The Art of Aiki

A partir de una entrevista realizada a Ueshiba Kisshomaru para la Japan Martial Arts Society (JMAS) en marzo de 1986, Ellis Amdur extrae las siguientes conclusiones.

Aikido starts as pure Daito-ryu (irimi-issoku), and then is rounded out, the opponent projected away rather than crushed or folded close in. In other words, you can't do aikido unless you can do Daito-ryu. Kamata Hisao describes Ueshiba Morihei's early aikido in Daito-ryu terms: "He always said, 'You must enter the opponent; get inside him and then draw him into you!'" This, by the way, is true ukemi on Ueshiba's part— fully congruent with the precepts of koryu, rather than the modern idea that ukemi is "taking falls."

Amdur redunda, como hace siempre, en la imposibilidad de practicar el "do" sin haber dominado el "jutsu". Es decir, si no podemos realizar correctamente la técnica, de manera que el agresor quede controlado en todo momento, ¿de qué sirve realizar una bonita y fluída técnica circular? Como diría aquel, "para morir de forma grácil".

No me puedo cansar de recordar que el Aikido es una evolución (no por supuesto la única) del Daito Ryu, y que no se puede evolucionar o desarrollar algo que no se conoce.

Ueshiba Kisshomaru does emphasize here some elements of the basics of proper physical organization and alignment, but if that was enough, why didn't he - or any of the other top shihan for whom I took ukemi, both in kokyu ryoku yosei ho and in aikido techniques - manifest such power that we otherwise hear about? Perhaps because Ueshiba Morihei (and his compatriots in early Daito-ryu), as I have written over-and-over again, practiced basic breathing exercises, which one could also term kokyu-ho, which literally means "the method of breathing." "Kokyu-ryoku yosei-ho" means "the cultivation of breath power." This begs a question, because one can only further develop what one already has. Can we start with a two-person exercise that "refines" power, without developing such power first?

Retorna al tema de la imposibilidad de refinar algo de lo que se carece. ¿Qué sentido tienen los ejercicios por parejas de kokyu ho, cuando no se tiene kokyu que desarrollar? Para eso hay prácticas, ejercicios, en los que no se require compañero; por ejemplo el tanren uchi, los suburi de ken y de jo...

But, without barre work, no ballet; without scales, no virtuoso pianists; without juggling with the feet, no soccer; without prep work, no cordon-bleu. Without exhaustive solo training, no aikido? At least, no aikido of Ueshiba Morihei.

O también: "sin (Aiki) jujutsu, no hay Aikido. No al menos el Aikido de O'Sensei."

El artículo completo en: http://www.aikidojournal.com/?id=3600.