July 22nd, 2007-On the Edge

Last Sunday, practice was a nice departure from the usual. I brought my new katana to the dojo and by coincidence so did everybody else. So sensei spent the whole session presenting sword techniques.

We began with drawing our swords and doing tenkan pivot spins. I am still not too smooth in this department. I have to remember to guide the sword into the scabbard between my thumb and index finger. Getting better, slowly.

We then paired off and worked on various wazas which included the katana. The final step was to cut off our partner's heads. We did a couple of variations of nikkyo in which we use the handle to put pressure on the aite's hands to drop them. Typically, we would just use our hands, but the katana gave us more leverage.

One of the first techniques practice was using gyakuhanmi to grab the swordbearer's wrist and prevent them from drawing their blade. If they move their arm in response to our pressure, they are pushed into a very weak position. The solution is bring the sword to the hand and draw it using only the wrist. In this way, we can maintain our defensive posture and still deliver a lethal cut.

It was quite fun to swing my new birthday present around in the dojo. More importantly, wielding the katana helps us to visualize the angles and space involved in executing the techniques. It also puts aikido into a historical context. This was originally used by the samurai in conjunction with razor-sharp blades designed to sever heads in the blink of an eye.

July 13th-A Fallen Brother

One of the reasons I missed practice recently is that a fellow aikidoka and a good friend just had an operation stemming from an injury sustained in the dojo. I won't get into all the details here, but my girlfriend and I visited him the day after surgery. We brought him juice and wished him a speedy recovery. He's out and back at work. He may take a hiatus from aikido, but his ki is still strong.

July 13th, 2007-Book Review Time

Sorry folks, haven't posted much lately. Haven't been to the dojo in about two weeks. Long story. I am still thinking about aikido quite a bit from day to day. Just wanted to share a great book I read recently.

I found a used copy of "Ki: A Guide for Westerners" by William Reed on the American Amazon. This is a really useful, thought-inspiring book. Obviously people who practice aikido and other Japanese arts can appreciate the ideas inside, but it also functions as a guide to self-realization for people from all walks of life.

The author starts with a definition of ki as a "universal energy" and Part I focuses on developing ki. There are quite a few pages about breathing and meditation. Part II looks at finding ki in various Japanese arts including aikido, calligraphy and the tea ceremony.

The author, like Tohei sensei, really wants the reader to understand that ki definitely has a place in the modern (or Western) world. And in this book, he does a great job in explaining the value and benefit of ki as a "dynamic expression of the pulse of Universal Life".

When I started aikido, I made an subconscious decision not to read much on it. As far as learning the techniques, my sensei is far better than any book. But the philosophy still interests me. I miss a lot of sensei's lectures on ki. Must keep studying. Anyway, this book filled in a few gaps for me.