One Person Exercises
"Hitori Waza"
Ever been stuck by yourself, with no one to practice Aikido with? It can
be tough, and skills can quickly deteriorate. Here are some ideas for how
to get some practice in.
Ki Testing Oneself
Ki Testing is so very basic to the Ki Society, one wonders what the
heck to do without a partner. Here are some suggestions:
Push your shoulder
George Simcox Sensei loves to demonstrate this one. If someone is
really off-balance or uncentered, if he pushes himself on the shoulder
with one hand (right hand to push left front shoulder, etc), he will
actually fall over. It's pretty funny. The problem is this doesn't
reveal more subtle failures.
Push against a wall
This is a better test, though not as good as getting tested by a
partner. Stand or sit next to a wall, and push against it.
Experiment for getting a feel for how to test your own stability ---
there are some wrong ways of pushing the wall that won't help you.
Also experiment with maintaining good and bad postures to make sure
you know how to find your flaws. But once you get the hang of it,
Wall Tests are actually fairly useful.
Internal Attitude Observation Tests
One lesson often forgotten is the aikido emphasis on benevolence.
You can read about its importance at this demo
of positive vs. negative Ki. CM Shifflett's Ki in Aikido also has sections about
the importance of a positive attitude in aikido, and how to test its
effects.
One can combine the demo listed above with the various self-Ki Testing exercises, but there are some mental tests you can do without even lifting a finger.
The Thank-You Observation
Take a few moments to say (or just think), "Thank you." Say (or think) it
a few more times. Whom are you thanking? It could be anyone: a coworker,
your desk lamp, the designer of your chair, the universe, God. Nothing
to be thankful for? Say "Thank you" anyway, and see if you don't find
something. See what happens internally and mentally when you take the time
out to say "Thank you."
The Friendliness Observation
This can be combined with the Thank You exercise above. Take a
moment to gauge your surroundings. Do they seem dry, cold,
unfriendly, even forbidding? Or do they seem warm, friendly,
cheerful, or inviting? If the area "feels" unpleasant, spend a little
while imagining it under better conditions: with people interacting
with the area, smiling, laughing, or otherwise making the area a place
of comfort and warmth. Or, take a while and use the Thank You
exercise, applied to the area. After this, again read the "feel" of
your surroundings. Has it changed? Has your mood changed?
Moving Practice
This only requires a little extra space to do. Simply practice
moving around while retaining One Point. For example, do the Kaiten
Undo: stand with one foot forward, then pivot forward and do gentle
"whirls" in a straight line until you're facing backward, a couple
yards from where you started, with the same foot forward. Remember to
let the arms rise up as you spin (instead of forcing them up). One
exercise with this is to go the length of a long field in as
straight a line as possible, with minimal dizziness.
Just walking around with One Point is also a good exercise. CM
Shifflett (in Ki in Aikido)
describes the exercise of imagining a goldfish bowl in one's belly,
and learning to move without spilling a drop of water or disturbing
the fish.
Another idea that was sent to me is to tenkan in the kitchen while
waiting for the pot to boil. (If you're klutzy like me, don't do it
near the stove.) But in the meantime, practicing tenkan in tight
spaces could be a great way to learn how to move in a pinch!
Rolling Practice
This is like the above, except one specifically does rolls: short,
tall, back, cross.... Concentrate on fluidity of motion, softness;
experiment with little rolls and large, leaping rolls, chains of
rolls; or if you're like me and really suck at rolls, simply try to
roll without hurting yourself. Lack of pain upon completion, and
moving in a nice straight line, are signs of a successful roll. Some
techniques: Focus on a distant point and roll toward it; imagine
yourself as fluid and try to cultivate that feeling when you roll.
Subway Train Surfing
Due to possible dangers to yourself or others, don't do this unless
you really feel like you won't screw up too badly. Always be ready to
grab a proper handhold, and remember, I have no clue what might happen in a
train accident. Also remember that some trains are far more difficult
than others.
In any case, the idea is to stand freely without any hand support in
the local subway train. Focusing on One Point, dropping one's center
of mass, relaxation, a feeling of "floating," and looking upon items
and others with benevolence are all some techniques for
experimentation. One interesting trick to try is attempting to have
no "recoil" when the train stops (ever notice how almost everyone
"jerks" when a train stops?). I've found that actively shifting my
center of mass can eliminate recoil, but I'm sure there are better
ways than the way I am doing it.
Catch Yourself Off-Guard
This discipline is simply that of occasionally checking on yourself.
Are you right now sitting (or standing) in a stable position,
your center of mass as low as it can go, with your shoulders and other
muscles relaxed, with a mind focused and inclined toward benevolence?
I noticed that (for example), I often brush my teeth with my center
waaaaay off line; it's taken work to help fix it, and I still have to
pay attention to the way I stand. Someone else suggests checking
for extension of Ki before opening a door, or, indeed "any other
action"!
Aiki Taiso
Check out the Aiki Taiso
(exercises), a large GIF located in the UK.
Aiki Taiso are a series of movements designed to relax the body,
refocus the mind, and generally act as "warm-up exercises."
Some people say they are best done daily.
Stretching
Most people know some stretching exercises. They'll help keep
you limber and relaxed in general. Many health experts rave
about stretching!
Kata
Unfortunately I do not know enough kata to even begin describing the
simplest kata's steps, except for Happo Undou (which is not really a
kata, but which can double for one if you don't know any). However,
if you have learned the complex steps of a kata and have any necessary
equipment (jo or bokken), you can continue to practice them on your
own. Try to catch yourself in the middle and gauge your centeredness,
balance, and attitude. A mirror helps a lot. Does that sword tip
bounce when it stops? It shouldn't. Ki should be always extending.
One-Person Taigi
A bit like a kata, if done by oneself. Steve K. at Virginia Ki
Society apparently has a really cool version of a taigi, in which he
throws himself around. If you know your taigi, you too can practice
throwing an invisible partner, and getting thrown by an invisible
partner --- all with as much authentic uke-nage energy as possible.
Apparently not as easy as it sounds!
Ki Breathing
See this document for the details. Many
people swear by this exercise for developing centeredness.
Ki Meditation
I don't currently have a lot of material on Ki Meditation. The
basic idea is to sit with One Point, relaxed, and to imagine a sphere
of Ki expanding out from One Point until you almost can't keep track
of it (too big), and then bringing it back to One Point until you
almost can't keep track of it (because it's so small). Some say this
is a vital exercise.
I would like to emphasize that to do this exercise while upset or
angry is a very big mistake. Especially when doing Ki-visualizations,
I would personally like to stress that a positive, benevolent mindset
is absolutely necessary. If you didn't have a positive mindset, not
only would you be contaminating your Ki with negative stuff and
spreading it around in a growing sphere around you, but who knows what
kind of garbage you'd be picking up and bringing back to you? Attune
yourself to the "Light Side of the Force" before you engage in
Ki meditation!
The Single-Person Ki Ring Test
Ever see the demonstration of ki in which a person forms a ring with
an index finger and the thumb of the same hand, and someone else tries
to break it? This is a great test to practice Ki imagery. Try forming
the ring with your fingers and then trying to gently break it with
your other hand:
- While holding the fingers together with brute force.
- Imagining a steel ring connecting the fingers together
- Making sure the steel ring is whole and solid.
- Imagining a small break in the ring.
- Alternately, imagine light, or energy of some sort, instead of a metal ring.
I think this is another George Simcox Sensei demo. Thanks!
I'm interested in finding more aikido exercises that can be done
alone. If you have any, please email me, at rei@mit.edu. Back to main page