Traditional Arts, Modern Methods

“My personal Aikido has been a journey to the heart of ancient Budo practices. It’s not good enough to just do aikido to be a better person, or to propagate certain moral values. There are many religions and spiritual practices that can take care of that. Additionally, Aikido is not a sport or merely an exercise regime. 

Ukemi is paramount to my teaching, but ukemi is not rolling and falling. Rather, ukemi is creating a body that can receive the teachings, cultivating a mindset to attain the ultimate goal. I believe that when we talk about peace, that true peace and true resolution of conflict is in how uke acts. Surely real peace is the one that creates the conflict resolves it? This type of ukemi is cultivated through heart to heart analysis and sacrifice. It is the essence of training and its most important aspect. Aikido is unique in that when trained as the founder intended (Shugyo and Misogi were mentioned in many lectures), one can realise their true purpose in this world. 

Training in Budo (Aikido) is like a zen koan. That is, a puzzle to be solved. One does not understand such a paradox through “flowery” training, nor can one intellectualise its essence. This has been the way since ancient times. The study of satsujinken (death sword) and katsujinken (life giving sword) are entwined. The founder did not create “the art of peace” to avoid this paradox, but rather, to unravel it.

Although it is an easy thing to talk about “Zen and Swordsmanship in oneness,” what type of relationship is possible between an art for killing people and a Way for man to live? What must one do to bring these two things into unity? The matter cannot be solved by intellect alone, nor can the question be answered merely by words. We could say that this apparently absolute contradiction must be resolved naturally out of one’s self, but to actually experience this oneness is not an easy thing. However, no matter how perplexing this problem is, man basically feels a need, or should we say is required, to resolve this apparent paradox.

The founder stated “In Aikido, before one’s opponent comes, one absorbs the intentions of his spirit/mind into oneself to control it freely. That is to say, the workings of a spiritual gravity (inryoku no tanren) makes progress. One sees the world all at once. Today, as yet, almost nobody is able to do this. I haven’t reached it, either.” – O Sensei in Aikido News issue 4

I aim, in my aikido teaching and training, to offer a chance for everyone to strive towards realising this understanding/teaching and look deeply into this paradox.”

Peter Kelly Sensei (10th Dan)