KI-AIKIDO Vol. 4
(Translation by William Reed, 1996)
Ki-Aikido Competition Held on July 26-27
Preparing for the
1st International Ki-Aikido Competition and
18th All Japan Ki-Aikido Competition
At last the time has come for the 1st International Ki-Aikido Competition to
be held at the Tenshinkan Dojo at the Tochigi Headquarters of the Ki Society.
This marks the 22nd anniversary of the founding of the Shin Shin Toitsu
Aikido Kai in April 1974, and is the first international competition ever
held in Ki-Aikido. Master Koichi Tohei traveled alone to Hawaii in 1953 to
take the first step toward making Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido an international
martial art. The 1st International Ki-Aikido Competition is part of the
events being held to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Ki
Society, and plays an important role in reemphasizing the true meaning of
spreading Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido to the world. Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido
itself is borderless. This is why we must join our strength and make this
first International Ki-Aikido Competition a grand success.
Reconfirming What it Means to Learn Aikido
I first traveled to Hawaii in 1953 to spread Aikido to the world, but my
intention was not simply to teach Aikido techniques. The fundamental purpose
was to teach mind and body coordination, so that people could learn how to
properly use the mind and body which the universe has given them, and develop
their human abilities to the greatest extent.
Unfortunately, in recent years some people have tended to ignore the original
purpose of Aikido with mind and body unified, and have fallen into the habit
of practicing the art just for the appearances alone. At the same time, there
appear to be many people who assume that Aikido has no practical application
in the real world.
True Aikido has nothing to do with false or superficial approaches, and in
fact is the Way to harmony with the Ki of the universe. In other words, it is
a way of unifying the mind and body which the universe has given you, and
walking the immutable way of the universe under any circumstances.
For this I established the 4 Basic Principles of Mind and Body Unification,
or Ki Principles. These principles must be thoroughly learned before
practicing the art of Aikido. Moreover, because the movement of every hand
and foot is then made correctly in accordance with universal principles, the
techniques of Aikido are naturally effective.
Put another way, by mastering the arts of Aikido, one can also learn how to
coordinate mind and body not only while doing Aikido, but also effectively in
daily life. This is the ultimate meaning of the study of Aikido.
Practicing the Principle of Non-Dissension
In teaching Aikido I always teach the principle of non-dissension. However,
most people tend to think that practicing non-dissension means avoiding
conflict, or even escaping from difficulty. This is simply avoidance, and far
from the spirit of true non-dissension.
The Chinese philosopher Sun-tzu wrote that, "To win after fighting is the
lowest level, to fight after winning is the middle level, but to win without
fighting is the highest level." The uncertain outcome and competitive nature
puts modern sports at the lower level. The middle level of victory is that
shown by the heroes of the sword in novels and movies.
The highest level is winning without fighting, which is what I teach in
Aikido. If you can win by removing the opponent's desire to fight, there is
no need to fear losing. This is the essence of Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido.
Considering the Meaning of "Perform with Confidence"
At last the time has come for the 1st International Ki-Aikido Competition. I
hope that each of the participants will do their best to show the results of
their daily training.
This competition affords us the opportunity to reconfirm the true purpose of
learning Aikido. In order to practice the principle of non-dissension, it is
essential not to the five principles of our Aikido practice.
These are familiar enough to practitioners of Aikido that we need not list
them here, but I would like to comment in particular on the fifth principle,
"Perform with confidence." This does not mean to simply go ahead on your own.
The character in the original Japanese suggests to "go to the limit." In
other words, to complete each action decisively.
The Ki-Aikido competition allows no room for conceit, and provides an
opportunity to reconfirm this aspect of decisiveness in your training. I hope
that each of the participants will take this to heart and perform with the
highest confidence.