I just started reading Aikido: The Peaceful Martial Art, by Stefan Stenudd. This one idea in particular was very eye-opening and refreshing. If you are a martial artist, what do you think? What stage are you in? Does this apply to you?
Learning aikido can be compared to elements found in nature.
STONE
“immovable, tense, with sharp edges”*
At this point, we are not familiar with using different parts of our body in new ways. We are getting comfortable with our own mind/body coordination and eye/hand coordination. When we punch we are stiff, and when we are being attacked we jerk the attacker around and move with much tension in our bodies until our attacker is on the ground.
WOOD
“supple, softening, though still almost immovable”*
By now, we begin to connect a little more with our attacker. We try to use their momentum instead of generating our own. However, our feet are still heavy and our movements are still stiff. Our movements are not yet fluid.
WATER
“The techniques flow. Attackers fall like bowling pins...
You can do your aikido for a long time, without losing control or energy.”*
At this stage, your movements are fluid. Your techniques feel continuous, and there is a good balance between you and the person you are throwing / attacking.
However, water is not soft. It cuts paths down mountains, throws around ships, and can damage villages. You can do better than this.
AIR
“embraces without pushing, and adapts without resisting”*
The main difference between water and air is that air entails being soft without being threatening. When being attacked, you help the attacker along and the attacker ends up landing his attack somewhere different then initially intended. Meanwhile, the attacker feels no resistance during the technique and feels exhilarated to suddenly find himself ultimately directing his attack towards nothing. While this seems to be an awesome level to achieve, we can go further.
VACUUM
“Empty space has no body, no substance whatsoever. Still, there is no force great enough to conquer it, no fire to burn it, no power to threaten it, and no room too big to be filled by it, or too small to fit it."*
Think about it, even air has some sort of resistance. If you swing a tennis racket through the air fast enough, you’ll hear the resistance. There would be no resistance if you did the same in outer space. If you can become a vacuum (mentally), anyone who tries to attack you, is essentially attacking emptiness - they are helpless. This only works if you, yourself, embody this emptiness.
“In the aikido of emptiness, the aikidoist has become invisible, like nonexistent. Everything moves within and around the partner. Self-defense has ceased to be an ingredient. Threat and violence fade away. Only at this stage, a serenity that reaches beyond one’s own mind can be achieved.”*
Ahhh, to one day be able to reach this level is beyond my wildest dreams! How about you?
:)
* denotes quote from Aikido: The Peaceful Martial Art, by Stefan Stenudd
* denotes quote from Aikido: The Peaceful Martial Art, by Stefan Stenudd
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"Meanwhile, the attacker feels no resistance during the technique and feels exhilarated to suddenly find himself ultimately directing his attack towards nothing."
I wouldn't use "exhilarated" to describe the feeling, more like frustrated since my attack was futile.
Ooh, it's only because you have yet to feel the feeling of "I'm going for this attack!" Immediately followed by "How...what...why am I on the ground - and how did I get here?" It's so mind-blowing that it's exhilarating. ;)