Q&A with Akira Tohei, Shihan Part Four

Q&A with Akira Tohei, 8th dan

Editor's Note: The following are excerpts from weekly question and answer sessions that were held in the 1990s with the late Akira Tohei, 8th Dan, Shihan. The sessions took place after the first of two classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at the Midwest Aikido Center (Chicago). The first class was always scheduled to be of a more fundamental focus, thus the questions were dominantly asked by newer students of the Center, although members of all levels participated. The setting was one of Sensei having just finished teaching, the mat swept, the chores quickly done -- he would then make himself available for questions.

Part Four

What is mushin?

The meaning is “nothingness” or “having no thought.” The literal translation is “empty feeling,” but the meaning of “empty” can be mistaken by some people so we must be careful when using this word. “Quiet mind” is another translation, and this concept is very important in Aikido.

Is it okay to decline to practice with someone you don’t want to practice with?

There are people who are not fun to practice with and you may choose to avoid them. But it is important to remember that always practicing with the same people is not a good idea, though it may be easiest to learn certain techniques this way. It is okay to avoid people who are hard to work with.

There are many techniques in Aikido -- some we rarely practice, such as bokken waza. How do we find the appropriate time to study these as well as our usual regime of techniques?

It is not necessary to train with weapons. Practicing empty handed is hard enough for students and is all that is necessary to develop proper Aikido technique. This is why there are no weapons-training sessions at Hombu Dojo. Although Doshu Ueshiba uses weapons during his public demonstrations, he reiterates that this training is not essential for Aikido students.

When you think about it, how applicable is bokken or jo practice to daily life today? We no longer walk around the streets carrying swords or sticks. But because of our students’ preoccupation with weapons training, we do some of this practice in our region. The objective, however, is not that this has any real significance in this day and age, but simply that this is another means to help develop proper attitude and movements that we can apply to our daily lives.

When is it appropriate to work on advanced techniques?

What is a beginner? Here in our dojo, technically it is a student 5th kyu and below, but in actuality we are all beginners and always beginners. We can never consider ourselves “good” enough to work on advanced techniques. For those who take too much pride in being higher ranking, always keep in mind that these labels and categories are arbitrary.

We practice Aikido movements over and over again to train our mind and body to work in harmony. Techniques are a mere tool for this purpose, so don’t get too caught up in them. After all, what practical purpose is there in trying to apply shomen-uchi attack or kotegaeshi technique to working with computers?

If students travel to other dojo, should Sensei be informed?

Yes. It is important that you let me know before you visit another dojo. If this visit comes unexpectedly and suddenly, a telephone call from that location is appropriate. Also, be sure to report back to me when you return home. I am interested in hearing about positive aspects of other dojo. I do not want to be judgmental or have to listen to negative reports.

Is it appropriate to approach our Aikido training always with the mind that this is truly a martial art and not for other purposes such as exercise?

Aikido as budo has a depth to it that is not always appreciated by students. One aspect is that of courtesy, as in the saying that budo begins and ends with courtesy. Another is attentiveness -- being absolutely aware of each other as nage and uke, and also being aware of the atmosphere in the dojo and taking notice of one's surroundings.

Most martial arts are concerned with winning and losing. Aikido differs from this in that the objective is harmony. This is not to criticize other martial arts, but merely to point out that the philosophy is different. In Aikido, the emphasis is on victory over oneself rather than over others.

Should nage watch the striking hand in shomen-uchi, yokomen-uchi, or tsuki attack?

Ideally no, but in the beginning stages of training, it is impossible to avoid looking at the hand. It’s okay to look, but it’s better not to look.

As training progresses, and eventually with proper kamae, the attacking hand will of course be included in your line of sight because you will develop an expanded, inclusive field of vision.

Unnecessary and improper focus on the attacking hand will freeze your response and prevent blending with the movement.

Sensei, why do you sometimes hop at the end of a technique?

I must be careful to get out of the way of falling uke so as not to get injured myself or to cause injury to uke. Of course, it is essential to maintain balance and proper posture at the end of a technique, but sometimes it is necessary to get out of uke’s way.

How do we practice moving from the center?

Moving from one’s center is what we already do in our daily lives. When we walk, even if we are not aware of it, we move from our center -- it is not a matter of willing each leg to step forward, one after the other. When we sit down, our entire body falls into a chair. We do not have to consciously move our limbs, just allow the body to move as a whole.

O-Sensei taught that Aikido movements are not new or strange, for they are absolutely natural and taken from daily life. When we practice Aikido, therefore, the lessons we learn can be applied to our daily lives.

Because some of the rituals come from Japanese culture, like bowing for example, there may be an assumption that Aikido movements are also foreign, but they are part of our natural motions stemming from the physical and spiritual center of our bodies.

Do we have a mission or obligation to our community?

Since we humans do not live isolated, solitary lives, of course we do have obligations to a greater community. In an everyday setting, you may want to help someone push a car stuck in the snow or help an elderly person board a bus. While you are under no obligation to do these things for others, there is an opportunity to take some non-boastful pride in the service you can perform to your community.

In the dojo, if you do not participate in cleaning up or in other activities, you will gradually become isolated and after some years, be left with only yourself. The dojo environment is not one-on-one teacher to student, but a group of members working together.

Sharing with others does not deplete your resources. Another way to define sharing is as an extension of yourself. For example, when we are taught to extend ki over and over again, this does not mean that we will soon be without any more ki. This energy is continually being renewed within ourselves. As an instructor, I share with you what I myself have learned. If I thought that sharing would deplete my store of knowledge, then I would have a negative balance.

To extend kindnesses to others is not for their benefit, but for our own -- because what we try to give away will surely return to us tenfold.

What is the meaning of heijo shin?

Heijo shin is the feeling you have such as when you are relaxing at home, your most absolutely natural state. When in this state, you are able to extend ki properly.

In order to achieve heijo shin, it is necessary to breathe deeply which helps attain a state of relaxation. Our practice of sitting quietly before class begins, in meditation with eyes closed, is important to our training so we can maintain a state of complete naturalness. One way to test this is to come to class a few days without allowing sufficient time for lining up beforehand. Then since you have to jump right into class, notice if your feeling is any different than if you had given yourself the opportunity to sit in meditation. Your failure to calm yourself into your most natural state, to be immersed in heijo shin, will impede your practice.

It is the responsibility of the student to seek out the lesson. It is not the duty of the instructor to make sure that each student understands everything. And it is in a state of relaxation and absolute naturalness that we are most receptive to learn and most productive. Upon entering the dojo, we should already be in heijo shin.

End of Part Four.

(Read Part 1)

(Read Part 2)

(Read Part 3)