” because they are used along with your current method. You can sometimes hear about methods that should be better than the original method. We call these “alternatives” because they are used in place of tried and tested methods. Most of the time, the value of these alternative methods is doubtful because they do not complement the current method. Perhaps there is some value if it is used as a stand-alone method with a different objective to achieve.
There are numerous exercises and techniques to support every aspect of Aikido. But often the forest cannot be seen for the trees. Making choices will thus be a real challenge! Even simple basic exercises are conducted in an infinite number of ways. Some of the elementary exercises are created by Kenji Tomiki and every deviation from the basic model is sometimes regarded as a capital sin. However, Kenji Tomiki committed a capital sin when he tried to create a competitive element in the formation of Aikido. After all, its teacher, Morihei Ueshiba has always emphasized the “impossibility” of having contests in Aikido. This brings forward a question about “complementary or alternative” in Tomiki’s method.
The impossibility of competitive aikido?
To find an answer, we need to dive into the history of Aikido or also known as “aikibudo”. It was Morihei Ueshiba who popularized Aikido or aikidbudo to a wider public, though he was mostly for influential people in the pre-war period. Kenji Tomiki’s role is described in many biographies by different writers and like everything in the world, the different versions are not exactly the same. But in general, Kenji Tomiki was a major student of Morihei Ueshiba and had his own vision of Ueshiba’s art. In an article written by prof. Shishida of Waseday University we find some information on the history of competitive aikido and a solution for the “impossibility of competitive aikido”.
A Historical Study of Competitive Aikido : the Developmental Process of Randori Method, The Annual Report of Physical Education 33 : 17-27, 2001
To overcome the problem, his talent (Tomiki) in judo, and a quietly humble personality, and widely cultured background were useful in saving aikibudo from misunderstanding. A former student of Kenkoku University, Mr. Seiichi Saito remembered and said, “It was possible because it was Mr. Tomiki. He used to often compare aikido to sumo, kendo, and judo in class.” (1/26/2000 Telephone conversation) This is an indication that Tomiki was trusted by many students. This probably was the only way he could take away prejudice and give proper understanding of aikibudo to those bright students at Kenkoku University. At this period, Tomiki was concerned with the problem of how to classify and organize Ueshiba’s various excellent methods of skills to establish an instructional system. Tomiki was incapable of destroying traditional relationship between master and pupil by selfishly manipulating to disturb his teacher’s most important principles of aikibudo, or give presumptuous advice. Therefore, he kept the problem of forming a plan of instructional system to himself deep in his mind. When did Tomiki start moving toward developing aikido into a form of competition? Sometime in post war period, Tomiki wrote, “I started to research modernization of aikido after I received aikido 8th dan in February of 1940.” It was probably after the official registration of Tomiki’s 8th dan. Tomiki must have been thinking about competitive aikido in his mind by then at the latest. But, considering Tomiki’s cautious personality and difficulties of the method, it might have been only a faint thought. It must have been a dilemma to decide on a fight form.
During a fight with bare hands like judo, if one comes close enough for the opponent to get hold of the neck band or sleeve, he would be thrown by judo technique. If they keep their distance, there will be no fight. There was another problem: interests in sitting technique or techniques against weapons will be lost by developing aikido into a competitive sport.
He must have doubted if aikido could be popularized by developing it into a competition. The process of developing aikido into a competitive sport was not easy. It seems that around the early part of 1958, Tomiki started his actual research activity to develop aikido into a competitive sport with conscious decision to exclude randori technique. This was directly prompted by a severe criticism given that there was no competition of aikido in existence by the council of physical education department of Waseda University when Tomiki decided to set up an aikido club, at the University where he was teaching, and requested to the department of physical education council. At this stage, Tomiki, of course, was practicing only exercises of kata just like the way his teacher Mr. Morihei Ueshiba’s school was coaching aikido, and he did not have any definite plan to develop aikido into a competitive sport. At the council meeting, however, he explained the history, significance, and future of aikido, and by promising competitive aikido, be was allowed to start aikido club. This marked the beginning of ‘experimental stage’, and he recorded in 1969, “With devoted cooperation of the club members, through 10 years’ trials and errors, we have almost succeeded.”
The question arises, did Tomiki change Ueshiba’s Aikido by introducing a competitive element? Everything depends on the way we like to practice our Aikido. If our aim is to emphasize “competition”, it is certainly an “alternative method” and it becomes an athletic event without the mystical elements of Morihei Ueshiba. Practitioners who studied the uncompetitive method of Tomiki’s Aikido, will remember Senta Yamada, Tsunako Miyake or Takeshi Inoue. They taught us the original Tomiki Aikido, a method to improve Aikido by adding some judo elements and can be seen as a “complementary method”.
【Kakunodate Times】 Article of August 12, 1957.
Kenji Tomiki, then president of the All Japan Aikido Association, Hideo Ohba, Keiko Fukuda, and Ayako Miyake gave Aikido lessons to volunteers at Tsuneko-in in Kakudate-cho.
At the left Keiko Fukuda, 9th dan Kodokan Judo awarded in 2006 At the right a young Tsunako Miyake. Pioneer of Tomiki Aikido.
Simplified movements and exercises
What are the additional features of Tomiki’s Aikido? “Simplified movements and exercises”. Kenji Tomiki’s contribution plays an important part in simplifying the numerous techniques and movements in the Aikido repertoire. A small part of the original Ueshiba technique can be discovered in Koryu no Kata. These kata are covering different aspects of Aikido. Simplified techniques can be found under “randori no kata” or “Kihon waza”. As usual, there are several versions of these simplified techniques. By simplifying the movements and techniques, a student will acquire in an early stage a global view of the possibilities with Aikido. It has also occurred in other martial arts, Japanese and Chinese. In Iaido and Jodo, the Kendo Federation responsible for these martial arts created a simple format as an introduction. Modern Kendo itself a simplified version of old systems with a sword. Simplified versions of Iaido and Jodo can create a focus on more complex methods. Even Kodokan Judo can be viewed as a simplified version of old Jujutsu methods. In Chinese martial arts, Taijichuan has a short version of the original lengthier versions. The art of Yiquan has no formal sequences (taolu – kata) to study. The most noteworthy is the basic training of the basic elements. After a while, training is progressing at a freestyle of training similar to a randori style of judo and…… Aikido.
Yiquan posture
Is simplified really simplified?
Although it is said Kenji Tomiki simplified Ueshiba’s Aikido along the lines of the Kodokan Judo doctrine, maybe simplified is a too simplified definition. Kenji Tomiki saw the fundamental movements in Ueshiba’s Aikido and created exercises for practising the fundamental movements. Unfortunately most of those exercises are nowadays practised in a rigid format and lost the fundamental idea of Japanese martial arts: Jukozo. In the article – the science of training – you will find some explanation about jukozo principle. Simplifying has not always been a shortcut to understanding. We cannot deny the fundamental elements or movements, otherwise our martial art becomes a shallow image of the original.
Qigong, known as Chinese Breathing Exercise, is a holistic system of coordinated body postures and movements, breathing and meditation used for health, spirituality and martial arts training. Kiko is the Japanese word for Qigong. Hachi Danken is Badua Jin’s expression from Japan. The Baduanjin qigong (八段錦) is one of the most common forms of Chinese qigong used as exercise. It was primarily designed to be a form of medical Qigong, to repair injuries and enhance global health. It is also used as part of the training regimen in certain martial arts.
Hachi Danken
The Japanese version of BaduaJin, exercises aimed at enhancing the flow of energy in the body. Like with Aikido and other martial arts, there are many versions of these millennial exercises. Although most versions taught today are from recent times. The Chinese government has made great efforts to streamline the old ways of moving the body for martial or health purposes.
Standing
Every session start with a moment of standing. In martial arts terminology we speak about “shizentai” or natural posture.
Diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles
When learning the exercises, you must be conscious of your diaphragm. When you can localize your diaphragm you can push down it after breathing in, you can relax and breath out. Don’t force the breathing. It must be smooth and no sounds. Try to avoid breathing in with the mouth. A very difficult part of the exercises is the control of the pelvic floor muscles. The pelvic floor is a muscular sheet that closes the pelvic cavity and the pelvic organs from below and is curved upward at the edges. The muscles of the pelvic floor relax during bowel movements and while urinating. This also happens in women during sexual intercourse and when giving birth. The perineum is part of the pelvic floor too. It is located between the scrotum and the anus in men, and between the vagina and the anus in women.
Pelvic muscle control is important for keeping hara-tanden-koshi at the centre of your movements during martial arts training.
Breathing method
The synchronisation of the breathing and the movements will increase the effectiveness of the exercises. Nevertheless the breathing cannot be forced because this is unnatural. Breathing is a basically an unconscious process.
There are 2 fundamental methods of breathing.
Abdominal breathing: It involves taking slow, deep breaths in through your nose. The goal is to breathe deep enough to fill your belly with air. This increases how much oxygen you take in, and may help slow down your breathing and heart rate.
Reverse breathing: If you take a breath in and your stomach draws in, you’re reverse breathing. Usually, this goes along with a lifted chest and/or shoulders on the inhale. With the exhale, you’ll notice get the opposite: the chest/shoulders sink down and the stomach expands out. This breathing technique relaxes you. It also enables you to become aware of your emotions and increase your meditative focus which is necessary during martial arts training.
Reverse breathing is used for exercises 1 to 6. Exercise 7 and 8 natural breathing.
Years ago, my children made the remark: “What is the purpose of doing tandoku undo (unsoku and tegatana dosa) always in the same way for years and years like a robot?”
Gitte and Tim were both World-Champion Tanto Randori in 2005. At the center is prof. Fumiaki Shishida.
This question caused me to reflect on the advantages of practicing the “tandoku undo”. It was always said, by doing tandoku undo my Aikido will improve. So, I did some research in the field of martial arts solo-training. I got some experiences of my time doing karate. Several years later, I was exposed to Korindo-Ryu’s solo exercises. Tandoku-renshu or solo practice is also part of Jodo and certainly a main part of Iaido. I learned from one of my Jodo and Iaido’s teachers about the importance of “understanding”.
To return to the initial question about Tandoku-undo from my children, the answer came as a shock.
If we do the exercises with belief by doing it often and many rehearsals, it is an illusion that we will progress.
By practicing the exercises with an understanding of the mental and physical level, progress will come stage by stage. Sometimes the progress will be large as an explosion, but most of the time it will be minor and will occur only after practicing regularly with understanding.
Human behavior (mental and physical) can only progress in a positive direction when we get out of the box full of dogmas. Dogmas are created to keep people foolish and ignorant about evolution.
The concept: Tandoku Undo
Teruo Fujiwara on Tandoku Undo or Yawara Taiso (Judo exercises). The time when I studied under Tomiki-shihan in 1956-1958 is called ‘the age of Judo Exercise’ (Yawara Taiso). The main ways of moving the body and hands were picked from Aiki skills, then simplified and abstracted and organized as exercise forms, called ‘Judo Exercise’ (Yawara Taiso). The plan of making ‘Judo Exercise’ (Yawara Taiso) was that by doing them repeatedly, we can learn Aiki as if we learned hundreds of thousands of skills which can benefit our bodies in a positive fashion. . ‘Judo Exercise’ (Yawara Taiso) is the valuable legacy of Tomiki-sensei.
Simplified and abstracted
The significance of “simplified and abstract” can be described as a method of exercises which can be used in different situations. We should be able to detach a fixed application derived from performing a tandoku undo exercise. The implementation of tandoku undo in our training must create the gate of “creativity”. By using “creativity” we are able to deal with a different situation.
Movement memory – 2 phases
According to Science, learning a body skill is a two-step process. Mostly, the term Muscle Memory is used, we cannot assume that this search is only built around “Muscles”. The whole movement system is integrated into the research. We can talk about muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, neurons………. and our brain.
Muscle memory encoding
Muscle memory consolidation
The coding of information in the brain in Phase 1 is well documented by Science. The coded information has to be transferred to another part of the brain during Phase 2. The transfer of coded information has also been investigated by Science, but Science still does not know where the information is stored. How the transfer occurs is also a source of speculation among the various interpretations.
Bridge between Science and practical use of Martial Art Exercises
Movement Memory is a real thing and is not a fantasy used by people to earn some money by promising unrealistic skills. The bridge between science and the practical use of martial arts exercises (randori & Goshin-ho) resides in how we organize our training. The purpose of the training is to activate the movement memory in an efficient way.
Tandoku-renshu (solo-training) and sotai-renshu (paired training) include both the same body movement skills. Those skills are centered around:
Body structure (shizentai)
Methods of using gravity as the power source
Body weight shift (taiju no dendo)
Body weight displacement (taiju no ido)
Coiling movement (tenshikei)
Tandoku renshu and Koryu no Kata
“The main ways of moving the body and hands were picked from Aiki skills, then simplified and abstracted and organized as exercise forms, called ‘Judo Exercise’ (1954 – Yawara Taiso).“
This is a remark on Judo Taiso (Tandoku Undo and Sotai Renshu) by Teruo Fujiwara, an early Tomiki student. In those days, Koryu no kata did not exist as a formal exercise. Students practised most basic waza and exercises. Some classical waza have been used to demonstrate the capabilities of Aikido as an art of self-defense (martial art). It was also during this period that Kododokan Goshin Jitsu was introduced. Kenji Tomiki was the first public demonstrator of this kata. You will find his demo on YouTube.
Creation of Koryu no kata
In about 1958, we practiced mainly the unsoku, tandoku undo, yonhon no kuzushi (the original version of the present nanahon no kuzushi) as well as the jugohon no kata (fifteen technique kata). In around 1960, the junanahon no kata (17 technique basic kata) and the roppon no kuzushi were created and then the dai-san no kata was devised as a kata of classical techniques. During the mid-60 Ohba Sensei and others worked on the creation of the kata forms of the dai-ichi (first) to dai-roku (sixth), which we presently practice as the koryu no kata, in order to work on techniques for demonstrations and for purposes other than randori. What Ohba Sensei particularly stressed in formulating these kata was the organization of different techniques in such a way that students could learn connections between techniques easily and naturally. After he had organized the techniques to some extent, Ohba Sensei reported to Tomiki Sensei and demonstrated what he had done for him. He received some advice from Tomiki Sensei and then added corrections to the kata. (“Bujin Hideo Ohba,” Kyogi Aikido Soseiki no Ayumi; Ohba Hideo Sensei o Shinobu, p. 67)
A tangle of movements
The source of Koryu no kata is mainly on the art of Morihei Ueshiba, especially the pre-war training methods. In the original Tandoku Undo, there are more body moves to explore than in the modern version of the Japan Aikido Association and the Nariyama Shodokan Method (Osaka). Unfortunately, when researching older versions of Tandoku Undo, the first challenge is the myriad of different movements. The use of all these Aiki-skills in a logical order without loss of effectiveness is the next difficulty. There are a number of successful and unsuccessful attempts in the history of Tomiki Aikido.
According to Teruo Fujiwara the original Tandoku Undo can be described as follows:
Tegatana soho in Yawara Taiso Tegatana sosaho or handcontrol exercises
Tegatana soho 1 : Kihon no kamae – Fundamental posture, power is concentrated in tegatana Tegatana soho 2 : Uchi mawashi – Inside sweep Tegatana soho 3 : Soto mawashi – outside sweep Tegatana soho 4 : Uchi gaeshi – soto gaeshi – Inside turn and outside turn Tegatana soho 5 : Uchi mawashi tentai – Inside sweep with forward turning (demawari) Tegatana soho 6 : Soto mawashi tentai – Outside sweep with backward turning (hikimawari) Tegatana soho 7 : Ko mawashi – Compact method of tegatana soho 2 and 3 Tegatana soho 8 : O mawashi – Big turning forward and backward
A young Senta Yamada demo of Tandoku Undo Tegatana Dosa
Kihon no kamae Uchi mawashi Soto mawashi Uchi gaeshi/soto gaeshi Uchi mawashi tentai Soto mawashi tentai Ko mawashi O mawashi
In the next videoclip, Kenji Tomiki is performing an early version of “Tandoku Undo Uchi gaeshi/Soto gaeshi”. It is not very clear if Tomiki is performing an arm twist (inside and outside), or is he just swinging his arm forward and sideways. In the Yamada clip, there is an impression of a more clearer arm twist.
From the Early Tomiki Movie around 1950
Uchi gaeshi & Soto gaeshi
Back to the future
Can we recognize “the main ways of moving the body and hands” in koryu no kata, as the simplified and abstracted movements found in Tandoku Undo?
There are some videoclips of Kenji Tomiki performing old style aikido (koryu). Unfortunately, his movements are not very clear and give no clues how to move the body in a more efficient way. The performance of Senta Yamada demonstrating old style aikido gives a better impression. His movements are much closer to the movements of Hideo Ohba.
Ohba’s movements gives the impression of a loss of body structure. Tomiki and Yamada are showing a much better control of the body structure. But, on the other hand , Ohba’s seems to use more taiju-no-ido skill, using momentum to control uke’s body. Circular movements are frequently used in koryu-no-kata.
An example by Kenji Tomiki – Kote Mawashi
It seems Tomiki uses taiju-no-dendo of bodyweight transfer to control Uke. Koshi movement is a part of this body control.
An example by Senta Yamada – Kote Mawashi
Senta Yamada use his structure to control Uke. There is no unneccesary movement.
An example by Hideo Ohba – Kote mawashi
Hideo Ohba gives the impression to use shoulder power to control his Uke.
Another example by Hideo Ohba
Taiju-no-dendo or bodyweight shift is a part of controlling Uke
The key to success lies in your creativity.
I learned about Tomiki Aikido at the end of the seventies of the last century. I was taught unsoku and tandoku undo by Dr Lee ah Loi. Most of the time, this was the modern version of JAA, but there was an influence of Senta Yamada. Whereas the JAA version is a fairly straight version, the influence of Senta Yamada is circular.
Another important person for my footsteps on the way to Tomiki Aikido is Itsuo Haba. He taught me some basics for randori, but also something about the effectiveness of gentleness in body movements.
After more than 40 years of Tomiki Aikido, it is a natural evolution, my Tandoku Undo, Kihon Waza and Koryu no kata are “not” the same as of Tomiki or Ohba. Of course you will find influences of many instructors, wellknown or not, but at the end it is my Tandoku undo. Maybe it looks like Tomiki Aikido…..maybe……
Both in static posture or dynamic posture we use the feet to take power from Earth and transfer it to the arms and hands.
Gravity
Gravity is the force through which a planet or other body attracts objects toward its centre.
What else does gravity do?
Why are you landing on the ground when you’re jumping rather than floating in space? Why does everything fall when you throw it away or let it fall? The answer is gravity: an invisible force that attracts objects together. Earth’s gravity is what keeps you on the ground and what makes things come down.
Anything that has mass also has gravity. Objects with more mass have more gravity.
The gravity of the Earth comes from its entire mass. Its entire mass creates a combined gravity attraction over the entire mass of your body. That’s what gives you weight.
Gravity and martial art
Gravity is necessary to create the equilibrium of your posture. If you fail to act on the concept of balance, gravity becomes your worst enemy and you will fall.
What is balance?
Balance is a situation in which your body has stability. It does not take much effort to keep your position. All forces that apply to your body are canceled out. When you are in balance, it is very hard to throw you or move you. This is true standing.
Gravity applies to everything in the body. If you combine the effect of all gravity forces, you can summarize it as a force applied at a single point, the centre of gravity. Put another way, “Hara” is the centre of your physical being. If you can put your mind in “Hara”, you are a balanced person, physical and mental.
Exercises used in training should consider the concept of gravity. Without a good body structure, you will not be able to use the power of the earth and you rely only on the local muscle power. And even if you use local muscle power, earth mass and gravity are needed. Sadly, it is not the most effective way to move the body and use power.
Practical exercises
There are many practical exercises to train in martial arts. Some have a direct advantage in martial art applications, others have an impact on body structure and power generation. Some exercises are directed towards improving health.
Since you don’t always have a partner to practice, solo training may be an option. Most practitioners are familiar with the basic solo exercises of their Aikido method. Tomiki Aikido isn’t the exception.
The objective of this article is to explain certain exercises with a “creative touch”.
All the exercises has 1 important concept: we have to use the power of the earth.
Gravity is the greatest source of power by touching the opponent. During solo training, the adversary may be in your mind, but maybe you can use a boxing bag. It is also possible to use various weapons as a tool to enhance your body movements including the use of gravity.
The moving body
A moving body has 3 main methods to generate force:
Taïjū no idō – using footwork
Taïjū no dendō – using body weight
Tenshikei – diagonal tension
Local muscle power is not used during the 3 metods. The use of gravity is an important source as well as the solidity of the Earth. Without control of the body centers, local muscle power will replace the flexible and elastic power organised by koshi and kyokotsu.
Moving koshi forward and back
Push with the hand (backside) on the sacrum forward. Let the body return and start over the pushing.
After some practise, you will notice the movement of “koshi”. This is an important step forward in the concept of using “koshi” or hip-power.
Oshi taoshi exercise
Move the arms up with the dynamics of lifting kyokotsu. Dropping kyokotsu into koshi and feet.
While we say “use kyokotsu”, this is not the power source. Kyokotsu is the controller which sends the power to the arms. When kyokotsu returns to the original position, it controls the downward power to the legs via Koshi.
Rowing exercise
Body moves forward before the arms. This is controlled by kyokotsu.
Tenshikei, diagonal/coiling power
Sometimes a comparison is made between tenshikei and wringing a towel. Of course, if you don’t know about “tenshikei”, this conversation is ridiculous.
Tenshikei is the rotational power generated with a body skill using gravity. If there is no gravity, you will have probably a difficulty to generate tenshikei or diagonal power.
Role of the knees during tenshikei exercises
Think about a ball between the knees. There is a certain tension (opposing forces) between the 2 knees.
The example shows a ball when adopting “shizentai – mugamae”. The same feeling must be experienced during a forward posture or a 2x shoulderwide posture (kiba-dachi or jigotai)
A simple example of Tenshikei movement
Between the knees, an image of a ball can be used when performing uchi-mawashi and uchi-gaeshi/soto-gaeshi.
Using waist and hips during tenshikei skill
This topic is a difficult one. In martial art the waist is a part of the koshi. Koshi is mostly translated as hips, but this is partly wrong. The hips are a part of koshi.
Our waist usually turns only from five degrees to thirty degrees. Occasionally, it turns forty- five or ninety degrees. Many practitioners use their hips instead of their waist without realizing it. This is because it is much easier to use our hips than our waist. The waist gives power for the push and also functions as a rotational tool. This action is basically “tenshikei” skill.
The hip joint is used to push down into the leg.
When moving forward or back, the ball of the front foot is used as the rebound tool or as a shock absorber. The heel of the front foot is slightly lifted. Using power for moving forward comes from the back foot. When moving back, the front foot is the driving foot.
Taïjū no idō – Taïjū no dendō
Taijū no dendō or body weight transmission (body weight conduction) is a skill to transfer power into the opponent by using body weight and gravity.
Taijū no idō or body weight shift creates “power transfer” in the body of opponent by displacement of the body.
Both methods are basically dependent on the use of gravity with or without footwork.
There are many kinds of footwork. Most of them are based upon using losing balance and regaining balance. Using gravity is the main source for this kind of footwork. An example is “rolling foot movement during pushing”.
Not all the foot movements have “losing balance – gravity” as the main source of movement power. The driving power of the leg can be used to move forward or back.
Driving leg – receiving leg
Moving around is a matter of using koshi, knees and ankles. The pressure between the feet and the earth has also to be taken into account.
There is always a leg which is doing the action – the driving leg. There is also the receiving leg with an absorbing function, but also a rebound action.
Where is the pressure in the foot?
Both in static posture or dynamic posture we use the feet to take power from Earth and transfer it to the arms and hands.
Mostly, the pressure will be on the ball of the foot. Triangle formed by 1-2-3
But it can also move more in the direction of the heel without losing the pressure on the ball. Triangle 1-2-4.
Point 1 will act as a kind of pump to transfer Earth’s power up. During breathing exercises, the mind can use the “pump” image to bring Earth”s power to the koshi and further to the arms when inhaling. When breathing out, point 4 will receive the down power.
The mechanism of pump and switching from point 1 to point 4 is very useful during Taijū no dendō or bodyweight shift.
Although we speak about points, we have to consider the image of the triangles. Using triangles makes a better use of the feet soles surface without forgetting the different points marked in the picture.
An important point of attention is the stability of the knee. Keep an imaginary ball between the knees.
A simple exercise to introduce the foot pressure skill. When moving up, use the ball (point 1 – pump) to take the Earth’s power up by breathing in. At the end of inhaling, push the breath down end let it sink into the heel (point 4). After a while you will feel the action of the pump.
Grabbing the floor with the toes
Sometimes you can read this advice. And this advice is not only for martial arts, but also other sport are involved like weightliftting and sports with a squating action. Grabbing with the toes has to be viewed as grabbing with the plantar fascia. Find here a nice animation:
When you start using the triangles in the foot, the plantar fascia is the driving element in the use of the Earth’s power along the body structures. If the plantar fascia is not correct working, the rest of the body will act accordingly mostly with a faulty structure. The result is a damaged knee or hip joint. Even the neck will have a negative impact.
The importance of the plantar fascia
Plantar fascia – the longest ligament of the foot. The ligament, which runs along the sole of the foot, from the heel to the toes, forms the arch. By stretching and contracting, the plantar fascia helps us balance and gives the foot strength for walking.
Regularly shift weight from one foot and leg to the other stretches the tight muscles of the feet. Thight muscles often contribute to plantar fasciitis pain, also called heel spurs. One basic move simply puts your body weight from heel to toe with a rocking motion. This promotes balance along with foot strength. (pendulum exercise)(rolling feet movement) This will also actually massage the foot by applying different pressure in a graduated fashion along the foot. Another move allows for a rocking motion from the outside of the foot to the inside of the foot. This will strengthen the lateral muscles and medial muscles of the leg. Your weight will shift from the arch to the outside of the foot.
As a westerner, am I to understand “Shu Ha RI”? If we simply read the words “keep, break and leave”, it gives a sense of “no respect” to your teacher. Of course, in the history of martial arts, there are numerous examples of the breakup of the founder after an argument, mostly a “money” argument.
However, there are many examples of leaving the teacher after he has given permission to leave. The teacher understood very well that the disciple needed a certain freedom to grow as a person practising martial arts. The teacher trusts the disciple, and the teacher knows that the legacy is safe in the hands of the latter.
When Kenji Tomiki became an 8th Dan by Morihei Ueshiba, this was a sign of confidence and also an indication of liberty permission. Of course, there are also signs of political motives as far as relations between Tomiki and Ueshiba are concerned. This topic is not central to this article and will not be expanded.
The idea of leaving is a mutual decision between the master and the disciple, and depends entirely on the understanding of the concept of “keeping and breaking”.
Keep and break
As a matter of fact, the concepts of “keep and break” are very simple. On the other hand very difficult to understand by a western person. There is a famous quotation by Morihei Ueshiba and for him the Westerners are “yes, but people”. If he really made that quote, I don’t know, but it’s going around in martial arts circles.
During the “Keep” relationship with our teacher, we learn from the teacher’s experience and we may ask questions about something we do not understand. Of course, we never criticize the teacher. We learn the basic elements of our martial art.
Depending on the time we practice and study, our understanding goes in the direction of “Break”, and this can lead to a very difficult situation. This is a period of your formation where you can see that truth has different aspects. You always learn from your teacher, but you can add personal insights into your training. Your teacher acknowledges this and sometimes will give you some advice.
The two, teacher and disciple, are still interacting positively during the breaking period. Otherwise, the outer world will see disagreements and this can have a negative effect on the functioning of the martial art school.
Randori, 3 types of practising
The relationship between the 3 kinds of randori and Shu Ha Ri may not be obvious. But they certainly have something in common.
Kakari geiko – Shu
Hikitate geiko – Ha
Randori geiko – Ri
In kakari geiko, the roles of attacking and defending are determined. We can talk about teachers/attackers and students/defendants. Sure, there is some freedom in timing and distance.
During hikitate geiko, the attacker has the freedom to interact during the actions of the defendant. There is still the role of teachers/attackers and students/defendants.
Randori geiko is not a shiai, not to win medals. Randori geiko is a process for the physical discussion of the art of fighting. Both practitioners recognize the equality of the two.
The Shiai Paradigm
Shiai should reflect the power and beauty of martial art during a public performance. Spectators must be attracted by the skills of the competitors and not by their brutal and aggressive nature.
It is true that in the shiai there is a certain rivalry, but also the respect of the adversary. When we figure that out, winning a medal is no longer important. The most outstanding performance you can offer is your reward. Whatever you know may be used depending on the circumstances. When you become obsessed with earning medals, your approach will be inflexible from a living human perspective. Respect for other people’s lives and ideas is more precious than winning medals.
The role of the teacher and student is an important factor when approaching the competition. In particular the role of the teacher is significant in the education of the martial art career of the student. The teacher’s respect and attitude toward the student without a medal should be positive.
How to improve someone’s skills comes in the first place.
The Kata & Randori Dilemma
“A kata is not fixed or immoveable. Like water, it’s ever changing and fits itself to the shape of the vessel containing it. However, kata are not some kind of beautiful competitive dance, but a grand martial art of self-defence – which determines life and death”….Kenwa Mabuni….Okinawa
Some martial arts instructors believe that they execute “kata or formal exercises” in the same way as the founder of their system. If you understand something about “Shu Ha Ri”, then you know that’s a little beside the truth.
The development in kata is already discussed in another blog post on katachi and kata. Kata and randori are 2 sides of a coin, but there is a 3rd part of a coin: kata and randori and….
In martial arts, we see the evolution of basic body movements to katachi and further to kata. Again, the term “Shu Ha RI” is like that.
Once you find the freedom of Kata, the application will go smoothly to randori. There will be no difference between kata and randori.
Of course, if you stick too much to Shu Ha RI without understanding the real meaning, you will be locked up into fixed forms without flexibility of mind and body. You will never find the liberty of Kata and Randori, which is the true dilemma of martial arts.
Tomiki Aikido: Past and Future
In her book “Past and Future”, she attempts to explain the real values of Aikido as a martial art with a message. There are no techniques explained, but the value of the book is at a much higher level: How to practice Aikido!
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.
“If you wish to see the truth then hold no opinions for or against anything. To set up what you like against what you dislike is the disease of the mind. Do not search for the truth; only cease to cherish opinions.
When the mind exists undisturbed in the Way, nothing in the world can offend, and when a thing can no longer offend, it ceases to exist in the old way.”
~Seng Tsan, Third Patriarch of Zen Hsin Hsin Ming 信心銘 – Verses of Faith in Mind
There is certainly something positive about lockdown during the Corona-COVID-19 pandemic. Our life has changed completely, especially our time schedule is different. If you are a martial art instructor, during lock down the dojo is closed and the contact with the students or practitioners is reduced to online meetings or occasional meetup outside the dojo. As an instructor, you get more time for yourself and study concepts beyond basic and advanced training.
There are several stories of people who have been isolated for quite a while. They developed a method to practice their martial art. For instance, Kenji Tomiki was imprisoned after the war for a few years and created solo exercises from his experiences with several martial arts experts. These solo exercises formed the nucleus of an Aikido method focused on basic movements and techniques applicable in randori.
The result of investing time in personal training
If you do “personal training” as an instructor without students due Corona problems, the result of investing time can be very different from the thoughts you had when you embarked on your martial art journey. Your mind and body are not the same as a few years ago when you were a beginner.
One must accept that “change” is an all-pervasive concept in one’s life. Cultivating “curiosity” cannot be neglected in your training. Looking beyond all you have learned is a skill that should be cherished to the fullest.
Beyond existing methods
From a scientific standpoint, the research process basically follows a certain pattern.
The research process consists of eight steps: choosing a topic, studying the literature, developing theoretical and conceptual frameworks, formulating the research question, research design, data collection, data analysis and drawing conclusions.
In martial art, the process of research as part of our training follows also a certain pattern. But we are in a situation (pandemic) comparable to that of Tomiki during his time of imprisonment. Of course, we have more options because we can search the digital world for information, but the situation of not having training opportunities is the same. Some of us don’t even have a training partner.
Topic of research
Two topics may serve as an example to other research.
Physical and fitness training
Martial art movements
The question is whether to choose scientifically proven methods or methods based on mystic beliefs without any scientific proof. In this blog about martial arts training, some methods are discussed with respect to physical training, but also to a more metaphysical type of exercises primarily based on Japanese and Chinese methods with backgrounds in Taoism, Zen-Buddhism and similar philosophical ways of thinking.
The following methods are up-to-date, scientifically studied and the effects of these exercises may be repeated in a scientifically approved situation. The research process serves to formulate a conclusion, with physical and mental exercises resulting from the research.
Especially competitive martial sport is extensively researched for better performance. Scientifically tools are used to increase efficiency power and or speed. The Kodokan Judo Institute has published since 1958 a scientific report on Kodokan Judo on a regular base. The 1969 report has an item written by Kenji Tomiki.
An extract of 1969 report
Zhangzuang or Ritsuzen ( standing exercises) are a kind of exercises researched in hospitals with qualified personnel.
Some of the health-exercises like Qigong or Kiko can be executed on different levels from a pure physical point of view to a more metaphysical or a combination of physical and metaphysical. You can find many scientific studies on the internet. These studies are executed under scientifically rules and the results are published in academic magazines for professional metal health and physical body workers.
There is also a crossover concept using martial art movements useful as physical and fitness training. Plenty of examples can be found in modern fitness methods linked with popular music.
The “traditional” dilemma
When you enter the world of martial arts, you will see mane different views on how martial art has to be practised. As martial arts have always a flavour of conservatism and some of the practitioners are trapped into a “traditional” dilemma.
The question is about understanding the traditional elements in a martial art. Most martial arts have some traditional culture as a part of their training. Some “traditional” elements have no meaning in our Western way of thinking and are practised just as a kind of mannerism, doing something without knowing the origin and meaning of the action or movement. Trying to understand the traditional elements with an open mind is not easy, and sometimes there is a tendency to dogmatism in your martial art.
Removing traditional elements of a martial art need a deep understanding of the traditional culture. On the other hand, some instructors are adding cultural elements with or without understanding the content. Removing and adding elements with understanding sometimes creates a “new” martial art or sport with of without cultural value. The choice is up to you.
Understanding the technical syllabus
As a high level instructor we can choose to research the existing methods of our founders with the tools based upon scientifically proven methods. Of course, there are metaphysical or psychological elements which are difficult to measure with our tools. Take for example the concept of “sen” or “hyoshi“, as explained by Miyamoto Musashi.
The barrier between science and pseudoscience is not clearly defined and can create problems when we seek for the Truth.
The “Truth” dilemma
This post started with a quote by Seng Tsan, Third Patriarch of Zen (Hsin Hsin Ming 信心銘 – Verses of Faith in Mind).
I believe most practitioners are not looking for the “Truth”, but they found a method for practising a martial art. If they never have a confrontation, mentally or physically, there is no need to find the “Truth”, because they found the truth in their method. Unfortunately, some of the practitioners became “True Believers” and are not open for the “Truth”. During a confrontation, maybe they will win, maybe they will lose.
“The True Believers” – The critically acclaimed true story about the human cost of hero worship in martial arts. The term “True Believers” is inspired by a book by Eric Hoffer.
Eric Hoffer (July 15, 1902 – May 21, 1983) was an American moral and social philosopher. He was the author of ten books and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in February 1983. His first book, The True Believer (1951), was widely recognized as a classic, receiving critical acclaim from both scholars and laymen. (Wikipedia)
Finding your Way
Again, finding the “Truth” is letting go all pro- and contra- opinions. Martial Art is not a cult, but it is a tool to become aware of the world around you and inside you. Dogmatism will disturb your progression, on the other side, if you are happy………
Study Group Tomiki Aikido 
