Practicality and Practice in Aikido
Inryokyu Volume 5 Issue 10
by Josh Paul, AOSB head instructor
This past month, I had the unique opportunity to share aikido with middle school students at the Lycée Français de New York, a private, bilingual all-ages school. The one-hour program, “Confident and Aware: Principles and Practices of Martial Arts,” included presentations and demonstrations of aikido, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and judo. Judo was presented by two of the school’s teachers, and two teenage students gave the BJJ demonstration. The workshop’s intention was to increase student awareness of personal safety strategies, and perhaps impart some lasting bit of knowledge or skill.
Of course, I wanted to teach something flashy and “practical.” But what practicalities can be taught to a huge group in just a few minutes? What lasting skill could I hope to impart? I chose escaping wrist grabs while emphasizing paying attention (zanshin.) The escapes are reasonably safe, practical, and relatively simple compared with full techniques, and paying attention can be practiced by everybody everywhere. However, as I prepared and rehearsed, I realizeed how even these most fundamental skills require practice and upkeep.
“Fiddling with this and that technique is of no avail. Simply act decisively without reserve!”
Aikido is a perishable skill. Without practice, we lose the nuances of timing, spacing, and leverage that make our techniques work even as we retain the muscle memory. No matter how fast or powerful your technique, if you start it too soon or too late, or too close or too far away from your partner, it won’t really work. These underlying sensitivities are more important than any individual technique or even any style of martial art.
Practicing is the important part. Through practicing we learn about ourselves and how we deal with conflict. When grabbed, do you grab back? When your technique fails, is your first thought to stomp your partner's groin? Do you blame unsuccessful throws on your partner’s “incorrect” ukemi or your twisted wrist on your partner’s non-aikido-like aggression?
Learning how we respond to aggression and conflict is a huge part of the practicality of our practice. How we deal with conflict is essentially about how we interact with others, and build and maintain (or not) relationships. Every encounter, every conflict on and off the mat is different. We cannot prepare for all of them. All we can do is practice.