On Training Aikido

At the recommendation of a counselor of mine, I have been training in the martial art of aikido since the fall of 1993. Aikido is a relatively young martial art; it was developed in the 20th century in Japan by expert martial artist Morihei Ueshiba O Sensei. After mastering several arts in the traditional way, Ueshiba transformed the fighting and destruction of the older forms into the harmonizing and loving protection of aikido.

The word aikido is comprised of three words: Ai - blending or harmony, Ki - spirit or energy, and Do - path or way. So 'aikido' roughly translates as 'The way of the harmonious spirit." Aikido is not a collection of techniques or fighting moves; rather it is a way of being, a way in which all incoming attacks are met fully and openly and in which the attacker is either subdued or thrown without being harmed.

Training in this art has substantially boosted my confidence and my strength and flexibility, and it has allowed me to develop a more upfront and honest personality. Through training and diligent study, the body can learn to transform fear, conflict, and destructive tension into flowing and supportive cooperation, without the possibility for harm or injury. This transformation is ultimately spiritual, improving the connection between oneself and others and giving direction to all the attacker's energy so that no one is hurt, not even the attacker.

I have never used an aikido technique per se on the street. Late one evening when stepping down off a San Francisco Muni bus in the Haight Ashbury, a slightly inebriated, slightly overfriendly older man came staggering down the sidewalk directly toward me from 10 feet away with his arms outstretched and saying loudly "I love you." Instinctively, I stepped off the line of his motion, put one of my hands under one of his, and turned 180 degrees, passing his hand over my head. Instead of hugging me -- I suppose he wanted me to be his new best friend -- he staggered a couple steps past me and hugged another man unfortunate enough to be waiting for the bus in a spot directly in the drunk's path. He got a big and slightly disgusting bear hug.

I had followed the basic aikido principles: step off the line of attack, connect with the attacker, extend my own energy to include and join with the attacker, and safely redirect the attack to somewhere other than directly into my body, thus keeping me safe without hurting him at all. (I had not seen the man waiting for the bus, or else I would have steered the drunk away from him as well.)

Aikido applies to all manner of situations, not just to fighting. In aikido we practice with strikes, punches, grabs, and weapons; but the same principles apply to verbal attacks, to blending with the energy and direction of movement in traffic, or to performing effectively in any sort of business transaction or relationship interaction where there is a high level energy involved. Thus, training all the physical techniques provides a deeply rich metaphor for dealing with all the incoming energies in one's life.

I began my training in 1993 in San Francisco with Robert Nadeau sensei. In 2004, I and two others inherited Aikido of Marin (founded by Richard Moon sensei) in Fairfax, CA, where I currently teach children and adults for a total of about 10 hours a week.