Lower Providence Aikido

There was always plenty of punching and kicking, I spent hours and hours working on that stuff, doing kumite and kata and techniques and anything else I could. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of answers as to the zen nature behind arts like Jujitsu, Aikido or Karate. i was understanding the martial arts, but not the rather obtuse and difficult to describe 'zen of it all.'

Now, to be truthful, the question was sort of wrong in its root. If you ask a person why, he'll go insane, if you ask him how, he'll go sane. Go on, try asking these questions and watch what happens to people.

Anyway, I read everything I could, couldn't figure out what was under it all, and then, magic, I found the answer. I found it in an Aikido class, not in a book. The answer was, 'A perfect circle has no corners.'

Well, that was simple. And I practiced my shoulder rolls, forward and backward across the mat, and I was astounded by the basic truthfulness of this simple saying. But even while I was thrilled at this simple answer, I was developing variations of much interest.

In Karate there is noise. We talk about moving quick and silent like a cat, but the truth is that we are noisy. And, it struck me, 'The perfect art can't be heard.'

Now I practiced my moves like a real cat, yet sinking the weight in every step I took, every technique I worked. My kata, especially the kiai (spirit shout) portion of it, became entirely different. I began to understand what it was like to perform a kata like I was a ghost.

And then the third of these concepts manifested and totally undid me. This happened during my practice of Tai Chi Chuan, but it quickly wormed its way through all the other arts I knew. And the simple became apparent as, 'The perfect art cannot be seen.'

Three simple sayings, yet they washed over me, and changed the complexion and the very heart of all my martial arts. I began to seek perfection through the smooth liquid of motion, the silent ghosting of movement, and the execution of technique without any discernible effort. Go on, try putting these three phrases into your practice, and watch how arts like Karate, Kung Fu and Taekwondo transform into the different world of zen martial arts.