Aikido Ironies

Aikido is really exhilarating.  To do it well, you have to stay very calm.

The more you think, the less you understand.

The more you talk in class, the more confused you will be.

If you cannot understand by watching, you will never understand by being told.

Trying hard is good enough.  There is actually something called trying too hard.

Stiffening up to be strong makes you weak.

The moment you choose to stand your ground, you lose your position.

The more you seek to move your partner, the less they move.

Trying to push through with more force creates more resistance.

If you suppress your partner downwards, they will rise up.

The harder you try to push your partner over, the stronger they become. 

The moment you feel you can throw your partner and hurry, the technique fails.

The more you attempt to control someone else, the more you lose control of yourself.

Grasping your partner hard makes it easier for them to break away.

For a stronger grip, use the smaller fingers.

The less you grab your partner, the easier it is to connect with them.

To throw your partner in a curve, move straight.

For your partner to fall downwards, you throw them upwards.

Never fight with your partner for a weapon.  Offer it to them wholehearteedly towards their center. They will suddenly not want it and give it right back.

The safest distance away from your partner is to be as close as possible to them.

The more you duck, the smaller the opening you have.

To be able to see everything, try not to look at anything.

To aim well, do not stare straight at your target.

To move your arms straight, extend them in a spiral.

To move up, go down first.  To go down, move up.

To move forward swiftly, keep your weight on your back foot.

To do tenkan (moving in a backward circle), turn forward.

To inhale efficiently, exhale completely.

It is good to be prepared: Don't plan ahead.  Improvise on the fly.

In order to become strong, embrace being weak.

Trying to get ahead of your partner sets you back.

Trying to save time by doing incomplete movements slows you down.

The nage is the thrower, but the uke decides what technique it will be and how it is going to happen.

The more afraid you are of getting hit, the more likely you are to get hit.

To live, you have to be willing to die.

Lastly, short and small instructors tend to have really big and tall students.