By Marcus Encel
Within the practice of Aikido there reside many levels. levels of practice, levels of intensity, spirituality and ki. Aikido differs when it is practiced on the mat or in a live (street) situation. In a normal class our basic practice method revolves around static, flowing and ki methods. They represent
A- Static, the generation of control and technique by generating momentum from a static position or hold
B- Flowing. Flowing movement to facilitate the use of timing and flowing ki states with a high degree of cooperation.
C- Ki. A piercing execution of waza that is closer to the self defense form that displays the waza at its most abreviated form but retains the use of Ki in a self defense situation.
Basic practice is not to vie for a winning position it is to practice TOGETHER> In a free-sparring situation injuries can and will most certainly occur.
In the Aikido taught effective technique is paramount as that is the gauge of whether what we are doing is correct-it is not however the whole goal. the goal is the cultivation of KI and self development and bringing harmony to our environment. It takes many years to harmonize the use of deadly self defense with spiritual self development.
The other day in practice i was giving this analogy.
“The basic level in Sankyo omote I am giving the opponent the option of countering my atemi or the sankyo but not both. The next level of training is that they are locked into the centre and the atemi becomes like a mystical ki extension that moves the opponent but really it is that the are locked so solidly into our centre that they cannot get out of our orbit of control. The highest level is that there is no pressure on the opponent and in fact they are no longer an opponent but an orbiting object which doesnt know how and why they are under control. No strength is required. the previous states must be mastered before this can be achieved,