Another Post About Music and Aikido

By -
In a recent seminar with the fiddle master Bruce Molsky, I became very interested in watching the way his body was engaged in playing the music. It was a kind of connected disconnection that reminded me of something we strive for in aikido practice. I remarked to a friend that Bruce's fingers, hands and arms seemed disconnected from his body, because they seemed to move independently of whatever the rest of his body was doing. My friend argued that his entire body was connected, because what the rest of his body was doing was reacting and emphasizing the music.

This is something that most, if not all, accomplished musicians do: when the playing has become familiar and comfortable enough, it almost happens by itself, and the rest of your body - and consciousness - is available: to emphasize, anticipate, engage, and even dance and sing.

In aikido practice we can see this in the most advanced practitioners. Certainly watching Sensei offers a powerful visual image of how this connected disconnection can work.  While Sensei is throwing a very strong person, his feet may delicately step forward or back, and he can easily talk or even sing (Scarborough Fair is a favorite...). Only part of his body is involved in the underlying throw, and the rest of his body, and consciousness, is available: to emphasize, anticipate, engage, and even dance and sing. 

Why is this helpful? When I am having difficulty finding a visual metaphor with how I want to feel in my aikido practice, I can simply call to mind the experience of watching my favorite musicians.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Make a "Rush" Woven Seat Chair Using Old Jeans (or Fabric Scraps)

By -
Image
I used the technique for weaving a rush chair seat to make a chair seat using old jeans. The antique ladderback chair is just the right height for me to practice my Québécois button accordion. Fabric Choice Although at first I considered using t-shirt strips (also called tarn), I decided to jeans because denim is stronger and not stretchy. I had some old heavy linen fabric that would have done the trick, too, but I didn't have enough for the whole chair with either linen or jeans. I decided not to mix them, at least not for my first chair. I was advised, (correctly!) by other crafters, that all I had to do was out the word out, and I’d get donations. I sent out 4 emails and literally went shopping and there were two pairs of jeans on my doorstep. I had five more pairs by the weekend. (Now I need another chair!) Some Pointers Before I describe the process, here are some pointers. I don't recommend doing this with a stretchy fabric. Therefore, if you use jeans, avo...
Read more

Keep One Point

By -
Image
I've been slowly but surely writing of a series posts devoted to each of the  four basic principles of Kokikai Aikido . One of these is Keep One Point to Develop Calmness. We spend about 90 minutes in each aikido class, and most students practice once or twice a week - only a small proportion of the of hours we are awake each week. It may be plenty of time to spend doing a demanding physical exercise, but we need to spend more time working on the underlying principles for them to become second nature in our bodies. Fortunately, all of the basic principles are easily practiced at any time, not just in class. We can easily practice finding and keeping One Point while off the mat, and test the results when we're back on the mat. What Is One Point? One Point is a concept closely related to your center of balance. Centuries ago martial artists discovered that if the mind is focused on keeping this point low, one becomes stronger and harder to move. In Kokikai, we first...
Read more

What is Ki?

By -
Image
The concept of Ki , or lifeforce, exists in many cultures. In Chinese it's Chi or Qi , in Sanskrit,  Prana . In western culture, while we may say someone has a soul that is distinct from their physical body, the soul is connected to the individual.  Ki, as it is understood in Japanese culture, is a universal force that permeates everything. Individuals may manifest more or less ki, but it is a connecting force between everyone and everything. In Japan, ki is an everyday concept that's found in many common phrases . For example the phrase "O  ki o tsuke te," which means "take care," literally means, "apply ki ."   "O genki desu?" the most common way to say "How are you?" means, literally, "Do you have ki ?"   "Ii k imochi," a phrase heard often, particularly in popular songs, means "(What a) good feeling." "Ii" means "good" and "kimochi" literally means having, o...
Read more