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Thoughts on the Square, Circle, and Triangle in relation to technique in Aikido.

2011-11-08T16:35:19Z

Thoughts on the Square, Circle, and Triangle in relation to technique in Aikido.

By Charles Leary

THE RELATION OF SHAPES WITHIN AIKIDO RELATIVE TO TIME AND SPACE.

The Square: or The Maai, the space occupied by Uke and Nage.

The Circle: or The Deai, the controlling of that space.

The Triangle: or The Riai, the blending of Maai and Deai within the technique.

Maai is continuous
Deai is instantaneous
Riai is decisiveness

THE CREATION OF SHAPES WITHIN AIKIDO TECHNIQUE.

The Square: This shape is created by the continuous harmony or symmetry of Uke and Nage at the start of, and during the technique. The Maai.

The Circle: This shape is created by the energy or spirit of the instantaneous tenkan or tia sabaki performed by Nage which envelopes Uke. The Deai.

The Triangle: This shape is created by the decisiveness of Nage executing the technique on Uke. The Riai.

THE REPRESENTATION OF SHAPES IN AIKIDO.

The Square: This shape represents ‘AI” in Aikido for within technique your position in relation to Uke is one of a blending or harmonious position.

The Circle: This shape represents “KI” in Aikido for the movements of tia sabaki are circular in nature. The redirection of energy is circular.

The Triangle: This shape represents “DO” in Aikido for the principals of the square and circle dictate the way and direction the technique must be executed.

Although these shapes have been separated to show their individual creation and representation, they are one. The square, circle, and triangle are ever present throughout the technique as one. One can not exist alone. The Triangle (RIAI) can not exist without the Circle (DEAI). The Circle (DEAI) can not exist without the Square (MAAI).

THE ABOVE CONCEPTS SHOWN IN THE KOKYUNAGE TECHNIQUE.

EXPLANATION OF DRAWING.

As Uke and Nage begin the technique of Kokyunage they are in MAAI, or The Square. As Nage steps back into hanmi (shown in the picture of left hanmi) Uke becomes unbalanced by the DEAI, or The Circle. Notice that MAAI or The Square is still present. Once Uke is unbalanced by the DEAI, Nage executes the technique through RIAI, or The Triangle. Notice The Square and The Circle are present during RIAI, or The Triangle.

Zanshin Explained

2010-12-15T11:58:00Z

Zanshin is a term we use in martial arts constantly and give it simple definitions for explanation. We hear it's meaning as "expanded awareness", "total focus" or "living in the moment". These explanations, though correct, are a bit succinct and I would like to attempt to expand on the subject.

My Aikido students hear me refer often to Iaido principles and practices that apply and enhance our Aikido practice. Originally, in Aikido, Zanshin was explained to me as letting my breathing lead my physical movement. That the breathing slows the heart rate thus relaxing the mind and body-slowing down the situation and allowing the defense to be effortless. I've always liked that explanation. Recently it was defined for me this way; As you step onto the practice area imagine you are in a room with a thousand people. All of the people have knives and would like to kill you. You have an opponent in front of you who will attack you. You must sense his intention and kill him before he can fully attack. You must make absolutely sure he is dead while keeping an encompassing awareness on everyone in the entire room.

Zanshin is defined as "remaining mind". What does that mean. Let's pick a technique: kotegaeshi. Picture the technique......picture yourself performing the technique....do you see your opponent? Do you see the thousand people with knives surrounding you?...you should. Once you have performed the technique thousands of times it should be second nature to you....achieved without thought. If it is practiced where you expand your focus on the surroundings beyond you and Uke, and can achieve this focus without thought - you have achieved Zanshin.

We often practice technique stopping at intervals to assess our progress. That's fine and it helps our understanding of the micro-aspects. The majority of your repetitions should be the full motion without hesitation. Breath-blending with Uke's Ki and breathing afterwards-one motion-aware of all without thought. It takes many years of practice to achieve but it is neccessary. Happy training.

Kotegaeshi and Conflict Resolution

2010-11-06T13:03:00Z

Kotegaeshi and Conflict Resolution

Aikido is conflict resolution and no other technique demonstrates this principle better than Kotegaeshi. Uke attacks straight and Nage enters in (irimi) and pivots around (tenkan)to stand shoulder to shoulder mirroring Uke. Finally Nage redirects the energy of Uke around and down controlling the situation. This technique also works in verbal attacks outside the dojo. And thus illustrates how Aikido principles can be used in everyday life.

Imagine you are at work and a coworker comes up to you and accuses you of scratching their car out in the employee parking lot. Their tone is not civil. As a matter of fact it enters your mind that this could wind up in a fist fight if you don’t diffuse the situation quickly. Using the blending principles of Kotegaeshi you enter in and blend to mirror him and tell him that you understand why he is angry. Furthermore you tell him this exact thing has happened to you and when it did you wanted to kill somebody.

Do you see what you just did? You blended, shoulder to shoulder, to see it from his perspective. The essence of harmonizing with an attack. In other words, the “ai” in Aikido is “seeing from the attacker’s viewpoint.” Instead of trying to “beat” him you use conflict resolution so that nobody loses.

The final step is to redirect the attack to take control of uke and the conflict. You tell him that you have a cousin who does body work and you might be able to get the scratch out for free. He completely calms down and thinks of you as a friend instead of a rotten S.O.B.

………..Kotegaeshi.

Twists, turns and road blocks

2010-09-28T23:51:00Z

Life gives us many unexpected twists, turns and 'road blocks'. When you reach one, you may feel you are being redirected further from your goals. Sometimes, though, life just needed you to be aware of other aspects of life, show you how coming at a situation from a different angle can make it better.

We teach in Aikido to blend with an attack. To look at it straight on, not to look away. To keep the attacker in close to us, just barely avoiding a crash, turning and looking from the attackers point of view, then redirecting them. Controlling them, not letting them control us. If we practice these principles in real life, our twists, turns and roadblocks won't seem so overwhelming. We need to keep faith that by stepping just slightly offline and keeping our troubles in view, we will see them from a different perspective and feel a solution, a way to 'control' them and our reactions to them.

We were told years ago from a great martial artist* that in Aikido there is always the word DOUBT. When you are a white belt, that word looms so large that you can barely see past it. As you move up in ranks, the word gets smaller and smaller, fainter and fainter, but never goes completely away. That analogy works well in dealing with trials and tribulations that come up throughout my life. I may DOUBT that I can work my way through a problem. But as I get older, I find that at a point the word FAITH is in front of me as well, and it gets brighter and brighter as I work my way through life. Just as in doing techniques, you have to stop moving like a robot going through each step, just let go of your mind and have FAITH that what you've learned will take over in your muscle memory, there comes a point in life where worry and strife needs to give way to the FAITH that you will make it past this road block. You will find your way through the twists and turns and redirect the negative influence into a positive power to bring you where you truly need to go.

-Heather

*(Thank you Sensei MacEwen)

Classical Technique as Meditative Focus

2010-07-26T11:18:28Z

                                            Classical Technique as Meditative Practice

   I tested a few students this week for advanced kyu rankings and it became apparent to me that in "classical" technique( all principles practiced from a static grip) my students were practicing as though they were in a hurry to get somewhere. They would execute the technique very quickly and then spring back up to their feet and spin around as if there were another attacker behind them. I corrected the students but felt that I should clarify some points here on this forum.

   Classical technique should be a meditative practice not unlike the the katas performed in Iaido. In Iaido you take calming breaths before you execute your kata. The kata is performed slowly so as to feel every movement in unison with natural breathing. It should be no different in performing te-waza in Aikido class. Uke grips and you take a calming breath. You execute the technique slowly so that you can feel the Ki connection between you and Uke. You feel the skeletal structure connect in Uke. You feel the taking of Uke's balance as you take his center and you feel the movements of the sword as you create the spiraling down of Uke's Ki and balance. As you complete the technique you remain quiet and motionless as you take another deep, slow, calming breath in through the nose and out through the mouth.

This breath is very important. It is the extension of Ki energy after the final cut. In other words, the technique doesn't end after the throw or break. The Nage has to finish expelling his Ki through Uke to keep the flow going. This is necessary to calm the energy of Nage but also to prepare for expansion of the situation. If you spring up to face the next attacker behind you......when there is none....then you are not reacting to the situation but rather engaged in closed minded assumptions. After completing the technique the flow continues without thought. Consider it a type of meditation.

When you practice classical technique, instead of being in a hurry to get through it, try this-
1 take a deep breath in through the nose and out through through the mouth.
2 execute the technique while breathing deeply,in and out, once more.
3 after you've completed the technique, quietly, take one more breath in and out.

Don't do this with a lot of thought. The point of classical technique is to calm your mind and learn to do these techniques without thought or external interference.

-Theron

A Woman's Point of View

2010-07-11T19:36:00Z

And Now... A Woman's point of view.

I started training in Aikido when my son was six years old. We signed up my son shortly after his birthday and had no intention of doing it ourselves until he threw my husband onto the floor while he was showing what he learned in class that day. My husband was shocked and immediately saw the validity of Aikido practice and decided to join the next day. I viewed it as something we could do as a family and was not going to be left out of the loop. I was not athletically inclined at all. I was very small at 5 feet tall and 96 lbs. I had a very stressful job and physical ailments to go with it. I soon found out that Aikido was the perfect choice. Strength and stature is not a requirement. In contrast, many times it is easier to throw a larger attacker if their momentum is heading down to meet someone of a smaller stature. Although it was tough at times, I stuck it out. Over time, I felt more and more at ease with the techniques. I loved the fluid motion and blending aspects. I used the breathing and centering to calm my nerves even out of class. I reached a better place in my life. I was able to tolerate stress better. I was physically healthier and I was surrounded by people of like mind. We became so involved in Aikido, that the dojo was our home away from home. Over the years, we trained in as many classes as possible, sometimes 7 days a week. We organized picnics, helped set up seminars, went on trips to other dojos, appeared on TV to promote the dojo and a self defense book. It was a huge part of our lives.

We learned a lot throughout the years and our Aikido friends became our Aikido family. We moved about an hour and a half away a couple of years after we earned our black belts to open our own school. Many of the students that we trained with and taught throughout the years at the original dojo left and went on to do other things. Occasionally we have an opportunity to reconnect with them. It is always a blessing. Just like blood relatives, we still feel a strong connection after all this time even through separation. Aikido brought us together and for that I am grateful. It is a beautiful and creative art and attracts many beautiful and creative people. We still think about each and everyone that touched our lives with warm thoughts and happy memories.

-Heather

Open-mindedness in Training

2010-06-13T16:19:00Z

Openmindedness in Martial Arts

The other day we had a visitor in the dojo named Wade. He was from South Carolina and is a Ni-kyu in Seidokan Aikido. I love having visitors and as always we learned something new from him – an excellent way to end Kokyu-Nage(elbow chop) with a simple twist of the arm and a pin. It reinforced for me my personal philosophy of learning as much as possible and being 100% open minded to other styles. Some Associations are so introverted that they won’t allow any outside instruction or even the sharing of ideas. I always associate Martial Arts with music and with that closed minded attitude a musician who plays rock music would never even listen to blues or jazz. How empty and unrounded that individual would be. Takama Hara translates as “All Encompassing Universe”. Let’s use that thought as inspiration in all aspects of our lives, not just martial arts but with our careers, our relationships, our nutrition and even our mundane tasks of the day. We should strive to get a better understanding through open-mindedness and the acceptance that we may not know everything.

-Theron

Focus and the point of the Sword

2010-02-15T20:55:00Z

Welcome to the newly created Blog from ASA. I decided to start a blog because of requests from some students to go over deeper Aikido philosophies and because some have suggested I write a book. This seems a good option to address both.

Focus and the Point of the Sword

I find myself in class often harping on the students to focus all of their energy into the point of a sword. If we can learn to direct all of the movements of our bodies including our conscious and unconscious focus and vision on one infinitesimal spot then there is nothing in this world that we cannot accomplish. This is one of the attributes of Aikido. We can apply this focus in any aspect of life and accomplish seemingly insurmountable tasks in any situation.

We start with bokken practice. Ten minutes a day of simple Suburi practice will transform your martial ability to something truly special. While practicing your bokken suburi, allow your conscious mind to relax and let your focus take over. Allow your entire being to “be” the movement. Your breathing, body movement, vision and mind will move as one – culminating in the entirety of your purpose into a pin-point focus of power. This power will easily be realized in all of your practice of Aikido and in your life outside the Dojo as well.

Theron Bennett