Lost In Translation

The late Tamura Sensei said in an interview that Aikido teachers in Japan only show, but they don't explain.  The idea is that if you cannot understand by watching, you won't understand by being told.

At a seminar, Endo Sensei brought up this subject on the mat.  He said that when he first started  teaching seminars in Europe, one time, an organizer went to him and told him he could not teach like that to westerners.  Sensei was very perplexed.  "Like that?  Like what??  What did I do wrong?"  Sensei wondered.  The organizer told Sensei that he had to use his words to explain to students what he was doing.  "But I showed them.  That was not enough?"  Sensei was still very confused.  "At the end, the organizers told me that westerners cannot understand just by watching.  You need to speak more.  You need to explain to them what you are doing.  You have to tell them what they are supposed to be watching."

Sensei was very shocked because that was not part of his experience learning and teaching Aikido in Japan.  Yet, it threw light on why the European students seemed so lost in his class.  As a result, Sensei accepted the suggestions and started offering more explanations as he shows his Aikido.

My Aikido friend Steve Kotev is a conflict resolution specialist.  He once talked about the difference in western and eastern cultures in Aikido terms.  "Japanese is such a high-context culture.  So much is conveyed non-verbally.  You have to be super attentive to get the whole picture.  Western culture, in comparison, is very low-context.  It is extremely hard for westerners to adjust so as to capture what a Japanese teacher is showing entirely."

I cannot agree more because Chinese culture is very similar.  The high-context nature is even reflected in the languages.  Chinese and Japanese people seldom speak in full sentences.  The parties involved have to share a lot of unspoken understanding to communicate well with each other.  Growing up, we learn to watch and pay close attention to everything so that you know what others expect of you.  The devil is in the details.  It could be just a slight change in the tone of voice or a look in the eyes.  It makes all the difference.

When I first started Aikido, my teachers did not talk much either.  Very quickly, I started noticing that they would pause at critical points of the technique so as to hint that this is where we want to pay closer attention.  If they want to indicate to someone that he is the one to whom a comment is addressed, my teachers would turn their heads and give him a quick, special look with the corner of their eyes.  Even if they want to criticize or reprimand someone, they never had to say a word or raise their voices.  A glance is enough.  In this situation, perhaps, being ignorant and oblivious is a blessing.

Aikido is self transformation through sensitivity training.  Transformation means change.  To become something different.  Sensitivity means awareness of the feelings of others, but it starts with the awareness of your own.  Insisting to hold onto what you are used to in hopes of a transformation sounds like a serious self-contradiction to me.