Keep an eye on the string that links you with your partner!




IKKYO technique, representation of a magnetic field between Tori and Uke (Ura, negative entrance and Omote, positive entrance). Drawing from Mistsugi Saotome.

 


"Breaking waves" created by IKKYO. Drawing from Mistsugi Saotome.

 When I started Aikido about 10 years ago, I got a book entitled “Aikido and the harmony of Nature” from Mitsugi Saotome. To be honest, it is my only ONE book about Aikido…  Every time, I read this beautiful book, I am always amazed about how I interpret constantly and differently the meaning of the author sayings.

According to this book, IKKYO is explained as the following steps (don’t be too hard on me, this is only a minuscule interpretation from my reading and I might misinterpret few ideas…):

·         When we encounter our partner, a meeting point is created, so called DE-AI. At that point of time, we should be conscious of our own center and coordinate it instantaneously with your partner.

·         When the attack starts, movement can be initiated. You partner should lose his balance before his body takes roots

·         Lower your partner’s elbows and wrapped his movements into the space you create. At this stage you can either make a “circular” movement, ura or initiate omote.

[…]

Control your center and your partner’s center, while keeping an eye on the TENSION OF THE STRING that links you together. If the movement is too fast, this string will break or too weak, the string will become slack… The importance is to strike for the right balance, right?