WHO SAYS LOCKS ARE UNLESS!!!!

CALMNESS is all it takes

In aikido or other martial art. calmness is the most important factor to improvement. When a normal person faces danger, he will panic in response. But if a person, who practices martial art, faces dangers, he remain calm and plan his moves silently.

We know that anger or emotions are not to be used with martial arts. If anger, revenge or emotions are expressed in martial arts, a person will lose his morality. To meditate and release the stress and emotion inside you is a wise act a person should have. Meditation help to find space for self-improvement and development. Therefore through meditation, it calm the mind down and help a person to relax and flexible.

To have calmness in mind is to clear the mind of negative thoughts. With calmness, a person regain his/her balance and alertness. And both factors are very important in area of martial art or Budo. Calmness help to change a person's attitude and behavior.

To have calmness in mind is to be flexible. When a calm person face a problem, big or small, he/she was able to plan in silence.

Therefore calmness is all it takes.

Is Aikido always for self-defense ???

Unlimited Creativity

In the ages of Morihei Ueshiba, he always emphasized the Takemusu Aiki 武産. What is it?

Takemusu Aiki, also known as Unlimited Creativity, is a concept by O'Sensei about the way of Aikido should be. It must harmonize with all things and be able to do technique as freely as possible.

In Takemusu Aiki, there are many factors, but the three most important factors are Self-development, self- discovery and Flexibilitiy. In other words, we should not train blindly, that will not bring improvement. To improve, we must further develop ourselves day by day as we train. Discover the rights and wrongs on you.

Flexability is the ability to chage in times of different situation. To be flexible, one must be calm and clear his/her mind with emptiness. That is unlimited creativity, able to do techniques so freely that you don't even have to think. For the techniques are dead but your mind is bursting with live and energy. Use your mind to revive these techinques and blend into different situation.

But before flexibility and using many different techniques, we must learn the techinques, from basic to advanced. Pursuit is not allowed, to eager ask for "sercet techniques"should be discourage. One must be patience to what he/she is doing. When he/she is doing a technique, it take times to learn, understand and further develop or improve. By asking sercet techniques, you broke the basic foundations that helps you to further improve.

Can Ki disappear? NOPE!!!!!

The Way of deception

The universe consists of the two primordial opposing forces; Yin and Yang. It was the two forces that create the very world we live in. Therefore the world is spilt into two part; heaven and earth, light and darkness, fire and water, and then to the ten celestial processes that created this world fully.

In Budo, especially Aikido, emphasize the borrowing of enemy's dashing forces to counter him/her. It is to use deceptive methods to bring down the enemy. If one do not use deception because people think it is cunning and evil, then he/she does not really know the world well enough. It is wise to use deceptive methods in order to obtain good result. As I said before, Aikido is a hard and soft martial art.

Deception is to look weak when being strong, look strong when being weak. As Sun Tzu said in his Art of War, all warfare is based on deception. Cloak your true intention from your enemy, clear your mind from confusion and thoughts. Disguise where you are going to strike.

One of the most common deception is the "hand-ups" position. To lure your enemy that you are surrendering, while plan to counter-attack him when he/she is distracted. As Aikido represent the balance and unity of yin and yang, therefore deception is needed to hide your true intent from your enemy.

Grading for Blue to Blue-gold

Grading: Blue to Blue-gold (6th Kyu - 5th Kyu)
Duration: 1hr or so

Requirements:

• Yokomen-uchi Shiho Nage (omote + ura)
• Katadori Nikyo (omote + ura)
• Basic Techniques from the blue belt grading (omote + ura)
  

Basic:

• Irimi Nage
  
• Shiho Nage
  
• Ikkyo - Nikyo
  
• Tenchi Nage
  

Addition:

• Free style
  

All the requirements above can be found in website of Aikido Zhen Qi Shu.

GOOD LUCK
TO
THOSE WHO ARE GRADING