empathy

aikido is more than a martial art. O-sensei told his disciples: "do you think i'm teaching you merely how to twist some one's arm & knock him to the ground? that's child's play. aikido deals with the most important issues of life!" that makes aikido is also a philosophical system.

as a system, it has a set of "morals" or "virtues." in aikido, four primary virtues are held dear: 1. the virtue of courage; 2. the virtue of wisdom; 3. the virtue of love; 4. the virtue of empathy.

the virtue of empathy is the social dimension of aikido. philosophy can never exist in a vacuum, and we must always ask ourselves, "how do our actions affect the world in general and others in particular?" if the insights of aikido are not applied to the realms of human relations, ecology, economy, and politics, they are of little value.

empathy is the ability to imagine and share another person's feelings. aikido techniques involve empathy within them, from musubi (connecting), to awase (blending) and finally zanshin (lingering connection).

connecting is crucial for the execution of techniques. if you do not connect, it does not matter what you do. we connect with the intention & momentum of the attacker even before making any physical contact or connection. advanced students build up this connected sensitivity after many years of practice & experience.

the ability to blend with an attack is one of the most important aspects of aikido. blending means to "go with" or "flow" with the power, force, momentum, and inertia of an attack. when attacked, rather than forcibly resisting, the advanced aikido practitioner intercepts, moves off the attack line, & turn his body, redirecting the attack until the attacker is off-balance.

once you throw a training partner, there remains a connection or link through focus and concentration. think of the musubi with a training partner as making the statement, "i have you now." hold on to that statement after you have thrown your training partner, as if to say, "i still have you." that lingering connection or statement of intent is zanshin.

aikido is spiritual in its attitude of application and philosophy of non-resistance and loving protection of even the attacker. aikido is not simply a matter of physical technique; it is the art of living well, in harmony with others and at peace with the world.

it is all surely "easier said than done" :-) so.. let's put on the gi and start practice!