Weeee!
Ghalib Galant
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Monday, July 25, 2005
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
The Sunday Semnars spring from the advanced aikido classes held every Sunday morning at the University of Cape Town.
Aikido is a Japanese martial art, called the Art of Peace or the Way of Spiritual Harmony. These Sunday Seminars are a way to create the space to reflect on Aikido as more than a series of physical activities and exercises, but rather a modern expression of budo, the way of the warrior.
All martial arts share as their end goal, the improvement of the person, the sharpening of the sword within to be put to use in the service of the greater good. So if you too wish to explore these themes, or think about yourself in relation to others in a different way, why not join us next Sunday at 10h30.
If you are not in Cape Town, why not leave a comment on the blog, share your insights, your experiences, your thoughts.
Ghalib Galant, 2nd Dan
Aikido is a Japanese martial art, called the Art of Peace or the Way of Spiritual Harmony. These Sunday Seminars are a way to create the space to reflect on Aikido as more than a series of physical activities and exercises, but rather a modern expression of budo, the way of the warrior.
All martial arts share as their end goal, the improvement of the person, the sharpening of the sword within to be put to use in the service of the greater good. So if you too wish to explore these themes, or think about yourself in relation to others in a different way, why not join us next Sunday at 10h30.
If you are not in Cape Town, why not leave a comment on the blog, share your insights, your experiences, your thoughts.
Ghalib Galant, 2nd Dan
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Sunday Seminar 09 July 2005
Today we practiced ten-chi nage (heaven & earth throw) inspired in part by O-Sensei's words:
"Always try to be in communion with heaven and earth; then the world will appear in its true light. Self-conceit will vanish, and you can blend with any attack".
In its practical application, tenchi-nage consists of leading uke in two directions at once - up to the sky and down to the ground - thereby upsetting his/her balance and making easy the resultant throw. Tenchi-nage can only be practiced, like all of aikido I suppose, with confidence. That self-confidence only comes with rigorous and regular training. Entering with confidence however is not the same as violence; often we mistake violence for effective technique. Confidence comes from self-knowing; it springs from trust; it arises from practice and reflection.
And herein lies the difference between an initial fumbling with the mechanics of the movement and a deep appreciation for the subtleties of the application.
Tenchi-nage again shows us that in order to engage successfully with uke, we need to commit our whole body, our whole being in fact, to the moment. It may be possible to unseat uke by moving just our hands apart, but the true beauty, the truly spiritual nature of this technique becomes apparent only when that movement involves the whole body moving in concert, the right hand rising along the centre line (not inscribing an arc), the left mimicking the movement of the left foot as it slides off the line to come to rest at uke's point of weakness, uchi-gawa.
This commitment requires that our whole body be involved; it is so easy to withdraw the extension from the bottom hand (in this example the left hand) as uke's balance is broken.And then to rely on the force of the top hand to push uke over and down. Contrast that feeling with the one where by extending strongly through both hands and by moving from your central point (tanden), uke's balance is broken and the technique finds easy completion.
By remaining grounded and true to ourselves (confident extension through the bottom hand), we do not have to resort to violence and force to achieve our objective (upper hand). In fact, by being well grounded we are able to free up ourselves to engage constructively with uke; indeed we free up our higher selves in order to meet aggression with gentleness, anger with love, fear with openness, hurt with compassion.
The name tenchi-nage gives us some inkling that this is a technique that teaches us about the innate duality within all of us - hard/soft, yin/yang, male/female, light/dark. Ultimately it is not so much transcending our baser (earth) nature to embrace our higher selves (heaven) - that happens when we die. Tenchi-nage is about reconciling that duality within ourselves in a way that allows us still to move freely and engage openly with our life on this plane.
Tenchi-nage understood in this way is an incredibly spiritual space, but one that seeks to teach us how to live in this moment, on this day, with this person while remaining true to our own purpose.
Today we practiced ten-chi nage (heaven & earth throw) inspired in part by O-Sensei's words:
"Always try to be in communion with heaven and earth; then the world will appear in its true light. Self-conceit will vanish, and you can blend with any attack".
In its practical application, tenchi-nage consists of leading uke in two directions at once - up to the sky and down to the ground - thereby upsetting his/her balance and making easy the resultant throw. Tenchi-nage can only be practiced, like all of aikido I suppose, with confidence. That self-confidence only comes with rigorous and regular training. Entering with confidence however is not the same as violence; often we mistake violence for effective technique. Confidence comes from self-knowing; it springs from trust; it arises from practice and reflection.
And herein lies the difference between an initial fumbling with the mechanics of the movement and a deep appreciation for the subtleties of the application.
Tenchi-nage again shows us that in order to engage successfully with uke, we need to commit our whole body, our whole being in fact, to the moment. It may be possible to unseat uke by moving just our hands apart, but the true beauty, the truly spiritual nature of this technique becomes apparent only when that movement involves the whole body moving in concert, the right hand rising along the centre line (not inscribing an arc), the left mimicking the movement of the left foot as it slides off the line to come to rest at uke's point of weakness, uchi-gawa.
This commitment requires that our whole body be involved; it is so easy to withdraw the extension from the bottom hand (in this example the left hand) as uke's balance is broken.And then to rely on the force of the top hand to push uke over and down. Contrast that feeling with the one where by extending strongly through both hands and by moving from your central point (tanden), uke's balance is broken and the technique finds easy completion.
By remaining grounded and true to ourselves (confident extension through the bottom hand), we do not have to resort to violence and force to achieve our objective (upper hand). In fact, by being well grounded we are able to free up ourselves to engage constructively with uke; indeed we free up our higher selves in order to meet aggression with gentleness, anger with love, fear with openness, hurt with compassion.
The name tenchi-nage gives us some inkling that this is a technique that teaches us about the innate duality within all of us - hard/soft, yin/yang, male/female, light/dark. Ultimately it is not so much transcending our baser (earth) nature to embrace our higher selves (heaven) - that happens when we die. Tenchi-nage is about reconciling that duality within ourselves in a way that allows us still to move freely and engage openly with our life on this plane.
Tenchi-nage understood in this way is an incredibly spiritual space, but one that seeks to teach us how to live in this moment, on this day, with this person while remaining true to our own purpose.
Monday, July 04, 2005
Sunday Seminar 02 July 2005
Connecting .... and connecting ... and connecting
Every time uke attacks tori a relationship is created - and like any relationship it should never be a one-way street. Any good relationship requires both parties to be alive to the needs, expectations and the aspirations of the other. This does not mean that hose needs, expectations or aspirations HAVE to be fulfilled by the other partner; s/he should at least be aware of them, before deciding how to respond. So too in Aikido must the parties be aware of each other.
In order to execute any Aikido technique effectively it is crucial that the relationship between uke and tori remains a dynamic, vibrant one. Should either uke or tori become stale and stiff either in their attack or their defence, the technique equally becomes stale and stiff and forced.
In order to respond to the needs of uke, in order to fully respond to uke's attack, tori must remain alert, aware and above all connected. This notion of connectedness is central to any understanding of Aikido. O-Sensei often speaks of an attacker being already defeated in the moment of the attack because s/he is out of synch with the universe (and equally that tori is completely in tune with the universe) - so without this awareness, without this connection, there can be no aiki relationship.
At the risk of thinking in a linear (non-aiki) way, perhaps it's useful to think of the connection as having three phases: before, during and after.
Before
The first time you meet someone, subconsciously you size them up, your brain registers all sorts of details about them, you also decide whether you like them, want to get to know them a little (or a lot) better and whether they pose a danger to you or not. You also have any number of physiological responses - from sweaty palms to abject fear to utter joy - to them.
It is in this tumultuous moment that your relationship is born; how it develops is up to both of you. And that is why your response is so important. Intuitively, we step back in the face of an attack; aiki training teaches us instead "when an opponent comes forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way"
What we do in this moment before the first physical touch, how clearly we connect with our uke will set the tone for the whole interaction. At a technical level this means getting the timing, body placement and breathing just right for our first irimi or tenkan movement; at a whole different level it means opening up our very being first to the possibility of, and then to the reality of the interaction and in that split second to embrace the moment joyously. And to move.
During
During the attack, from the moment of almost touching to the resulting throw or hold down, tori's awareness must be constant, maintaining the connection with uke for it is at this point that uke is most likely to want to change tack as the surprise at tori's response settles in. Tori should be aware of the messages coming to him/her from the points of physical contact but also from the stiffening of uke's body, his/her breathing etc.
It is often at this point, once s/he has taken the initial control that tori will lose the connection. The temptation to carry on through with what tori has decided will be the technique, will be great, its execution seemingly pre-determined. It is also at this moment, if we withdraw our awareness of uke, that we risk hurting uke through a misplaced projection or an inappropriate take-down. O-Sensei teaches that "to injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace".
After
But the connection remains even after the throw or the hold-down is complete. Just as the connection began before the technique was formed, so too it lives on after the physical technique is performed. Ongoing awareness, zanshin, is necessary after an attack to ensure that the attack has indeed ended - both in the physical sense, and in the mind of uke. It is necessary in a higher sense to enable us to achieve a deeper sense of humanity, of engagement and of interaction with the world and the people around us. Zanshin in one sense is the notion of ubuntu that we cherish at the southern tip of Africa - I am who I am because of the quality of my relationships with others. Being sensitive and aware of others and of what they mean to us (on the tatami I cannot practice without uke and therefore cannot sharpen my skill and my soul) means that I become a better person. We need to appreciate that even in an attack - or in a death or departure - there lies a gift from uke as it shows us something to work on or something to celebrate. So the true zanshin, the real follow-through lies within.
Connecting .... and connecting ... and connecting
Every time uke attacks tori a relationship is created - and like any relationship it should never be a one-way street. Any good relationship requires both parties to be alive to the needs, expectations and the aspirations of the other. This does not mean that hose needs, expectations or aspirations HAVE to be fulfilled by the other partner; s/he should at least be aware of them, before deciding how to respond. So too in Aikido must the parties be aware of each other.
In order to execute any Aikido technique effectively it is crucial that the relationship between uke and tori remains a dynamic, vibrant one. Should either uke or tori become stale and stiff either in their attack or their defence, the technique equally becomes stale and stiff and forced.
In order to respond to the needs of uke, in order to fully respond to uke's attack, tori must remain alert, aware and above all connected. This notion of connectedness is central to any understanding of Aikido. O-Sensei often speaks of an attacker being already defeated in the moment of the attack because s/he is out of synch with the universe (and equally that tori is completely in tune with the universe) - so without this awareness, without this connection, there can be no aiki relationship.
At the risk of thinking in a linear (non-aiki) way, perhaps it's useful to think of the connection as having three phases: before, during and after.
Before
The first time you meet someone, subconsciously you size them up, your brain registers all sorts of details about them, you also decide whether you like them, want to get to know them a little (or a lot) better and whether they pose a danger to you or not. You also have any number of physiological responses - from sweaty palms to abject fear to utter joy - to them.
It is in this tumultuous moment that your relationship is born; how it develops is up to both of you. And that is why your response is so important. Intuitively, we step back in the face of an attack; aiki training teaches us instead "when an opponent comes forward, move in and greet him; if he wants to pull back, send him on his way"
What we do in this moment before the first physical touch, how clearly we connect with our uke will set the tone for the whole interaction. At a technical level this means getting the timing, body placement and breathing just right for our first irimi or tenkan movement; at a whole different level it means opening up our very being first to the possibility of, and then to the reality of the interaction and in that split second to embrace the moment joyously. And to move.
During
During the attack, from the moment of almost touching to the resulting throw or hold down, tori's awareness must be constant, maintaining the connection with uke for it is at this point that uke is most likely to want to change tack as the surprise at tori's response settles in. Tori should be aware of the messages coming to him/her from the points of physical contact but also from the stiffening of uke's body, his/her breathing etc.
It is often at this point, once s/he has taken the initial control that tori will lose the connection. The temptation to carry on through with what tori has decided will be the technique, will be great, its execution seemingly pre-determined. It is also at this moment, if we withdraw our awareness of uke, that we risk hurting uke through a misplaced projection or an inappropriate take-down. O-Sensei teaches that "to injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace".
After
But the connection remains even after the throw or the hold-down is complete. Just as the connection began before the technique was formed, so too it lives on after the physical technique is performed. Ongoing awareness, zanshin, is necessary after an attack to ensure that the attack has indeed ended - both in the physical sense, and in the mind of uke. It is necessary in a higher sense to enable us to achieve a deeper sense of humanity, of engagement and of interaction with the world and the people around us. Zanshin in one sense is the notion of ubuntu that we cherish at the southern tip of Africa - I am who I am because of the quality of my relationships with others. Being sensitive and aware of others and of what they mean to us (on the tatami I cannot practice without uke and therefore cannot sharpen my skill and my soul) means that I become a better person. We need to appreciate that even in an attack - or in a death or departure - there lies a gift from uke as it shows us something to work on or something to celebrate. So the true zanshin, the real follow-through lies within.
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