Den virkelige betydning af Otomo

Otomo er en japansk tradition blandt kampkunstens mestre. Det forveksles ofte med Uchideshi (privat discipel) fordi det ofte er Uchideshi som udfører Otomo. Sædvanligvis betragtes Otomo som en trænings metode for Uchideshi.

Der er imidlertid en dybere mening med Otomo øvelsen. Kampkunstens mestre havde ofte oplysninger i deres meditation. Oplysning betyder at man bliver bevidst om ens indre verden og forstår at iagttagelse af ens indre verden er den eneste vej man udvikler sandhed i sit liv. Nogle dansere, malere, skuespillere og udøvere af meditation har nået dette stadie. At iagttage ens indre verden, giver en sådan følelse af velvære , at man ikke begærer venskab og det sociale. Man glæder sig kun ved sit arbejde med kunsten eller det at undervise, samtidig med livets grundlæggende aktiviteter, så som at spise, drikke, seksualitet, gå en tur, ect. Dette kan skabe en misforståelse bland andre mennesker på grund af det manglende venskab eller sociale liv. Folk kan betragte det som at være kold eller uhøflig. Det er derfor hvor en mester har brug for Otomo, en person som kan lave en bro mellem mesteren og andre mennesker.

En mester er ikke interesseret i sociale samtaler, men han er altid rede til at undervise og besvare spørgsmål. Tilstedeværelsen af en Otomo forebygger sociale samtaler, men åbner muligheden for at stille spørgsmål. Mange middage forsætter med sociale samtaler på en eller to timer. Otomo kan bringe mesteren hjem uden at det bekymrer de der glædes ved social konversation.

Naturligvis kan Otomo også udøve meditation i hverdagen, medens han/hun er sammen med mesteren. Det er ikke afgørende om man er oplyst eller ej, fordi ingen ved hvorfor oplysning sker eller hvordan man oplyser andre. Det vigtige er at forstå livet efter oplysning. Alle filosoffer og kunstnere ender på ene eller anden måde i retningen af livet efter oplysningen. Det viser at livet efter oplysning er det naturlige mål for al menneskelig udvikling. Her i ligger værdien af oplysning og meditation.


K.Y. Doshu (2008)

The Real meaning of Otomo
Otomo is a Japanese tradition among martial arts masters. It is very often confused with Uchideshi (private disciple) because it is often one of the Uchideshi who performs Otomo. Otomo is usually considered as a training method for Uchideshi. It is to take care of the master just like a servant.
However there is a deeper meaning to the practice of Otomo. Martial arts masters often had enlightenment in meditation. Enlightenment means that one becomes conscious of one's inner world and understands that watching one's inner world is the only way to develop one's life with truth. Some dancers, painters, actors, musicians and meditation practitioners achieved this state. Watching one's inner world gives such a feeling of well-being that one does not desire any friendship or socialisation. One only enjoys his job of art performance or teaching besides basic life activities like eating, drinking, sex, taking a walk, etc. This can create a misunderstanding with other people because of the lack of friendship or social life. People may consider this as being cold or impolite. That is why a master needs an Otomo, a person who can make a bridge between the master and other people.
A master is not interested in social conversation but he is always ready to teach or to answer questions. The presence of an Otomo prevents social conversation but gives the possibility for asking questions. Many dinners continue with social conversation of one or two hours. The Otomo can take the master home without bothering people who are enjoying social conversation.
Naturally the Otomo can also practise meditation in daily life while he/she is with the master. It is not important whether one is enlightened or not because no one knows why enlightenment happens nor how to enlighten others. The important thing is to understand life after enlightenment. All philosophers and artists end up in a way of life which is in the direction of life after enlightenment. That shows that the life after enlightenment is the natural goal for all human development. Here lies the value of enlightenment and meditation.
Doshu (2008)

K. Yosigasaki

Relaxation and Calmness, Interview med K.Y.

The interview was made by Matthias Rezac during the summercamp in Sweden 1998.

MR: Sensei, when did you start to train aikido and why?

Yoshigasaki-sensei: I started to train aikido in 1968 when I was 17 years old. It was just by chance in the sense that somebody invited me to come to an aikidodojo. I saw it and I started training. It was just by chance.

MR: What is the main purpose for training in aikido? Why should one train aikido instead of something else?

Sensei: Everybody trains what he likes so the reason is because you like it. This is from the students perspective. From the teachers side each teacher determines what he wants to teach.

MR: Could you please explain the relationship between relaxation and calmness.

Sensei: Technically, aikido comes from Japanese fighting arts. With and without weapon, which is normally called ju jutsu in Japan. But then the founder Ueshiba Morihei became religious, changed everything and reorganised it according to this religious idea. Meaning something that makes people peaceful and spiritual. But then, he did it believing in God, whereas most people do not really believe in God so you can’t do it his way directly.

There are two ways to understand peace and spirituality, religion and meditation. So people who do not seriously believe in God must go to meditation to understand these things. So what I teach is aikido based on meditation. Then to understand spirituality you have to understand "eternal happiness". Without understanding this, spirituality doesn’t work. That is why in religion they talk about eternal happiness after death, a paradise. But in meditation this eternal happiness must happen while we are still alive. Then to understand this eternal happiness, all you have to do is not to disturb it. So not to disturb this is called calmness. This eternal happiness happens only when you can perceive everything as one. When you perceive everything as one that is called relaxation.

MR: A few days ago you said that you used to be uke for Tohei-sensei. Could you please explain the importance of ukemi.

Sensei: Ukemi means receiving something through your body. This relaxation, calmness e t c is something that you can see from outside, but that is not enough. It is better that you feel it within your own body. So in a way if nage is calm and relaxed clearly the ukemi also understands calmness and relaxation. With the body of course, not intellectually. In a way that is the essential part of aikido, that you transmit something physically. Uke learns calmness and relaxation on condition that nage knows these things.

MR: During seminars you don’t use that many different people as uke. If doing ukemi for someone who knows about relaxation and calmness is this important, how come you don’t walk around and let more students do ukemi.

Sensei: The thing is that everything physical depends on quantity. So in a way it is not enough to throw someone once or twice. By throwing people with calmness and relaxation you change their body and that takes some time. So it is impossible to do it to everybody and therefore you are obliged to choose. So that is why I choose one, basically an instructor, as it is important that the instructors know this. Then I continue until I get some result. When I get some result I change ukemi.

MR: Sensei, what is kiai and how can one train kiai?

Sensei: Kiai and aiki go together. "Ai" means harmony and "ki" is something not clear. Everything can be divided into something clear and something not clear. Something clear means words, materials… Anything that can be captured by science is something clear. Anything that is difficult to capture by science, like love, harmony or beauty, is something not clear. So everything means something clear plus something not clear. And since everybody knows that which is clear we can understand everything by emphasising on ki, that is something not clear.

So aiki means that the whole entity of one person and another comes into harmony. That is aiki. Kiai means the harmony of one person as aiki is the harmony of two ore more people. Kiai is inside. Normally to have kiai is the basic "keeping one point". That means kiai. Then clearly if one has harmony in oneself, one is always strong and harmonious. Expression of that is the voice, so very often kiai is expressed in the voice. So normally when people say kiai they mean the voice that comes from the harmony of one self.

MR: You often talk about concepts. What do you mean with concept?

Sensei: Concept roughly means the meaning of each word, the relationship between words and the reality. Not only words actually. It can be the relationship between any expression, like movement, and reality. That is what I mean with concept.

MR: Other instructors often talk about kokyu, but you don’t. Why?

Sensei: Because kokyu means breathing. So I talk about breathing. But actually in Japan when they say kokyu it means harmony because they have found out that for harmonious movement, harmonious action, breathing plays a big part. When they talk about harmonious action they emphasise the importance of breathing, good controlled breathing. So in a way those people who talk about kokyu don’t exactly know what harmony is, so they are just copying ancient tradition. It actually means just to control breathing and to find that harmonious action.

MR: How would you define the concept budo?

Sensei: Budo is a rather new concept, actually Japanese. I once talked about it with a Chinese martial teacher. He said that budo is Japanese, not Chinese. In China there are fighting techniques and there is religion. Fighting techniques for your body and you train your mind with religion. That is the Chinese idea, which more or less is the same as here in Europe. You train your body with sport and then your mind with religion or philosophy. But then we have the characteristic of this budo. The word was invented in Japan about a hundred years ago. It means that they wanted to mix physical activity and religion or moral activity. That is the unification of mind and body.The real meaning of budo is to train mind and body together. But in most cases the real meaning is forgotten and all over the world budo simply means fighting techniques or self defence.

MR: What is "soku shin no gyo" and why train it in ki-aikido?

Sensei: It is shouting with misogi. So it is part of the breathing exercise which is good because breathing is associated with physical movement and voice. It is just good training.

MR: I heard that you are, finally, going to write two books. What will they be about?

Sensei: One about life and one about aikido.

MR: Why have you chosen to write them now?

Sensei: The material I teach has become big in quantity so it has become difficult for people to understand as the brain can’t take in too many things at one time. I think it is more convenient that it is written in a book so if people are interested they can read it many times.

MR: O-sensei is said to have had some kind of religious experience that changed his way of looking at budo and that made him start creating aikido from older ju jutsu. His faith was his source of inspiration. What makes you continue year after year teaching and developing aikido? What is your source of inspiration?

Sensei: It is just a natural thing. I think it is just the nature of the human brain.

MR: In an interview with Saito-sensei he says that O-sensei did not teach weapon outside Iwama, but that he always said that the relationship between ken and tai jutsu was very important. If this is so, from where does the bokken and jo-techniques in ki-aikido come?

Sensei: First you have to understand what Saito means by "teach". Ueshiba used to show a lot of things without teaching, saying that only he could do it and that it was no use the students do it. In Tokyo Ueshiba Morihei showed many techniques of bokken and jo, but he never tried to teach it to his students. Clearly the students tried to copy it, but of course this is difficult. Tohei-sensei just watched it and tried to remember and understand the movements. After that he developed this bokken and jo of ki-aikido. So clearly it is not exactly the same as Ueshiba´s bokken and jo, it is Tohei-sensei’s, but still it is based on what Ueshiba was doing.

MR: When I compare the rei, the etiquette, on the tatami it is very different for instance between that of Iwama ryu and that of ki-aikido. At the summercamps in particular I see many people sitting in a bad manner here. What is your reaction to this lack of etiquette in Sweden? Is it the same in other European countries?

Sensei: Correct etiquette is the expression of ones own mind. There are two ways. To start from the outside and hope it will go inside. That means first teach correct etiquette outside. That is one way. The other is to start from the inside. To teach mind and wait until it goes outside. I think I am doing it case by case. For instance in England they are very keen on outside etiquette there. Here in Sweden maybe you are better on inside etiquette. If the lack of etiquette doesn’t disturb other people I choose to teach more from the inside. But if it does disturb others, maybe it would be better to emphasise etiquette a bit more.

MR: Thank you sensei for letting me do this interview


Dansk oversættelse

AFSPÆNDING OG RO

Af K.Yosigasaki.

Dette interview blev lavet af Matthias Rezac under sommerlejeren I Sverige 1998.

MR: Sensei, hvornår begyndte De træne aikido og hvorfor?

Yoshigasaki-sensei; Jeg begyndte at træne aikido i 1968 da jeg var 17 år. Det var på en måde blot en tilfældighed at nogen invitetered mig til en aikido dojo. Jeg så den og begyndte at træne. Det var blot et sammentræf.

MR: Hvad er hovedformålet med at træne aikido? Hvorfor skulle man træne aikido frem for noget andet?

Sensai: Alle træner det de kan lide, så årsagen er at De kan lide det. Dette er set fra den studerendes synsvinkel. Fra lærerens side, vælger enhver lærer hvad han ønsker at undervise i.

MR: Vil De være venlig at forklarer forholdet mellem afslappethed og ro.

Sensei: Teknisk set, kommer aikido fra den japanske kampkunst. Med eller uden våben, som i Japan normalt kaldes ju jutsu. Men så blev grundlæggeren Ueshieba Morihei religiøs, forandrede alt og reorganiserede det i henhold til hans religiøse ideer. Hvilket vil sige til noget der gjorde mennesker fredfyldte og åndelige. Men han gjorde det i kraft af sin tro på Gud, medens de fleste mennesker i realiteten ikke tror på Gud, så derfor kan det ikke lade sig gøre direkte på hans måde. Der er to måder hvorpå man kan forstå fred og åndelighed, religion og meditation. Derfor må mennesker der oprigtigt ikke tror på Gud gå til meditationen, for at forstå disse ting. Så det jeg underviser i er aikido baseret på meditation. Så for at forstå spiritualitet må man for stå ”evig lykke” Hvis man ikke forstår dette virker åndelighed ikke. Det er derfor de i religionerne taler om evig lykke efter døden, i et paradis. Men i meditationen må denne lykke indtræde medens vi endnu lever. For at forstå denne evige lykke, er alt hvad du behøver at gøre blot ikke at forstyrrer den. Denne evige lykke indtræder kun når du kan opfatte alt som eet. Når du opfatter alt som eet , da kaldes det afspænding.

MR: For nogle få dage side sagde DE at De plejede at være uke for Tohei, sensei. Vil De være så venlig at forklare betydningen af ukemi?

Sensei: Ukemi betyder at modtage noget gennem din krop. Denne afslapning, ro ect. Er noget du kan se fra det ydre, men det er ikke nok. Det er bedre at du føler det inde i din egen krop. Så hvis nage er rolig og afslappet, vil ukemi også vise sig som ro og afspænding. Kropsligt naturligvis og ikke intellektuelt. PÅ en måde er det den essentielle side af aikido, at du overfører noget fysisk. Uke lærer at være rolig og afspændt under forudsætning af at nage kender disse forhold.

MR: Under seminaret bruger De ikke så mange forskellige mennesker som uke. Hvis det at lave ukemi for en som ved mere om afspænding og ro er vigtig, hvordan kan det så være at De ikke lader flere elever lave ukemi.

Sensei: Sagen er at alt fysisk afhænger af mængden. Så på sin vis er det ikke nok at kaste én nogle gange. Når man kaster én afspændt og roligt kan man forandre deres krop og der kræver nogen tid. Derfor er det umuligt at gøre det med alle og derfor må du vælge. Derfor vælger jeg en, grundlæggende en instruktør og det er vigtigt at instruktøren ved det. Så forsætter jeg indtil jeg har opnået et resultat. Når jeg har opnået et resultat skifter jeg ukemi.

MR: Sensei, hvad er kiai og hvordan kan man træne kiai?

Sensei: Kiai og aiki hører sammen. ”Ai” betyder harmoni og ”Ki” noget som ikke er klart. Alt kan opdeles i noget der er klart og noget der er uklart. Noget der er klart kan være ord, materialer….Hvad som helst der kan fattes videnskabeligt er klart. Alt hvad der er vanskeligt for videnskaben at fatte, så som kærlighed, harmoni og skønhed, er noget der ikke er klart. Så alt vil sige noget klart plus noget ikke klart. Aiki betyder at to personer bringes i harmoni. Det er aiki. Kiai betyder at en persons harmoni, i lighed med aiki er i harmoni med en eller flere personer. Kiai er i det indre. Kiai er normalt at ”have eet punkt” 1) Det betyder kiai. Hvis man er i harmoni med sig selv, er man selvfølgelig altid stærk og harmonisk. Dette kommer til udtryk gennem stemmen. Så nor man normalt taler om kiai, så mener man den stemme, som kommer fra ens harmoniske selv.

MR: De taler ofte om begrebet. Hvad mener De med begrebet?

Sensei: Begreber betyder groft sagt, hvad hvert ord betyder, forholdet mellem ord og deres virkelighed. Ikke blot de aktuelle ord. Det kan være forholdet mellem et hvert udtryk, så som bevægelse og virkelighed. Det er hvad jeg mener med begreb.Sensei: Fordi kokyu betyder åndedræt. Derfor taler jeg om åndedrættet. Men i virkeligheden mener man i Japan, når man taler om kokyu et harmonisk åndedræt, fordi de har opdaget, at en harmoniske bevægelse, en harmonisk handling, afhænger at åndedraget. Når de taler om harmonisk handling, understreger de betydningen af åndedraget, et godt kontrolleret åndedrag. Så på en måde ved de der taler om kokyu ikke helt hvad harmoni er, så de kopierer blot gamle traditioner. Det betyder blot at kontrollerer åndedraget og at finde denne harmoni i handlingen.

MR: Hvordan vil De forklare begrebet budo?

Sensei: Budo er et temmelig nyt begreb, faktisk japansk. Jeg talte en gang om det med en lærer i kinesisk kampkunst. Han sagde at budo er japansk og ikke kinesisk. I kina er der kampteknikker og der er religion. Kampteknikker for ddin krop og du træner dit sin gennem religion. Det er den kinesiske ide, som mere eller mindre er den sammen her i Europa. Du træner din krop gennem sport og dit sind gennem religion eller filosofi. Men så har vi egenskaberne i denne budo. Ordet blev opfundet i Japan for ca. 100 år siden. Det betyder at de ønsker at blande fysiske aktiviteter og religiøse eller moralske aktiviteter. Det er enhed mellem krop og sind. Men i de fleste tilfælde er den oprindelige betydning blevet glemt og overalt i budo verdenen betyder det ganske enkelt kamp teknikker eller selv-forsvar.

MR: Hvad er ”soku shin no goy” og hvorfor trænes det i ki-aikido?

Sensei: Det betyder at råbe med misogi. Så der er en del af åndedræts øvelserne, som er gode, fordi det knytter de fysiske bevægelser til stemmen. Det er bare god træning.

MR: Jeg har hør at du endelig vil skrive to bog. Hvad vil du handle om?

Sensei: en om livet og en om aikido.

MR: Hvorfor har De valgt at skrive dem nu?

Sensei: Den kampkunst jeg underviser, er blevet i størrelse blevet omfattende, så det er blevet vanskeligt for mennesker at forstå, fordi hjerne ikke kan rumme for mange ting på én gang. Jge mener at det er mere bekvemt at det er nedskrevet i en bog, så hvis folk er interesserede. Kan de læse det mange gange.

MR: Det siges at O´sensei havde en eller anden religiøs oplevelse, som ændrede på han måde at anskue budo på og som fik han til at begynde med at skabe aikido fra gammel ju jutsu. Hans tro var kilden til hans inspiration. Hvad får Dem til år efter år at undervise i og at udvikle aikido? Hvad er kilden til Deres inspiration?

Sensei: Det er bare noget naturligt. Jeg tror det blot er den menneskelige hjernes natur.

MR: I et interview med Saito-sensei, siger han at O-sensei ikke underviste i våben uden for Iwama, men han sagde altid at forholdet mellem ken og tai jutsu er meget vigtig. Hvis det forholder sig således, hvorfra kom da bokken og jo-teknikkerne in i ki-aikido.

Sesnei: Først må man forstå hvad Saito mener med at ”undervise”. Ueshieba plejede at vise en masse ting uden at undervise, hvilket vil sige at kun han kunne gøre det og at det ikke gavnende eleverne at gøre det. I Tokyo viste Ueshieba Morihei mange bokken og jo teknikker, men han forsøgte aldrig at undervise i det for hans elever. Klart nok at hans elever forsøgte at kopierer det, men selvfølgelig giver det problemer. Tohei, sensei så blot på og prøvede at huske og forstå bevægelserne. Derpå udviklede bokken og jo i ki-aikido. Så det er klart at det ikke er nøjagtigt det samme som Ueshiebas bokken og jo, det er Tohei sensies, men det er stadig basseret på det som Ueshieba gjorde.

MR: Når jeg sammenligner Rei, etiketten, på tatami, er den meget forskellig fra Iwama ryu og Ki-aikido. På sommerlejeren ser jeg i særdeleshed mange mennesker som sidder på en dårlig måde. Hvad er Deres reaktion til denne mangel på etikette i Sverige? Er det også således i andre Europæiske lande?

Sensei: Begrebet etikette udtrykker ens eget sind. Der findes to veje. At begynde i det ydre og håbe at det vil bevæge sig ind i det indre. Det betydet først at undervise i etiketten udefra. Det er én måde. Den anden er at begynde i det indre. At undervise sindet og vente til det viser sig i det ydre. Jeg gør det fra sag til sag. I England f.eks. er det meget opmærksomme på etiketten . Her i Sverige er den indre etikette måske bedre. Hvis manglen på etikette ikke forstyrre andre mennesker, vælger jeg at undervise mere fra indersiden. Men hvis det forstyrre andre, vil det måske være bedre at fremhæve etikette noget mere.

MR: Tak sensei, fordi jeg matte lave dette interview.

1) Med ”det ene punkt” menes der det psykiske center som også kaldes ”hara” og som er centreret i mellemgulvet.

sd

Tea and Aikido, K. Yosigasaki

Tea was cultivated and developed in China about 2000 years ago - initially for medicinal purposes. Buddhist priests brought it as a medicine to Japan about 1500 years ago where the Japanese started to cultivate it not only as a medicine but also as a daily drink.

The Japanese Tea Ceremony developed from the 1300s through Zen philosophy. Matcha (pure tea) is used for the Tea Ceremony where as ryokucha (green tea) or bancha (dried tea) is used by Japanese people as a daily beverage. Matcha is rather expensive and so is normally used only for tea ceremony. Ryokucha (green tea) is for daily life but it should be drunk immediately after it is made. Bancha (dried tea) can be drunk several hours after brewing so it is more convenient than ryokucha. It is also cheaper than ryokucha.

I have been drinking matcha for several weeks in the morning and I have found out that it is actually easier to prepare than green tea or coffee. This is because matcha is made in the cup and has nothing to throw away. Green tea or coffee however has to be made in a pot with grounds and leaf residues to throw away afterwards. Also matcha is made in individual cups whereas green tea or coffee can be made for several cups. This means that drinking matcha is easy for one person and green tea or coffee is easier for several people. Matcha is best for health though green tea is also good. It must be said that coffee may not be good for health.

A fundamental question is whether one should live alone or in a group. In the tradition of meditation one should establish a way of living alone. This corresponds with the mentality of martial art. A martial artist is basically lone individual. This is why a martial artist cannot be considered as a soldier. A soldier is a member of a group called an army. Martial art is fundamentally against the army culture.

The mentality of Zen or martial art has something common with European aristocracy. European aristocracy is based on land ownership and a house. In England it was prohibited to divide land so the father had to choose one son to give his house and land to in its entirety. Daughters had to marry a man to live comfortably. Other sons had to join the army or church to make their living. Otherwise they had to be dependent of their landed elder brother. The landed gentry were alone in their position. This resulted in the mentality of a gentleman who has a similar character to a martial artist. Gentlemen had to practice sword and gun fighting in order to protect themselves.

Common people or farmers had to live together in order to produce food. It is much more logical and productive to work together in agriculture. It can be seen worldwide that the culture of common people or farmers is group based. In Japan the contrast of the group culture of farmers and common people versus the individual culture of Zen and martial arts is very strong. However a Japanese person can be a complete individualist like a martial artist or a practitioner of Zen but also can enjoy the more common group culture.

In the last 100 years agriculture has changed. It is no longer a group activity based on the community but has become an industry run by one owner. The use of machines and chemical products has changed agriculture. Life in a group was forgotten and people started to live as individuals. Living with others has become something that one has to tolerate. If one has money one prefers to live alone or only with someone one loves. If it then becomes difficult to live with others one always has the option to live alone. Living alone has become the philosophical basis of people. So everybody has in a way become gentry.

In Japan, martial artists pursued the way of living alone thus they liked Zen and the tea ceremony. After achieving the way of a lone life one understands that food is the only thing one needs in life. It is possible to produce food alone but it is much easier to produce food together with others. So even though the martial artists started to live alone, they ended up living together with other farmers. They finish their lives as farmers. This is the tradition of Japanese martial art.

The same thing happened with Aikido as well. Ueshiba Morihei started to practise martial arts. His teacher, Takeda Sokaku was a typical individualist. He travelled alone and had a bad character. Even though Ueshiba appreciated Takeda's techniques, he could not take to Takeda's way of life. Thus he stopped practicing martial art and instead went to a religion called Omotokyo. The basis of Omotokyo was to try to create a community based on agriculture. Unfortunately at the time the Japanese government in 1900 was trying to promote industry by destroying agriculture. Finally Omotokyo was prohibited and Ueshiba was forced to stay away from religion. This is why Ueshiba started to teach Aikido. His idea was to create a correct way of life through martial art. In 1930 he started to buy land in a countryside called Iwama. He did this in order to start producing food as a part of martial art practise. He called it Takemusu Aiki (Food producing Aikido). He actually built a dojo and house there and taught Aikido to a few students. Those few students who learned Aikido in Iwama between 1935 to 1950 became the main teachers of Aikido who then went on to teach and develop Aikido all over the world.

The logic of martial art is that of starting life as an individual and finishing it in a community way, a life of producing food. However there are two ways of living together. One is to produce food and the other is to form armies. Human beings need food. One can produce food or one can take food from others. One way needs agriculture to produce food and the other needs armies to take food from others. Thus, communities which produce food and communities which take food from others are very different. In industrial countries, governments choose to take food from others rather than produce food by themselves. It may be politically a correct idea because if one country only produces food then other countries will come with strong armies and take all food it has produced.

The basic question is to know whether one wants to live a life based on war or based on peace. If one wants to create a life based on peace, one must produce one's own food in one's own land. One's own land may be one's personally owned land or the land of one's community or country. If one's government is based on war, one is obliged to produce food in one's privately owned land because the government prefers to destroy agriculture and import food from abroad. Naturally the government needs a strong army to insure that it can do this.

In Japan there was no foreign invasion between 1350 (Mongolian Empire) and 1850 (USA). The Japanese culture developed without worrying about foreign invasion and thus the only way to get food was to produce it inside Japan. This is why martial artists end up to creating a community of agriculture. Conversely in Europe there were constant foreign invasions up to the present day. Naturally therefore governments had to try to develop stronger armies. In order to do this they had to develop industry and science.

For that purpose governments destroyed agriculture. It is not my job to say what governments should do. I am only concerned how I should live. I believe that this is the way of martial arts and meditation. So I drink tea every morning alone because my wife prefers to drink coffee in the morning.

February 2006


Dansk oversættelse


Te og Aikido

K. Yosigasaki
February 2006


Den Japanske te ceremoni blev udviklet fra 1300 tallet gennem Zen filosofien. Matcha (ren te) bruges til te ceremonien, medens ryokucha (grøn te) eller banncha (tørret te) bruges som en drik i hverdagen. Matcha er temmelig dyr og bruges derfor normalt kun til te ceremoni. Ryokucha (grøn te) bruges i hverdagen, men burde drikke straks efter at den er lavet. Bancha (tørret te) kan drikke adskillige timer efter at den er lavet, så det er nemmere en ryokucha. Det er også billigere end ryokucha.

Gennem flere uger har jeg drukket matcha hver morgen og opdaget at det faktisk er lettere at lave end grøn te eller kaffe. Det skyldes at matcha lave i en kop og at intet smides væk. Grøn te og kaffe skal imidlertid laves i en kande, hvor grums og balde bagefter skal smides væk. Matcha laves også som en enkelt kop, medens grøn te og kaffe kan laves til flere kopper. Det vil sige, at for en person er det lettere at drikke matcha for en person, medens grøn te og kaffe egner sig bedre for flere personer. Matcha er sundest skønt grøn te også er godt. Det bør siges at kaffe ikke er så godt for helbredet.

Et grundlæggende spørgsmål er om man skal leve alene eller i en gruppe. I den meditative tradition skal man finde en måde hvorpå man kan leve alene. Det svaret til mentaliteten i kampkunsten. En kampkunstner er grundlæggende et enligt individ. Det er derfor at en kampkunstner ikke kan betragtes som en soldat. En soldat er medlem af en gruppe som kaldes en hær. Kampkunst er grundlæggende imod kulturen i hæren.

Mentaliteten i Zen og Kampkunsten har noget til fælles med europæisk aristokrati. Europæisk aristokrati er baseret på ejendommen af land og et hus. I England var det forbudt at dele land, så faren måtte vælge en af sine sønner til hvem han kunne overdrage land og hus i sin helhed. Døtre måtte gifte sig for at kunne leve bekvemt. De andre sønner måtte gå ind i hæren eller kirken for at skabe sig en levevej. Eller var de afhængige af den ældre broders jordbesiddelser. Jordbesiddelserne var alene deres. Det resulterede i at en gentlemans mentalitet havde den samme karakter kampkunstneren. Gentlemen måtte øve sig i kamp med sværd og pistol for at beskytte sig selv.

Almene mennesker eller bønder måtte leve sammen for at frembringe mad. I landbruget er det meget mere logisk og produktivt at arbejde sammen. Over alt på jorden kan man se af det almene menneskes kultur eller bønderne er gruppe baseret. I Japan er kontrasten mellem gruppe bøndernes kulturen og almene mennesker i modsætning til den individuelle kultur i Zen og Kampkunst meget stærk. Et japansk menneske kan helt og holden være individualist, på samme måde som en Kampkunstner eller den der udøver Zen, men også nyde den, mere almene gruppe kultur.

Gennem de sidste 100 år har landbruget ændret sig. Det er ikke længere en gruppe aktivitet baseret på et samfund, men er blevet til en industri som ledes af én ejer. Brugen af maskiner og kemiske produkter har ændre landbruget. Livet i en gruppe blev glemt og mennesker begyndte at leve som individer. At leve sammen med andre er noget man har måttet lærer at tolererer. Hvis man har penge ønsker man at leve alene eller kun men en man elsker. Hvis det så bliver vanskeligt at leve sammen med andre, har man altid mulighed for at leve alene. At leve alene er af mennesker blevet en grundlæggende filosofi. Så alle er på sin vis blevet overklasse.

I Japan foretrækker Kampkunstnerne at leve alene og de holder af Zen og te ceremoni. Efter at have opnået det enlige liv, forstår man at det eneste mennesket har brug for i livet er er mad. Det er muligt at frembringe man alene, men det er meget nemmere at frembringe mad sammen med andre. Så selv om Kampkunstnerne, slutter de med at leve sammen med andre bønder. DE afslutter deres liv som bonde. Det er traditionen i Japansk Kampkunst.

Det samme skete også med Aikido. Ueshieba Morihei begyndte med at udøve kampkunst. Hans lærer, Takeda Sokaku var en typisk individualist. Han rejste alene og havde en dårlig karakter. Selv om Ueshieba værdsatte Takedas teknikker, brød han sig ikke om Takedas måde at leve på. Derfor holdt ham op med at udøve Kampkunst og vendte sig mod en religion som hed Omotokyo. Grundlaget for Omotokyo var at skabe et samfund baseret på landbrug. Uheldigvis forsøgte den japanske regering i 1900 at fremme industrien ved at ødelægge landbruget. Til slut blev Omotokyo forbudt og Ueshieba blev tvunget til at holde sig væk fra religionen. Det var årsagen til at Ueshieba begyndte at undervise i Aikido. Han ide var at skabe en rigtig måde at leve på gennem Kampkunsten. I 1930 begyndte han at købe jord i et landområde kaldte Iwama. Han gjorde det for at frembringe mad, som et led i udøvelsen af Kampkunsten. Han kaldte det for Takemusu Aiki (Mad frembringende Aikido). Han byggede faktisk en dojo og et hus der og begyndte at undervise nogle få studerende i Aikido, Disse få studerende som lærte Aikido i Iwama mellem 1935 til 1950 blev hoved lærerne i Aikido og de forsætte med at undervise og udvikle Aikido i hele verdenen.

Logikken i Kampkunst er at begynde sit liv som individualist og afslutte det på en samfundsmæssig måde, et liv med at frembringe føde. Der er imidlertid to måder at leve sammen på. Den ene er at frembringe man og den anden er at forme en hær. Mennesker har brug for føde . Man kan frembringe føde eller tage føde for andre. Den ene vej har brug for landbrug for at frembringe føde og den anden har brug for hære for at tage føde fra andre. Således er de samfund som frembringer føde og de samfund som tager føden fra andre meget forskellige. I industrielle lande, vælger regeringerne at tage føde fra andre i stedet for slev af dyrke den. Politisk set kan det være en rigtigt ide, fordi hvis et land kun frembringer føde, så vil andre lande med stærkere hære og tage al den føde som de har frembragt.

Det afgørende spørgsmål er om man ønsker at leve et liv baseret på krig eller baseret på fred. Hvis man ønsker at skabe et liv baseret på fred, må man selv frembringe sin føde i ens eget land. Ens eget land kan være den jord som man selv ejer eller den jord som ens samfund eller nation ejer. Hvis ens regering er baseret på krig, er man henvist til at frembringe føde den jord man selv ejer, fordi regeringen foretrække at ødelægge landbruget og importerer føde ude fra. Naturligvis må regeringen have en stærk hær for at være sikker på at dette kan lade sig gøre.

I Japan var der fremmed invasion mellem 1350 (Det mongolske imperium) og 1850 (USA). Den japanske kultur udvikle sug uden at bekymrer sig om fremmed invasion og den eneste måde at frembringe føde på var at gøre det i selve Japan. Det er derfor at Kampkunstnere endte med at skabe landbrugs samfund. Som følge deraf var der hele tiden i Europa fremmed invasion helt op til vor tid. Naturligvis måtte regeringerne derfor forsøge at udvikle stærke hære. For at det kunne lade sig morgenen.
gøre måtte de udvikle industri og videnskab.

Derfor ødelagde regeringerne landbruget. Det er ikke min opgave at sige hvad regeringerne skulle gøre. Jeg bekymrer mig kun om hvordan jeg skulle leve. Jeg tror at det er Kampkunsten og meditationens vej. Så jeg drikke hver morgen min te alene, fordi min kone foretrække kaffe om morgenen.

sd

Aikido and Competition, G. Ruglioni

  














Aikido and Competition


An Article by Giuseppe Ruglioni sensei about the proposal to introduce Sportiv Competition in Aikido

Aikido is practicing of relation. It is a discipline that offer the possibility to acquire a bigger sense of recognition and certainty either interior or in the relation with the exterior world. Harmony in the techniques execution express oneself in the research of no-collision and in the partner acceptance.

In relation of his evident educational aspect, distinguish oneself from all the sportive activities, finding placing also among the disciplines for childhood and youthful age formation.

The values of reference are connected to “comprehension” and to the use the group experiences rather than the capacity and the stand up of the individual. Every individuality and every individual progress find theirnatural space in group and in the society.

The typical performances in the aikido techniques, “to move together” and create the occasion that the “techniques happen” and not to compete against the other.The “other” is not an opponent but a partner, a companion with whom converse with a non verbal language that means the relation with the body of both partner in a contact of no collision.

The union of the movement of both bodies that develop the techniques. It is also a practice that help to have a bigger determination and firmness in one hand and comprehension and flexibility in the other hand. It is a discipline that help to appreciate the respect for universal love and for life.

The industrialized society where we are living, is often the cause of a state of insecurity of human been. Our productive and consumers society, founded especially over the productivity and over the capacity of consumptions and therefore over competitiveness, the malfeasance and richness, is less interested to the universal love, to the life.

Almost all the sportive activity proposed in our society, are based on competition and selection. This reflect fundamentally the productive and consumers aspect and the logic of profit. This reflect besides the commercial aspect of the same practice, creating the myths of win and arrive first, of win the most prestigious medal e to recognized to be better than others.

In my aikido instructor formation was fundamental the experience with disability. I learned a lot teaching aikido with unable and disable subjects. This is an experience useful and fundamental for all the people are in the dojo group. Practicing with a person with motor problems, for example, it help us to learn more thing plus. In particular children learn the respect and the reciprocal help, the equality in the diversity, the brotherhood and the comprehension and not certainly arrogance and competitiveness.

I horrify when I hear to speak to introduce the competition on the aikido practice. It is really aberrant to think about children that compete to establish who will be first or second. My disable students never have any chance to win in a competition like that, it is enough sufficient to be in live.

And anyhow cannot be a justification the quotation that “the competition form the character of the future man”. This way is only functional to a society that hasn’t like his own values love, comprehension, live. It is only functional to create the condition that who is strongest, richest, could surpass the others that are less lucky.

It is a wicked action promote the aikido competition between children and young boys and girls, with justification of necessity to create stimulation for the children.

We have to pay attention to create stimulation like that. We are not in the fascist period of “Giovani Balilla”, fortunately.

My question is why they don’t promote that idea for adults too ? Because children are more stupid?

I believe firmly in the potentiality of aikido like a way to better know himself and in the relation with others.

I shouldn’t want that the promoters of competitive activity in aikido (even if for children and young people) they are pushed by commercial motivations that operation could develop.

The Doshu write: “…aikido does not have to be a self defence. Defence is same as attack. Aikido is a way to create situations that attack is difficult to happen. If attack does not happen, defence is not necessary. I think this is the only way for peace”.

Thinking to do better of another concurrent means to put ourselves in the challenge between who attach and who defend himself. Certainly this is not the way of Harmony.

En fremmeds indre rejse, K. Yosigasaki

Veje til en ny perception

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Practising Aikido, K. Yosigasaki

One starts learning aikido techniques with a partner from the very beginning. This is a very good way to start because in this way human relationship becomes as important as the technique itself. Other martial arts start learning techniques disregarding the human relationship. When one only wants to practise techniques, one practises by oneself or with material. There was a great champion of Judo before the Second World War in Japan who practised Judo techniques against a tree. Many Chinese Kunfu masters practised their techniques against wooden doll or board. Another way of technical practise without human relationship is to practise a technique with a partner who does not react at all. This way one’s partner is acting like a material. In sports one often practises techniques against a partner who resists but then again there is almost no human relationship when one’s partner tries to resist all the time. Practising techniques without human relationship might make oneself to behave like a weapon or a robot. Unconsciously one considers that one should use a technique to fight just like a man who uses a gun to fight or a government who uses the army or secret service to win a war. If one applies a material weapon on human life, this material weapon determines the destiny of human beings. This will lead to the destruction of humanity and human lives. The way of aikido practise maintains the humanity as basis of the world.

Kumiwaza

Most martial arts or sport starts by practise of techniques by oneself. If it is difficult to practise alone, one uses one’s partner like a doll. They sometimes uses a material like a punch ball or a dummy as their partner. So they treat their partner like a material and there is no human relationship between them. However, it is impossible to practise aikido techniques against any materials as a partner. Aikido starts from the beginning with a practise of a couple and so one faces the difficulty of human relationship immediately and learns how to deal with it. Aikido techniques are not made to apply against materials but are a part of human relationships in real life. This is called Kumiwaza. Kumi in Japanese means a couple and waza means techniques. So aikido training starts with Kumiwaza. It means a practise of two human beings with human relationships.

Hitoriwaza

In order to learn precise movements, it is convenient to practise the movements by oneself. This is called Hitoriwaza. Hitori means alone. Hitoriwaza can be used as a help to Kumiwaza. You can practise Hitoriwaza with a partner if your partner helps you. Practise of Hitoriwaza with a partner without human relationship is not Kumiwaza. Just like family life, there are many changes in human relationships and one must continue to live each situation. Kumiwaza is a practise of techniques in different situations of human relationship of a couple. When there is no real relationship, a technique becomes Hitoriwaza. It is like sitting alone time to time is helpful to your family life. There are aikido exercises and health exercises as predetermined sets of Hitoriwazas.

Tsuzukiwaza

After one has learned many Kumiwaza, one should learn how to perform different techniques one after another. This way of practise makes one understand the relationship and meaning of techniques. It is possible to create groups of techniques in order to practise this way. This is called Tsuzukiwaza. Tsuzuki means continuity and Waza means techniques. Techniques in one group should create a harmonious continuity. Some of them became a part of aikido practise since 1975 and now it is time to update them. First the name is updated to Tsuzukiwaza. They should be harmonious and easy to remember. I have already made 33 harmonious Tsuzukiwazas but it is always possible to develop more Tsuzukiwazas. It is also possible to modify each Tsuzukiwaza in order to make it more harmonious or easier to perform.

Dansk oversættelse

Udøvelsen af Aikido.

Lige fra starten begynder man at lære aikido med en partner. Det er en meget god måde at begynde på, for på den måde bliver menneskelige forhold lige så betydningsfulde som selve teknikkerne. Andre kampkunst former begynder med at lære teknikkerne uafhængig af menneskelige forhold. Når man ønsker at udøve teknikkerne, øver man med sig selv eller et materiale. Før anden verdenskrig var der en stor judo kæmper i Japan, som øvede sig i judo mod træer. Mange kinesiske Kunfu mestre udøver deres teknikker med dukker af træ eller brædder. En anden måde at udøve teknikker på, uden forhold til et menneske er at øve sig over for et menneske som slet ikke reagerer. På den måde virker ens partner som et materiale. I sport praktiseres teknikker mod en partner som yder modstand, men på den anden side er der næsten intet forhold mellem ens partner og en selv, når han hele tiden forsøger på at yde modstand. At øve sig i teknikker uden et menneskeligt forhold, kan føre til at du opfører dig som et våben eller en robot. Ubevidst tror man at man skal bruge en teknik til at kæmpe på samme måde som et menneske bruger et pistol i kamp eller en regering som bruger hæren eller efterretningstjenesten for at vinde en krig. Hvis man bruger et materielt våben mod menneskeliv, så bestemmer dette materielle våben et andet menneskes skæbne. Brug af våben leder til menneskehedens ødelæggelse og menneskets liv . Øvelsespraksis i aikido er vejen til opretholdelse af menneskeheden som grundlag for verden.
Kumiwaza
De fleste kampkunst eller sportsformer begynder med at udøve teknikkerne for sig selv. Det er vanskeligt at øve sig alene, man bruger sin partner som en dukke. Somme tider bruger de materialer som sparkepuder eller en dummy som deres partner. Så de behandler deres partner som et materiale og der er intet menneskeligt forhold mellem dem. Hvordan er det muligt at øve sig i Aikido teknikker mod en hvilken som helst from for materiale som sin partner. I aikido begynder fra starten med at øve sig som et par og man møder straks vanskelighederne i menneskelige forhold og lærer hvorledes man forholder sig til dem. Aikido teknikker er ikke skabt for at virke mod materialer, men er menneskelige forhold i det virkelige liv. Det kaldes kumiwaza kumi på japansk betyder et par og wasa teknikker. Så udøvelsen af Aikido begynder med kumiwaza. Det betyder to mennesker der øver sig i menneskelige forhold.
Hitoriwaza
Kumiwasa er en måde at øver sig på i forskellige mellemmenneskelige situationer også i parforhold. Der hvor der ikke findes et virkeligt forhold bliver kumiwaza til hitoriwasa.
I familielivet kan det sommetider være en hjælp fra tid til anden at være alene. Det vil sige at gå fra kumiwasa til hitoriwaza. Der findes Aikido øvelser og helse øvelser som er beregnet til Hitoriwaza.
Tsuzukiwasa
Når man har lært mange kumiwaza, skulle man lære at udføre forskellige teknikker efter hinanden. Denne øvelsespraksis får en til at forstå forholdet og meningen med teknikkerne. For at øve sig på denne måde, er det muligt at skabe grupper af teknikker. Det kaldes tszukiwaza - tsuzki betyder vedholdende og wasa betyder teknik. Teknikker i en gruppe skulle skabe en harmonisk forsættelse.
Nogle af disse øvelser har siden 1975 været en del af Aikido praksis og tiden er nu inde til at opdaterer dem. For det første er navnet opdateret til tsuzukiwasa. De burde være harmoniske og lette at huske. Jeg har allerede lavet 33 harmoniske tszukiwasa, men det er altid muligt at udvikle flere tsuzukiwaza Det er også muligt at tilpasse hver tsuzukiwasa for at gøre den mere harmonisk og lettere at udføre.

The meaning of "Sensei", K. Yosigasaki

In Japan anyone who teaches anything is called sensei. A young kindergarten teacher of 20 years old can be addressed as sensei by a parent of 50 years old because the parent appreciates the fact that the young teacher is teaching the child. This is similar to using the Mr, Miss or Ms - it merely indicates respect toward the person. In Japan a lawyer or a doctor is normally called sensei because they are supposed to know more than others. Since lawyers often become politicians, even politicians are often called sensei. It is true that in Japan the word sensei is sometimes abused. In general however, a Japanese teacher is usually addressed as sensei by his students all over the world.

There is also the question of what makes one a sensei. When one teaches, one is a sensei. But one might not be a sensei if one is not teaching. It depends on what one teaches. If one teaches Aikido techniques, one is a teacher only on the tatami. If one teaches only on the tatami for a few hours, it is inconvenient to keep changing one’s title on and off the tatami. People who are called sensei are supposed to behave as a teacher in daily life as well. In this way people can continue to refer to them as sensei without the need for a change of titles.

This creates a new question: How should a teacher behave in his daily life? Zen Buddhism began the idea of understanding life. It suggests that when one understands life, one feels as if one is newly born. Sen means before and Sei means to be born. So sensei literally means a person who is born before. This birth is a spiritual, not physical birth. The original meaning of sensei is one who is spiritually born before others. If one sticks to the original meaning, only those who understand life should be called sensei and a sensei is behaving like a teacher 24 hours a day, even in his daily life.

Respect used to be very important to all people all over the world. One should respect human beings, animals, trees, etc. In other words, only life and living things should be respected. One should not respect materials. Even in the case of highly technological machines like Ferrari cars or great works of art, it is not the object that should be respected but the human beings behind the creation of the object. One respects life because each life is related to other lives and these millions and billions of relationships create and maintain life on Earth. Respect creates better relationships between lives and that is why respect was and is one of the most important things in life. Respect actually means not disturbing the relationships among different lives.

When respect was demonstrated, it was called honour. People used to be ready to die for honour because the relationships among lives were essential for survival of human beings. These days both respect and honour are almost forgotten because we have developed a civilization based on weapon and material. Survival depends on weapon and politics and not relationships among different lives anymore.

Aikido is a way (Do) and the way should be maintained in aikido practice. The person who keeps the way is called Doshu. There are two different meanings of doshu in Japanese. The first means ‘master of the way’ and the second means ‘keeper of the way’. The difference is that there can be only one master of the way but many keepers of the way. The top teacher of any aikido organization should be called doshu - keeper of the way - but actually many aikido organizations do not have doshu. This is because most Japanese teachers actually follow the teachings of somebody else, especially Morihei Ueshiba, even though he is dead. There are also teachers who do not follow a particular teacher but instead follow some established philosophy. They too are not keepers of the way. That is why there are not many doshu in the aikido world. A teacher is doshu only when he teaches completely independently of any philosophies or other teachers including the dead ones.

Doshu

Dansk oversættelse

Betydningen af ordet sensei.

Enhver der underviser i noget, kaldes i Japan for sensei. En ung børnehave lærer på 20 år kan kades sensie af forældre på 50 år, fordi de værdsætter den kendsgerning at den unge mand underviser
deres barn. Det svarer til at bruge ordet Hr. Frk. eller Fru. – det antyder blot respekt for personen.
I Japan kaldes advokater og læger normalt for sensei, fordi man formoder at de ved mere end andre.
Idet advokater ofte bliver politikere, kaldes selv politikere ofte for sensei. Det er rigtigt at i Japan misbruges ordet ofte. Generelt , tituleres en japansk lærer som sensei af sine elever over alt i verden.

Der er også spørgsmålet: hvad former en sensei. Når man underviser en man sensei. Men når man ikke underviser er man måske ikke en sensei. Det afhænger af hvad man underviser i. Hvis man underviser i Aikido er man kun sensei når man underviser på tatami. Hvis man kun undervise på tatami nogle få timer, er det upraktisk at blive ved med at skifte titler. Folk som kaldes sensei formodes også at opfører sig som sensei i hverdagen. På den måde kan man vedblive at henvise til dem som sensei uden at skulle skifte titel.

Det skaber et nyt spørgsmål: Hvordan skulle en lærer opfører sig i hverdagen? Zen Buddhismen begyndte med ideen om at forstå livet. Jeg foreslår at når man forstår livet, så føler man sig som nyfødt. Sen betyder før og sei betyder at være født. Så sensei betyder bogstaveligt en person som er født tidligere. Denne fødsel er åndelig, ikke en fysisk fødsel. Den oprindelige betydning af ordet sensei er: én som er åndeligt født før andre. Hvis man holder sig til den oprindelige betydning, er det kun dem som forstår livet der burde kaldes sensei. og en sensei opfører sig som en lærer hele døgnet, selv i hverdagen.

Respekt plejede over alt på jorden at være meget vigtig for alle mennesker. Man skulle respekterer menneskelige væsner, dyr, træer, ect. Med andre ord, kun liv og levende ting skulle respekteres. Man skulle ikke respekterer materialer. Hvad angår højt teknologiske maskiner så som Ferrari bliver eller store kunstværker, da var det genstande som ikke skulle respekteres, men mennesket bag skabelsen af disse genstande. Man respekterer livet fordi liv forholder sig til andet liv og disse millioner og billioner af forhold skaber og opretholder livet på jorden. Respekt skaber bedre forhold mellem liv og det er derfor at respekt var og er en af de vigtigste ting i livet. Respekt betyder i virkeligheden ikke at forstyrre forhold mellem forskelligt liv.

Når der blev udvist respekt, blev det kaldt for ære. Folk var rede til at dø for æren, fordi forhold mellem liv var afgørende for at overleve som menneskeligt væsen. I dag er respekt og ære næsten glemt, fordi vi har udviklet en civilisation baseret på våben og materiale. Overlevelse afhænger at våben og politik og ikke mere på forhold mellem forskellige liv.

Aikido er en vej (do) og vejen skulle opretholde i udøvelsen af aikido. Den person der opretholder vejen kaldes Doshu. I Japan betyder ordet doshu to forskellige ting. Den første betydning er den der bemestre vejen og den anden betyder den der opretholder vejen. Forskellen er at der kun kan være en som bemestre vejen , men der kan være mange som opretholder vejen. Den øverste lærer i enhver aikido organisation skulle kaldes doshu – den der opretholder vejen - men i virkeligheden er der ikke mange aikido organisationer som har en doshu. Det skyldes at den fleste japanske lærere i realiteten følger andres undervisning, især den af Morihei Ueshiba, selv om han er død. Der findes også lærere, som ikke følger nogen bestemt lærer, men i stedet følger en etableret filosofi. Heller ikke de er opretholdere af vejen. Det er derfor at der ikke findes så mange doshu i aikido verdenen. En lærer er kun doshu når han underviser fuldstændig uafhængig af nogen filosofi eller andre lærere, også de der er døde.

Aikido – a historic perspective, K. Yosigasaki

All over the world people used to fight using swords, spears and other weapons. When they had no weapons at hand, they boxed or wrestled. Techniques of fighting were almost the same all over the world until guns were invented. Use of guns for fighting completely changed the way of fighting in war. In Japan guns were imported by Portuguese in 1543 and Japanese quickly started to make their own guns. Around 1590 guns were used in war fighting and turned out to be more efficient than traditional weapons. However use of guns were still limited because of limited fabrication. Around 1600 Japan was dominated by the Tokukawa clan and the Tokugawa clan managed to create a system of domination by samurai. In order to stabilize their domination, production and use of guns were prohibited and communication with the outside world was basically prohibited. By this opportunity arose for developing fighting methods without guns for 250 years, whereas in Europe guns were developed as the main weapon of fighting.

Since 1800 Europe started to colonize China. Europeans were not interested in Japan because it was too small compared with China. However US also wanted to participate in colonization of China and wanted to use Japan as a port before arriving at China. Around 1860 US navy came to Japan and forced Japan to give them a port as their territory. Then European countries also wanted to use the port so Japan was in danger of being colonized like China. Japan decided to create a strong army in order to defend itself from US and Europe so sword was prohibited and an army with guns was created.

Samurai in clans that kept the tradition of sword techniques were unhappy and tried to keep the tradition. One way was to convert to sports. This created Judo, and Kendo and Karate followed. Those sports type of martial arts were supported by university students. Those who did not want to go the sport way were called Kobudo or Jujitsu. One of Jujitsu was called Daitoryu Jujitsu and this was the technical basis of aikido. It is necessary to know that Judo techniques came from a martial arts that did not use sword, the same as with karate. That is why karate techniques include stick techniques but not sword techniques. Kendo was based on sword techniques but became a sport. Daitoryu Jujitsu was created by someone who liked sword and was good at sword techniques. He developed techniques without weapon using his ability of using swords. That is why Daitoryu Jujitsu techniques are very different from Judo or karate techniques.

Actually Daitoryu techniques are very similar to Kendo techniques. However as the techniques are practised, people forget sword and think of the situation of street fighting in their society. After the World war 2, there was a general idea that Japan should not fight and people had no guns and no sword. People thought of street fighting without weapon or maybe with stick or knife. So the new name of aikido was born in that situation. The idea of aikido was to control the situation without fighting. This mentality corresponded the tendency in US and Europe after 1960 and Aikido started to get supported philosophically. The idea of solving conflicts without fighting became a part of the aikido philosophy.

Then came the idea of self defence. What is self defence? Actually there is no difference between attack and defence. When one does certain action toward the other, it is called attack. Then the other does same thing, it is called defence. So defence is permitted only when one is attacked. If the attack comes without weapon, it is possible to wait until the attack comes and do something about it. But if the attack is done by guns and other highly developed weapon, it is almost impossible to defend oneself after the attack has started. It means you have to shoot the other before he shoots you. Then the question of knowing the intention of the other person arises. If a person has a gun in his hand, policemen doubt his intention so policemen immediately demands him to drop his gun and put both hands up. If it is dark, what should policemen do? Maybe a policeman is obliged to shoot the person before it is possible for the other to shoot him. Then there is the question if a police man has judged the situation correctly or not. If the attack and defence happens between two countries, it is more complicated. First one country is attacked but it is difficult to know who attacked. Then the country may assume that the attack is done by its enemy country and start the attack in the name of defence. Between two human beings, this is called revenge and prohibited by law. However the government can punish the criminal so that the victim does not have to revenge. Between two countries, there is no authority above them, so revenge is permitted. Again it is not easy to distinguish between revenge and defence. The whole problem arises because the act of attack, revenge, and defence are the same. It is only a matter of interpretation.

In aikido it is possible to create a completely new philosophy. Aikido does not have to be self defence. Defence is the same as attack. Aikido is a way to create situations in which an attack is not likely to occur. If an attack does not occur, defence is not necessary. I think this is the only way to achieve peace.

Dansk oversættelse

Aikido, et historisk udsyn.

Overalt på jorden har mennesker brugt sværd, spyd og andre våben for at kæmpe. Når de ingen våben havde, boksede eller brød man. Kampteknikkerne vær næsten ens over hele verden indtil ild våbnene blev opfundet. Brugen af skydevåben ændrede fuldstændig krigens kamp metoder. I Japan blev disse importeret i 1543 og japanerne begyndte ret hurtigt at lave deres egne ild våben.

I 1590 blev geværet brugt i krig og viste sig at bære mere effektive end traditionelle japanske våben. Men brug af disse våben var stadig begrænset på grund af begrænsningerne i fabrikationen.

Omkring 1600-tallet var Japan domineret af Tokukawa klanen og den formåede at skabe et system som var domineret af samuraier. For at stabiliserer deres dominans, blev produktionen og brugen af gevær forbudt og kommunikationen ned den omkringliggende verden blev faktisk forbudt. Ved denne lejlighed opstod udviklingen af kamp metoder uden ild våben i 250 år, medens i Europa blev ild våbnene udviklet som det vigtigste våben i kamp.


I 1800-tallet begyndte Europa at koloniserer Kina. Europærerne var ikke interesserede i Japan, fordi det var for lille i sammenligning med Kina. Men også US ønskede at koloniserer Kina og ønskede at bruge Japan som en havn før ankomsten til Kina. Omkring 1860 kom US flåde til Japan og tvang dem til at afgive et landområde som deres havn. De Europæiske lande ønskede også at bruge havnen, så Japan stod i fare for at blive koloniseret på samme måde som Kina. Japan besluttede at skabe en stærk hær for at forsvarer sig selv mod US og Europa, derfor blev sværdet forbudt og en hær med ild våben blev skabt.


Klaner som opretholdt sværd teknikkernes tradition, var ikke glade og forsøget at opretholde traditionen. En af måderne var at overgå til idræt. Dette skabte Judo, og Kendo og Karate fulgte efter. Disse idræts grene var kampkunst og de blev understøtte af universitets studerende. De der ikke ønskede at gå idræts vejen, blev kaldt for Kobudo eller Jujitsu. En af disse Jujiutsu grene blev kaldt for Daitoryu Jujitsu og dette var det tekniske udgangspunkt for aikido. Det er nødvendigt at vide, at judo teknikkerne kom fra kampkunst linier, som ikke brugte sværd, det samme som i karate.

Det er derfor karate indbefatter stav teknikker, men ikke sværd teknikker. Kendo tog sit udgangspunkt i sværd teknikker, men blev en sport. Daitoryo Jujitsu blev skabt af en som kunne lide sværdet og var god til sværdteknikker. Han udviklede teknikker uden våben, idet han brugte sine evner fra våbenteknikkerne. Det er derfor at Daitoryu Jujitsu teknikker er meget anderledes en Judo eller Karate teknikker.



I realiteten svarer Daitoryu teknikker meget til Kendo teknikker. Men når øvelsespraksis blev udført, glemte folk sværdet og tænkte på situationen fra gade kampe i samfundet. Efter anden verdenskrig, opstod den almene ide i Japan, at mennesker ikke skulle slås og at de ikke skulle have våben og ingen sværd. Man forestillede sig gade kampe uden våben eller måske med stav eller kniv. Så det nye navn Aikido, blev født ud af denne situation. Idéen med Aikido var at kontrollere situationen uden kamp. Denne mentalitet svarede til tendensen i US og Europa efter 1960 og Aikido begyndte at få filosofisk støtte..


Da opstod ideen om selvforsvar. Hvad er selvforsvar? I realiteten er der ingen forskel mellem selvforsvar og angreb. Når nogen gør noget mod en anden, kaldes det angreb. Så gør den anden noget, det kaldes forsvar. Så forsvar er kun tilladt når man angribes. Hvis angriberen kommer uden våben, er det muligt at vente til angriberen kommer og så gøre noget ved det. Men hvis angrebet udføres med gevær eller andre højt udviklede våben, er det næsten umuligt at forsvarer sig selv efter at angrebet er startet. Det betyder at du må skyde den anden før han skyder dig. Her er spørgsmålet om at vide hvornår intentionen hos den anen opstår. Hvis en person har en pistol i sin hånd, vil en politibetjent betvivle hans intentioner og straks forlange at han smed sin pistol og strakte begge hænder op. Hvis det er mørkt, hvad skulle politibetjenten da gøre? Måske er politibetjenten nødt til at skyde personen før denne skyder ham. Så er der spørgsmålet om politibetjenten har bedømt situationen rigtigt eller ikke. Hvis angreb og forsvar sker mellem to lande, er det mere kompliceret Først bliver et land angrebet, men det er vanskeligt at vide, hvem det var som angreb. Så kan landet formode at angrebet blev udført af en fjendtlig nation og begynde et angreb i forsvarets navn. Mellem to mennesker kaldes det for hævn og ifølge loven er der forbudt. Men regeringer kan straffe den kriminelle, så individet har ikke brug for at hævne sig. Mellem to lande, findes der ikke nogen autoritet højere en dem, så derfor er hævn tilladt. Men igen, det er ikke let at skelne mellem hævn og forsvar. Hele problemet ligger i at handlinger som angreb, hævn og forsvar er det samme, det er kun et spørgsmål om fortolkning.