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This week we are going to look at what San Gen means in the body, how it functions, and how to begin developing them into Aiki. As previously stated the three origins are:
– Heaven = Force of Gravity – Down Force
– Earth = Force of Solidity – Up Force
– Man = Force of Intent – Utilization.
These are considered GREAT forces and if one thinks about it, even from our twenty-first century point of view, they are still fundamental, foundational, and original forces, that are as relevant today as they were at their inception.
For our immediate purposes, however, we are going to be looking at how to use these forces to create Aiki 2 (Mono axial circular rotation created by Ten,Chi,Jin) in our bodies. Last week I explained how to begin to create Aiki 1 (Linear co-arising oppositional forces created by Ten,Chi,Jin) in our bodies. In truth, this was the beginning of our usage of Ten, Chi, Jin, because without them we couldn’t have done what we did.
We used the force of gravity (Heaven) to allow our tissues and bones to be pulled down to the surface of the earth. We used the force of the solidity of the Earth, communicated through our bones, to create a counter force from which our tissues could hang in tension. This state of dynamic balance of tension in the tissues and compression of the bones was created and sustained through a specific use of (the force of) intent (Man). Here we can see that these three (San) forces were the origin (Gen) of Aiki 1.
This week we are going to take things a step further. We will use the three origins (San Gen) to additionally create Aiki 2. If you haven’t figured it out yet, San Gen are the source of all Aiki. We will first start with theory and then move on to a simple example of making Aiki 2 in the body.
Theory of Creating Aiki 2 in the Body:
First, take the Aiki #1 line that we created last week and create two equal and oppositional forces perpendicular to the original line.
The line we created last week will begin to rotate about a central axis point. The outer ends of the line draw arcs that meet at 180º making a circle. Voila! Aiki #2, kinda!
It would be so much better if that line was a spoke supporting a wheel that rotated around a central axis point. Then, anywhere a linear force that comes into contact with the rim of the wheel (on the same plane), will be met orthogonally creating a resultant force vector.
Beginning to Create Aiki 2 in the Body:
Okay, let’s do this in our bodies! We will be rotating three lines of Aiki 1: One line from top of head to the perineum, one line through our femurs, and one line through our lower legs.
This can be rather challenging to do correctly at first. However, my friend/training partner/student Robert Roeser (He lives in No. Cal., and if you can train with him you should!) borrowed an exercise he used to do as a powerlifter using Louie Simmons West Side method. It is called the Box Squat.
Normally we wouldn’t let our knees drift as far forward is is shown in this example. Never let the knee move past the toes, and always keep the knees and toes in line with each other.
Now I KNOW what you are thinking! (My mighty Aiki powers allow me to read your puny little mortal minds! Bwah Ha ha!) But, no! You are wrong in thinking that we are squatting to build strength like everyone else does. If that were the case, Robert would still be over 300lbs and power lifting. Thankfully for his heart, he is no longer that big. He also hasn’t powerlifted in many years. BUT he has actually become more powerful (Power = Work/Time), much to the surprise of his power lifting friends!
So here is what you do: you stand up vertically in front of a box placed approximately the length of your femurs behind you. The box should be strong enough to support your weight. Then, without allowing your shins to move forward, you stick your butt back. . . waaaaayyyy back, uncomfortably back, suicidally back. Your shoulders should stay in line vertically with your knees. You will land on your bum on the box with your thighs parallel or slightly less.
This takes practice and development. If you think it is easy you are almost definitely doing it wrong. Try it. Use a spotter so that you don’t miss the box. Be sure to have a partner who keeps your knees honest.
To stand up you just reverse the motion. We shift our mass, and the forces that caused the initial rotation switch directions such that we “fall up.” DO NOT shift yourself forward and push linearly into the ground. You will want to. But, that is not Aiki, that is direct opposition and a “normal” squat.
There is no need to lift heavy. Remember we are not working on contraction. We just want to manipulate our mass in a particular way.
This exercise does three very helpful things. 1) Since it uses the back power train of the body which is usually underdeveloped, yet potentially the most powerful (including the psoas which we will discuss in a later blog) it causes this area to develop, thereby increasing one’s capacity to support one’s mass via balanced tension. 2) This forces the line of your spine, femurs, and lower legs to rotate around a central axis point, thereby creating Aiki #2 (which will lead to creating Aiki #3.) 3) One is forced by the movement to relax the tissues in the area of the inguinal fold (or “Kua,” the area where the head of the femur meets the pelvis). It is important to both strengthen (increase the capacity of the tissues to hold mass via tension), increase the range of motion of this area, and decrease as much as possible any contraction of tissues in the area thereby allowing force to travel without hindrance from the legs to the thorax and vice versa. Just strengthening is no good for our purposes. Just increasing the range of motion is no good for our purposes. We want a balance of strength (via tension) and range of motion.
Okay? Do this a lot, over a long period of time and you won’t regret it. And remember what Sagawa said, “You can always do less!”
I want to get to Shi Kon, but before I do that, I want to liven things up a bit!
Next week we will begin to test and measure the capacity of our beginning Aiki #1 and Aiki #2.
Next week’s Blog Post is entitled, “When Push Comes to Shove!”
Public Service Announcement: It has been pointed out to me that some of my blog posts were a little long and a lot more dense. For those that know me, this comes as no surprise. I tend to go from silent, to long winded, and from monosyllabic, to abstrusely complex. I am trying to strike a balance between palatable reading and meaningful content.
For those primarily seeking meaning, please understand that my plan is that I will be writing for some length of time. And so, while what I write might not be as comprehensive as some would like it to be now, all together it will hopefully come together as a whole. I’ve been asked for decades to write a book or more on the various subjects I plan to cover. I always assumed that I would do that upon retirement. However, it occurred to me that since none of us knows our length of time on this earth, it might be smart to begin sharing now. So, these blogs may someday become a book, or they may not. Either way, I hope that whatever knowledge has been been shared with me can be passed on before my final bow.
For those who like a shorter and more casual read, please feel free to breeze through what I have written at whatever pace suits you. However, I encourage you to ponder what you have read. Don’t take my word for anything. Rather, experiment, observe, come to your own conclusions and be able to defend (know why you think what you do) your conclusions. And every once in a while, whenever suits, re-visit what you have read and see if your understanding has changed. I certainly hope it does, seeing as progress IS change.
Finally, please ask questions if you have them. Questions are not the sign of ignorance. Questions are the symptoms of a thinking, discriminating and inquisitive mind. I may be able to answer your question to your satisfaction, and I may not. Either way, we will both be exercising our intellect, and that isn’t such a bad thing after all.
Allen Dean Beebe
40 Comments
Hiroshi Kato · January 23, 2017 at 10:31 am
Great stuff; thanks for sharing!
Allen Dean Beebe · January 23, 2017 at 10:52 am
Thank you for your appreciation and kind words Hiroshi!
Sy Labthavikul · January 23, 2017 at 10:50 am
I’m training with Allen now; this “box-squat”-like exercise is HARD, even for people who can ass-to-grass squat 3x their bodyweight, because turning off as much muscular contraction as possible everywhere in the body to do it (especially when standing back up) is completely opposite of what everyone does naturally.
Allen Dean Beebe · January 23, 2017 at 11:38 am
Hi Sy,
Thank your for the comment and for training with us. Your observation, “it is completely opposite of what everyone does naturally” is significant. Aiki is almost ALWAYS “completely opposite of what everyone naturally does and/or thinks.” In fact I’d say that is a reliable trait of Aiki.
This really should come as no surprise either. It explains why Aiki is so unique and why it is so difficult for people to master. Conceptually, it isn’t obvious at all and requires being taught. Even after being taught, we are so used to conceiving of things in a certain manner that we often miss what is explicitly being stated and pointed out. Then there is the catch 22 of not truly having complete comprehension without experience. Finally, there is the process of adaptation that must occur both mentally and physically. One can, and usually does, screw up repeatedly along this process. And, this is simply the acquisition of Aiki, it isn’t applying Aiki to martially relevant skills, nor is it developing one’s Aiki and skills under physical and/or psychological stress. All of that comes later.
Training in such a way that proper adaptation occurs in the mind/body such that it produces Aiki very difficult to do in isolation and very, VERY unlikely to occur while doing something else at the same time like learning technique or competing. That much IS logical. One proceeds step by step.
All the best,
Allen
Lorel · January 23, 2017 at 10:06 pm
Hi Allen,
Thanks for the post. Really enjoying the posts. Just a criticism: your diagrams are confusing. Are the rotations that are created for Aiki 2 vertical or horizontal rotations?
Allen Dean Beebe · January 24, 2017 at 9:02 am
Hi Lorel,
The rotations for Aiki 2 can be on any singular plain. In the box squat example I gave, all three rotations are on the vertical plain. Thank you for asking!
Jason · January 24, 2017 at 1:28 am
Great post! I was a powerlifter and olympic-style lifter in my youth, so I am familiar with the “traditional” box squat, but not sure about the “shift our mass, and the forces that caused the initial rotation switch directions such that we ‘fall up'” portion of this one. Can you post a video clip so I can get a better idea?
Allen Dean Beebe · January 24, 2017 at 2:33 pm
Hi Jason,
I replied to your post but it is shown farther below. I’m not sure why.
Thanks again for your interest,
Allen
Jose Montero · January 24, 2017 at 9:56 am
Thank You very much. I have read all of your blog. This is the stuff that was allways missing for me. Thank you for sharing your knowledge….. It would be nice to actually see this exercise, and othes to come 🙂 done on a video so we could see it and corret mistakes…. although… I’ve done it a few times and ALREADY GOT IT …. hehhhe… only joking.
Best Regards
Jose.
Allen Dean Beebe · January 24, 2017 at 11:02 am
Hi Jose,
Thank you for your encouraging words. It is rewarding to know that my efforts are beneficial. I’ve written about posting video in another response. I’m going to try to satisfy that request, although I don’t know how much good it will do. Aiki is the manipulation and dynamic balance of the forces of gravity, solidity of the earth, and mind. Consequently it is real, but it is invisible. Anytime we conceive of Aiki as an “outer” movement, we mislead ourselves. Nevertheless, we all start with “outer” movements and work our way to understanding. Video will be particularly helpful when I get around to sharing Shirata’s exercises.
I’m glad to hear you gave it a try and “got it.” Now teach me! 😀
Take care,
Allen Dean Beebe
Allen Dean Beebe · January 24, 2017 at 10:17 am
Hi Jason,
Thank you for your question! As far as posting a video clip goes, I am working on it.. It costs me money to post here, but I received a tip from a kind Facebook follower suggesting I use Vimeo and then just post a link here. I’ll look into that.
To be honest, I don’t think the video will demonstrate what I said earlier about standing. The changes, while profound and real, are not visible on the outside. So when I post two standing vids (one correct, one incorrect) and two box squat vids (one correct, one incorrect) both will look identical. (And I’ll probably receive criticism for that! But whatever . . . )
Nevertheless, given your experience, I bet I can help you understand from a distance. First off, when I say, “putting the tissues in tension” this often refers to an eccentric contraction. I didn’t put that in the blog posts because I thought it would further confuse an already confusing explanation. As you no, negatives are always stronger than concentric contractions. They are also, less dangerous, more efficient and recommended for older adults. Part of this technology is turning every movement into a negative.
On the downward portion of the squat, you should feel as if the bottom of your foot is being pushed backward. It doesn’t move due to friction of course. On the upward portion of the squat, the bottom of your foot should feel as if it is being pushed forward. Again it doesn’t move due to friction.
In a normal squat the feeling on the feet is usually pure compression because we try to keep our mass in a static state. But on ours, when I go down, I let my mass shift subtly forward. And when I go up, I let my mass shift subtly backward. So, in one rep my mass travels in a circle (more like an oval.) The shift in mass comes from moving my dantian if that makes any sense to you.
Here is a bit more explanation: Say you squat down half way and then start to fall forward. It is possible you fall forward your body elongates. You could do the same backwards. If you mix the two there could be a net elongation upward due to the balance of forward and backward “falls.”
Also, if you look at the acute angles formed by the body, on the way up I express force from the vertices outward where there is no resistance, one the way downI express force from he vertices inward where there is no resistance. Never do I try to express force force vertically against the solidity of the earth, or against gravity.
Screw around with it. I’m certain you can figure it out!
In the mean time, I’ll work on pics and vids for what that is worth.
All the best,
Allen
adarshvs77 · January 26, 2017 at 5:27 am
thanks … much clearer now
Jason · February 2, 2017 at 2:56 am
Thanks! This clarifies things a lot.
Steven Wright · May 27, 2020 at 6:34 am
Hey Allen, you mention you ‘fall’ back when you rise. I find I seem to stand when I shift my mass forward slightly.
Is this incorrect? Perhaps I have the batteries in backwards.
Thanks!
Allen Dean Beebe · May 30, 2020 at 5:06 pm
Hi Steven,
Feeling like one seems to stand when shifting mass forward slightly is normal. It normally happens for one of two reasons: 1) The individual plans to rise so they shift their mass over their supporting leg(s) so they can push their way up. 2) When one looses balance over a supporting leg(s) there is a natural tendency to thrust.
We wish to use the latter, not the former. But it is a little more complicated than that. When one “thrusts” unconsiously it is almost always further into no support. This is typified in the Judo demonstration of Kuzushi. One sees the “uke” rising to their toes in the direction they were made to tilt in. This can be a cooperative feined exaturation, but it is illustrating a normal human response which is then capatalized upon using leverage to cause a fall.
In our case, we use a controlled balance of this phenomenon in at least two opposing directions. In the case of TDD #2, and #3, it is used in a spiral. Here are a couple of cardinal rules to keep in mind: 1) Complimentary, coarising, mutually dependent forces must always be present. That is to say, “Yin/Yang.” (Here it is important that the forces not simply be opposite, but they must be co-arising, complimentary, and mutually dependent. Many beginners mistake making opposing forces that do not have these other qualities as Yin/Yang. They may be Yin. They may be Yang (probably Yang). But they are not Yin/Yang. 2) In Yin/Yang, Yang force is always expressed into Yin, and Yin force always expressed from Yang. This creates non-resistance.
In the beginning I encourage people to fall backwards, to fall upwards, because falling forwards to fall upwards is habitual and almost always leads to one pushing against the earth to make one’s self rise. We don’t need to learn that. We already know how to do that.
On a side note, avoiding an oncoming force is not Aiki because the result isn’t complimentary, co-arising, mutually dependent forces. Sure the oncoming force can be characterized as a “Yang” force. And avoiding that force could be characterized as a “Yin” force. But these two forces are independently originated and have no causal relationship with eachother. Therefore they are not mutually dependent, they don’t define eachother. Therefore there is no Yin/Yang, and therefore there is no Aiki or true non-resistance.
This is the big stumbling block of modern Aikido and Daito Ryu. We see practitioners either reacting with Yin, or with Yang, but there is no Yin/Yang, and therefore no Aiki. For example, we see Aikido practitioners (supposedly) avoiding “attacks” with Yin and then countering with Yang. In some cases it is taught that Uke should be Yang, and Nage should be Yin upon initiation. (Even linguistically this makes little sense.) Then they are taught that the rolls reverse, Nage is Yang, and Uke is Yin. Obviously to do what one is “supposed” to do requires cooperation, coordination, and coroberation. Some school teach uke to be Yang and nage to initially be Yin and then to become Yang until uke is forced to become Yin. This requires a bit less cooperation, coordination and coroberation. Then, some schools teach uke to be Yang, and nage to be Yang. Then nage should be nage through technical power or shear physical force over comes uke’s Yang. Finally, there are the few schools that teach uke to feign Yang (which is Yin) and nage responds with Yin (sometimes without touch) and uke feigns being overcome (which is also Yin.). One can see that none of these is involves an actually Yin/Yang relationship. Consequently, there is no Aiki being learned, practiced or demonstrated.
I’m not saying that all of these are innapropriate. Getting out of the way of a sharp object or superior force makes a lot of sense! However, doing so isn’t Aiki. So, to take the example of weapons further, avoiding a slash or a thrust is difficult, but it can save one’s life. Blocking or parrying a weapon attack is less difficult (and therefore more immediately practical) and can save one’s life. Not learning the usage of these, in my opinion, is a big mistake if one wishes to survive. Ignoring these is a lot like the, “I don’t need to learn ground fighting because filnding one’s self on the ground is incredibly dangerous in combat.” Finding one’s self on the ground is extremely disadventageous in most combat scenarios. But that fact doesn’t preclude one from finding themselves on the ground in souch a situation. And, not knowing or having trained any practical skills for such an eventuallity could be the one factor that turns an extremely bad situation into a fatal one.
Nevertheless, avoidance and direct opposition are not Aiki. Which isn’t to say that one couldn’t use (Yin/Yang) to better avoid, or block. And, if one has the capacity to use Aiki to help one’s self better avoid, block, or parry, once conntact with another’s force is made the opportunity for creating Aiki there exists. In fact, if one’s primary practice is doing most everything with Aiki, it is highly likely that that will happen automatically.
Wow! There is a long winded rambling answer to your short question. I think my short answer, especially in person, would be, “No.”
Try it backwards and see if you can’t get it to work. When you fall, make sure you are “falling” into no support. That is when the lifting support will arise in your body.
“Don’t quit, don’t Die!”
Hiroshi Kato · January 24, 2017 at 2:51 pm
I find it helpful if you do not think of using your powerful quads to go up, but think of opening your kua. Likewise, think of slowly closing your kua going dow. Doing so, you can feel the tissue in tension, and the pressure on the feet are as you mention.
Hiroshi
Jose Montero · January 25, 2017 at 1:17 pm
Thank You Hiroshi
Allen Dean Beebe · January 24, 2017 at 3:48 pm
Thank you for adding that Hiroshi,
Even for powerlifters the emphasis is on the back power train. So that means the hamstrings, glutes,etc. This applies for us as well. The load primarily falls to the back. However, we put an emphasis on using tissues in tension and not in contraction and powerlifters are not concerned with that distinction.
I like the box squat precisely because it forces one to use the kuas in the manner you described. I would add one word of caution however. Usage of the kuas are passive rather than active. In other words, one does not actively move tissue in the kuas area. Rather one intentionally creates the conditions where the tissues in the kua area are allowed to move. There is movement of the head of the femur relative to the pelvic bone. But this movement is created by activity occurring above and below the are of the kua. It is the same with the upper kuas. There is movement in the head of the humerus, but that movement is not generated at the head of the humerus, it is created above and below that area.
Actually, we are beginning to describe Aiki #3, But I didn’t want to get into that just yet.
In some ways this is all very easy and logical. Eccentric contraction is much stronger than concentric contraction, so we use it. Back power train is much stronger than front power train, so we use it. Mechanically efficient whole body generated power is much more powerful that mechanically inefficient segmented body generated power, so we use it.
One note of caution though, in time one can begin to generate far more power than one would be capable of handling conventionally. This is great, BUT if one screws up and one’s old habituated methods of handling force jump in to “save the day,” one will very likely experience injury. Will happen for the simple reason that the “correct” method of body usage can generate and support far more force than the conventional (incorrect) method can. That is usually the reason one sought it in the first place.
Also, in time the amount of power one can generate and/or support as a matter of course, will become disproportionate to others. One will not likely be aware of that disproportion since one does not feel it. This can become problematic if one is not aware of it. It can also be misinterpreted by others. For example while you feel as though you are not applying any force at all, others may feel as though you are applying a frightening amount of force. It would take them a great deal of effort to generate the same amount of force, so they assume you must be putting forth the same amount of effort and therefore must be aware of the situation and be creating it intentionally.
Most individuals are far from this point of concern, but with consistent and thoughtful practice it can be arrived at and one should be aware of it.
Shirata sensei used to say that one should get to the point where one is constantly and consistently “holding back” one’s power so as not to injure others to the point that one feels as though they are handling a child. Only then will one’s power be sufficient in a conflagration, and at that point a conflagration is far less likely to occur.
Thank you again for your addition Hiroshi! This stuff often has to be explained repeatedly and in various ways and then, if we are lucky, every once and a while we go, “Ohhhhhhhh, that is what so and so meant when he/she said xyzzy!” And then when we try to explain it in our own words we think, “Hmmmm, well I would say “xyz!” Oh wait, that is exactly what he/she said!”
And so it goes . . .
Hiroshi Kato · January 25, 2017 at 9:04 pm
Thank you. Looking forward to Aiki #3.
mikesigman · April 16, 2017 at 3:34 pm
The Up force from the solidity of the ground and the Down force from weight/gravity are both aspects of Gravity, aka the Qi of Earth. The Qi of Heaven is different.
Allen Dean Beebe · April 16, 2017 at 3:45 pm
Hi Mike!,
I understand your statement from a modern science perspective, but was unaware that that was known to the originators of this model.
Please share your understanding of the Qi of Heaven and also what led you to your understanding, personal experience, texts, teachers, etc.
Thanks for showing up!,
Allen
mikesigman · April 16, 2017 at 4:06 pm
Allen, I was simply pointing out something basic that I think you should know about the Qi of Earth. It’s a fairly simple concept and the old people understood that Up and Down came from the Earth. The Qi of Heaven is also pretty obvious and it has to do with the breath, not gravity. The idea of qi/ki comes more from the breath/air and how you use it or train it. Mike
Allen Dean Beebe · April 16, 2017 at 4:21 pm
Mike, obviously what is obvious to you is not obvious to me. For that reason I appreciate your explanation. Can you please share where “the old people understood that Up and Down came from the Earth? That would be an interesting resource to share for a diversity of views.
My understanding is that there is Ten, Chi, and Jin. There is also Ten Ki, Chi Ki and Jin Ki. And, breath also relates, there is Ten no Kokyu, Chi no Kokyu and Jin no Kokyu. They are all interrelated, but they are not the same.
Thanks again for your contribution,
Allen
mikesigman · April 16, 2017 at 4:35 pm
Allen, basically “Heaven, Man, Earth”, with Man being between Heaven and Earth refers to the idea that man gets his strength/qi (qi is always related to strength/forces) with input from the strengths of the Earth (gravity) and inputs from “Heaven”. So what you have for strength and qi yourself is a combination of your personal qi with the qi from the Earth and the qi from “Heaven”. Most of the study and development of qi/ki has to do with the qi from “Heaven” and your personal qi/ki. Kokyu/Kei/Jin, etc., has more to do with application of those ki/qi’s. My main comment to you was to say that the Down forces are not the Ki/Qi of Heaven. It simply won’t work because it leaves out the Ki/Qi developed in so many other aspects of qigongs/breathing-exercises and so on. Mike
Allen Dean Beebe · April 16, 2017 at 4:41 pm
Mike, I see (I think). This model is different from how I understood your model in the past. So, I appreciate your clarification here. Allen
mikesigman · April 16, 2017 at 4:48 pm
Allen, my model has never changed, but my interpretation of some of the old models and terms changed. I was never that interested in the old buzzwords and buzzphrases … I simply wanted to know how things worked and while I’ve gotten better and understand better, my basic understanding hasn’t changed. What I was saying was that if you’re going to interpret things from the Heaven, Man, Earth perspective … a buzzphrase of no real use other than as a buzzphrase …. then you should probably get the Earth and Heaven part of it right, now, rather than have it bollix things later on. 😉
mikesigman · April 16, 2017 at 4:40 pm
Allen, here’s a good excerpt of a video where Chen Xiaowang shows the relationship of using the “Qi from the Earth” as a necessary part of your own qi/strength
Allen Dean Beebe · April 16, 2017 at 5:07 pm
Mike, Thank you for concern and input. Obviously I decided to go forging ahead with a blog with the knowledge that my “interpretation of some of the old models and terms” might very well change in time. That, of course, is the price of progress!
If and when things bolix later on (Which , if you are correct, they will!), I will acknowledge it (because I want to continue to progress) and certainly give you “I told you so” credits!! ;-P
mikesigman · April 16, 2017 at 5:16 pm
Allen, I’m more of a “how does it work functionally and in terms of physics” sort of guy than someone who has an interest in the old phrases. In my experience, I usually understand the old phrases correctly only when I pass a certain level of functional understanding/expertise. But the old phrases are more of a side-issue to me … the functional “how does it work” is more my interest. If I am teaching someone something I try to make it as *functionally* accurate as I can … it’s been a fun journey. 😉
Allen Dean Beebe · April 16, 2017 at 5:40 pm
Mike, For me it is doubly fun in that I’m learning the “stuff” and also trying to learn the physics that describe the “stuff.” It helps that most of my training partners are engineers. Allen
mikesigman · April 16, 2017 at 5:44 pm
That’s good, Allen. I think you’re right to follow the engineering path. 😉 If you confuse the issue with strange ideas of Heaven and Earth and opposing forces, you’ll probably miss the nice parts. Think hard; work hard. It’s been fun to re-meet. Mike
David Boxen · December 31, 2017 at 11:33 am
Hi Allen,
If in the box squat exercise as you describe it above the lower leg is to remain vertical, how is it then also rotating around a central axis to create Aiki 2?
Thanks for this blog! I’ve just started reading through it and am getting something out of your perspective on this type of mind/body training.
David
Allen Dean Beebe · January 4, 2018 at 6:33 am
Hi David,
The lower leg shifts a little, but there isn’t much rotation. The important thing is how Force is expressed in each section of the leg. There doesn’t need to be visible movement as long as Force is being expressed in a dual opposing manner (in this case non-linear so if it were freed from the ground it would rotate).
Thank you for reading, thinking, and for the question. Please let me know if you have further questions or further clarification on this one. (It’s all clear in my mind. But that doesn’t necessarily mean much to you or others.)
Kind Regards,
Allen
mikesigman · January 4, 2018 at 9:19 am
Allen, what’s the relationship between this explanation of various “Aiki’s” and the classical description of Yin-Yang in balance (no opposing forces)? Is there a relationship?
Allen Dean Beebe · January 4, 2018 at 10:23 am
Hi Mike,
Aiki is Yin and Yang in balance.
or
The Aiki, Yin/Yang, Ichi Rei, Ni Ki, etc. that can be spoken of is not the true Aiki, Yin/Yan, Ichi Rei, Ni Ki, etc.
Thus ending all books (classic or otherwise, and blogs before they begin.
Thanks,
Allen
mikesigman · January 4, 2018 at 10:40 am
OK, if “Aiki is Yin and Yang in balance”, how and why is it composed of mutually opposing “forces”? That’s the part I don’t get. A metaphor might be something like this: Yin-Yang is in balance like a balance-scale and a slight impinging force starts to cause the balance-scale to become unbalanced, so it (or a person in Yin-Yang) immediately attempts to regain the balance of Yin-Yang. Contrast that classical rebalancing metaphor with the idea of having opposing forces operating. It’s a good theoretical discussion.
Allen Dean Beebe · January 4, 2018 at 12:39 pm
They are the same. In order to function properly a balance scale must initially have equal and opposing forces on either side of the fulcrum.
As Shioda said, “Aiki is just a balance trick.”
This, of course, is all very well and good. How good we are at balancing is where the continuum of ability exists.
I suggest people use language that best helps them produce the results they desire. Language is always a model of reality, not the reality itself. So in the case of Aiki I think it is best to look to the reality of result first rather than to the language used for verification of understanding. That is the limitation of the internet.
Allen
adarsh · November 14, 2018 at 1:51 am
I’ve been follwoing your blog from the beginning but i couldn’t see how the aiki exercises were different from other normal exercises. So i’ve started reading your blog again from start. Today something clicked in my mind when i read this Squatting exercise and i can see how it different from the normal squat and how it connects the whole body from head to toe and not just strength the legs. Just want to thank you for this wonderful work of yours.
admin · November 14, 2018 at 8:09 pm
Hello,
Congratulations! I am happy to hear of your progress. I applaud your diligence too. It is far easier to assume absolute knowledge than it is to continuously pursue ever deeper understanding. But ever deeper understanding is a reward reserved for those with the will, humility and perseverance to pursue it.
Jean-Baptiste Casanave · August 25, 2021 at 7:43 am
I think now i understand what is called “open the feet in six directions”. Thx a lot.