Note: Larry Novick is Head Instructor of ACE Dojo, which is NOT a Ki Society Dojo. However, they "follow in the general footsteps of Koichi Tohei." In the interest of contributing to aikido discussion and dialogue, aikido in general, as well as Ki Society aikido, I present this here.
In fact, lately, more and more, this has been the growing focus of our Aikido classes. And the actual Aikido that emerges out of that place has been blowing our minds.
Connect [includes ACE Up]
Blend
Track
Lead
Close
In doing so, we no longer say "relax" but "Release" because we found that people around here could relate to that actual experience better. Then they learn the difference between releasing/limp as opposed to releasing with Ki flowing out.
We also don't use "Weight Underside" anymore because we found that people had a bad habit of doing it in such a way as to give "too much" feeling to the uke, and since one of our goals is "kinesthetic invisibility", we eliminated it and just say "ACE up" so they get the whole "Gestalt." :)
It's all originally from Tohei's teaching (my former partner was very
close to him for most of the time he used to spend in LA), but we have
done our own thing, so to speak, to some extent as well with it.
The second most important thing is Tracking - because you stay
ACEed up and in that sense safe and empowered, but totally "with" the
other person with no agenda. Only then, when you are in tune with
yourself and the other person and the "bigger Ki" so to speak, do you
lead and close, by throwing or whatever.
The other thing is the principle of "don't *do* anything to the
other person": when you are connected to yourself and the greater
Ki AND your partner, you are the one who does something - i.e.,
rotate, move, drop your center - and because you are connected and in
harmony, there will be a "positive effect" or occurance that you will
see reflected in what happens to your partner.
In experimenting with this, it's been amazing. People are able to
discern what they are "doing wrong" by seeing what they are "leaving
out" of the above process - it's usually tracking, by the way they
want to rush to the throw. Also, people are staying much more in touch
with themselves and the Ki this way, to the point where a lot of the
time now we aren't even throwing but we have been lowering people to
the ground. This also - in learning the actuality of the softer end of
the spectrum of response, and therefore taking any "violence" out of
the practice (for that moment) - has really helped people to relate to
everything in a different and far more expanded way.
And I will say again, it's fundamentally based on Tohei's teachings.
Don O'Bell came up with ACE etc. from his direct work with Tohei, and
I came up with all of the above from everything that has happened
since.
It's really been amazing lately.
Release the boundary of your perception of duality in
body/mind/energy - release your Ki - release the rational mind to the
intuitive mind - practice this so it can grow - trust it and the
experience that comes - the greater Ki is all around you now,
everywhere, and inside you and through you as well - by attending to
the ACE experience, stay in the Now without agenda but allowing the
principles of Harmony to manifest through you and through your
actions....
Such that the uke cannot feel what you are doing at all, i.e., you are
"physically" invisible to them (because you are using Ki "properly").
In part it goes back to the story Tohei Sensei wrote about in the
Co-ordinated Ki book, when he first met O Sensei and he couldn't feel
anything he was doing, thus he was able to throw him. Tohei wrote
that if he had felt anything he would have been able to counter it,
but he couldn't feel anything. His later conclusion was that O Sensei
used Ki, and he led the mind, which led him to his own understanding
etc. We are very into this and use the feedback of Aikido practice to
see if we are ACEd up, or, in the Gestalt of being centered, extending
Ki, and being connected throughout the entire technique. If the uke
can feel what I am doing, for instance, he can conceivably stop me or
counter it (I can testify to this in regard to my BJJ friends, for
instance) so I can do it "better" by maintaining the integrity of that
"dynamic state" better - it's a tremendous way of monitoring both self
and what's happening interactively at the same time. When a technique
isn't "working" I often say - "What do you feel? - That's what they
are feeling..." then they can take that away by going back to
themselves, make that adjustment, and it works!
Second: the Aikido Process:
Here is my current description of the "Aikido Process," but I'm
constantly refining the descriptions....
More About the Process
The most important here is the first - connect. This means
connect to yourself first - by ACEing up, which is virtually MBU
[Mind-Body Unification] - and through that release so in connecting to
yourself you are connecting to the "greater Ki." Then, as a part of
connecting, connect with your partner *from that place* - connect with
your partner by including them in that/your experience. The practice
then becomes maintaining that connection throughout the entire above
process.
Connecting with the Greater Ki
The problem with expounding on certain aspects of it, especially
connecting with the greater Ki, is that it starts to sound like
Star Wars.... as you will see from the following :-)
Kinesthetic Invisibility
"What is kinesthetic invisibility?"
Lowering People to the Ground
Lately, I have been teaching how to, instead of throwing your partner,
lower them safely to the ground instead. I do this for many reasons,
but one is - if, at some integral level, the spirit of Aikido is safe,
loving protection, then I think it's important to practice that aspect
literally, for the times that it may be literally applicable. This
doesn't disown the rest of the spectrum, it includes all possibilities
in Aikido's effectiveness, and allows us the experience of Aikido with
any sense of violence totally controlled and if need be for whatever
reason, removed."`Lowering people to the ground'? By taking violence out of
practice, are you making things even less applicable to real
life?"
...This is a tricky one. But in reality, the way we do it is to take
it to the limit but not with the specific intention to throw or take
someone down, it's with the intention to lower someone gently to the
ground. To do this effectively, you have to be totally connected to
them and in the flow, and if that's the case, you are "automatically"
in the right place and protected, in the most practical sense. I am of
the opinion that if done right, all a throw takes is the simple
dropping of the arm by lowering the center and letting it follow. No
more than that. So, if you can get to that place, you can, sometimes
at least, choose to lower the person to the ground.
Note: You can find more of Larry Novick's writings at the Essays section
of the ACE Aikido Dojo
site.
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