Four Principles To Coordinate
Mind And Body
1. Think Of Your One Point
2. Completely Relax
3. Have a Light Posture
4. Extend Your Mind
Five Principles of Ki-Aikido
1. Extending Your Mind
2. Know Your Partner's Mind
3. Respect Your Partner's Ki
4. Put Yourself in Your Partner's Place
5. Perform With Confidence
Four Principles To Coordinate
Mind And Body
1. Think Of Your One Point
2. Completely Relax
3. Have a Light Posture
4. Extend Your Mind
Five Principles of Ki-Aikido
1. Extending Your Mind
2. Know Your Partner's Mind
3. Respect Your Partner's Ki
4. Put Yourself in Your Partner's Place
5. Perform With Confidence
Four Principles To Coordinate
Mind And Body
1. Think Of Your One Point
2. Completely Relax
3. Have a Light Posture
4. Extend Your Mind
Five Principles of Ki-Aikido
1. Extending Your Mind
2. Know Your Partner's Mind
3. Respect Your Partner's Ki
4. Put Yourself in Your Partner's Place
5. Perform With Confidence
Ki Testing
The Mind and body are not separate.... but they are usually not fully unified.
Whilst performing at their peak, it is likely that talented musicians or highly skilled sportsmen and women unify their mind and body in a way that we aspire to in Ki Aikido.
The important difference is that we are learning to stay in this condition whilst awake.
'Four Principles to
Unifying Mind and Body:
Noticing when a student is not acting in accordance with the principles
Non-judgemental Ki testing helps the student compare the experience of deliberately breaking one of the principles with the experience of conforming to them.
1. Think of your One Point
2. Completely Relax
3. Have a Light Posture
4. Extend your Mind
The testing is to incontrovertibly assess how well a student is complying with the four principles of unifying the mind and body. The aim is to sustain this condition whilst performing a technique and in daily life.
There will be more challenging tests as the student progresses.
The following is a brief description of the principles.
A complete explanation with recommended Ki tests can be found in books by Tohei Sensei, notably
'Ki in Daily Life' Koichi Tohei, ISBN 9784889960716
1, Think of your One Point
One of the two Rules of Mind.
This test can, in a way, reset the attention to take in the broader picture.
It can be analogous to switching on the computer so it re-boots its operating system.
It is located in the lower abdomen at a level a few centimetres below the belly button, where the weight of the upper body should be supported.
When you think back to how felt performing a technique that flowed well, it is likely that that your One Point was at the centre of your movement.
It is a starting point for extending your mind.
You can now trust that your body will be able to accept any physical pressure made by the tester at this point.
2. Completely Relax
One of the two rules of body.
Accept gravity allowing 'weight underside'.
Begin with the tongue, then the jaw ... Your face ... Your neck.
Let the rest of your body fall away like a string puppet.
3. Have a Light Posture
The second Rule of Body.
You cannot have a light posture without or accepting gravity.
This should produce true vertical alignment and good skeletal posture.
This principle was otherwise expressed as 'Keep Weight underside.'
Out-stretch an arm. Feel it's weight - the elbow should drop, as should the shoulder.
Imagine a heavy weight is being lifted from on top of your head.
Allow your whole body to hang like a string puppet.
This should cause the chin to be drawn back and the hips to swing freely.
Feel the weight of your body.
4. Extend your Mind
The second Rule of Mind.
Kepp your attention beyond the tester.
Dont worry about how or when they will test you. Consider it with mild interest.
Know that if you fail the test that you will learn a valuable lesson from it.
If you pass then you have already learnt to better coordnate you mind and body.