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David Sim wrote:
Sorry if I'm being thick, but could you expand on that a bit - I'd always taken it as read that there are going to be some things that you can't do with aikido and some situations that you can't deal with using aikido - to give an extreme example, you learn very little that would help you in a gunfight (afaict - I never intend to be in one). To be possibly more controversial and less extreme, I thought that there was a general consensus that aikido lacked groundwork... or am I missing your point. (Probably...)
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"Sensei, does aikido also have kicking techniques?"
"You fool! What do you mean by such a question? We use kicking techniques or anything else. I even used artillery. Martial arts, guns and artillery are all aikido. What do you think aikido is? Do you think it involves only the twisting of hands? It is a means of war... an act of war! aikido is a fight with real swords. We use the word 'aiki' because through it we can feel the mind of the enemy who comes to attack and are thus able to respond immediately. Look at Sumo. After the command is given ("Miatte! Miatte!), they stand up and go at each other in a flash. That's the same as aiki. When a person suddenly faces his enemy in an mental state free from all ideas and thoughts and is instantly able to deal with him, we call that aiki. In the old days it was called 'aiki no jutsu'. Therefore, artillery or anything else becomes aiki." "Is that so... I think I understand." "If you still don't understand, come to me again." After that he was afraid of me and bowed to me from far off. When I went to Europe he asked me to take him as well.
From "Reminiscences Of Minoru Mochizuki", available here.
Best,
Chris