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KI
CONCEPTS
The trademark and
central principle of the Ki Society is Ki. How would you explain Ki to a
child?
Ki is a Japanese word describing the natural energy of the universe. We may
experience it more directly as our life force, that which keeps us healthy
and happy. In Japanese the word ''ikiteiru'' means to be alive, ''iki o
shiteiru'' means to breathe, and while the character is different both
contain the sound Ki. Originally the Japanese language had no writing system,
and we adapted the Chinese writing system to our own language. The character
for Ki is Chinese, but the original word Ki existed in Japanese before the
character was adopted. When I first went to Hawaii in 1953, I asked my students if
there was any equivalent word for it in English. They searched the dictionary
and couldn't come up with one, so they started using the Japanese word Ki,
and now everyone uses it. Kids recognize it instinctively. It is the adults
who want to define it in words.
In what ways does
Ki-Aikido training protect health and promote fitness?
We talk about Ki as an energy that circulates freely between our body and the
universe. A person who is healthy is said to be ''genki,'' having strong Ki.
If your body is cluttered with stress and tension, it will negatively affect
your health. Aikido is a balanced whole-body exercise that keeps you young
and fit, as well as an excellent way to develop strong Ki.
What is the
biggest misunderstanding about Ki?
The biggest mistake is to think of Ki as something magic or supernatural. In
fact Ki is as natural as air and water. Some people teach that they can ''use
Ki'' to make people fall down without touching them, but this tends to work
only on the teacher's students. I teach people to be natural, and have never
taught anything else. I do demonstrations when I teach, that some people
might consider out of the ordinary, such as making your body unliftable even
by several strong people, or being centered so that no one can push you over.
However, none of these things are supernatural, and all of my students can do
them as well. It does not require an assistant who will cooperate to make the
trick work. This is why I always call people out of the audience whom I have
never met to do the demonstration. People who see this without understanding
it might call it supernatural, but I have never promoted myself in this way.
Most people assume that
if someone pushes on your body, you have no choice but to move or receive it.
In fact, if you are relaxed and unified it is relatively easy to redirect the
incoming force into your One Point and be stable as a rock, even with several
strong men trying to push you over. The same thing happens when they receive
mental pressure. They convince themselves that they are tired, and literally
talk themselves into a state of exhaustion. This is only natural, because
mind follows body. That is why I won't permit my students or children to use
negative language. It is only asking for trouble. Young people today have the
bad habit of making excuses, ''Yeah, butc'' ''I cannot.'' How can
you say you cannot
without first trying? If you think something is difficult, the most important
thing to do is search for a solution, not to just give up. Why talk yourself
into a corner? Too many people give up at the first sign of resistance.
You say that
everything is made of Ki, and that when Ki circulates freely we are in a
state of good health. Do objects and our possessions also have Ki in this
sense?
Of course Ki circulates in everything. This is why we must treat our
possessions with care. In this sense everything is alive, not just plants and
animals. Things are alive and they are definitely affected by the way we
treat them. We waste too much, and should take more care with what we own.
Before we throw things away we should make an effort to repair them, recycle,
reuse, and care for them so they last longer. A fundamental principle of the
martial arts is to treat things and people with respect.
What is the secret
of doing a good Kiai?
Kiai is just a word that martial artists invented for a focused shout used
with a martial arts technique. Its real meaning is to extend positive Ki in
whatever you do. Real Kiai can be silent, thinking positively and being
mindful in your actions. Even if someone is threatening to attack you, if you
extend strong Ki this sends a powerful subconscious signal that there is no
place for the other to attack. If parents always think about how to help
their children get better, this is also Kiai. When kids behave badly, parents
should reflect on themselves. Often it means that the kids need more care,
more Kiai.
You say that you have a
habit of smiling when you are in trouble. You turn the tables on the opponent
by a positive view of opportunity, rather than a negative view of
limitations. Your way of looking at things is often opposite to the ordinary
person's. How did you develop this way of thinking?
We are born into a relative world, a world of opposites. We see things in
black and white, and forget the shades of gray in between. The connections
between things are not always obvious. Contrary to appearances, Galileo said
that the earth moves around the sun, and of course he was right. It is easy
to fall into a way of thinking where you are happy when things are going
well, and get upset when you don't get your way. You see things differently
when you remember that underneath, everything is actually connected with Ki,
and we don't have to get upset with every little change.
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INTERVIEW
with Master Koichi Tohei & Waka Sensei
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Page
4 of 9
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