Ki Development Exercises in Kokikai Aikido - Part I
At the beginning of every Kokikai Aikido class we practice ki development exercises. Beginning students often wonder about the purpose of these movements. I sometimes sense students are waiting to get the ki exercises over with so we can get to the fun part of class. Don't make this mistake! Ki development exercises are really important! I was lucky to have an instructor who devoted a lot of attention to ki exercises, and I learned to give as much attention to them as to all the other aspects of my practice. Ki Development Exercises: Purpose Sensei often compares ki exercises to strength training exercises for athletes . Quite simply: they help make us stronger. No one claims they're a substitute for technique when it's time to defend yourself. A boxer may do push-ups to become strong, but in the ring nobody's going to be doing push-ups! Mindful practice of ki development exercises helps us form good habits of mind/body coordination . One of the first things...