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Old 02-18-2007, 01:01 AM   #17
mathewjgano
 
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Dojo: Tsubaki Kannagara Jinja Aikidojo; Himeji Shodokan Dojo
Location: Renton
Join Date: Feb 2005
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Re: "Aikido is Misogi"

Quote:
Alfredo Sheppy wrote:
I have never practiced water Misogi so really all this is just theory maybe someone out there will confirm it.

"There I asked Ueshiba Sensei, "How did you ever learn such a wonderful budo?" He answered, "Through misogi"

Alfredo Sheppy
I have practiced water misogi for a relatively short, but still fairly pronounced number of times and would say it certainly added a unique element to my training. Your assertions seem a bit strong to me though for someone who has never practiced it. I'd say the act of shocking the system with cold water has a meditative quality which can relax the nervous system quite nicely when done regularly...plus I tend to be affected by the cold a bit less than most when I practice it regularly enough. It's really quite an envigorating experience and perhaps it conditions the senses to a certain sharpness over time, I haven't practiced it long enough to say with much certainty, but I'm inclined to think it couldn't hurt. Besides, there's something to be said for the psychosematic act of ritual to put the mind into a sort of mild hypnosis through which the mind can experience some interesting phenomina. I think the greatest benefit I gained from it was a generally improved focus. When you're stepping into glacial water in the middle of winter...or spring or fall and often enough summer, for that matter, if you can relax your body, breath and mind easily, you can do the same in another situation with a similar degree of shock to the system. Approx. 33 degree F water (on particularly cold days) wearing little more than a loin cloth and a headband can cause quite a bit of shock.
Aside from that, I wonder at the range of meanings Osensei could have had when refering to the term "misogi." Misogi, if I recall correctly, is a general term describing a process of refinement, with an emphasis on removing accumulated bad habits and the like. Perhaps I didn't understand the context of the scenarios you gave but it seems to me Osensei could have been refering to the act of training in aikibudo when he described how he became as proficient as he did.
I don't know...I'm probably speculating with just the right amount of information to get me in trouble.
Anyhow...my two bits.
Take care,
Matt

Last edited by mathewjgano : 02-18-2007 at 01:08 AM.

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