Stanley Pranin took a lot of heat when this editorial was published back in 1997. What is your take on this subject?
The article below has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.
You can see your aikido past, present, and future at this demonstration. From the playful little children to the teetering old men, you can see the entire range of aikido experience encapsulated. If you follow the teachings of your sensei and the example of your seniors, this is how you will look at all stages of your aikido career. Neat, isn’t it? You can rewind and fast-forward through your aikido life in a single afternoon merely by allowing your eyes to scan the mats. This being the case, I have a question to ask: if I train diligently over a lifetime in accordance with the principles of aikido, how come I still end up a stiff, decrepit old man? After all, in aikido we exercise our bodies regularly over a period of many years while others lead sedentary lives. How is it that we too end up in such sad shape?”
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I’m now in my 60′s. I don’t admit that often, but it’s true. I can and do still take ukemi, but I know I’m past my prime. I can still get stuff off, but I know that my ukemi account has a limited balance and small overdraft facility.
So, like other things that you only have limited access to, you need to really appreciate and learn from that which you can.
This whole mortality thing is as unfortunate as it is inevitable. That great oriental philosopher, Mark Twain, came up with this paradox. When you’re young you’re ignorant and untrained, but you have a lifetime of potential ahead of you. In old age the case is opposite. In advanced old age, of course, you have neither ability nor potential. I take courage now from my flying instructor who celebrated his 68th anniversary of joining the Navy last summer. He refuses to write a biography, do oral history or go to reunions. He only wants to look forward. And he still gets test pilot opportunities. He can’t lift the tail of his airplane with a student aboard to demonstrate how nose-down you can hold it any more.
Everybody gets to exit, and eventually we stage our own. If you push too hard for martial glory, you may get a posthumous medal. If you want to die in the bosom of your family, you may get your wish, with a bedpan, catheter, iv drip, feeding tube and ventilator. Steve Fossett’s wreck was found. Mark Crossfield found a thunderstorm too large.
It’s great someone voiced this fact and I am so happy, Stan, that you showed a lot of passion and anger while bringing up the facts. The most impressive lesson from O Sensei is that he died very young in body.
Medically, it is obvious now that the secret to “youth” is keeping in shape. Less Alzheimer’s, less heart failure, less asthma, less cancer, less depression, less arthritis, less calculi in gallbladder but also in the kidney, less everything.
Pierre
I’m about to hit 50, and quite frankly I don’t bounce like I used to. I’m more stiff than I used to be, and I have arthritis in my left foot. I also have a litany of old injuries that I sustained as a young man training very hard. I need to look after various parts of my body. I still train vigourously – but I’m consciously shifting my training now to be able to keep on training vigourously as I get old.
I also have a very clear sense that my body will seize up completely if I stop training.
The fact is the we do get old, and some of us are cursed with bodies that creak no matter how much we stretch and warm up. If you are larger it’s worse – if you weigh 100kg the impact on the mat is more severe than if you are light, no matter how graceful you are.
It’s very tempting to just be venerable like the people Stanley describes, in which case, venerability will very soon be your only option. Perhaps this is really only possible if you are in a large organisation like the Aikikai, and a society like Japan where nobody will boo.
As far as I’m concerned the only choice is to manage one’s ageing body so that your training is sustainable. I feel that my skills are better now than they were five years ago, and I hope that I’ll become more skilful in 10 or 20 years even as I need to look after my body even more.
When I watched the 1935 film I was not as impressed with Ueshiba Sensei’s skills in that film, compared to films made later, when he was in his 60s. So I’m looking forward to progressing my skills as I age. There’s hope for me yet.
But if I spend my time only throwing over-compliant uke I’ll never gain any significant understanding.
It’s true aikidokas age just the same as everyone else. I’m 49 and still take ukemi although not as gracefully as when I was younger (smile). But we can’t let ourselves forget that we not only learn aikido but have to take part in our everyday lives which cause us stress and strain. Aikido helps us in our lives if by only being able to forget about all our worldly troubles for those few hours each week. Maybe if web did nothing other than train may be we would still be supple, agile, oh yes, not to forget happy.
Pad
Aikido: The continual process of reinforcing one fundamental human principle – we are all equal and different. Embracing that truth does not make you supple. Hoorah for all those stiff old Aikidoka.
Jim
…a few months after my last comment, I pulled a groin muscle. still hurts, but I can still train.
Our dojo probably averages 60 years of age. I’m at 61. Although we don’t train as vigorously, we are still on the mat and training. I must admit that we are rather proud of ourselves for this.
Best of all, our aikido techniques are better than they ever were. We now have the patience to seek and discover new things.
Proper Ukemi in Aikido training has a two fold purpose, without one being superior or more important than the other.
First, correct Ukemi is designed and intended to minimize any conscious or subconscious interference by the Uke of Nage’s purpose and ability to fully perform his movements and to complete his technique. There is no need or purpose to enhance or otherwise exaggerate the prowess of the Nage, but to realistically and honestly demonstrate proper use of Aiki Principles via appropriate performance of the waza itself.
Secondly, only for the purpose of this writing, proper ukemi is intended to fully demonstrate the Uke’s understanding and execution of appropriate defense while allowing the Nage to perform his role fully, realistically and correctly.
The best end result is evidenced by a mutually satisfying and injury free demonstration of the Principles of Aiki by both Nage and Uke, focusing on their complementary roles while maintaining proper respect and appreciation for each other.
There is a reason why martial art deteriorates from generation to generation, this includes Aikido. It falls into the same road as religion, students worships its teachers.
Imagine what happen if scientists had worships Newton, Albert Einstein..etc and afraid to challenge their discoveries.
Now as I could do some of O sensei’s tricks, I realized that his teaching is not perfect, That is the reason why no students surpass him; however, he did bring back the harmony aspect of the martial art into the modern era. Otherwise, it may lost forever.
Good martial art could bring back flexibility into the aged body, I could do more with my body than I could when I was a teenager. From Youtube, you could find many old martial artist’s body are still very flexible, one is claimed to be 103 years old.
Take a walk in the forest or stand of trees and plants that grow wild. You want the answers why the human body gets old, aged, and infirmed? All your answers are in the world around … if you only paid attention and saw what was all around you .. there would be no need for words to explain anything.
Better explanation? Go to the ruins of some building observe how nature forces it’s way into what man has built and how it crumbles over time and distance to the forces of nature .. you body is no less being attacked every day in the aggressive environment of nature and there is no telling when illness or injury will lead to the further deterioration, or quicker deterioration as your body MUST go back to the nature you have taken it from.
Even temples will eventually return to the elements they were stolen from despite the many centuries of maintainence.
I was thinking of Charlie Chaplin who sired a child at age 90 I believe? Now he kept pretty fit all his life!!
I say keep moving or seize up….
One day in 1978 my teacher, who was a world famous Hombu aikido Shihan in Japan taught a class at a rural temple far outside Tokyo. To my amazement I was the only student who made it there. Sensei bowed in just as he did in his usual large classes then we trained together for an hour. It was of course a great honor to train with him 1 on 1 but what I remember most 30 years later is how stiff he was in the shoulders.
I learned then that the physical benefits of aikido largely end when you become a teacher. There are very few exceptions to this fact. Aikido ukemi – letting your body be twisted, bent, sqweezed, pinned and tangled into all possible shapes over and over again is what keeps you flexible. Taking hundreds of falls per class – and getting up after each fall is what keeps you strong and young.
Doing some swari waza ground training or knee walking at every class keeps your knees strong and flexible – the myth that this is “bad” for your knees is nonsense. Aiki ground training is what rebuilt my knees after some severe injuries received outside of aikido. Stop doing it for a while and you will be guaranteed membership in the croud that have “bad knees.” But that is one’s choice, not natural aging but lazy aging.
O’Sensei knew this when he described arthritis as allowing “dust to collect in the joints.” He insisted that ground work on the knees was the most important practice in aikido and he was famous for scolding his deshi for neglecting it.
Five years ago I stopped being an aikido teacher and returned to practicing aikido. It was the best decision I ever made.
Well said, Stan!
I just have learned that limitations must be set for my Aikido training. After years of practice in martial arts(22+) my body acquired many injuries and one of them is serious enough to require spine surgery if I am not cautious during practice and not avoid some exercises.
At thought of not doing Aikido I cried.
It is possible to practice with minimal or no ukemi. All training is good and some is better than none.
According to doctor, most ukemi can be done(with some precautions).My teachers are being most supportive-as always.In fact, Aikido teachers have been most supportive in my entire martial arts practice.
From AJ…
http://www.aikidojournal.com/blog/2008/09/02/a-low-impact-aikido-program-%E2%80%94-aikido-for-everyone-by-paul-rest/
The yoga supergran who can still assume the lotus position… at the age of 83:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1172810/The-yoga-supergran-bend-backwards-age-83.html
Thank you for supporting me,will try to do my best with injuries and continue Aikido practice.You are the best.