What makes Aikido Unique according to O'Sensei

I would like to introduce myself with a recent contribution to a discussion about the uniqueness of Aikido - because this refers to myself as a persistent practicioner of Aikido and as a philosopher doing research to what O'Sensei himself said and intended to explain about Aikido: in his lectures as well as in his lessons and demonstrations of Aikido.

Shihan J.P. Kelly ( Aikido Yuishinkai Australia - National Aikido Association) wrote a critical note about a light-hearted exchange in Japan about what makes Aikido unique, and posted it on the Aikido Yuishinkai Australia FB website."They expressed world peace connecting people through training and a vague connection to bettering one's life through principles like keeping calm under pressure, maintaining center, and positive mindfulness.", he reports.

I responded to this with the following reflection, but because of its relevance I am now distributing my response more widely - to whome it may concern.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Many thanks to Shihan J.P. Kelly for his critical signaling of ill-considered substantiations in discussions about the unique character of Aikido, in the wake of the fame that Aikido has acquired internationally in recent decades. The author himself offers recognizable effects of serious training in Aikido, but I would like to supplement them with thoughts on a more fundamental level from the famous Ueshiba Morihei himself about the orientations that contribute to these pleasant behavioral effects. Also to bring them out of the shadows in which they seem to be.
=
"What is unique about Aikido?", is certainly an important question. Because the right answer might indicate what Aikido is essentially about, and how one can seek improvements and what one should focus on - apart from "training, training and a lot of training" - for the evaluation of the results. Who better to consult for this than the creator of Aikido? Who after all, explicitly, considered his Aikido as unique among Japanese martial arts and has said a lot about this in his lectures. Which is why I was able to give an impression of this core piece in 14 pages (with over 120 references to his own statements about it) in my booklet "Ueshiba's Universe -- its Significance for His Aikido" (2021). Here I will try to do this in fewer sentences, unavoidably omitting other important details.
=
O'Sensei's answer to this fundamental question is clear: "Aikido is the true Budo of Japan". In his collected lectures brought together in "Takemusu Aiki" he explains why this is so: "Aikido is the truth of the martial spirit. Aikido is the function of Love. It is the Way to nourish and protect all living beings. That is, Aikido is a compass that points us in the right direction."
=
What else does he offer us for these strong beliefs?

Aikido for him embodies the eternally active spiritual principle of the universe, Aiki, and in its forms shows unlimited creativity thanks to the action of Takemusu Aiki. Therefore, with this martial art one can purposefully sense the essence of the universe in one's own body and spirit. More concretely expressed: we are able to experience in our bodies the influence of the forces that are active in the universe -- think of gravity, kinetic forces such as centripetal and centrifugal forces, energy such as ki, and the operation of resonances -, and to use them in the practice of Japanese martial arts. To this end, O'Sensei developed Aikido -- for which he chose a number of specific techniques -, which is why he called on everyone to explore the spiritual dimension in the Aikido techniques. Because the development of a inner sensitivity to these active forces makes one experience which forces brought about the creation of Heaven and Earth, including the creation of its smaller organisms, such as man him- and herself. And will bring awareness that these forces are still active in him or her, and in the creation, to maintain that creation, to continue it.
=
This universal creative force expresses itself in every moment of a true creation, which Ueshiba refers to as Takemusu Aiki. The ability to feel the activity of those forces has been lost for most people, because they are distracted by the wrong things and are inclined to put their own self first, to always let their own interests prevail. Encouraged by the kind of society or culture they live in, sometimes forced by adverse circumstances. In doing so, they place themselves outside the fundamental order of creation, which after all does not revolve around their limited individual existence -- as a result of which disorder and disharmony prevail in the world, in the form of conflicts, wars and strife, struggle and competition even at the simplest level of our existence.
Although the human condition looks bad, although people's behavior leaves much to be desired, O'Sensei recognized that the universe is also present in every human being -- as a potential that can be tapped into under improved circumstances. Because the structure of the cosmos is reflected in the nature of man. This allows one to become one with the universe - by following the harmonic movements of the universe in the performance of his Aikido techniques.
=
According to O'Sensei Aikido only works in unity with the essence of the universe. By following the universal laws of nature in the movements -- and certainly not going against them - one will be able to experience this at a certain moment of truly creativity, to which he gives the name Takemusu Aiki. At such a special moment in the execution of an Aikido-technique, one rises completely above oneself, merges, as it were, with the eternal creative power working in the universe, through which one shows the Aikido technique in its optimal form. This is visible to the spectators - as one could see the fabulous techniques characteristic of Ueshiba, although he himself ultimately wanted to show something more fundamental during his lessons and public demonstrations of his art.

The manifestation of Takemusu Aiki, which he aims for in all Aikido performances, allows the aikidoka to be of what he or she is in essence as a human being, makes him or her experience at that exact moment how the spiritual and material worlds function in conjunction. Because the elimination of the self - his or her ego centered attitude -, each focus on winning over the other has completely disappeared. This leaves space in body and mind to experience the working of the fundamental universal forces on one's own body and mind, and to let that fusion with the One, as the eternal primal source of all creation, be leading in the execution of the techniques.
=
In his lessons, Ueshiba worked through an enormous number of techniques at a high pace: it was not primarily about showing all those techniques in detail to his students so that they could imitate them, it was much more important to him to manifest the working of those universal forces on his aikido in order to make his students aware of their decisive role. That combination of the spiritual and the physical as the basis for Aikido, whereby man leaving his ego behind, as it were, fits into the order of the universe, and becomes much more aware of it, does not resist it, but develops his sensitivity for it and lets it be leading. This makes Aikido unique, makes this branch of Japanese martial art according to O'Sensei the true Budo. Because this also points the way in a philosophical sense that we should follow according to him: in practicing Aikido, but also in all other actions and omissions. Because according to him this brings the better form of people -- their human essence - and a better world, because of their contribution to the promotion of peace. Therefore in the training in His Aikido one systematically unlearns to let the self-centered ego be leading, because this wrong attitude blocks every form of the Aikido that he advocated. Unification with the universe becomes possible only when the ego has been eliminated. Thus in training Aikido, according to O'Sensei one forges body and mind together to fully realize the human potential.
=
This proper understanding is necessary in order to arrive at the true techniques. This, according to O'Sensei, requires a very specific mindset and a sacred space around oneself, a space that is clear and pure. Only in this way people can give up their petty "I" and renounce their self-centered attitudes in order to return to the One, their origin. This human destiny also brings its own path for everyone: because of their individuality - after all, every person is also different - all people must find their own way in this. By living consciously, reflecting on it, learning and acting on that basis, one can create harmony - only in this way can a lasting personal progress on the Way be expected.

Based on this broader picture of the unique character of Aikido, what indications does O-Sensei provide for its proper development? I list just a few of them to show their relationship with the broader context that was decisive for Ueshiba Morihei.

= In the optimal Aikido performance, in which Takemusu Aiki proved to be leading, there are no more fixed shapes and patterns, according to O'Sensei. This puts the solidity of forms in the implementation of Aikido techniques into perspective, he does not fix them in a static manifestation.
= But there are other axioms due to Aiki, according to O'Sensei.
One never forces a challenger in Aikido - against him or her one does not act in any unnatural way. Even if the challenger does this himself. Everything that goes against the order of the universe is counterproductive and turns against the perpetrator.

= Breathing plays an important role in the performance of Aikido, according to Ueshiba Morihei. In breathing, one can naturally connect with the workings of the universe. The reverberation in the cosmos brings new energy by the combination of Ki from the cosmos with the personal ki. No real Aikido is possible without conscious inhalation. Consciously experiencing subtle changes in one's own breathing, brings - regardless of the circumstances - a free and unhindered movement, resulting in the true techniques. Which are never static for Ueshiba.
=
In this way, Ueshiba shows the way for His Aikido in his lectures and this illustrates, undeniably, its unique character among Japanese martial arts, then and today. So that man training in His Aikido might become more and more receptive to Takemusu Aiki, so that this primal force can take possession of the body and mind. So that the techniques can - and indeed should - be implemented without hesitation. To feel how to harness the wonderful effect of Aiki, how one grasps the nobility of the eternal creation when one is full of Takemusu Aiki and might manifest this in the dojo on the tatami, and as well outside wherever the situation requires it.

Mr. P.P.J. Overvoorde

I strongly recommend Ellis' Amdur's book "Hidden in Plain Sight". Here he makes a bold attempt to summarise what it was about Morihei Ueshiba's personal training that made his aikido unique.

What makes your, or my, aikido unique is likely to be rather different...

Alex

Thanks for your response, Alex. I can only agree with your strong recommendation to Aikidokas to read the fantastic book ‘Hidden in Plain Sight' by Ellis Amdur -- it is a pity that this has become so little known and has received so little attention among Aikido practitioners. It may be a slow starter on the market, but the value of such a study is of course not quickly lost. So there is every reason to be grateful to Ellis Amdur for publishing the results of his years of research, and to refer to it where possible.

In my response I did not indicate what is unique to my aikido. In response to the discussion I showed what, based on the statements of Ueshiba Morihei himself, he would give as an answer to such a question - I presume. Indeed, any serious practitioner of Aikido can honestly come up with a different personal answer to such a question. Ueshiba Morihei would not reject that either, because he accepted differing opinions about the path one follows -- i.e. in one's own individual inner world in which reasons, motives and meaning as carriers bring about what is shown in the outside world, on the tatami. What he also experienced with some of his direct students, and he respected even though he regretted it. But sooner or later he also expected that they would see the importance of his reflections in their development. Which much later became apparent with Nobuyoshi Tamura sensei. There is not always the space to place and investigate what one does on the tatami in a much broader context. By selecting the techniques that Ueshiba Morihei made for the practice of Aikido, O'Sensei did expect to make possible that internal experience and the working through of the forces from a broader context -- to whom it may concern.

P.P.J. Overvoorde