AIKIDO FINAL EXAM REVIEW


     When O’Sensei, Morihei Ueshiba, founded the Japanese martial art of Aikido, he developed it as a way to find peaceful resolutions. He wanted to make people’s lives better by making their spirits blossom and become strong. He felt that through his art, he could make people better in order to make a more perfect or better world. However, O’sensei did not want to share his Aikido training with just anyone. His son, Kissomaru Ueshiba was largely responsible for convincing O’sensei that such a treasure should be shared by the whole world, not just one group of people. Even though Aikido is born from the many martial arts that O’Sensei mastered, the purposes behind the techniques are not the same. Aikido means “the way of Harmony”.
     In his Dojo, which literally translates to “place of the way”, O’Sensei taught Aikido with the philosophy of Musubi (unity and harmonious interaction). O’Sensei diligently taught his students how to relate to one another while they learned the various techniques. It is through this repetitive method of training that the students learned how to respond to various attacks without hesitation. This, of course takes time and dedication. Even the most basic strikes such as Yokomenuchi, strike to the side of the head, Shomenuchi, downward strike to the head, and Munetsuke, the punch to the middle of the body, have to be learned by Nage (the one who throws) in such a way so as to do no harm to Uke (the one who receives the force). Empathy towards all who train is of the utmost importance in Aikido training. To learn the fundamentals of compassion, one must also understand the need of empathy for others. O’Sensei’s belief was that we are all part of the universe, and to harm another person is to harm oneself.
    

 Every society has objects that have great meanings, symbolisms and superstitions about them. During a lecture by O’Sensei, he spoke of the plum blossom, and the meaning that it held for him. He stated that the five petals of the blossom represented the five forms of universal energy: earth, water, fire, wind and sky. The plum blossom only blooms once, and then dies. This symbolizes our life on earth, and how important it is not to waste your life. The tree represents the universe, and mankind, the blossoms. We, like the plum blossom, are here but for just for a brief time, then physically gone. He also encouraged us through his teachings, to live our lives with the virtues of budo. The seven virtues of budo are symbolized in the 7 pleats of the Hakama.
     The movements of Aikido, such as “Tenkan”, the turning motion of 180 degrees, require that the students must first observe the technique with an open mind. Without first learning how to observe, the proper execution of the technique is virtually impossible. Every part of an Aikido class has purpose and meaning. Even while sitting in the Seiza position and observing Sensei’s movements during a demonstration of a technique, the student also learns the value of proper posture. It is impossible to sit in such a position without learning how to relax the muscles and sit up straight, while staying alert to the endless possibilities of the technique.
     Breathing techniques, meditation, exercise and proper nutrition are essential elements to good health. O’ Sensei said that a healthy mind and a weak body are of no more value than a weak mind and a healthy body. Both mind and body must be in harmony for balanced life. We all have an energy force within ourselves called “Ki”, but it has to be developed and utilized, just like we have to develop our minds and our bodies. In many of the techniques, Atemi, a counter strike, can be utilized more effectively when we use our “Ki” energy through the use of a yell. The “Ki Ai” yell brings the mind and the body into harmony for a specified objective.
      Omote (Front) and Ura (Rear) techniques require that the student learn proper Ukemi, the art of being thrown. The most important reason for learning proper Ukemi is to prevent injuries from happening during practice. The founder of The Aikido Association of America, Shihan Fumio Toyoda, developed numerous methods for teaching the art of Ukemi before his death. He developed teaching techniques to help prevent injuries to students while they practiced movements such as Irimi, entering motion and Tenkan, turning motion. Even techniques such as the Kata Tori shoulder grab and Katate Kosatori cross hand grab, involve a certain amount risk to those who do not practice good Ukemi. Part of being a good Uke is to give your complete attention to Nage, and to give good honest strikes and attacks during the technique. The Aikidoka student needs learn how to do the forward fall, Mai Ukemi, the backwards fall, Ushiro Ukemi, and the side fall, Yoko Ukemi to prevent injuries to him or herself.
     During your time on the matt, it is also important to keep yourself hydrated with water. The normal consumption of 8 to 10 glasses of water per day should be increased during vigorous exercise. You may experience some water weight loss after heavy exercise. This temporary weight loss is just what the name states, a temporary loss. If you are interested in losing weight, it is better to lose the body fat, rather than losing total body weight. Diet and exercise is the key to shedding those extra pounds. A very simple rule governs the body’s weight; if you burn more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. If you consume more than you burn, you will gain weight. That is a very simplistic approach that doesn’t take into account illnesses, metabolism, etc. A more healthy approach to attaining your weight goal might be to watch what you eat, when you eat it, and what you do after you eat. Keep in mind while you diet, that there are six essential nutrients that the body needs on a daily basis: Water, Vitamins (which come in fat soluble such as A, E, D and K as well as water soluble forms such as B, C and Folic Acid), Minerals, Carbohydrates, Fats, and Proteins. Just as properly balanced diet and a lifestyle that includes exercise are necessary for good health of the body, strong spiritual beliefs and convictions are important for the health of the mind.