“Chinkon-kishin has ancient roots that are referenced in the old Shinto texts such as the Kojiki. The shamanistic practice of mystical breathing and meditation of uniting the divine and human spirits was often used in old times in the preparation of waterfall misogi, an ascetic practice of standing under a freezing waterfall for long periods of time, in meditation, with the objective of cleansing the mind, body, and spirit. O Sensei often practiced this kind of misogi (spiritual cleansing), but to O Sensei, aikido was his daily misogi practice. For this reason the founder would prepare for the misogi of his aikido training by performing chinkon-kishin techniques in his warm-ups.”
Brian Kagen is an avid web researcher with a particular interest in martial arts. His training background includes both judo and aikido. He has contributed hundreds of article links over the years for AJ readers.
“A while back I mentioned the old aphorism that ‘atemi solves 80% of the problems in aikido,’ and I got a response from someone along the lines of, ‘What? Are you nuts? Do you really think that hitting people in the face will ever solve any problems in aikido?’ At the time I didn’t respond, but it’s funny how this sort of thing roils in my mind for a while until I decide that I really do want to respond.”
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“I’m frequently told that we should aim for moderation in all things but when I look to those exceptional people – the people I find truly inspiring – moderation isn’t exactly something they have in spades. To be honest, it’s never been my strong suit either (and maybe its something in the genes). But, I wonder if martial arts addiction (compulsive training, obsession with details etc) is by definition unhealthy?”
“In the mid 1990s during a seminar a great teacher told he something that changed my relationship with the art. He said, ‘Aikido is the physical embodiment of a philosophy.’
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“Aikido training focuses on both techniques and principles. Techniques are bodily movements designed to defend against and control physical attack. Typically, an instructor demonstrates a technique of self defense against a specified attack, and the student learns by imitating the instructor’s movements. Further refinements are made under the guidance of the instructor, and the movements become established with repetitive practice with a partner.”
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“In this time of uncertainty in our society we have a high level of civil unrest, we all need some security in all levels of our lives whether it be physical, emotional or financial. Most people try to be secure in their person by locking their doors either at business or home in hopes that they can control any unwanted elements intruding into their lives. The truth is we can neither predict when, where or if these intrusions will happen to us. Most people don’t want to think about these things and go along unaware that they are involved in a world that can and will at times produce violent acts towards them and their loved ones.”
It’s not the shape of techniques; but the communication of training; that unlocks the secrets of Aikido.