The Ki, Itsuo Tsuda the Ki in the Aikido By the Tsuda Teacher.

In Europe, people are interested in the Aikido by her effectiveness, by the power that is wanted to acquire. One is interested in the technique, by the acquisition of reflections, of the diploma, the position in the organization and the prerogatives that are given off. They are the cartesian aspects of the problem. As far as the Ki, it escapes to all cartesian attempt of definition. For that reason, he is officially nonexistent. It wanted, as for me, to contribute a modest contribution to the understanding of this notion difficult to catch. I do not write with the purpose of doing a manual for the medical instructors of Aikido, but to locate the problem in the general context of the western thought. It does not have importance that one is interested or not in the practice of this art, but the Aikido deserves to be mentioned, although single it is by the new vision that contributes to us in our ideas. Many people have come to request information to me on the Aikido: "He is effective" Or they could also have chosen like another solution a firearm or locks of security. They are scared to be attacked, fear to die and fear to live. They are in a hurry to find means whatever she allows them, after lessons, to acquire an extraordinary power. I have thrown them to all. What illusion. We could speak of effectiveness if it were at the level of the Ueshiba Teacher. He is also ridiculous to speak of that to my level. The western ones have tendency to think that learning consists to him of the development of a certain reflection. Of course, the reflection can facilitate the work organization because if it would not be necessary to return to begin at every moment, from the most insignificant details. Nevertheless, the reflection that remains simply in reflection is not nothing. It is a conditional behavior, a custom. More cannot be advanced. I have seen in the Regenerative Movement that reflected movement. Every time the same movement is executed, exactly with the same duration. A development in depth does not exist. Memory an anecdote that a professor in the grammar school told us, does near 50 years. Judoka, 3º give, was in a discoteca. A fight triggered between him and gamberro. Judoka that had good reflections, did hanegoshi to him, throwing towards him both arms of gamberro. At the same time, this last one removed a knife, with the end towards judoka. With the same gesture that would have allowed him to project to its adversary in the air, judoka received the knife in the belly. If it had not had east reflection, it had saved the life, in exchange for some blows and cakes. Some young women have asked to me what there would be to do in case of danger. For example, when the aggressor takes to them of such-and-such way. I taught to them how they would be possible to be freed of takes hold. With a little commercial cleverness, it had been able to institute a class with much advertising big drum: young ladies, defiéndanse against the aggression. Effective method. A selection of handsome girls who play the aggressor, and I the attacked one. What more pleasant office! I have not taken in including/understanding the futilidad of such education. The smaller gesture is part of a ampler set and a gesture without the dominion cannot be done of this set. To separate a part with a determined aim, is impossible. The idea that they are possible to be executed a succession of movement programmed with calm, since would take control of kitchen prescriptions, is as ridiculous as ominous. I have known two solutions diametrically opposed: one by the cold blood and another one by the force of the unconscious one. A woman let itself take and at the moment on which the aggressor, contentment, put themselves to kiss it, she, with decision, bit the language to him. On the following day they found to the culprit curing itself the wound in a doctor. Another woman does not remember what it happened. The devil in its body did everything. Create to have heard a pain shout. But when it returned in himself, there was sign of the no aggressor. This force of the unconscious one, is the Ki Can happen that endebles women raise a car, when it appears necessity. Any technique does not exist that allows us to make such feat. If people are interested in the reflection, the technique and the musculación, this is subject his. They are aspects that do not interest too much to me. If the reflection is developed to such an extent that one is put On guard battle automatically whenever somebody happens to with a hammer or a mountain range, whenever head of the department raises the hand to him to rascar the head, whenever the butcher takes his knife to trim a steak, is very possible that she happens being a rare person. No longer it will be possible to be gone to the hairdressing salon, because the peluquero takes a knife that can cut the neck "in santiamén". If we spoke of the technique? There are people who are true living repertoires of the technique. They execute gestures as if they were programmed by computer. But one feels, watching to them, that lacks something. There is no human heat. They are mechanical wrists. The Ueshiba Teacher, when I saw him in his last years, seemed not to have the technique notion already. He made gestures of anything and their adversaries fell. He was like a boy who amuses itself with any thing, anyway. Once in a while, he asked: "How this is called" Their disciples answered, giving a name him removed from the terminology wisely constructed "Ah yes" and he continued amusing itself. It is impossible to apply names all to his gestures. It was free and natural like winds and the waves. He disturbed to who he loved to structure the Aikido. Europe where the notion of Ki does not exist, is inevitable to define the Aikido as a sport battle. Who says sport, she says musculación. On the other hand, it is very difficult to dissuade the young people to make musculación. For them it is a physiological necessity. A sport that does not go accompanied of a physical wearing down, is not a sport, etc... Indeed, the Aikido is not a sport for me. The Ueshiba Teacher has repeated I do not know it whichever times: "the Aikido is not a sport, is not an art battle". From the beginning, then, we were in a dialogue of deaf people. One does not treat absolutely, for me, to make musculación. In addition never I have been sport. Hipertrofia muscular, as Alexis Carrel said, is not less dangerous than the visceral atrophy. My biceps have not changed of thickness since I began at the age of 45 years. The Aikido in addition, like all the things, is lent more to the varied interpretations. I cannot try to give validity to my opinion. Simply I can communicate what I have seen, observed and stated i myself. There have been being well-known, for some years, to a young professor of Aikido, titleholder in physical culture, was therefore a sportsman. But they hurt the kidneys and finished to him losing all mobility of hips. It happened to him later the same with the arms that, as well, were put rigid until the point of not being able to double the elbows. He is one of the multiple examples that I have stated between the people who practice martial arts: the rigidity of the body, caused by excessive muscular efforts. Another professor of martial arts, came to see me when he distributed courses in province. He had problems: their ill woman, to him hurt the kidneys to him and in addition she suffered mareos. Before appearing before his students, he had to put a cold compresa on the nape of the neck to be able to give the class. He was so anxious that he gave pity to see me him. Dígame, what I must do? I am not qualified professionally to advise to him, I do not do more than to direct the Regenerative Movement. But if you want you can come to our session of movement. I recognize that its answer left me stupefied. "But it is that I must go to me of vacations now". Then what wanted exactly, a miraculous medicine? A panacea of the Far East? I do not know any. I must sleep. I must wake up to me. I must work. I must go to me of vacations. We are squashed by tons of "I have". We are pillados by the social gear. We cannot be freed of him. Miraculous medicines exist throughout. It is not necessary to look for far: the somnífero, the exciting one, the stimulant, the tranquilizer, etc... I am not salesman of miracles. These miracles seem to me very slave-driven on the contrary. It is not necessary to request advice to me in these things. I limit myself to live simply. When I see these shaken people, I have the impression to offer a water glass uselessly. They are thirsty, but their nervous hands prevent to take it them. Meanwhile, the bus arrives and I see its arm be shaken and move away. What have made to arrive at this state? They are 15 or 20 years old less than I. How they will be when they are 60 years old? To the 60 years, enough experience of the life is had accumulated and is necessary to be able to usefully serve the posterity. To this age they say, is decrepit. This makes think me. There are proud young people of his wounds; clavícula broken, the jumped menisco, the lumbago, etc. They are, according to them, so many signs of virilidad, so many decorations granted to his valentía. That for that reason it is not. As for me I state thus, which I have been born man and I do not feel specially the necessity to show the virilidad with external signs. It agrees to also say that I have begun in the Aikido to an age where one feels the approach of the aging. My vision is totally different from the one from the fighting young people. I have stated actually, a great lightening of my being. The Aikido allows me to make the emptiness of brain. I have never suffered of pains in the kidneys. On the contrary, I have been able to increase the flexibility of my hips. But this is not enough, is necessary to be effective, will say the young people. What understand by effectiveness? To project to two or three aggressors in the street and to stay as a cinema hero? Create they who this are the only danger that exists in the life? You are sure that there is no anybody from the window of the building of opposite is watching your movements, with rifle provided with a viewfinder, for alojaros a bullet in the head? In addition, thus he is as a President of the EUA and a Nobel prize have died. You are not scared to that a wall falls to you above or that a crane squashes to you? Technical what to apply when your airplane hurries on the ground? If unknown microbes attack to you, which will be your defense? And when you sleep? It is necessary to look for more effective measures, you will say. But when the death mentions to you, it is here or in another place, always it finds you. An Arab in Bagdad is with the death that says to him "I will come tomorrow to buscarte in the evening". Taken by the fear, march to galope on his horse and he arrives himself at Samarra. To the scheduled time, the death reappears and it says to him: "He knew that you would come this way". Be as it is your method or he disciplines, if he takes to the destruction of the land, will not be worth anything to my eyes. Nevertheless, if you hold the normal terrain without making nothing special, it is certainly good. What is the Aikido? I do not know it. It depends on which you hope. What is the Christianity? When I read the Gospel, I include/understand Jesus. But with which it has happened later, no longer I include/understand nothing: crossed, inquisición, wars of religion, etc. Now I am going to speak briefly of the effectiveness of the Ueshiba Teacher. If no of its disciples obtains its level of effectiveness, its Aikido is not the guilty. If Jesus lived in the cristianizada Europe of today and fulfilled what fulfilled 20 centuries ago, would be jailed by promoter of disorders. The structured Aikido does not reflect great thing of the truth of the Ueshiba Teacher. , numerous already western they know examples feats of the Ueshiba Teacher. I mention some here, does not stop to remove benefit in favor of the Aikido, but with the purpose of being able to heighten something more, the essential than maintains its art. We can say of general way, that it defied all the laws known physical phenomena. Of there the shared opinion between which they are created it without being able to explain it and those that deny it categorically. How it is possible that a man of small stature can project men who exceed some times to him of 20 to 30 centimeters? Nonsingle one by one but several simultaneously. He was inatacable, as much wide-awake as slept, front or of back, openly or by surprise, with hands as much empty as with arms, even with revolvers. It is necessary to believe these things or to reject them? They exist several position possible: To reject everything what it is not explained, although exists. To accept the facts although we are not able to explain them. To believe in everything what it does not exist. First of the positions, the one of the rationalist intransigentes, it exists not only in Europe, but also in Japan. To erase everything what it is explained, of supernatural or mystical, is a facility solution that does not lead to anything. I create, on the contrary, that the Ueshiba Teacher has been one of the men more natural than I have known. The Noguchi Teacher had the occasion to see the Ueshiba Teacher during I do not know what meeting. "the Teacher Ueshiba, very well", said to me, but he did not add nothing else. Its judgment is extraordinarily safe. It can detect in a fraction of second which anybody had not seen after 30 years. It is, in any case, far from being in favor of the finders of the supernatural thing. I have seen the Ueshiba Teacher practice with his students in old dojo, a construction of wood, that no longer exists. He was replaced by a concrete building. I have seen him, for example, surrounded by a ten of students whom armed each one with a cane, they surrounded to him throughout. In these conditions anyone is impossible to make the smaller movement. If one moves to the right or the left, towards ahead or backwards, he is inevitable to receive blows with a cane in the belly or the chest. I hear a shout, kiai, and see the students in the ground with its cane. It is standing smiling. What has made to escape? I have before me a photo taken during a demonstration in the great finery of Hibiya in front of 2000 spectators. Subject the Ueshiba Teacher with the right hand bokken, wood saber, their arm straight downwards, perfectly relaxed and the end of bokken, slightly directed upwards. With grace, hakama takes with its left hand a piece of his. If single it go that, would be seen a old one watering a row of flowers with a regadera of long mouth. Contrary to that, there are three strong young people, pushing this they bokken, taking hold it with its two hands, perpendicularly to the sense of bokken. They are inclined to 45º to exert the maximum of its power. Some moments later, the Teacher relaxes bokken and the three young people fall towards ahead in a perfect set; this was only possible because they really pushed. I know in addition these three young people personally. They are far from being complacientes, nor arranged to make gifts. When I told this history to a French, it said to me: "Mathematically impossible" and it did not want to know more. A good cartesian. Nowadays, the situation has changed a little, because the same science has demonstrated that what is mathematically impossible can exist. There we have remained, because science cannot create a mathematical impossibility. It would be to go against its vocation to do it.

Andthe Aikido By the Tsuda Teacher.

In Europe, people are interested in the Aikido by her effectiveness, by the power that is wanted to acquire. One is interested in the technique, by the acquisition of reflections, of the diploma, the position in the organization and the prerogatives that are given off. They are the cartesian aspects of the problem. As far as the Ki, it escapes to all cartesian attempt of definition. For that reason, he is officially nonexistent. It wanted, as for me, to contribute a modest contribution to the understanding of this notion difficult to catch. I do not write with the purpose of doing a manual for the medical instructors of Aikido, but to locate the problem in the general context of the western thought. It does not have importance that one is interested or not in the practice of this art, but the Aikido deserves to be mentioned, although single it is by the new vision that contributes to us in our ideas. Many people have come to request information to me on the Aikido: "He is effective" Or they could also have chosen like another solution a firearm or locks of security. They are scared to be attacked, fear to die and fear to live. They are in a hurry to find means whatever she allows them, after lessons, to acquire an extraordinary power. I have thrown them to all. What illusion. We could speak of effectiveness if it were at the level of the Ueshiba Teacher. He is also ridiculous to speak of that to my level. The western ones have tendency to think that learning consists to him of the development of a certain reflection. Of course, the reflection can facilitate the work organization because if it would not be necessary to return to begin at every moment, from the most insignificant details. Nevertheless, the reflection that remains simply in reflection is not nothing. It is a conditional behavior, a custom. More cannot be advanced. I have seen in the Regenerative Movement that reflected movement. Every time the same movement is executed, exactly with the same duration. A development in depth does not exist. Memory an anecdote that a professor in the grammar school told us, does near 50 years. Judoka, 3º give, was in a discoteca. A fight triggered between him and gamberro. Judoka that had good reflections, did hanegoshi to him, throwing towards him both arms of gamberro. At the same time, this last one removed a knife, with the end towards judoka. With the same gesture that would have allowed him to project to its adversary in the air, judoka received the knife in the belly. If it had not had east reflection, it had saved the life, in exchange for some blows and cakes. Some young women have asked to me what there would be to do in case of danger. For example, when the aggressor takes to them of such-and-such way. I taught to them how they would be possible to be freed of takes hold. With a little commercial cleverness, it had been able to institute a class with much advertising big drum: young ladies, defiéndanse against the aggression. Effective method. A selection of handsome girls who play the aggressor, and I the attacked one. What more pleasant office! I have not taken in including/understanding the futilidad of such education. The smaller gesture is part of a ampler set and a gesture without the dominion cannot be done of this set. To separate a part with a determined aim, is impossible. The idea that they are possible to be executed a succession of movement programmed with calm, since would take control of kitchen prescriptions, is as ridiculous as ominous. I have known two solutions diametrically opposed: one by the cold blood and another one by the force of the unconscious one. A woman let itself take and at the moment on which the aggressor, contentment, put themselves to kiss it, she, with decision, bit the language to him. On the following day they found to the culprit curing itself the wound in a doctor. Another woman does not remember what it happened. The devil in its body did everything. Create to have heard a pain shout. But when it returned in himself, there was sign of the no aggressor. This force of the unconscious one, is the Ki Can happen that endebles women raise a car, when it appears necessity. Any technique does not exist that allows us to make such feat. If people are interested in the reflection, the technique and the musculación, this is subject his. They are aspects that do not interest too much to me. If the reflection is developed to such an extent that one is put On guard battle automatically whenever somebody happens to with a hammer or a mountain range, whenever head of the department raises the hand to him to rascar the head, whenever the butcher takes his knife to trim a steak, is very possible that she happens being a rare person. No longer it will be possible to be gone to the hairdressing salon, because the peluquero takes a knife that can cut the neck "in santiamén". If we spoke of the technique? There are people who are true living repertoires of the technique. They execute gestures as if they were programmed by computer. But one feels, watching to them, that lacks something. There is no human heat. They are mechanical wrists. The Ueshiba Teacher, when I saw him in his last years, seemed not to have the technique notion already. He made gestures of anything and their adversaries fell. He was like a boy who amuses itself with any thing, anyway. Once in a while, he asked: "How this is called" Their disciples answered, giving a name him removed from the terminology wisely constructed "Ah yes" and he continued amusing itself. It is impossible to apply names all to his gestures. It was free and natural like winds and the waves. He disturbed to who he loved to structure the Aikido. Europe where the notion of Ki does not exist, is inevitable to define the Aikido as a sport battle. Who says sport, she says musculación. On the other hand, it is very difficult to dissuade the young people to make musculación. For them it is a physiological necessity. A sport that does not go accompanied of a physical wearing down, is not a sport, etc... Indeed, the Aikido is not a sport for me. The Ueshiba Teacher has repeated I do not know it whichever times: "the Aikido is not a sport, is not an art battle". From the beginning, then, we were in a dialogue of deaf people. One does not treat absolutely, for me, to make musculación. In addition never I have been sport. Hipertrofia muscular, as Alexis Carrel said, is not less dangerous than the visceral atrophy. My biceps have not changed of thickness since I began at the age of 45 years. The Aikido in addition, like all the things, is lent more to the varied interpretations. I cannot try to give validity to my opinion. Simply I can communicate what I have seen, observed and stated i myself. There have been being well-known, for some years, to a young professor of Aikido, titleholder in physical culture, was therefore a sportsman. But they hurt the kidneys and finished to him losing all mobility of hips. It happened to him later the same with the arms that, as well, were put rigid until the point of not being able to double the elbows. He is one of the multiple examples that I have stated between the people who practice martial arts: the rigidity of the body, caused by excessive muscular efforts. Another professor of martial arts, came to see me when he distributed courses in province. He had problems: their ill woman, to him hurt the kidneys to him and in addition she suffered mareos. Before appearing before his students, he had to put a cold compresa on the nape of the neck to be able to give the class. He was so anxious that he gave pity to see me him. Dígame, what I must do? I am not qualified professionally to advise to him, I do not do more than to direct the Regenerative Movement. But if you want you can come to our session of movement. I recognize that its answer left me stupefied. "But it is that I must go to me of vacations now". Then what wanted exactly, a miraculous medicine? A panacea of the Far East? I do not know any. I must sleep. I must wake up to me. I must work. I must go to me of vacations. We are squashed by tons of "I have". We are pillados by the social gear. We cannot be freed of him. Miraculous medicines exist throughout. It is not necessary to look for far: the somnífero, the exciting one, the stimulant, the tranquilizer, etc... I am not salesman of miracles. These miracles seem to me very slave-driven on the contrary. It is not necessary to request advice to me in these things. I limit myself to live simply. When I see these shaken people, I have the impression to offer a water glass uselessly. They are thirsty, but their nervous hands prevent to take it them. Meanwhile, the bus arrives and I see its arm be shaken and move away. What have made to arrive at this state? They are 15 or 20 years old less than I. How they will be when they are 60 years old? To the 60 years, enough experience of the life is had accumulated and is necessary to be able to usefully serve the posterity. To this age they say, is decrepit. This makes think me. There are proud young people of his wounds; clavícula broken, the jumped menisco, the lumbago, etc. They are, according to them, so many signs of virilidad, so many decorations granted to his valentía. That for that reason it is not. As for me I state thus, which I have been born man and I do not feel specially the necessity to show the virilidad with external signs. It agrees to also say that I have begun in the Aikido to an age where one feels the approach of the aging. My vision is totally different from the one from the fighting young people. I have stated actually, a great lightening of my being. The Aikido allows me to make the emptiness of brain. I have never suffered of pains in the kidneys. On the contrary, I have been able to increase the flexibility of my hips. But this is not enough, is necessary to be effective, will say the young people. What understand by effectiveness? To project to two or three aggressors in the street and to stay as a cinema hero? Create they who this are the only danger that exists in the life? You are sure that there is no anybody from the window of the building of opposite is watching your movements, with rifle provided with a viewfinder, for alojaros a bullet in the head? In addition, thus he is as a President of the U.S.A. and a Nobel prize have died. You are not scared to that a wall falls to you above or that a crane squashes to you? Technical what to apply when your airplane hurries on the ground? If unknown microbes attack to you, which will be your defense? And when you sleep? It is necessary to look for more effective measures, you will say. But when the death mentions to you, it is here or in another place, always it finds you. An Arab in Bagdad is with the death that says to him "I will come tomorrow to buscarte in the evening". Taken by the fear, march to galope on his horse and he arrives himself at Samarra. To the scheduled time, the death reappears and it says to him: "He knew that you would come this way". Be as it is your method or he disciplines, if he takes to the destruction of the land, will not be worth anything to my eyes. Nevertheless, if you hold the normal terrain without making nothing special, it is certainly good. What is the Aikido? I do not know it. It depends on which you hope. What is the Christianity? When I read the Gospel, I include/understand Jesus. But with which it has happened later, no longer I include/understand nothing: crossed, inquisición, wars of religion, etc. Now I am going to speak briefly of the effectiveness of the Ueshiba Teacher. If no of its disciples obtains its level of effectiveness, its Aikido is not the guilty. If Jesus lived in the cristianizada Europe of today and fulfilled what fulfilled 20 centuries ago, would be jailed by promoter of disorders. The structured Aikido does not reflect great thing of the truth of the Ueshiba Teacher. , numerous already western they know examples feats of the Ueshiba Teacher. I mention some here, does not stop to remove benefit in favor of the Aikido, but with the purpose of being able to heighten something more, the essential than maintains its art. We can say of general way, that it defied all the laws known physical phenomena. Of there the shared opinion between which they are created it without being able to explain it and those that deny it categorically. How it is possible that a man of small stature can project men who exceed some times to him of 20 to 30 centimeters? Nonsingle one by one but several simultaneously. He was inatacable, as much wide-awake as slept, front or of back, openly or by surprise, with hands as much empty as with arms, even with revolvers. It is necessary to believe these things or to reject them? They exist several position possible: To reject everything what it is not explained, although exists. To accept the facts although we are not able to explain them. To believe in everything what it does not exist. First of the positions, the one of the rationalist intransigentes, it exists not only in Europe, but also in Japan. To erase everything what it is explained, of supernatural or mystical, is a facility solution that does not lead to anything. I create, on the contrary, that the Ueshiba Teacher has been one of the men more natural than I have known. The Noguchi Teacher had the occasion to see the Ueshiba Teacher during I do not know what meeting. "the Teacher Ueshiba, very well", said to me, but he did not add nothing else. Its judgment is extraordinarily safe. It can detect in a fraction of second which anybody had not seen after 30 years. It is, in any case, far from being in favor of the finders of the supernatural thing. I have seen the Ueshiba Teacher practice with his students in old dojo, a construction of wood, that no longer exists. He was replaced by a concrete building. I have seen him, for example, surrounded by a ten of students whom armed each one with a cane, they surrounded to him throughout. In these conditions anyone is impossible to make the smaller movement. If one moves to the right or the left, towards ahead or backwards, he is inevitable to receive blows with a cane in the belly or the chest. I hear a shout, kiai, and see the students in the ground with its cane. It is standing smiling. What has made to escape? I have before me a photo taken during a demonstration in the great finery of Hibiya in front of 2000 spectators. Subject the Ueshiba Teacher with the right hand bokken, wood saber, their arm straight downwards, perfectly relaxed and the end of bokken, slightly directed upwards. With grace, hakama takes with its left hand a piece of his. If single it go that, would be seen a old one watering a row of flowers with a regadera of long mouth. Contrary to that, there are three strong young people, pushing this they bokken, taking hold it with its two hands, perpendicularly to the sense of bokken. They are inclined to 45º to exert the maximum of its power. Some moments later, the Teacher relaxes bokken and the three young people fall towards ahead in a perfect set; this was only possible because they really pushed. I know in addition these three young people personally. They are far from being complacientes, nor arranged to make gifts. When I told this history to a French, it said to me: "Mathematically impossible" and it did not want to know more. A good cartesian. Nowadays, the situation has changed a little, because the same science has demonstrated that what is mathematically impossible can exist. There we have remained, because science cannot create a mathematical impossibility. It would be to go against its vocation to do it.

Extracted of the book "via of the Loosening"

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