Capturing the Mind

(Response to Nagashima and Akiyama)



In their, The Ideology and Discipline of Aikido Toshio Nagashima and Jun Akiyama present four methods to "dissipate combatative notions:"

  1. To kill
  2. To hurt
  3. To capture
  4. To negate the conflict

This is an interesting progression which I'd like to expanded upon by adding two more methods:

  1. To accept hurt
  2. To sacrifice your life

Notice that this brings a certain circularity to the range of approaches presented. The passive approach to violence of Ghandi, Dr. King, and Jesus is present in number five and in each of these cases, lead to number six, sacrificing your life for the good of others.

Aikido does not call upon us to make the noble gestures of accepting hurt, or letting go of life. Instead, I believe that it offers a solution to the dilemma of how can I deal with violence directed at me or those I love, without harming those who attack. This solution is control and neutralization in the combat situation. Nagashima and Akiyama use the term "negate", which to me brings to mind a clash of power instead of the embracing, blending practice of Aikido which is perhaps closer to what they intended.

The principle of "capture" is indeed a part of Aikido, partially in the physical sense of immobilization and holding, but more so in the intellectual sense. To me, the essence of technique is to capture the spirit of uke, which is done by leading the mind. As a defender, calm and centered, we have a tremendous advantage over someone who wishes to harm us because their mind is completely focused on this intent, often accompaigned by strong emotion, such as anger. In this state, uke is largely blind to external control of the body via the application of Aikido technique. If realization comes at all, it comes too late. Saotemi-sensei has an excellent discussion of this topic in his discussion of Ikkyo in Principles of Aikido .

The previous essay also mentioned that Aikido contains "no offensive movements such as striking, thrusting, or kicking" and that "there are no techniques of killing or purposefully harming the attacker." I quite agree with this sentiment, the spirit of Aikido should not involve harm of any lasting sort.

Because of this opinion, I'd also like to address the topic of atemi-waze, which is the art of striking. O-Sensei has been observed on several occasions to use striking as part of his technique. Many have viewed this as meaning that it is acceptable to hit people during the execution of an Aikido technique.

This is not my interpetation, instead, my belief is that the motion of striking, a feint if you like, can be useful in capturing an aggressor's mind. In some cases, uke may attack not from anger, but from a cold, calculated frame of mind that draws upon his own combat skills. Since this mind is not engaged by a strong emotion, atemi can be employed as a means of distraction. It causes a reaction which plays into the capture and neutralize approach of Aikido. As such, the strike itself is not with intent to harm, but rather to startle or confuse. For this reason, atemi is often made to the face, which is a visible place of vulnerability.

Properly executed, Aikido technique is like the soft, yet irresistable flow of a river. The power of the river is most apparent when you stand against it. There is no question of grace, efficiency, resentment or fear. The river flows and carries aggression away with it. The power and flow of the river is not achieved without practice. At best, we start as a trickle of water. Only through constant training and thoughtful guidance can we gain the loving approach to self-defense that O-Sensei has handed down to us.

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Mark J. Norton
Northeast Aikikai
Nov. 11, 1996