Nine Principles

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[Mark Williams]

Can anyone remind me of the nine principles of Aikido? Ma'ai, Kokyo, Irimi, Dozy, Sleepy, Bashful....

[Kensai]

I dont know about the nine prinicples, but the six pillars of Aikido are:

Shihonage

Irimi

Kaiten

Kokyu

Osae Waza

Ushiro Waza

[John Boswell]

Mark,

You seem to be asking for something specific to " a " style of Aikido. Under what organization is your dojo affiliated with?

In the book "Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere", it mentions four principles: Centralization, Extension, Leading Control and Sphericity.

I know that must not be what you were looking for, but I found it so I mentioned it. Please let us know your organizatiion and IF you get the answer elsewhere, post it here, please? I'd be interested in reading about it myself.

Good luck!

[batemanb]

Chris nailed the six pillars,I'm not sure about nine principles, although when I first started the art some twelve years ago, we focused on "the nine basics":

ikkyo

nikkyo

sankyo

yonkyo

kotegaeshi

shihonage

iriminage

tenchinage

kaitennage

Does that help?

[Goye]

Saotome Sensei describes "The Five Principles of Aikido" in Aikido and the Harmony of the Universe as:

1. Aikido is the path that joins all paths of the universe throughout eternity; it is the Universal Mind that contains all things and unifies all things.

2. Aikido is the truth taught by the universe and must be applied to our lives on this earth.

3. Aikido is the principle and the path that join humanity with the Universal Consciousness.

4. Aikido will come to completion when each individual, following his or her true path, becomes one with the universe.

5. Aikido is the path of strength and compassion that leads to the infinite perfection and ever-increasing glory of God.

Maybe this helps!,...:)

[mike lee]

As I remember, in Ki Aikido there are the four principles and the eight principles. The four principles are:

1. Relax completely

2. Keep weight underside

3. Keep one point

4. Extend ki

These are clearly principles for the use of ki in aikido and daily life.

I don't remember the eight principles, but I hope someone else can list them. As I remember, the eight principles were about the broader use and intent of aikido.

A two of the ones that I remember are:

— The sword to let live

— Back to basics

Perhaps I remember these two, because they had the most meaning for me. "The sword to let live" clearly indicates that the intent of the art is to save life and not to take it.

I also remember that "Back to basics" was the last item on the list. I thought that it was interesting that after listing all of these sophisticated principles, they would end with "Back to basics," and yet, I have found this principle to be one of the most useful concepts in training and teaching aikido. Whenever I don't know exactly what to practice, I just go back to the basics and I feel that I can never go wrong.

It's also a great principle for life. When life gets to busy and complicated, I just simplify everything and get back to the basics — Work, eat, sleep, exercise.

Work — be on time and work diligently.

Eat — Eat simple, nutricious foods such as grains, fruits and vegetables. Cut out exessive amounts of red meat, fatty foods, greasy foods and sweets, along with stimulants, smoking, and alchoholic beverages.

Sleep — Sleep at regular hours every day. Meditate before and after for maximum benefit.

Exercise — Develop a balanced routine.

[Eric Joyce]

These may appeal to some:

1. Embrace a way

2. Accept responsibility for your actions

3. Control the breath

4. Focus

5. Develop self-discipline

6. Train hard, seeking aesthetic refinement

7. Be patient and flow

8. Persevere

9. Cultivate the mind of No Mind

Just my two cents.