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AIKIDO, THE WAY OF THE HARMONIOUS SPIRIT
by Sensei Joe Canon (Chuan Shou Shakya)
Aikido, sometimes called the "peaceful" martial art, came to the attention of the western world immediately following World War II.
General Douglas MacArthur, who oversaw the occupation and reconstruction of Japan, had been in charge of Philippine operations during the war. Wary of the Japanese military's misuse of the Code of Bushido - especially during the Battle of Bataan; and fearing that Japanese civilians might be tempted to resume a belligerent attitude, he ordered all the various martial arts' dojos closed and the teachings discontinued - with the exception of Aikido.
Since this discipline is purely defensive it is considered the "martial art of choice" of ruling families, government officials, business executives, and entertainment personalities - all persons who might be subjected to an unprovoked attack. "Ai" means harmony, "ki" means spirit, and "do" means way. The object, then, of the Aikido practitioner is to defend himself without bringing unnecessary harm to his attacker. This level of ethics is beyond the understanding of many. The more one trains, the more the ethical tenets make sense.
It is not an easy art to learn. It can take many years to develop competency. We are constantly coming up against ourselves, our limitations; physical, and mental. We come up against our fears, our prejudices, our inability to connect with others. We eventually discover that we had been operating in a kind of semi-conscious state for most of our lives. Waking up to ourselves is part of the process. It can be painful. But it is highly rewarding.
Corvallis Aikikai is a member of Birankai North America. My lineage, starting with me as 3rd dan fukushidoin, goes back to my teacher, Steve Thoms Sensei, 5th dan shidoin, who is a student of Mike Flynn Shihan, 6th dan, who is a student of Chiba Shihan, 8th dan, who founded Birankai North America and was a student of O-Sensei Morehei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. The Birankai NA organization has a rich and deep set of teachers and students. Chiba Sensei has created a consistency of quality of teaching that will allow Aikido to grow as a martial art well into the future. We are very fortunate to have him as our teacher. His concern has been consistently to maintain high quality Aikido.
Since the force in the defensive action is usually the force brought by the attacker, the defender does not require anything more than ordinary physical strength. The Aikido practitioner does not need to punch or kick. He does not oppose the power of the attack, he simply redirects it. By means of entering, turning and other body movements, he, or she, is able to reverse the attacker's force so that the attacker, in effect, throws himself. Men and women can practice with equivalent results.
Corvallis Aikikai is located at 132 S. 17th Street, Philomath, OR 97370-9329
I can be reached through our website: corvallis-aikikai.com
Below is a selection of photos from Corvallis Aikikai. Please enjoy them!
Photo credit: corvallis-aikikai.com
Photo credit: corvallis-aikikai.com
Photo credit: <corvallis-aikikai.com
Photo credit: <corvallis-aikikai.com
Photo credit: corvallis-aikikai.com
Photo credit: corvallis-aikikai.com
