Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
I have been practicing aikido (yudansha) for many years and have presented my point of view on aikido many times, also personally to Stanley Pranin. In the opinion of our community, my thoughts were extremely controversial. Taking into account the current situation of aikido and the author’s concerns, I re-open the following text for discussion.
Contrary to what one reads, hears, sees every day, and in the media, aikido is not what it seems to be. After years of research, I conclude that aikido stems from a simple observation. People in the East greet each other with a bow. Let’s imagine that behind the person bowing, there is a child who, for no significant reason, pushes them forward. What happens then? Let me anticipate guesses. There are three possibilities. The first is that the person will step forward, maintain balance, and not fall. Similarly, they may grab onto someone or something. The second possibility is falling to the ground, this time on hands or shoulders, protecting the head from injury. The third, excluding the previous two, can have serious consequences, including neck twisting.
Hence, as I presume, the ingenious idea for a new quality in martial arts emerged. The idea is to react to an attack in a specific way and neutralize it. In essence, aikido is the art of fighting … without fighting. The reaction consists of three steps. The second may follow the first, but it doesn’t have to. Similarly, after the second step, the third may follow, but again, it’s not obligatory. Let me explain.
When attacked, in the first step, we move off the line of attack, i.e., we make a defensive step. It doesn’t matter how the attack is conducted (with a leg, hand, stick, sword, or knife) because the attack must always miss its target. Of course, we can repeat the first step until the attacker gives up. However, in the face of real threats such as weapon attacks or multiple attackers, we proceed to the second step.
In this step, neutralization of the attack occurs. After dodging, one must grab the attacker’s forearm in a way that, after twisting it, they are placed in an uncomfortable position. Standing on tiptoes, with the elbow raised vertically, and us positioned beyond their back, they cannot do anything. At this point, a verbal warning can be given, and further action can be abandoned. Similarly to before, we decide whether to take the next step or not.
Ultimately, we force the attacker to bow, releasing the held arm. Then, they fall. If we protect their head from contact with the ground by holding their arm at the last moment, they will land on their back. It serves as a very serious warning. Otherwise, the consequences of the fall can be fatal, including immediate death.
The history of the creation of aikido is fascinating.
Morihei Ueshiba’s art, later named aikido, distinguishes itself from other martial arts in that executing techniques requires both hands to be unbound. This ensures evasion, or in other words, moving off the line of attack. Avoiding the attacker’s aim is practically its fundamental principle. Ueshiba demonstrated this during an event that took place in 1925 when he was challenged to a duel. Due to a difference of opinions, the one who threw the gauntlet was an officer of the Navy, unknown by name but highly regarded in Kendo. Ueshiba entered the fight unarmed, although it was supposed to be a duel with wooden swords. Despite the rival’s protests, the duel began and soon ended. Mentally crushed, the opponent humbly admitted Ueshiba’s superiority. Despite his efforts, his sword never touched his opponent. Ueshiba thus showed that avoiding every direct attack is possible. This day is considered the date of the creation of aikido. It was preceded by events that took place six years earlier.
Morihei Ueshiba learned then that his father was dying. He went on a journey to visit him before his death. On the way, he met an extraordinary man. He was the spiritual guide of the religious sect ōmoto, Onisaburo Deguchi. It is worth mentioning here that this man in his youth was robbed, severely beaten by bandits, and left for dead. He miraculously survived. In their conversation, Mr. Deguchi presented Ueshiba with the principles of the religion he represented. At that time, the sect unexpectedly gained great popularity by pointing out the way to eliminate ubiquitous violence, unlike other religions that promised a happy life only after death. Mainly by indicating the way to eliminate ubiquitous violence.
Here, according to the ōmoto message, are the three fundamental sources of violence and the means to eliminate it:
– The first is the diversity of religions and related conflicts. History knows unimaginable consequences of religious wars. Ōmoto followers assume the existence of one universal God, who can appear in many forms. Thus, it does not exclude the Christian Holy Trinity or religions where other gods exist, but in fact, an individual prays to only one of them. Raising awareness of this state of affairs to the general public does not require abandoning one’s beliefs but also eliminates reasons for conflicts on this basis.
– The second source of violence is the lack of mutual understanding among people. The main reason is the diversity of spoken languages. The solution is to introduce one universal language for the world, which was chosen as Esperanto. This artificial language was created by the Polish doctor Ludwik Zamenhof. In 1923, Onisaburo Deguchi declared with full conviction: In ten years, all people who will not be able to speak Esperanto will surely become relics of the past. Even today, when the ōmoto religion has lost its social significance over time, its followers still promote Esperanto worldwide.
– And the third source is ourselves. We allow violence apparently in trivial matters. We spank an unruly child or raise our voice to express disapproval. The idea to address this, according to Mr. Onisaburo Deguchi, is the idea of pacifism. And at this point, one could interrupt him. The listener’s mind may have raised the question – how can the idea of pacifism address violence? Is it enough to declare to a potential attacker on the street that we will not resist because we are pacifists? Will that be enough to prevent an attack? These are good questions to which Onisaburo Deguchi would not be able to answer. However, Morihei Ueshiba had an answer to this.
This significant meeting of two unprecedented personalities had a significant finale. Onisaburo Deguchi proposed to Morihei Ueshiba to work as the head of security in his assembly. The proposal was accepted, and soon Morihei Ueshiba moved with his family to Ayabe, the headquarters of ōmoto. It was also salvation from financial troubles for Morichei Ueshiba, whose family was actually supported by a dying father.
Deguchi had two reasons. The first was related to the lack of favor from the authorities for the young ōmoto religion or even hostility, in a country where Shinto had been the state religion since the mid-19th century, for almost 100 years. He needed personal protection. The second reason was the belief that Morihei Ueshiba would have the conditions to realize his idea and give the idea of pacifism a personal character according to the principle: Only the strong can forgive.
Morihei Ueshiba’s legacy, a veteran of the Russo-Japanese War, called O-Sensei (Great Teacher), can boldly be summed up in two words – Deadly Bow. His refusal to present his art to the Emperor of Japan with the words: ‘I would have to kill my partners; otherwise, it would be a sham.’ Before World War II, he taught aikido in the legendary ‘Devil’s Dojo’ in Tokyo, and during the war, in military schools. For this reason, he was listed by the US authorities as a war criminal but was not tried. The war and its consequences convinced him that aikido, as an idea of opposing violence, should spread worldwide and not just be the concern of selected individuals. Nonetheless, he withdrew from active teaching. In 1964, for his achievements, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun by the Emperor of Japan.
Aikido Yesterday and Today
It should be noted that almost all martial arts, including judo as a sport, have techniques in their repertoire with similar, potentially tragic consequences. Nevertheless, they are not as dangerous as in Ueshiba’s art because opponents are basically in physical contact with each other. When thrown through mutual grips, one can secure their fall, and similarly, the thrower can prevent the fallen from injury. This physical contact is even required in judo by regulations. When it is broken, the referee should interrupt the fight and resume it after re-grabbing. Morihei Ueshiba’s art has survived to this day thanks to his students, although it has undergone significant transformations. They went in two directions.
The first, the most popular, turned it into an illusory self-defense art. In this form, it is only a spectacle and has no practical application. Like artists dancing the Saber Dance in Aram Khachaturian’s ballet ‘Gayane,’ they are not masters of this weapon. Aikido has become solely a recreational activity. The schools representing this direction are Aikikai, Kobayashi, Nishio, or Yōshinkan.
The second direction, contrary to the creator’s firm objections due to the potential danger of loss of life, became a form of competitive sport. On the one hand, there are competitions where fights do not differ from those in sports judo or ju-jitsu. This path was taken by the previously recognized judo master Kenji Tomiki – the creator of the Shodokan Aikido style. On the other hand, competitions resemble figure skating, where competitors compete sequentially in two categories – compulsory and free. They perform sequences of several aikido techniques in the compulsory time and are judged on the coordination of body and mind. This is the idea of Koichi Tohei – the author of the Ki Aikido style.
Maciej Jeśmanowicz
