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O’Sensei went on to learn from other martial arts masters including Japanese mountain ascetics, during travels through China, and it is reported that the kami, or Japanese gods visited to practice with him while he was in meditation and retreat.
He brought together his many martial disciplines in an intuitive, practical form that became known as Aikido.
Aikido’s spiritual philosophy echoes the patterns of nature - blending, flowing, polishing, repeating, never forcing. One of the sayings we use in Knoxville Aikido Dojo is “enter when pulled, turn when pushed.” This question is often asked during testing. Another part of the philosophy is that all we need to train is already within us.Japanese poets and philosophers often used nature as metaphor when teaching - wind, water, leaves, trees - gentleness and persistence bring about change.
O’Sensei says in his book of aphorisms “The Art of Peace” (Compiled by John Stevens, Shambala Pocket Classics, 1992).
“Study the teachings of the pine tree, the bamboo, and the plum blossom. The pine is evergreen, firmly rooted, and venerable. The bamboo is strong, resilient, unbreakable. The plum blossom is hardy, fragrant, and elegant.”
Knoxville Aikido Dojo Students also share their spiritual philosophies of Aikido:
Andy Welshan, student for 8 years:
Aikido is stillness and peace between the pounding noise of your own heartbeat, it is walking, breathing, smiling, being truly alive.
When working with your uke, you strive for harmony of movement. When you achieve this you can escape the shackles of gravity and for a brief moment, like a bird, achieve true flight.
Christian Callahan, student for 3 years:
The process of learning Aikido is like a small stream forming into a great waterfall. At first you learn the basics like trickles of water form a stream. As you progress, you take all the basic techniques to form one free flowing movement like a stream forming a fierce but peaceful waterfall. When I work with my instructors and fellow students, I feel a bond I don’t feel with my friends who don’t practice Aikido. I imagine this bond is similar to what Samarai or Spartans felt when they trained with fellow warriors, but unlike warriors of the past, we in Aikido, train for peace and not for war. Return to top
Sandy Tracy, student for 5 years (this is exerpted from The Blessings of Aikido printed in January/February 2000 issue of AIKIDO TODAY Magazine)
Through the flow of technique - centering, blending, communicating without words - I feel I’ve gone beyond physical boundaried extending to a place vast as the sky. The sense of expansion is indescribable. Separation vanishes.
There comes a time in each person’s practice of Aikido when the spiritual meets the physical. It may be in a class, an encounter with another practitioner, or during a routine life experience. As a plug makes a connection with an electrical outlet, your spirit comes into alignment with another’s, and you truly become an extension of your partner.
Poetry by Lillie DiFrancesco
Fluid.Figures in ancient dress
breathing
movement into history
Transcending
by marriage of
soles of feet to
souls of humanity
Humble.
Invigorating
Waves of flesh
tumble
Silence.
Aikido.
Aikido also teaches to learn blending and taking time to learn -- it takes time! In our Western culture, we often want quick fixes -- thin thighs in 30 days, 30 minute meals, 30 minute abs, a black belt in six months. Some of the techniques in Aikido are known as 20 year techniques. To do them well, may take 20 years. It may take someone 10 years to earn a black belt - or someone else who has much more time,opportunity, athletic ability and the chance to live in Japan in a school three years to earn a black belt.
Andy Welshan, student for 8 years
“Aikido is looking at the world fully awake with both eyes wide open.
Aikido technique is drawing the same picture that countless people have and will draw. The joy of this is that each time it is different and your own.”
Christian Callahan, student for 3 years
“In a world that is bound by so much negativity, Aikido has helped me stand more confidently and has enriched myh life with a calmness that has helped meto hopefullybecome a warrior of peace.”
Sandy Tracy, student for 5 years
It’s almost always a surprise when an attack comes in the everday world! Learning to redirect energy definitely requires the same practice - over and over - that we do on the mat. And then one day it falls into place, and you realize - so that’s how it works! Return to top,