Patrick Augé (7th dan, Shihan, Yoseikan Aikido) is the technical
director of the International
Yoseikan Budo Federation for North America. He started studying
martial arts in 1962 in judo. He lived for seven years as the
uchideshi of Minoru Mochizuki sensei from 1970. He is currently in
Los
Angeles.
The following was written by Patrick Augé Sensei in answer
to a question asked of him on www.yoseikanaikido.com.
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According to the Langenscheidt Japanese Dictionary, Ki means:
1- spirit, soul; 2- feeling; 3- intention, inclination.
The mystical sense means the life force that animates the
universe.
Ki is part of many compounded words in daily Japanese language,
such as "ki ga au" (feel comfortable or compatible with. Same
ideograms as Kiai and Aiki!), "ki ga chisai" (timid, literally "has
small spirit"), "ki o tsukeru" (be careful, literally "put on
spirit"). All these expressions have different meanings but originate
all from the same source. Ki is a common word of the everyday Japanese
language, and most people use it without knowing its deeper
meaning. For this reason, foreigners are often surprised at the
evasive answers they receive from native Japanese speakers whenever
they question them about Ki. Like many beginning Budo students, I too
was curious about this subject.
Thirty years ago, shortly after my arrival in Japan and settling
at the dojo, I found a book in English on Ki in daily life. The book
gave many interesting explanations and practical exercises to develop
Ki. My teacher saw me reading the book and laughed: "Very strong man!"
he said of the author, exposing his own biceps, "but strange here!" he
added poking a finger at his head. It took some time before I learned
through the Japanese Budo network that the author of the book did not
live according to his teaching, in spite of his great technical skill.
In the meantime I practiced some of the book's exercises. One
exercise recommended that one should taste food before adding salt to
it in order to develop an awareness of its real taste. I applied the
same principle to some other ingredients we often mindlessly add to
food. As a result, I started to like more things, even foods that many
foreigners tend to avoid. The same principle could be applied to other
senses, such as hearing for example: living in silence, listening to
sounds and music with mindfulness. It could be applied to seeing:
surrounding oneself with natural colors, using peripheral vision,
watching nature, stars. It could be applied to smelling: avoiding
perfumes and cosmetics, cigarettes, chemicals etc., noticing smells
while breathing in. It could also be applied to feeling such as
shaving without mirror and changing hands while shaving; because of
total presence and awareness, it resulted in a better quality shave
and fewer cuts.
These are exercises to help tune up the physical senses. But how
can honing the physical senses apply to Aikido training?
First of all, we need to have a clear understanding of what
Aikido is in order to find our direction and stay on track. My
understanding is based on my teacher's teaching, his example, and my
own study and practice. It may not apply to everyone outside of our
group although I believe that many students of Budo may benefit from
others' experiences.
Aikido is the path to be consciously connected with the universe
through Budo. Budo is the path to transform the body-mind-spirit in
order to become a compassionate, wise, and strong person for the
mutual welfare and prosperity of all living beings. Consequently,
Aikido and Budo are one.
One may ask the question: can't one become a compassionate,
wise, and strong person for the mutual welfare and prosperity of all
living beings without the use of martial techniques?
If we develop compassion only, we may misuse it (due to
ignorance) and not be able to achieve our intended goal. This is why
we need also to develop wisdom in order to know when and how to use it
effectively. But we also may be unable to use it if we are perceived
as weak. Thus, we need strength. This is why martial techniques, such
as Aikido techniques, which are not intended to cause any unnecessary
damage, are essential.
We learn and practice these martial techniques in the dojo. The
dojo is a laboratory of human behavior. We can test and practice new
patterns of behavior such as kindness, respect, patience, etc. without
having to worry about others' reactions. When we are completely
familiar with the new patterns we can apply them with confidence in
our daily lives. This may be quite difficult to do in our daily
environment.
Most aikido schools have their own versions of Ki exercises. I
am familiar only with the Yoseikan style. In Yoseikan Budo, Tehodoki,
their variations, and Nigirikaeshi are the kinds of exercises we use
to develop Ki. Next, after being able to perform fundamental
techniques with one partner at a time, we have Shitei Randori
(designated practice) and Jiyu Randori (free practice), which are done
with several partners attacking from different directions. In order to
be effective and lead to progress, these exercises require mindfulness
on the part of the partners. This means that Uke (the attacker) must
be sincere and apply the proper amount of determination and energy
according to his partner's level and needs. Mochizuki Minoru Sensei is
famous for scolding students who lack mindfulness on and off the mats.
When training, our body should be like a transmission "in drive,
" firm but not stiff or flabby. This is the meaning of filling oneself
with Ki. Our eyes should be level, in peripheral vision mode, in order
to be sensitive to any move or signal (body language) on the part of
our partners. If our partners are sincere in their intention to
attack, they create a sense of urgency, and we learn to read the
signals, just like a new driver becomes very soon "one with his car"
since mistakes in appreciation of space, speed and timing (maai) can
result in disaster. For this, driving is also a good opportunity to
practice Aikido.
When we look deeply into phenomena and analyze their nature, we
become aware of the fact that everything is connected with everything
else, that nothing occurs by itself. Every phenomenon is the result of
causes and conditions, both direct and indirect, which are themselves
the results of other causes and conditions, and the deeper we search
for their origins, the more causes and conditions appear endlessly,
like a huge mesh. After training ourselves to look at phenomena in
this way, we become much more sensitive to details that escape the
untrained person. We see people and events differently, and we have
more control over our emotions, which clears the way to make better
decisions.
Sensei taught us the following story, which dates back to the
time he was an uchideshi at the old Kobukan Dojo. "Ueshiba Sensei was
able to sense our level of concentration by observing us. One night we
(the students) went out and came back late, laughing and making
noise. As we entered the dojo, the first fellow in got hit with a
bokuto. Ueshiba Sensei went back to sleep. After that, we became very
careful to be quiet and would check before entering the dojo and got
in without problems. However, a couple of weeks later, Sensei must
have noticed something, for when we came back that night, we forgot to
check and someone got hit again. It never occurred again. This was my
best lesson in Ki training ever." This kind of Ki can be developed.
Some of the old members of the Yoseikan remember also another
story. Ueshiba Sensei frequently dropped in at the Yoseikan Dojo in
Shizuoka when he traveled back to Tokyo. One day, after practice, the
students were sitting around Ueshiba Sensei when suddenly he said:
"There is someone looking for me at the station; could one of you go
to pick him up?" The Yoseikan is several kilometers from Shizuoka
Station. A student drove to the station, asked around if someone was
looking for Ueshiba Sensei, found him, and took him to the
dojo. According to Mochizuki Sensei, Ueshiba Sensei could perceive
people's thoughts quite naturally, even at a distance. However, he
insisted that Ueshiba Sensei was the only person he knew who had that
ability, which explains why he could defeat his attackers with quite
simple techniques. Can this sort of Ki be developed? Everyone at a
time or another receives an extra sensorial message. This is something
I have felt consciously a few times in my life. It always occurred
with people with whom I had strong affectionate ties. And in all
cases, we were thousands of miles apart. We receive a lot of messages
of this kind, but our lifestyle is the major factor in determining
whether or not we are in "receiving mode" which makes the difference
between being aware or not.
If we take life's experiences as opportunities to develop
ourselves, we become more sensitive to the signals that precede what
is going to happen. Also all those exercises have little meaning if
their application stays within the confines of the dojo. Life provides
plenty of opportunities to practice mindfulness. Another major
obstacle is material comfort. This kills our desire to improve and
makes us dull. I have noticed that students who face hardships with
determination show much better awareness while training and this
results in sharper techniques. The problem is to maintain the momentum
after things have become normal again. For this reason, we should
train ourselves when everything is calm in order to stand a better
chance to face difficulties when they occur (and they will).
According to Mochizuki Sensei, the more we rely on
intellectualization to learn, the more stupid we become. That is why
he has been discouraging his students from learning with books and
tapes. It's only through experience that we can internalize
knowledge. After that, it's all right to use books and other media.
That still does not answer the question whether or not we can
cultivate Ki. However, by maintaining a simple lifestyle, caring for
others, and striving to develop our human qualities along with our
martial skills, we stand a better chance of being receptive to this
phenomenon. But this is only a by-product that occurs as a result of
developing other qualities. Otherwise it is nothing more than an other
obsession.
Patrick Augé
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