VKS KI TRAINING NOTES, February 1997



INTRODUCTION


  This is a new communications medium for the VKS.  Its purpose is to
provide a dialog between students and the instructional faculty on
training issues and answer questions regarding technique or training
practices or procedures.  It is NOT a forum for dealing with
philosophy, except as it applies to training, nor business issues
associated with the VKS.


NOTICES:

TAIGI MEETING FOR ST. JUDES

  This is the second Annual Taigi for St. Judes Children's Research
Hospital.  It will be held at the Merrifield Dojo on March 29th at
2PM.  Again this year we will focus on performance of the Kitei Taigi.
Judging will be performed by the Senior Instructors of the VKS.
Instead of having a "winning team" we will average the scores of
participating teams from a club and award the trophy to the club with
the highest average score.  A weighting factor will be included to
preclude a club from entering only one team, its best, and getting a
high score.  Emphasis will be on participation.  Scoring sheets for
each team will be presented to the team at the end of the judging.
During the instructors' training on 23 February Senior Instructors
will be provided information on judging by Sensei Reed who received
training from Tohei Sensei.  We will also spend time going over the
formal procedures of the taigi which account for about 80% of the
total scoring.  Should be fun.

FEBRUARY INSTRUCTOR'S CLASS

  Class will be held on 23 Feb from 2PM.  The first part of class will
be dedicated to looking at technique from a perspective of testing,
taigi and innovation.  The second part of class will focus on taigi
performance criteria and scoring requirements.  At the end of class we
will make a decision about meeting in March.

TRANSLATED WORKS OF KOICHI TOHEI

You Never Tire of Doing What You Like

by Koichi Tohei, from Secrets of Success Through Ki (translated from
the Japanese by William Reed)

  Interesting, is it not, that whenever you are totally committed to
your work you can always find a solution to the problems that confront
you? Within those problems you will always find an objective on which
you can focus your efforts.  Failure to find the objective is simply a
sign that you are not yet totally committed to solving the problem.
  If you are totally committed to a solution, the easiest way to go
about it is to direct your Ki completely to the problem. If you
neglect to do this, the more unpleasant the situation the more tired
you will become.
  Everyone has experienced how there is no sense of fatigue when you
are fully engaged in something you enjoy doing. People who love
Mahjong can stay up all night playing it and still show up for work
the next morning not even tired.  This is because the enjoyment of the
game causes them to direct their Ki to what they are doing and this
energy leaves no room for fatigue.
  However, if say the same person is ordered by the boss to go on a
business trip overseas which they don't want to go on, just hearing
that news is enough to make them tired. In the worst case the job
itself can become so unpleasant that fatigue can keep the person even
from going to the office.
  However, when you truly understand that fatigue comes from lack of
enjoyment, you can change your mind set to begin any task with the
idea of enjoying it.
  Enjoyment is a matter of fully directing your Ki to a task, and
extending Ki in turn helps you to enjoy what you do. Of course
enjoyment also helps you to discover the meaning and value in what you
do. Only after you have sincerely attempted to direct your Ki fully to
the task at hand, and still find yourself unable to make it work,
should you consider giving up on that particular problem.
  However, in this case giving up does not imply defeat. Simply
redirect your Ki to something else which allows you to make forward
progress.  It is a simple matter.

Some Thoughts on Aikido Training

by: Jonathan Doner, Senior Instructor, Charlottesville

  I want to thank Sensei Simcox for giving me the opportunity to say a
few things about Aikido training. In trying to decide what I wanted to
say, the first question I asked myself was why do I train in Aikido?
The simplest answer is that I enjoy it. The positive feeling and
energy that results from a good practice is training's most basic
reward. Perhaps training in other martial arts can produce this same
feeling and energy but Ki-Aikido, by its nature and philosophy, seems
to be particularly effective in doing so.  I also train in Aikido
because it has never let me down. I have never had to use Aikido as a
means of physical defense, but I have applied it in countless normal
(and not so normal) life situations. I have consistently found that
thinking in terms of the principles of Aikido has helped me arrive at
attitudes and courses of action which seem positive and progressive.
That doesn't mean they always worked. But even where I have run into
problems, I still have the feeling that I am looking for solutions in
the right place.
  I train because Aikido provides an amazing arena for transforming
abstract metaphysical ideas into action and movement. Aikido is a
kinetic language for actualizing, analyzing and developing an
understanding of difficult concepts like Ki, Emptiness, Centering,
Harmony and much more. Some concepts can't even be stated clearly or
consistently but can only be understood within the experience of doing
Aikido. The concept of "naturalness" is a good example of this.
  Finally, I train because it provides a very satisfying form of
social interaction. The mat is a microcosm and in training we
experience ourselves and others physically, mentally and spiritually.
This can be very rewarding and Aikido training is one of the few life
contexts that provides this type of experience. As we all know,
however, there are times when the intensity of training together can
lead to problems between individuals. When we train, we show our true
self and we see the true self of others. This is not always easy or
pleasant. But it is life and so long as we seek understanding rather
than justification, Aikido provides a healthy and constructive context
for resolving problems and growing as social beings.
  So these are some the reasons why I train in Ki- Aikido. But what of
training itself? How should we train? What should be our goals?
Everyone will have their own answers to these questions. I have found
four things to be particularly important.

1.	Train the basics.
  As we advance in the art and seek new challenges, it is easy to lose
sight of the importance of the fundamental exercises and the basic
movements in Aikido. But these fundamentals are the means by which we
come to understand Aikido technique and they are the best source of
creativity in the practice of Aikido. In fact, the more you train, the
more you come to realize that all training, no matter how complex, is
training the basics. If it isn't then it will only produce error and
bad habits.

2.	Train ukemi.
  In the end, ukemi is the noblest form of Aikido.  The uke gives up
his or her self so that nage can perform technique. They provide the
basis for technique by the Ki of their attack. In serious training,
the energy of the attack is the true context for the development of
technical skill.  Without a good attack there cannot be good
technique. But this is only half of uke's job.  They must also be
the one who is thrown. And being thrown is extremely difficult to do
without either resisting nage (and thus changing the Ki) or enhancing
nage's energy (and thus essentially doing the technique for them).
Right training teaches the "middle way" between these two
erroneous forms of ukemi and thus reinforces the most basic principles
of Aikido. "Falling with style" is, after all, a lot like flying.

3.	Train hard but safe.
  There is no replacement for physical practice.  To continue to
improve in Aikido, at every rank, body and mind must be physically
challenged by serious training. Three types of challenges are
particularly important.
 a.	The challenge of effortlessness. One of the finest and most
difficult aspects of Aikido is naturalness, or effortless action. This
is acting without acting, the expression of mushin, and represents the
highest goal of training.
  b.	The challenge of endurance. We should often train to the
limits of our physical endurance. Of course we must be properly aware
of age and health issues, but the body always responds positively to
physical training. In addition, I believe that it is at the limits of
our physical endurance that we forge the strongest link between mind
and body.
  c.  The challenges of speed and power. As the speed and power of
attack increases it becomes progressively more difficult to respond in
a fashion consistent with Aikido principles. In these more intense
situations our emotions become activated. Fear, anger and frustration
can dominate our technique.  For both uke and nage, learning to
control and eliminate these emotions is a great challenge and provides
many possibilities for growth. In addition, I have found that the only
way to learn to handle fast, powerful attacks is to train with fast,
powerful attacks. But here we must train thoughtfully and with
caution. We are not trying to become fighters, per se. There is a
"dark side" to the concern for realism in attack which brings out
only self-centered competitiveness. When engaging in a fast, powerful
form of practice, such as free-style or rondori practice, it is
important to be aware of and sensitive to the capabilities of those
who are training. Otherwise, there is an increased chance of injury
and/or emotional distress. Remember, there is as much true "Aikido
value" in slow, soft practice as in practice that is fast and
powerful.

4.	Pay attention to your body.
  I believe that as we develop in the art of Aikido, our knowledge of
the art becomes literally embodied. It comes to reside within the body
itself, within our muscles and tissues. We become aware of and
actualize this knowledge by our conscious awareness of our bodies as
we do Aikido. We experience relaxation, centering, extension,
weight-underside, joining, redirection and so forth as changes in our
bodies. It is therefore important to develop and refine body awareness
as a means for improving our art.  This can be very difficult or
disturbing for some people. But it is, in the end, a very healthy
process. In addition, my awareness of my own body in Aikido helps me
to properly interpret other people's performance. Thus developing
body awareness not only improves my ability to do Aikido but also to
teach it.
  I have found that as I practice Aikido more, I become less and less
interested in talking about it. Aikido is a true Do; it is a path of
limitless potential. But only consistent, serious and right- minded
training reveals its secrets. Though this may be difficult or even at
times painful, it is the only way to develop greater understanding,
greater skill and a deeper appreciation of the art.  And it is the
only way, as instructors, that we can be confident we are truly
helping others along that path.



GUEST COLUMNIST

A Test Worth More Than a Thousand Words

by William Reed

  Ki testing is the trademark of the Ki Society. It is the yardstick
by which we measure our progress and the proof of our pudding, yet it
is one of the least understood aspects of our training. A picture may
be worth a thousand words, but what is the value of a thousand words?
Ki testing allows us to physically experience the practical value of
mind and body unification, and gives us a simple means of teaching it
to others. To better appreciate its value we need to review what Ki
testing is for and how it works.
  Ki testing was originally developed by Tohei Sensei as a physical
measure of and shorthand for teaching mind and body unification.
Before this students were expected to absorb the benefits of martial
arts training through years or decades of subjective experience and
intuition, with little theory or explanation. The traditional Oriental
approach to martial arts training has produced celebrated masters as
well as talented performers over the centuries, but also clouds of
dubious myth and esoteric nonsense. The old ways were developed for
secret societies in feudalistic times, and depended for their success
on a life of dedicated service to a master. When Koichi Tohei first
brought Aikido to Hawaii in 1953, he found that this traditional
method was not only ill-suited for Americans, but that it was a highly
inefficient method for teaching modern people whose lives were more
multi- dimensional. Moreover, Americans had a habit of questioning
everything, and refused to practice something without knowing the
reasons why. As a result he developed what we now know as the four
basic principles of mind and body unification, and a whole system for
Ki development which is both teachable and testable, a perfect match
for modern men and women. Ki testing is controlled physical pressure
applied on the student's body by the instructor or partner in an
effort to gauge the degree of physical stability, as a measure of the
depth of mind and body unification. It is the foundation of our
training, and we owe it to ourselves to get it right.
  Tohei Sensei established five principles to ensure that Ki testing
was properly understood and practiced:

 1.	A test not of strength, but of Fudoshin (immovable mind).
 2.	Test according to the level of the student.
 3.	Test to teach, not to pass or fail.
 4.	Understand yourself by testing others.
 5.	Do not confuse the method with the purpose of the test.

Seeking Your Level

  While these principles serve as general guidelines, we must not
forget that Ki tests may be performed at different levels to test for
specific results of training. There are many levels of training and
certification now offered by the Ki Society, but we will concern
ourselves with the basic levels of Shokyu, Chukyu, Jokyu, and Shoden,
leading up to the equivalent of a "black belt" in Ki Development.
Specific Ki tests are prescribed by Ki HQ for each level, which are
described in the testing criteria posted in the dojo. For example,
unraisable arm is tested under the upper arm at Shokyu, in the same
place but with a hesitation at Chukyu, and under the hand at Jokyu.
  Shokyu is a test of understanding of the four basic principles of
mind and body unification. A Ki test at this level may be thought of
as simply touch and test. The idea is to compare right and wrong ways
of doing an exercise, keeping it simple and using the test to teach
the student how to unify mind and body. It is appropriate at this
level to define basic terms such as One Point, and to illustrate
errors of common sense in the approach to concentration, relaxation,
calmness, and use of the mind. For example, many people unconsciously
assume that relaxation is weaker, but Ki testing can be used to
demonstrate that by relaxing correctly you actually become stronger.
The Ki principles at this stage should be presented in beginner's
terms in black and white, showing how the student can consciously
control his or her own state of mind and body unity by simply applying
the basic principles. Do not confuse the student by taking them too
quickly to a higher level, or by using one-upmanship to show who is
better.  Remember that a Ki test is not a Contest. Touch and test with
gradually increasing pressure in a predictable direction with no
surprises. The goal at this level is to clearly demonstrate how the Ki
principles work with a particular posture or exercise. It's supposed
to be easy, if you follow the principles.
  Chukyu is a test of continuity, whether or not the student can
remain calm once unified. A feint or hesitation is done just before
the test to see if student's mind or body is easily disturbed. It is
a test of how to sustain mind and body unity, recognizing that it is
just as easy to lose it as to attain it. "Easy come, easy go" is
the lesson here, for we tend to think that we have it when in fact we
don't. It is natural to get surprised, but it is not natural to stay
surprised. It is easy to pass a test at this level if you recover
rapidly.  While a beginner will physically fall for the feint, lunging
toward it in an effort to push back, with practice this disturbance
becomes so small as to become undetectable. Instructors should be
careful not to test with too much Ki at this level, making the test
frustratingly difficult to pass.  Except for the psychological factor
of the hesitation, the Chukyu test is physically not much stronger
than the Shokyu test. The lesson to be learned is let well enough
alone. Once you are unified, you need do nothing to improve it.  Once
the faucet is turned on, all you need to do is leave it alone and the
water will flow by itself.  Do nothing, or Do no-thing to react to the
false feint. At this level students learn to calmly trust the state of
mind and body unity which at Shokyu they learned to recognize and
control.  Jokyu is where the tests become more subtle, seeing whether
the student can remain unified under Ki pressure. This is a test of
the depth of mind and body unity, and whether or not the student can
remain unified without receiving the Ki of the tester. At this level
the student is led beyond recognition and trust to positive conviction
in the state of mind and body unity.  In order to be useful in daily
life the four principles must become a natural response, your normal
condition. This is a test to withstand the unexpected, only possible
if the subconscious has been trained to respond automatically. The
test need not be physically stronger, for if the tester's Ki
penetrates the student's concentration even a gentle pressure is
enough to move the student off balance. At this level students gain
true confidence in mind and body unity by rising above the test
altogether. It teaches us to take the initiative and not be slaves of
circumstance.  Shoden is the equivalent of "black belt" in Ki
Development, and only qualified instructors are allowed to test and
certify students at this level.  It may be thought of as a kind of
turbo charged Jokyu, and is characteristically "in your face." The
tests may not be physically stronger, but a deliberate attempt is made
to disturb your mind, either by looking you directly in the eye, or by
combining the psychological impact of hesitation with the penetrating
power of extending Ki before the test is made. Shoden also makes use
of unpredictability in the direction or timing of the test.  This is a
supreme test of whether or not you have made the Ki principles a part
of you, and how well you are able to truly do no-thing under pressure.
Higher levels of testing such as Chuden, Joden, Kaiden, and Okuden may
be thought of as more of the same, except that the testing is
performed by higher ranking instructors, and usually under the added
pressure of a formal test session in front of a large group of high
ranking instructors and peers.  The pressure is similar to that
experienced by public speakers and stage performers, and the test
becomes one of maintaining calmness and continuity under more intense
scrutiny.
  Shadow Boxing for the Real Tests of Life Ki tests offer objective
biofeedback for teaching mind and body unification in a direct and
tangible way. They also make effective shorthand for teaching Ki
exercises and Aikido arts. More importantly, Ki testing prepares you
for the real tests of daily life. Experience is supposed to be the
best teacher, but in fact it is often the worst teacher, giving the
test before the lesson.  Ki tests offer a way to simulate the
pressures of physical attack as well as psychological stress, and are
a means of "shadow boxing" for the real tests of daily life. It is
up to each person to make the connection in daily life by
experimenting with how the state of mind and body unification learned
in the dojo transfers to the endless variety of individual and
specific daily life situations which would be impossible to duplicate
on the mat. Tohei Sensei has provided us with an organized curriculum
for mastering it at various levels, and we know that Ki testing works
through the guidance offered by more experienced instructors and from
our own efforts to test the principles against the problems of daily
existence.  Nevertheless, Ki testing is a skill which in the wrong
hands can produce distorted results.  Individual variations,
carelessness, bad habits, and egos alike can interfere with Ki testing
and reduce its value as a teaching tool.  Without proper understanding
these distortions become magnified over time.
  Many students find that they can pass a Ki test in the dojo, but not
at home.  Or students become accustomed to the testing style of their
own instructors, but find that they cannot pass the tests of a
visiting instructor. The ultimate surprise comes when they find that
what has worked for years in the home dojo doesn't work at all when
tested by a visiting instructor from Tokyo. This can lead people to
assume that Ki testing is either subjective or a matter of the
instructor allowing the student to pass just to prove a point.
Instructors should be careful to emphasize the objective and
progressive elements of Ki testing, and not let it degenerate into a
game of subjective feelings and vague notions.

Testing without Confusion

  Much of the confusion arises from improper testing. You would not
stand still if the tester were to take a swing at you, and you should
not stand still for a test which shoves you or breaks ma-ai either. In
our enthusiasm to invent new tests we sometimes overstep the
boundaries of what is a test and in fact deliver a low-grade attack.
This can have value if done in a controlled manner to illustrate a
point, but it can easily turn into a reckless shoving match for which
an Aikido throw or simple evasion might be a better response.  Control
is the point, recognizing the difference between "I will not move"
and "I cannot move." If we maintain the Ki principles correctly,
we will know when it is time to move and when it is time to remain in
place.
  There is an optimal level of testing for the student's growth. If
a test is too easy it fails to make a point, if too hard it can create
frustration or worse still, lead to little tricks for passing a
particular test that miss the point altogether. Ki testing is a
two-way affair, so you tend to get back what you give out. The best
way to avoid ego conflicts and wrong ideas is to begin with a clear
understanding of the fundamentals of testing at each level. In order
to get the best results the tester must be unified, that is completely
balanced, relaxed, calm, and positive. Since the focus is on the
person being tested, it is easy to miss the fact that the tester may
be using strength rather than Ki, pushing at an unfocused angle, or
giving a low-grade attack rather than a Ki test. Training with bad
testing is like taking music lessons on a poorly tuned piano.
  As the tester, one way to ensure that your test is valid is to see
how little pressure is required to move your partner, not how much. As
the person being tested, if you find that you can violate a Ki
principle and still pass a test then it is a bad test. It is possible
to be stable against a fair amount of pressure by taking a low stance
and tensing only the muscles at the point of the test. This little
trick does not work against a real Ki test. An old Zen saying has it
that a wooden Buddha cannot pass through fire, and a clay Buddha
cannot pass through water. We want to develop a state of mind and body
unity that is reliable for whatever conditions we meet, not just a set
of mental and physical tricks for passing the Ki tests. The purpose of
the test is to teach, not to pass or fail. If you come away from the
test with a better sense of recognition, control, continuity, and
conviction in Ki principles then you have been successful.

NOTES FROM THE INTERNET

Here is a thought to keep in mind when we are teaching our students or
doing a "special class".

By: Dennis Hooker

  A few weeks ago I went to watch a sensei teach a seminar. Actually
as I watched it became more apparent that he was not teaching so much
as performing for the attendees. I could not help but feel sorry for
some of the people that paid to learn but were getting a show. It was
a good performance and should have dully impressed the attendees as
well as the audience but it was a poor tool for teaching unless of
course you want to teach people how good you are. I remember paying
hard earned money (I made $80 a week working in a slaughter house and
had a wife and two children to support) to attend a seminar only to
watch the teacher do things I had no hope of doing then when we
practiced we did the same thing we did in the dojo everyday. No
explanation no assistance he just walked around looking grand until
the next performance. I know how it feels to be the center attraction.
I too was a "teacher" performer and it took me a long time to
realize that those folks came to me and paid money to learn not watch
me trash ukes all weekend. It is now my hope that after every class in
the dojo and after every seminar every one has something tangible to
take with then and not just the knowledge of how good or bad I am at
Aikido. I make all my Yudansha teach and I watch as some perform and
some teach with concern for the learning and progress of their fellow
students. Anyone can open a dojo showcase their performance but to be
a teacher is very hard indeed, much harder than being a performer.

CHIEF INSTRUCTOR'S NOTES:

A week or so ago I was teaching ikkyo undo.  This is a relatively
simple exercise but for some reason (maybe so I could learn something)
the students were not getting the "hips-hands; hands-hips" timing.
After using the usual methods I took a Jo and, grasping it in both
hands, palms down, about shoulder width, I let my arms drop so that
the Jo was in front of my body, parallel to the ground.  Then, when I
moved forward, it was clear that the Jo did not move until the hips
were forward and the body had ceased forward movement.  The arms swung
smoothly into place in a classic ikkyo undo movements, except for the
fact that the hands were not pointed upward since they were still
holding the Jo.  A Ki Test demonstrated that position was solid.  On
the second count it was also clear that the hands moved downward to
the body before the body started its backward movement.  Now the
timing was correct and errors in timing were easily seen and
corrected.  An other benefit was that it was easy to demonstrate that
early movement of the hips on the downward movements was counter
productive because if the Jo were to be held by the Ki Tester, it
would not move downward with power while when the arms dropped with no
body movement the force was irresistable and when the rearward
movement of the body was added at the end of the arms' downward
movement, the effect was devastating.  I will cover this on the 23rd.

  John Oldenberg, Jim Bagby and I conducted a seminar at Patauxit
River Naval Test Center on January 25th.  Our host was Sensei Tony
Fontaine who operates a program on the base.  He comes from
Connecticut where he was trained in Aikido - not Ki Society but
another form.  There were 11 students there and we had a very good
time teaching Ki Principles and Ki Aikido.  They were very receptive
and learned quickly.  There were also some visitors and a news
photographer from the base paper.