The First Cut Is The Deepest

Aikido is based on sword work.  And you are the sword.

Many Aikido techniques are about how to align oneself to form a sharp edge, and then use this keen edge to cut through the partner's center.  When done well, it does not take much effort.  Sometimes it does not even require physical contact between the two parties.  It may seem like magic, but it is not.

Although we always cut through partner's center, since a cut is a moving line, it can always enter and exit at different points for different effects.  That is why there are so many different ways to execute a cut.  

Cut to Infinity

One basic suburi exercise one can do is to use one's te-katana (hand blade) to cut through an uke attacking with katatetori gyakuhami.  First, move slightly off line and then use your hanmi to point at your partner's center.  If an imagery would help, imagine your front index finger being a light saber.  Swing the light saber vertically along the front tip of your our hanmi to split your partner in half along his center.  

Don't pull or push at your partner.  Just focus on your own movement: cut your partner in half with the tip your light saber.  No need to do it fast or hard.  You will be surprised by how little it takes.  

As the uke, it would feel as if you lose all your strength and your connection to the earth.  You are suddenly detached from the surrounding air that has been supporting you.  Uncontrollably, you fall down like a withered leaf . . .   

It is an amazing feeling for both the uke and nage.  A cut to infinity like this, basically, sends the uke to the end of the universe.  Once he falls, he does come back up easily.

Ready? Set!

Once you have learned the first way of cutting, you may proceed to learn the concept that Takeguchi Sensei calls "Set".

Instead of cutting all the way through your partner, to do a "set", cut part way through and use the extension of your cut to connect the uke's center to the foot where his weight is.  The uke has been "packed" in such a way that he is well connected within himself, but he is not connected with the earth.  He will feel like he has lost all his strength and is pinned in space by an invisible skewer.   He may be able to spin around this axis, but he cannot leave the spot.  The tell-tale sign that an uke is "set" is that his one shoulder is usually right over the other hip vertically.  His body is dangling off the shoulder like a puppet.

A "set" uke is incapable of attacking with any power.  The nage gets to leisurely move around to wherever he wants to be next while the uke is expending his energy to maintain his position.  "Set" is like a big "Pause" button on the uke that allows the nage to take his time to perform almost any technique.   By controlling the pace of the interaction, a nage can also significantly enhance his own endurance.  Whereas for the uke, by the time he is release from the set, all he gets to do is to play catch up and move along with the nage within the space that the nage intentionally left open for him . . . 

Just like with the first cut, to "set" an uke, it is critical to not direct any force towards him.  A common mistake is to push into the uke and end up helping him reconnect with the earth.  Instantly, the uke regains both his strength and mobility, and is liberated from the spot.  In addition, with the push, the nage just exposed where his center is.  This is all it takes for a skilled uke to reverse a technique (kaesha waza).

Bounce

Normally, we do not direct a cut towards uke's feet -- their points of support -- because that could elicit a pushback that may manifest as resistance.  However, we can turn a gentle, controlled version of it into an application.  

This cut allows you to generate a movement from the uke and intentionally bounce him up and down:  Direct the tip of your cut at the uke's supporting foot and release it promptly so that you disappear before the uke can locate your center.  The uke's belated push back will likely miss your center and overshoot.  This move has many applications, including creating an opening for changing techniques (henka waza).  

Be ready to move as you execute the cut so you are not setting a booby trap for yourself.  The most common mistake, however, tends to be pressing one's partner into the supporting foot too forcefully and making him strong again.  Just like with a set, as soon as the uke is reconnected with the earth, they may resist or even reverse the nage's technique.  The execution requires a lot of finesse and sensitivity on the nage's part.

A bounce is an extension of a set: a set is the continuation of a cut.  Everything originates from a simple cut.  For a cut to be effective, one has to hold a sword correctly and stand in a proper hanmi.  Maybe that is why Takeguchi Sensei says that we are actually only learning just one thing . . .