When we first start training aikido it can all seem a bit overwhelming.
There’s a lot to take on board & our minds are a little overloaded. Hopefully, these
hints & tips will help to clarify things by removing some of the ‘noise’
(excessive thoughts & superfluous movements) that can distract you when training
in the dojo.
โIn every block of marble I see a statue as plain as though it stood
before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away
the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to the other
eyes as mine see it.โMichelangelo
When studying aikido we’re like the sculptor, chipping away at the stuff that
isn’t needed until we reveal the beautiful art hidden within. I hope you find
something here that helps you with your ‘sculpture’.
Stretch
Athletes stretch to enable their body to perform properly. If you’re going to participate in a physical activity like
aikido, I’d advise you incorporate stretching into your exercise regime.
By taking the time to stretch, not only will you become more supple & less
prone to injury but you will also gain a better understanding of your body.
You’ll have a better understanding of your posture, where you hold tension & how
the parts of your body are connected.
Taking time to learn your own body outside the dojo where you can study
yourself at your own pace, while you’re relaxed & still will be a
big help when it comes to adding
movement or another body into the mix.
Study hanmi
In Iwama Aikido we place a great deal of emphasis on the basics, the
foundations on which all of your aikido is based. It doesn’t get much more
fundamental than hanmi. It’s in everything you do. Time spent
study it will be of great benefit.
You can grab opportunities to study your hanmi throughout the day:
waiting for the kettle to boil; riding in a lift; waiting for a bus or queuing
in a shop, for example.
Start on your weak side
When it’s your turn to train always start on your weak side.
By always starting on the same side, you’ll know which way to stand without
thinking. You’ll also eliminate any confusion about which side you’ve done &
which side you haven’t done when it comes to the second half of your turn.
By always starting on your weak side, you’ll get a little more practice on
that side because you’ll have had the chance to train it should sensei clap
halfway through your turn.
Shoulders remain over hips/feet
When standing in hanmi the left shoulder is over the left hip/foot &
the right shoulder is over the right hip/foot. This feels natural & gives us
stability because our mass is over our base.
So, for example, in left hanmi our left side is forward & our right
side is back. We wouldn’t have the left hip/foot forward & the left shoulder
back, twisting at the waist.
When performing techniques, try to maintain this stable structure, keeping
your hips & shoulders in harmony. Training with the jo helps to highlight this principle.
Move to the left with the left, move to the right with the right
As a general rule, when we moved to the left side we moved the left foot
first & when we move to the right we move the right foot first. There are
occasions where we cross the feet but they’re few & far between.
Step & turn on the balls of your feet
When stepping try to allow the ball of the foot to make contact first,
followed by the heel. By stepping onto the balls of you feet you are more
balanced and able to change direction more easily.
To see this try standing on your heels…pretty unstable? In contrast, you
can stand fairly easily on the balls of your feet.
When you turn, you should also turn on the balls of your feet. There is an
acupuncture point called yong quan or ‘bubbling spring’ that is
situated between & behind the big toe & 2nd toe. Imagine that this is connecting
you to the floor & rotate around that point before placing the heel down..
It’s a push over
Most of the time in aikido we push. There’s very little pulling. We generally
get our body in a position where we can drive with our hips transmitting this
power through our arms.
Extend the arms with an expression of kokyu
Maintaining a ‘kokyu‘ arm helps to transfer the power of
your hips
into your techniques. The kokyu arm isn’t locked rigid. It’s firm, yet
yielding & there’s an arc to it – like a bow.
The arm spirals forward, combining a rotation (a lot like opening the lid of a large jar –
fingers wide apart) with an extension that drives the tegatana & heel of
the palm forward. This shape helps us to transmit kokyu ryoku (breath
power). It’s like the arms & hands are inflated with high pressure air.
We use this arm shape when we take a forward rolling ukemi. It leads the roll
onto the back of the shoulder. As you train & become more aware of this shape you will
spot it in many techniques. For
example, when performing kokyu dosa, ikkyo, iriminage,
shihonage or cutting with a bokken.
It is one of those things that’s difficult to grasp at first & the shape can
elude you. If you find it difficult, following these steps may help you find the
shape.
- Let the arms hang down by your sides
- Bring your hands in front of you & interlace your fingers so you can see
your palms facing upwards. The tips of the thumb are lightly touching. - ย Keep your elbows away from your sides a little.
- Raise the hands so the palms are facing your chest, retaining the bow
shape in your arms. - Turn the palms away from you. Turning at the wrist & maintaining the bow
shape. - Release the fingers, opening them wide.
- Allow the hands to rotate so the thumbs point towards each other & the
tegatana (hand blade) points forward.
You should end up with your arms looking as if they’re holding a large
imaginary beach ball.
You can feel the benefit of this shape by performing a simple experiment.
Hold a press-up position with your arms bent at 90ยบ. It
won’t be long before your arms start trembling. Then extend the arms into this
shape & see how much easier it is to hold the position.
Keep your hands in front of you
The power of the hips is transmitted most effectively when the arms are
aligned in front of torso. By this I mean no wider than it. The power of the
hips drive the trunk, which moves the shoulders, which transmit the power
through the kokyu arm.
Training with the bokken teaches us how to move our hands/arms. They move up
& down the centre line. They remain in front of us where they are able to
transmit the power of our body mass more effectively. An arm held out to the
side is weak. When performing the 5th ken suburi, beginners tend to let the arms
circle around their heads – cutting off of the sides of their heads instead of
the from the top. However, it isn’t
the arms that circle it’s the bokken. The arms move up & down the centre line.
Of course not all techniques are performed so rigidly, but the arms generally
stay in front of the torso. A good example is morote dori kokyu ho. It seems as though the arms are being used to make the throw but they aren’t, it’s
the hips. The arms are simply raised & lowered. The hips rotate & the weight
shifts from one foot to the other. The arms simply follow the hips.
Look for similarities
We learn aikido through repetition, so the fewer principle you have to
practice the
more you get to practice them. If you can see that cutting with a bokken
is the same as shihonage, then when practice your suburi you
are practicing shihonage & vice-versa.
Simplify your training by looking for similarities in movements, body shapes
& techniques.
Practice your suburi
It takes about 10 minutes to go through 2 or 3 repetitions of each suburi. If
you don’t know them yet, learn them. Your weapons are training partners that are
always willing, consistant, honest & tireless.
Being able to practice your aikido on your own, outside the dojo is
priceless.
Aikido is like food
You need to actually eat food to enjoy the flavour & get the nourishment. You
can read books about cooking or watch cookery shows but unless you eat the food,
you won’t benefit from it.
Likewise, you need to actually train aikido to get the benefits &
enjoyment from it.
So, get up a little earlier in the mornings & do some suburi or
practice you tai sabaki when you get home from work. However you manage to fit it into your
day, practice your aikido.
A little daily practice over a sustained period of time will make a world of
difference.