Who Are You?
Art is not a "one-size-fits-all" thing. It is how one expresses himself. Everybody is different. There has to be as many ways of making art as the number of people out there.
Imagine a group of people attend a language class together. No two people come out of the class speaking exactly the same way. O Sensei had many students. Some of them have become very well known teachers. Even though they all learn from the same teacher, they express themselves through Aikido rather differently. Every teacher practices and teaches Aikido of their own "personal flavor". Which one do you think is the right way?
Art is personal. It is a part of you. It should evolve with time. It is like the way you look, the way you act, the way you think. It should evolve with time to reflect the you that has changed with age.
Aikido is not just a "martial art". It is actually an art. It is how you carry yourself and how you convey your feelings to others. It is beyond basic body mechanics. More and more Aikido instructors are emphasizing on the connection aspect of Aikido. Seichiro Endo Sensei calls it "ki-musubi" -- connection through ki.
It mystifies those who can only perceive force and impact because they cannot logically understand how one can control an attacker without even touching. To them, martial arts have to do with speed and strength. Maybe that is why there are so many negative comments about Aikido on YouTube and various online platforms. It is very obvious from their words that these expert critics have not tried one single Aikido class. When even people who have been practicing "mechanical Aikido" for decades have a hard time trying to learn ki-musubi, it is not a surprise that, to a layman, this looks too much like a choreographed magic show . . .
During one seminar, Endo Sensei stopped practice on a mat mostly populated by yudanshas (black belts). People had been quite forceful with each other without using ki connection. "Every one of you have to have practiced for at least ten years. Don't you think something is wrong if you just keep doing the same things the same way? You are not a beginner. Why would you continue to practice beginner aikido?"
I once heard a story about someone training for his sandan test in front of the late Chiba Sensei. This student is almost 50 years old while the other people who would be testing with him were young pups in their 20s and 30s. This man practiced very hard to train himself up so that he could keep up with his young counterparts.
At test, he did some big, fast and strong techniques like the young guys. He was quite pleased by how spectacularly he pulled it off. To his surprise, Chiba Sensei failed him. The reason? "At your level, I am hoping that you do Aikido that suits you. However, you are still trying to do something that people much younger than you do. Obviously, you do not know who you are yet. For that, you are not promoted."
Imagine a group of people attend a language class together. No two people come out of the class speaking exactly the same way. O Sensei had many students. Some of them have become very well known teachers. Even though they all learn from the same teacher, they express themselves through Aikido rather differently. Every teacher practices and teaches Aikido of their own "personal flavor". Which one do you think is the right way?
Art is personal. It is a part of you. It should evolve with time. It is like the way you look, the way you act, the way you think. It should evolve with time to reflect the you that has changed with age.
Aikido is not just a "martial art". It is actually an art. It is how you carry yourself and how you convey your feelings to others. It is beyond basic body mechanics. More and more Aikido instructors are emphasizing on the connection aspect of Aikido. Seichiro Endo Sensei calls it "ki-musubi" -- connection through ki.
It mystifies those who can only perceive force and impact because they cannot logically understand how one can control an attacker without even touching. To them, martial arts have to do with speed and strength. Maybe that is why there are so many negative comments about Aikido on YouTube and various online platforms. It is very obvious from their words that these expert critics have not tried one single Aikido class. When even people who have been practicing "mechanical Aikido" for decades have a hard time trying to learn ki-musubi, it is not a surprise that, to a layman, this looks too much like a choreographed magic show . . .
During one seminar, Endo Sensei stopped practice on a mat mostly populated by yudanshas (black belts). People had been quite forceful with each other without using ki connection. "Every one of you have to have practiced for at least ten years. Don't you think something is wrong if you just keep doing the same things the same way? You are not a beginner. Why would you continue to practice beginner aikido?"
I once heard a story about someone training for his sandan test in front of the late Chiba Sensei. This student is almost 50 years old while the other people who would be testing with him were young pups in their 20s and 30s. This man practiced very hard to train himself up so that he could keep up with his young counterparts.
At test, he did some big, fast and strong techniques like the young guys. He was quite pleased by how spectacularly he pulled it off. To his surprise, Chiba Sensei failed him. The reason? "At your level, I am hoping that you do Aikido that suits you. However, you are still trying to do something that people much younger than you do. Obviously, you do not know who you are yet. For that, you are not promoted."
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