In Aikido Class we practiced hanmi handachi waza. In hanmi handachi, the nage (thrower) kneels in seiza postion (sitting on feet) and the uke attacks from standing position. Some of this is derived from the samurai days, where the samurai in his armor was attacked while sitting. I remembered that from the late Mizukami Sensei. Hanmi handachi trains to move the hips for the incoming attack.
We practiced hanmi handachi waza for uke grabbing my wrist, karate-tori: Uke’s left hand grabs my right wrist and vice versa. I extend my hand out in kotegaeshi (wrist lock). I move both of my hands together leveraging my hips. I extend my left hand to the uke’s face in atemi to move him back. I grab uke’s wrist, applying nikkyo (another wrist lock) to myself. I bring uke into my center and transition to sankyo (yet another wrist lock) with my right hand. I move my hips forward and throw the uke. I continuously transition from kotegaeshi to nikkyo to sankyo.
Sensei Bobby demonstrated the technique. I followed his instructions and did the technique. He said, “No aggression. Apply the technique to yourself.” I got it. I said, “No fighting.” Sensei smiled. He also reminded me to relax the muscles in my face. I laughed. I got that, too.
I keep the attack in my center sphere. I apply the technique to myself. The external opponent doesn’t matter. Rather, I’m the opponent who I overcome. O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba said, “True victory is victory over oneself.” That’s the bigger picture. In the greater picture, what does that look like outside the Dojo? Just asking.
Granted, if some big strong dude attacks intending to harm me or those dear to me, I’ll enter the attack and die with honor. What happens, happens. Yes, this is only as a last resort, not the optimum scenario or outcome.
Yet, what Sensei said was wise. In the greater space, there’s no aggression, no fight. I apply the technique to myself. I match up with whatever force I receive in the attack. I redirect that force and resolve the attack. Maybe, no fighting, no aggression is working on myself first, so that conflict doesn’t arise.
After class, I told Sensei that I got what he said about leading with the bokken and following with the body in weapons training. Yeah, the concept is simple. I smiled, “Simple doesn’t mean easy.” We both laughed.
I get from O-Sensei and Aikido training that creating peace in the world might be possible when working on myself, making peace with myself first. Again, that’s simple. Yet, simple doesn’t necessarily mean easy. As the late Mizukami Sensei would say, “Just train.”
Often when I clash with someone, I get that their weakness or frailty that I despise is mine as well, something that I’m working on. Being older, and perhaps wiser in my older age, I look within instead of wanting to take some dude out with iriminage because he’s a jerk.
I’ll get pissed off because someone is impatient or being an asshole. Then I look within and remember to have compassion for them and for myself. Inevitably, I had done something similar in the past by not being mindful, being unkind, being human.
We all make mistakes. We all have acted less than kind at times. Hopefully, we invented our greater-than version from our failures. If we can forgive ourselves, shouldn’t we forgive others for our own transgressions? Just asking. Yes, simple. Yet simple is not necessarily easy to do. So, I continue to train. Practice becoming a better human being, my greater-than version.
In life’s bigger picture, I apply the technique to myself. I work on myself. I train to make peace with myself. Perhaps, in that way, I can create the possibility of peace outside myself, in the world at large. Again, simple. Not easy. So, just train.
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This post was republished on Medium.
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