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CRIME
& JUSTICE
What do you think
of the movie genres of Westerns and the Samurai film?
I like them because they are easy to understand, a form of pure
entertainment, a good show. In the old Samurai films you know the good guys
from the bad guys, unlike a lot of modern films where the plot is unclear,
the bad guy wins, and people get away with crimes without any consequences. I
also enjoy watching samurai films for the same reason as I enjoy watching
Kabuki. You can tell at a glance if the person has mind and body unified, and
it is a beautiful and exciting thing to watch if they do. If they don't, I
change the channel. I used to watch Westerns in the past, but not now. The
recent ones have implausible plots and unconvincing characters. The bad guy
who is tied up suddenly escapes without effort. The hero wins on his good
looks!
You have taught Ki-Aikido
to police, FBI, and Secret Service personnel. How did you teach them to calm
down or restrain a dangerous person, or someone who is on drugs and out of
control?
If a person is dangerous, on drugs and out of control, the only thing to do
is forcibly arrest them. They are temporarily out of their mind, so it makes
no sense to talk about respecting their human rights. If they are putting
others at risk they must be restrained, and then dealt with after they return
to their senses.
The eyes as a window to
the soul.
In a portrait
masterpiece such as Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, the eyes seem to follow
you or cover you as you move around the room. I have noticed this with your
photograph in the dojo as well. How do you develop such a broad field of vision?
That is only natural, as our eyes reflect what they see. When you stare at
something you put tension in your face and narrow your focus. Soft eyes take
in everything. It's nothing special, just a natural result of seeing relaxed.
In sports people get the wrong idea when they are told to ''keep their eye on
the ball.'' That's a good way to miss it. When you relax your eyes you can
see more broadly, and your body does the rest.
You talk about the
importance of reading rapidly and broadly to develop mental flexibility. Can
you explain how to do this?
Of course it is a good idea to do this, and a fundamental skill you should
learn in school. The problem now is that there are more books than ever
before, but not many that are worth reading. In fact, if you read every word
most books are a serious waste of time. Speed-reading, or scanning the pages
with soft eyes is a good way to quickly absorb the content. If it is really
worthwhile you can go back and read it again to absorb what you need.
How can a person learn
to stop smoking or lose weight?
I teach a method I learned from my teacher Tempu Nakamura, described in
detail in my book, Ki in Daily Life. The basic idea is to use a mirror to
give yourself a strong affirmation before going to sleep. This sinks into
your subconscious and works while you sleep as well as during the day to help
you overcome a bad habit or form a good one. Many people try using
affirmations unsuccessfully because they use the words ''I amc''
without subconsciously believing it. It is better to look in the mirror and command yourself as
though you were speaking to another, ''You arec'' To be successful
you must also persist in using this technique, not just give up after one or two tries. It takes
time to change a subconscious habit that has formed over years. You should do
this every night before going to bed, and then go right to bed without any
other distractions. Tell yourself in the mirror, ''You hate tobacco!''
Gradually this thought comes to mind whenever you reach for a cigarette, and
in time you lose interest. It is important to focus on changing one habit at
a time. To correct a long-standing habit might take 6 months, but often less.
As long as you like something you will not find it easy to break the habit.
Gradually you get better at self-control, and can fix a bad habit more
quickly, even on the spot. Temptations will not lead you around so easily
against your will. I had smoked for years, but when I decided to quit, I
convinced myself I really didn't like it, then it was easy to stop smoking.
The same approach works for other habits as well.
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INTERVIEW
with Master Koichi Tohei & Waka Sensei
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Page
7 of 9
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