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Old 09-01-2012, 03:20 PM   #31
Tom Verhoeven
Dojo: Aikido Auvergne Kumano dojo
Location: Auvergne
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 295
France
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Re: Masakatsu Agatsu

In and Yo are, at least here on AikiWeb, more and more seen as contradictory forces. I suspect that it is in effect the influence of Western thinking. Most texts that I know of speak of In and Yo as forces that join together (musubi) to create something new; a child, a new technique, a new art, Or experience something afresh, like a new day, a homecooked meal with fresh vegetables, the taste of this years first wine.
Experiencing something as new through misogi involves letting go of preconceived ideas, techniques, form, imposing your will onto someone or something else. That is basic Aikido-philosophy. You cannot force the ink to become a calligraphy or the clay to become a teacup.

However, it is not meant as a strategy. It is not that you leave behind physical strength (a raging Ara Mitama) in order to get a "inner strength". That will just as much feed your Ara Mitama, only now with a smarter way of using its powers.

O Sensei pointed out that we should move away from strengthening the Ara Mitama all together.

His spiritual words have no doubt several layers of meaning. Some of his explanations are indeed about the genuine way of keiko in Aiki no michi. But if we start to think that his sayings are just about hidden messages to improve our martial art in the sense of becoming stronger or faster or gaining an inner strength, then we risk loosing a lot of his original thoughts and goals.

I do not think his aim was with Aikido to create the strongest or best martial artists in comparison to other martial artists. I think that he pointed a way that would help us to become the best budoka we our selves could be. The obstacles that we find on that path are most of the time obstacles that we create. Hence the reason that we have to overcome our selves.

By no longer aiming for the development of Ara Mitama, O Sensei created a Budo for peace - and I love that seemingly contradiction!

Tom
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