Hang’n Loose with Kihon Waza

A TrueAiki reader asked:
Hi Allen,
Again, thanks so much for sharing your insights. It has really changed my perspective on my martial arts practice and its background.
As a follow up on your answer to Fred’s question, in ‘Hidden in Plain Sight’ Ellis Amdur quotes Kansu Sunadomari as follows (in ‘Aikido is Three Peaches’):
“The Founder clearly stated that basic technique, Ikkajo through Yonkajo, is kasutori (which refers to the extraction of the pulp-like sediment that is a by-product of the production of Japanese alcohol, e.g. shochu, sake, etc.) In other words, through the performance of basic techniques, we remove the sediment or residue (by removing the tension) built up in our partner’s joints. Therefore, (contrary to popular belief), these techniques are not for the purpose of knocking down others. I heard the Founder say this and use the term ‘kasutori’ only once, but now upon reflection I realize that I was lucky to have had the opportunity to hear this.”
This was at the special seminar where all of O-sensei’s students were called to train under him (with the Kagura Mai theme, I suppose). I know this quote went through a lot of filters, but let’s assume it’s accurate. 
These techniques (at least the versions I know) usually end in a shoulder pin, so let’s focus on the shoulders. In my limited experience, it’s pretty difficult to relax the shoulders, so there’s a problem for Aiki 1 (and therefore also Aiki 2 and 3). Stretching the shoulders regularly might make it just a bit easier (and you wouldn’t necessarily have to be locked by O-sensei either).
So maybe we’re not so much talking about learning Aiki by osmosis, but rather being facilitated just a little bit in a more pragmatic way. A wire getting one step closer to being a drill bit, but with many more steps to go.
What do you think?

Training Ikkajo through Yonkajo may loosen one’s shoulders.  Yet there are many people with loose shoulders that never learned what Aiki is or how to develop it.
Ikkajo through Yonkajo were Daito Ryu waza before Ueshiba Morihei met Takeda Sokaku.  They, among other Daito Ryu waza, were taught to both military and police by Takeda sensei.  Ueshiba taught Ikkajo through Yonkajo as Daito Ryu waza after learning from Takeda sensei, and also during the war as part of “his” martial curriculum. Considering these facts, I think Ikkajo through Yonkajo were considered more than justjoint loosening exercises.  “Working the dust out of one’s joints” is now a well known Ueshiba trope within Aikido. I haven’t seen its utterance, nor untold repetitions of Ikkajo though Yonkajo bring Aiki to the masses.  (I do not think Aiki even can be taught to masses. There is too much one-on-one time required. What Aiki great can be named that was taught via large seminars?)

Here is another take.  O-sensei said basic technique is 粕取りkasutori.  Kasu 粕is scrap or waste (left over from making sake), tori 取りis “take” or “fetch.”  Taken literally Ueshiba would be saying that basic technique is the dross left over from the distilling process.  Something else is the “fine wine” (sake).  If the seminar was Kagura Mai themed, then it makes sense that Kagura Mai (being a physical expression of Ichi Rei, Ni Ki, San Gen, Shi Kon, Hachi Riki or Aiki) is the “sake” and basic technique is the “kasutori.” This seminar took place in the post war period and during this period the term “kasutori” was also used as the slang for “Hooch” or “Moonshine,” again, not very flattering.
On the other hand, when kasutori (the dross from making sake) is distilled there are two by products.  One was used as farming fertilizer and the other was alcohol often offered to the gods at the end of the rice planting season.  Metaphorically, basic technique, when properly distilled, could become the essential fertilizer for producing rice (Japanese “mana” also offered to the gods) and spirits offered to the gods.

Basic technique is kasutori.  They are an essential ingredient of the distillation process, but once distillation has occurred, they are merely leftovers.  Not that they are worthless.  They can be distilled again, but the waste is not to be mistaken for the desired product, Aiki.
The name is Aiki-do.  Not basic techniques-do.

Everyone starts with what they can see, hear, feel.  These are stimuli from the outside. Trouble is, Aiki cannot be seen. It cannot be heard.  It cannot even be felt.  Only the results of Aiki can be seen, heard, and felt.  Therefore our conception of what Aiki is and what we seek to achieve is usually, and understandably, mistaken!  Consequently everybody starts from wrong and hopefully heads to right.  We start from our outer perceptions and conceptions and hopefully work our way in. Success isn’t easy, nor is it guaranteed.
Many martial arts start on the outside and stay on the outside.  Their exterior focus is practical and accomplishment is quick.  Practically speaking this is a much surer path to martial accomplishment and much more efficient as well.

Many of the internal martial arts start on the outside and stay on the outside too.  Their exterior focus often isn’t practical (toward immediate martial application) nor is accomplishment quick.  Often this is as far as individuals in these arts progress. When asked about martial efficacy they answer, “It isn’t about martial efficacy.” Or they say, “The founder was fantastic.”  Some claim their art so efficacious that it is “too deadly to show.”  And some seeking the martial efficacy they lack integrate “outer” effective techniques into their “inner” art, whilst still calling their art internal.  I think it very well could be that O-sensei was saying, “Basic technique, is kasudori.  Ikkajo through Yonkkajo, etc. aren’t AIKIDO!!!!”
Ueshiba Morihei could perform practical technique.  He did so on more than one occasion.  But he didn’t seem to want to show practical technique.  He wanted to show Aiki is something else. Look at the evolution of his demonstrations.  They become bigger and bigger and less and less martial looking.  It is recorded on more than one occasion he became angry at his uke’s when their attacks forced him to perform efficacious techniques (which he did) instead of the the demonstration he had hoped for.  It is as if he was wanted to demonstrate that Aiki isn’t the techniques!”  He also showed being pushed on in various configurations.  What did that have to do with technique or martial application?  What does Kagura May have to do with technique or martial application?  “Basic technique is kasudori.”

On a more immediate and pragmatic level:
Many individuals (many from Daito Ryu and Aikido) have suffered shoulder injuries which can stiffen the shoulder joint.  This has an adverse effect on producing Aiki.  In such cases the shoulder must be rehabilitated as is true with other areas of the body where there is tissue damage.  This is one case where shoulder tightness could be passively present.  I’ll leave it to the reader to decide if these shoulder injuries, gained via practice of basic technique, helped facilitate the understanding and attainment of Aiki.
In most cases shoulder tightness is a product of contraction of the musculature in that area.  Shoulder tightness is present in almost everyone.  Whether, one has healthy or injured shoulders, one must educate one’s body to operate without flexion in this area.  This is a process of neurological training and strengthening other areas in specific ways.  It is not passive loosening of tissues supporting the joints.

Another common problem area are the tissues located around the head of the femurs. Again, these are often held in contraction and tightness is present.  And, again, one must educate one’s body to operate without flexion in this area.  This is a process of neurological training and strengthening other areas in specific ways. It is not passive loosening of the tissues supporting the joints.

Aiki training that results in increased joint mobility is always accompanied by increased tissue development supporting the joint.  Training to increase mobility without also training to strengthen support is to invite disaster.

This training is very much a case learning to “undo” in the body/mind in order “to do” what is required.  The more one learns to “undo,” the more adaptation will take place in one’s body/mind allowing one “to do.”  One can “always do less.”

One must learn to “do less” before one can train “to do” more.  Takeda, Ueshiba, and others were not “wilted lilies.” They all trained hard and, in time, with increasing resistance.  But they were training hard to “non-resist” increasing resistance.  First one must learn to “non-resist,” and get good at it because our in-born response to resistance is to resist or retreat.  One cannot train non-resistance, until one learns what that is, and how to do it.  This takes a good deal of time, and for many a great deal of sacrifice.  The greatest sacrifice being one’s ego.  Giving up one’s strength (Strength through resistance, contraction, or technique.) is not an easy thing to do for most.
Aiki is a paradox.  It is something counter intuitive, and seemingly backwards. It can strain one’s brain to understand it and keep it in focus.  Not because it is complicated but because it is so counter intuitive. Aiki, true Aiki, works and needs no justification, back story or excuse. With Aiki one never experiences the same feedback they do without Aiki.  I like to say, “Seek the feedback of no feedback.”  It sounds like a fortune cookie, but it is a clear statement of the Aiki experience.  When one is doing things “correctly” one will experience no feedback (because one experiences no resistance).  This can be maddening because it is seemingly impossible to replicate what one did “right” when there was no feedback.  When one checks to see if they are doing things “right” one consciously or unconsciously seeks feedback and becomes “wrong.”

Aiki isn’t something one learns like a technique.  It isn’t something one can be taught and learn and know from a book OR A BLOG, OR A VIDEO alone.*  It is something one learns within one’s self.  One must learn and develop neurologically and anatomically.  It takes time.  A teacher can “teach” you, but only you can learn it.

Learning happens

When we teach ourselves

What was taught

~ 美光

 
If we are to learn, we must learn how to best teach our self.

I suggest that you experiment, study, and explore how to spiral yourself.  Study how to power the spiral with “Heaven” and “Earth” and direct the forces with your Mind.  This isn’t magic.  A one-year-old can use their mind to use the solidity and vacuity of a glass to pick up water.  A one-year-old can use their mind to use gravity to allow the water in the glass to pour out.  Again, a one-year-old can do this, but it requires concentration, experimentation and exploration on their part.  There is a HUGE amount of neurological effort and physical development that is associated with their effort.  Just pick a body part and work on it.  Most one year olds make a mess while they learn.  We will do the same.  Making a mess is part of the learning process and is fine as long as you don’t stop there. It would be ridiculous, not to mention abusive, to try to stop a one-year-old from doing anything until they could do it “right” the first time.  Why would we demand the same from ourselves?  The amount that an infant can learn in a period is staggeringly more than an adult.  Much of their learning involves learning from experiences we consider mistakes. If you learn something, have that body part teach your other body parts how to do what it can do.  Remember, use your mind to create the circumstances where forces will spiral, use that to spiral tissue, allow the tissue to spiral bone (within reason). Also remember, figure out how to do less and get more.

You mentioned something else of far more significance though:
“This was at the special seminar where all of O-sensei’s students were called to train under him (with the Kagura Mai theme, I suppose).”
Knowing O-sensei didn’t shy away from “laying it out there” again, and again and again, I should think if he called together “all” of this students for a seminar that was Kagura Mai themed, Kagura Mai is something important to focus on.
I think Kagura Mai is a terrific teaching model.  It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Kagura Mai is in Shirata Sensei’s final “Misogi no Jo” kata detailed in the same memorial book that contains Shirata sensei’s essay presented on TrueAiki.

But I have to leave things to write about right?  So for now, here is are some Kagura Mai questions to ponder:
Where is Yin? Where is Yang?
Where do they meet?
What shape is described that you see?
What shape is described that you don’t see?
What does this have to do with you?

One with all

Gives all away

Loosing nothing

~ 美光

*So why write a book, blog, or make a video?  Something is better than nothing.  I am very grateful for the books, essays, journals, blogs and videos I have encountered throughout my life.  These led me to meet and learn from my most influential teachers. Sometimes an echo can lead one to find the mountain!

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