Poll: Is "the way of harmony" your preferred English translation of the term "aikido&

AikiWeb Poll for the week of March 9, 2003:

Is "the way of harmony" your preferred English translation of the term "aikido"?

• I don't do aikido
• Yes
• No
  

Here are the current results.

as long as harmony

does not involve compromising, diminishing, or diluting opposing things and their individual essences.

.

I think it's important to define exactly what is meant by "harmony". Tomiki Sensei, I've heard, often read those characters as "The Way of Fitting."

Kano's "Best Use of Energy and Mutual Benefit" seems very "harmonious" to me.

Speaking of which Chuck on Aikido-L there is a question concerning the Kime that Tomiki refers to in the Shodokan style and the Kime of Kodokan's Kime no kata. Are these two kime the same?

IMHO, I think 'The Way of Balance'.

Actually, when you've to "use" Aïkido, someone's disturbing the order. What you do is to cancel that action, to return to a kind of balance.

Or, to repeat what I once answered to my senseï, "Aïkido is the way to resolve conflict without being in conflict".

Just a thought from a rookie...

Peter Rehse wrote: ... there is a question concerning the Kime that Tomiki refers to in the Shodokan style and the Kime of Kodokan's Kime no kata. Are these two kime the same?

Hi Peter,

Hope the training and other things are going well for you.

Kime, used in this sense, often means "decisive" or something of that nature.

The point of a joint lock where it is effective or the point of a newaza situation where control is effective. The point in time where you have decided for a punch to be focused and effective.

Kime can also mean an agreement, or the way it was explained to me some time ago is that it is the point where it is evident (agreeable) to both people that a hold, lock, etc. is effective.

Hi Chuck

Thanks but were my confusion arises is that kime is the word we use for the application of yonkyo like pressure be it on the forarm, ankle, whatever. I must say I am having a real hard time equating that with the "decisive" of kime no kata.

The way I understand it, and remember I am having difficulty with the concept, is that it is kime even before the lock is completely in place.

I have asked this question closer to home but really never got a satisfactory answer.

I would rather prefer the more technical but boringly long version of "The Way of Blending with the Opponents' Energy (so that you can kick their butt)."

Peter Rehse wrote: The way I understand it, and remember I am having difficulty with the concept, is that it is kime even before the lock is completely in place.

Peter,

I also do not understand that and don't use the term that way. I guess it could be being used as the point "when the technique begins to give pain" or to use decisive intent to cause pain.