From: jroth@aegis.or.jp (Joel Roth)
Newsgroups: fj.life.in-japan
Subject: Aikido
Date: 12 Nov 92 10:17:05 GMT
Distribution: fj
Organization: Aegis Society, Kyoto Japan

I did a one-year stint in Shingu, where my conceptions about Aikido,
Japanese culture, and enlightenment were capsized with the
unpredictable regularity of the Kant story about land surveyor K (I
kant remember the title.)

I can only say that this was a descent into madness of sorts, and any 
sort of meaningful debriefing would be better suited to a face-to-face 
meeting. Of course it didn't help being intellectually immature, and 
being rather fanatic about certain issues that could be considered
anathema to progress toward spiritual enlightenment :-).

The faithful, however, do stand a chance of being rewarded for their
sincere desire to learn in Shingu. (I am grateful to the senior teacher
there, who sent me a guarantee letter for a visa sight-unseen when
I wrote to him from the U.S.)

After another stint at Aikido World Headquarters in Tokyo, I came 
across another teacher who was absolutely against Koichi Tohei (chief 
proponent of 'ki' teachings) when Ueshiba's main students came into 
conflict after his death over the importance of this concept to 
learning Aikido. Tohei ultimately split off from the Aikikai to start
up his own organization, The Ki Society amidst a lot of dispute.

The guy I ended up with was a proponent of natural movement based
on sensible understanding of mechanical principles. He was an
ex-boxer who also went to Judo dojos to try out his Aikido stuff
and figure out what really worked.

Studying with him we learned how to use the same movements for
sword, staff, and free-hand techniques, and solved such riddles
as understanding the fundamental equivalence of ikkyo and shihonage.
We also experimented with boxing, since the same movements we used
in Aikido turned out to parallel boxing's basic tools--the straight,
hook and uppercut. Complexity was reduced to simple principles.

In a short time I learned to deliver a substantial blow to a sandbag.
(When my brother, a longtime Tai Chi enthusiast visited Japan, he hurt
his hand on the bag despite all his years of imagination, etc.)

More importantly, I learned to move quite quickly, deftly, and freely 
due to the hundreds of variations we practiced. Even more importantly, 
the key points where my attention went during the partner practice 
(and even during sword and stick practice) changed *totally* from when
I was doing the practice before in California, and at various dojos in
Japan. Trying to raise the sword very straight, for example, turned out
under examination (and experimentation) to be a non-issue. So it seemed
for almost every other unquestioned teaching of Aikido.

I liked the teacher because he was humble, his explanations were
comprehensive, to the point, and satisfying to the intellect.  And
because what he taught seemed to work, even at other dojos (where
people got angry finding themselves thrown easily by techniques that
were not 'supposed' to work.)

So, I got my 'physical' enlightenment, I suppose, but not quite
everything.

On the other side of the 'ki' fence, an acquaintance told me a story 
of a recent meeting with Koichi Tohei. Everyone who learns Aikido 
usually gets a demonstration of the 'unbendable' arm early in their 
indoctrination (err.. training). So this guy, a *big* Texan was 
practicing at a Ki Society dojo, and one day Tohei is there. The aging 
Tohei comes up to the Texan and says, "Would you like a demonstration 
of the unbendable little finger?" The guy then starts trying to budge 
Tohei's little finger, but it doesn't move. Frustrated he thinks,
"Okay, I'll wrench it." Next thing he knows he is flying head over
heels.

We used to debate if people could learn Aikido all soft, or if
everyone needed a 'hard' phase. I personally don't see how people
could learn how to move naturally by putting their attention on
something other than the critical elements that comprise the
movement.

All the philosophy that goes with Aikido is not necessarily an
unfailing guide. One guy told me he was nearly killed by a person with
a broken bottle in a bar-room brawl. He was well intentioned and
figured his Aikido practice would protect him or give him some
advantage.

There is no question that Ueshiba knew his stuff, and that he did
reach a level of nearly occult power. However it was definitely
based on fundamental principles, and had all the limitations to
which humans are subject.

If you asked me now, I would say he had all this power probably 
because he was in his first birth, whereas most of the rest of us are
not.

I'd better stop somewhere, so let it be here! Come and visit me in
Osaka sometime and we can talk in more detail, or give me a call.

To those who practice and love Aikido, all the best! Have fun,
practice hard, protect those knees and wrists (and elbows), and don't
take anything (or anyone) too seriously.

Best regards,
Joel

--
Joel Roth                     jroth@aegis.or.jp (reachable only from Japan)
Brahma Kumaris World
Spiritual University          1-2-15-501 Nakamichi, Higashi Nari ku,
Raja Yoga Center, Osaka       Osaka, Japan 537, 81-6-971-7251