What is Aikido?
This is a question that many of us would have a various answer for sure. If you had asked me years ago, I would have given you a direct answer of what I think Aikido is. Now, I know that my answer would be very different, as I believe that my understanding of what Aikido is, has evolved after practicing it for years.
So giving an answer to anyone what Aikido is, can be a fairly difficult one to give.
If for instance, we were to look at a cup I hold in my hand, I would explain what I see with my cup when I view it, but if you are looking at me holding the cup, you may see something slightly different because from where you are positioned, the cup may have a writing or a drawing design on it that was not visible from my angle. But if you look at my cup from a top angle, you may see the inside of the cup more than I see. So, we could reach different understandings and yet, we are seeing the ‘same cup’.
In my view, the cup is what Aikido is. it can have the same challenge for one to explain, because when you practice it, you feel something different that cannot be put in words. So, someone who sees the Art without practicing it, may never truly understand what you are feeling.
This would also explains why there are various ‘styles’ in Aikido, so many Masters who have practiced and learnt Aikido from the Founder were influenced by their own view and experience in life and practice that deeply affected them in practicing in a specific manner. So their understanding of what is Aikido will differ slightly or more deeply than other Masters.
For these reasons, it is quite difficult to explain to beginners what Aikido is. Some Instructors will simply say: “come and try or watch a class to understand a glimpse what this is”.
Yes, we can simply say it is a Japanese Martial Arts, and the practice is done using the opponent’s force to subdue him/her. But even this answer, is not always what people would be fully satisfied with.
This would be a partial answer to me (perhaps enough for a novice to get a glimpse of what it is). Some say that Aikido is a Japanese self-defence Martial Arts derived from Aiki-Jujitsu and some throws and other techniques derived from Kenjutsu (art of the sword) and Jojutsu (art of the staff). I would say I concur with this explanation because we learn to defend ourselves with this Art.
But when we practice for a while, we gradually discover that Aikido is actually not defensive at all, but quite the opposite for that matter: we learn that because of our positioning, Tori really initiates or puts Uke in a very specific situation voluntarily to attack more specifically, so Tori is taking charge of the situation and Uke is not leading but is under Tori’s control. So by following this basis, Aikido is no longer acting as ‘self-defence’ ie reacting to an attack.
Indeed, Tori would initiate or create an opening, which would ‘lay the trap ahead’ for Uke to ‘step in’ and with the blending (Awase) Tori executes possible Aikido techniques respecting specific principles such as shapes of Triangle (hanmi with footwork), Square (hips/stability/posture), Circle (movement/non-static), and spirals up and down or sideways or laterals) using Kokyu (Breathing power), understanding Mae (distance between Tori/Uke with Taijutsu and Bukiwasa), Apply Atemi (Strikes) when they are needed to be applied, Awase (blending), Meguri (spinning of hands or hips), Zanchin (Awareness and stillness at the end of the technique), Kiai (shout from hara releasing energy with our body, mind and spirit at once). Tori can overcome the situation by controlling Uke with the principles applied.
To me, this would be a better explanation of what Aikido is than the first one, but would this explanation be too much to hear for an outsider to understand? I would think so.
So, we as Aikidoka, are always faced with this challenge to explain what is Aikido as simple as possible. Indeed, if the answer is kept short and enough to keep their interest at sight, or even better to be interested in trying out by joining an Aikido session. The short and plain answer would be perfect as is for an Instructor’s point of view, as the beginner will learn to discover what Aikido is.
Recently, I watched an interview video with a very high rank Aikido teacher who was asked the same question: “What is Aikido?” Interestingly, he gave a whole different explanation as to what Aikido is. His answer was very insightful, and it touched me quite a lot, as it related to us as human beings how we engage and interact with each other as oppose to explaining what is Aikido and how we practice Aikido technically on the mats.
To him, Aikido has the tools to unite people and bring them together as family so with this in mind, we preserve peace. He went further saying that Aikido connects people’s hearts and emotions.
He also believes that Aikido is indeed very effective but only if one practices honestly with real attacks as he elaborated that it is the only way to understand how and when we should move – so we get to learn its physical movement with a good posture but also use a specific mental attitude of emptiness dealing with the ‘now moment’ and to work with Meguri (spirals movements with the hands / hips).
As a result, Aikido has a way to connect people to preserve peace with one another. He also explains beautifully that when we meet someone who is angry, Aikido has a way to create a connection that we isolate the enemy (Anger) aside so that we create a balance between Uke and Tori so both are not mad at each other but finding a way to reconcile and restore peace with the execution of very specific Aikido techniques and we get to understand that the enemy is the ‘third person’.
He went on to elaborate that when real attacks are executed, and good Aikido technique is applied with Meguri, which we know that spirals are prominent in Aikido techniques, they affect our inner being for the better and touch our emotional feelings deeply, hence why Aikido helps us to become better human beings if we practice diligently. One can say that Aikido is a manifestation of Love.
I thought his explanation was lovely to hear and beautiful and I could relate with his explanation from where I am with my training. If someone had said this years ago, when I was a beginner, I would have thought he ‘is a bit mad’ to say such things – actually, if you are a novice, you may even agree with this thought.
Some elaborate further quoting that Aikido has the tools to spiritual enlightenment helping to feel happy and help others share this wonderful spiritual experience amongst others.
If you have read this, you may agree that it is fair to say that Aikido really has lots of layers with lots of possible explanations that anyone could give other than what I wrote.
The interesting thing is that whenever anyone is asking you what Aikido is, at any point of your Aikido journey, I am convinced that you may give a different answer.
This also means that Aikido is evolving in you technically but spiritually, or that you are evolving with Aikido!
To me, this explains why Aikido is a very advanced Martial Arts and deep in many ways, technically and spiritually.
On the whole, in order to explain as accurately as possible what Aikido is, I would finally say that it is paramount to practice this Art with a good heart and in true honesty and to work on improving your techniques constantly so that they remain effective. This would be the right way to practice a good Aikido and to explain what Aikido is...