Shinichi Tohei's Ki Weblog

The Ability to Learn

A Short Instruction:

The purpose of this article is to apply Ki principle (The mind moves the body) which is the fundamental of Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido to our daily life.

It is not enough just to read, but it is important to positively practice the subject given in each month. Learning through practice will be your lifelong asset.

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The Ability to Learn

A few days ago, I dined with a university professor who is a close friend. I teach a liberal arts class at the university, therefore we discussed the ability of university students to learn as an important subject common to each of us.

It is said now, and has been said in the past, (in a negative manner),

“It is not acceptable how young people behave these days…”

Indeed, I am sometimes surprised at the ideas held by students. A common understanding between the professor and me is the fact that university students nowadays lack the ability to think for themselves.

To the question “1+1=?,” the answer “2” will be concluded. However, for the real problems we face in our daily life, there is no fixed answer like this. Therefore, what we must do is discover the solution to life’s questions by ourselves.

Sometime ago, one university student consulted with me about his career. He began by asking,

“What kind of career should I pursue?”

I am not a fortune-teller so I did not have a fixed answer for him. According to his story, he entered the university due to his parents’ strong encouragement. However, he could not decide about his career for the future before his graduation, so he entered a post graduate school at the university. I was surprised at his lack of ability to think for himself, as he is a post graduate student and already in his mid-twenties.

Under the current education system in

Japan

, students are encouraged to seek fixed and prepared answers to problems. This kind of problem solving will not help these students to successfully engage in a future that is uncertain.

“Should I marry this man?“

This is the most extreme question I have ever been asked. I can only advise but I can never decide on behalf of any student regarding such a question.

I sometimes hear the same type of questions in a dojo.

“How can I perform this technique?”

This is the type of question that reveals the questioner is not willing to think for himself, and this will not support further learning. This type of student does not try to think for himself, but instead just seeks the answers easily and without effort. If you want to ask the above question to support further growth, what should that question actually be?

When I teach, I only give some hints to improve the students, so that they can learn by their own thinking and practice. Then, the important practice of Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido becomes their ability to think for themselves, find a good method, and master that. In other words, their overall ability to learn will improve in this way. The ability to learn is applicable to every situation, including jobs. If we are given the answer (which looks like the answer) by the others and stop thinking for ourselves, we are not able to gain the ability to learn.

Not only the instructors of Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, but also people who play a leading role in every field, should once again consider what the teaching is.

Teaching is ______?_________. The answer here is the way the ability of students to learn will be improved.

The following is the subject for this month.

[Subject]

・    What sentence will be inserted in the underlined blank above? There are countless answers.

Teaching for Los Angeles Dodgers

As I was formally requested by LA Dodgers, I went to teach the players of LA Dodgers in the Dodger Stadium from 11^th January 2010 (Monday) to 20^th January 2010 (Wednesday).

Dodger Stadium is the baseball stadium where the final game of the 2009 World Baseball Classic was held. It is historical and very beautiful stadium.

In the original plan, Mr. Tatsuro Hirooka, a baseball commentator, was supposed to come with me, however, due to certain reasons, his attendance to the camp was cancelled so I went to teach without him.

Fortunately, the teaching this time has finished with a great success and I have received highest appreciation from the players and coaches.

It seems that the mind and body unification, which is the fundamental principle of Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, will take root in LA Dodgers from now on.

I sincerely appreciate Mr. Tatsuro Hirooka and those concerned with LA Dodgers, for having given such a great opportunity for me.

Due to the agreement with LA Dodgers, I am afraid to inform you that the list of people who participated in my teaching, and the details of the teaching are strictly forbidden to be disclosed.

Thank you very much for your kind understanding.

Birthday of Koichi Tohei Sensei

The date of 20^th January was the birthday of Koichi Tohei Sensei. Fortunately, he could have his 90 years old birthday with healthy condition.

We have received many people’s congratulations for his birthday. Thank you very much for your kind messages.

Kagamibiraki at Ki Society H.Q.

Ki Society H.Q., of which I am a president, held the “Ki Society H.Q. Kagamibiraki” on 3^rd January 2010 (Sunday).

Kagamibiraki is the most important event held at Ki Society H.Q. and many instructors gathered from all over Japan.

In the early morning, with temperatures at two degrees below zero, we have purified both our mind and body in the cold water basing training (Senshin no Gyo). Kagamibiraki (Opening of the new big Sake bottle) was held and the Sake and Zouni (rice cakes boiled in vegetable soup) were served thereafter.

The main event of Kagamibiraki is “Syugyo Tassei Kigan Shiki (The ceremony praying for success in our training)”.

In this ceremony, I offered a prayer wishing the whole members of Ki Society in the world the successful achievement and safety of their training through the year.

Afterwards, the recommended Dan promotion was announced and I awarded these certificates to the respective members. The following is the members who were promoted by the year’s recommendation.

Nanadan (7^th dan)

Mr. Kenji Tomita (Tessinkan dojo / Kanagawa)

Rokudan (6^th dan)

Mr. Kunio Urushibata (Issinkan dojo / Kanagawa)

Mr. Nobuhiro Fukuda (Yushinkan dojo / Miyagi)

Godan (5^th dan)

Mr. Takashi Yamanaka (Senshinkan dojo / Miyagi)

Ms. Susan Grigsby (Southern California Ki Society / USA)

Yondan (4^th dan)

Mr. Nobu Kuroha (Chyushinkan dojo / Tochigi)

Mr. Shinji Handa (Yanase class / Tochigi)

Ms. Hiromi Inaba (Shinshinkan dojo / Saitama)

Ms. Chieko Kimura (Tokushinkan dojo / Tokyo)

Ms. Sachiko Okada (Koshinkan dojo / Osaka)

Ms. Miki Takeuchi (Koshinkan dojo / Osaka)

Mr. Yasuhiro Kanda (Kinshinkan dojo / Hyogo)

Mr. Akira Ota (Kinshinkan dojo / Hyogo)

Mr. Terutaka Nishihara (Kinshinkan dojo / Hyogo)

Mr. Alfio La Spina (North Queensland Ki Society / Australia)

Mr. George Andrew LeBar (Midland Ki Federation / USA)

Mr. Owen Livingston (Midland Ki Federation / USA)

Mr. Stanley Haehl (Midland Ki Federation / USA)

Mr. Igor Ostroumov (Eastern Europe/Russia Ki-Aikido Federation)

Promotion by having been awarded a gold prize in the 28^th All Japan Ki Aikido Taigi Competition is as follows;

Nidan (2^nd dan)

Ms. Kaoru Hattori

(Hiroshima Jogakuin University / Hiroshima)

Shodan (1^st dan)

Ms. Chiho Matsuda

(Hiroshima Jogakuin University / Hiroshima)

I took charge of teaching in the first training just after the above ceremony. The photoes were taken after the training.

The activities of Ki Society H.Q. has begun officially subsequent to the completion of Kagamibiraki.

Thank you very much.

 

 

The Mind moves the Body

A Short Instruction:

The purpose of this article is to practice and validate the Ki principle (Mind moves body) which is the foundation of Ki-Aikido in our daily life. Therefore, it has no meaning if you just read it without practicing it.

The fundamental method of mastering anything is practice. However, it is not enough just to practice, but it is also important to validate how one has changed as a result of the practice.

It is easy to lose what you have learned without practice. On the other hand, you will never lose what you have learned through practice and validation. Therefore, please read, practice, and validate the contents of my article for at least one month.

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The Mind moves the Body

The most fundamental and important thing in learning Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido is the “Ki Principle” (The Mind moves the Body).

We all have the mind and the body. The body has color and shape. It is visible and touchable. On the other hand, the mind does not have color and shape. We do not understand well the other’s mind or even our own. Since long ago, it has been said, “the mind is not something that can be grasped by the senses”. However, it is not actually true. The state of the mind is reflected in the state of the body. Thus, through the state of the body, we are able to know the state of mind.

A few days ago, one member asked one of Uchideshi to hand over something to me. But the Uchideshi left the thing there and forgot to give it to me. Then I found it where it had been left behind. I called him immediately and warned him severely regarding this behavior. In response, he just kept apologizing by saying “I will not forget next time”, “I will not do the same again”. However, by simply apologizing many times, the Uchideshi does not truly improve, because he does not necessarily understand the principle “the Mind moves the Body”.

If his actual state of mind does not change, then it will, once again appear in his life as a mistake. In that same state of mind, he will repeat that same mistake again. It is vital to know the state of our mind. Therefore, I always instruct the students “to confront (see) their mind”, rather than simply accusing them of their mistake.

The following is the conversation between me and the Uchideshi (A):

I:            “Why have you left the thing which was supposed to be handed over to me there?”

A:           “I am sorry. I will be more careful from now on”.

I:            “Your apology is not really what I want. I am asking why you have left the thing.”

A:           “I thought I would place the thing there and come back to take it later, but unfortunately, I forgot it.”

I:            “Why did you think it was all right that you would come back later?”

A:           “Since I had other things to do, I made those other things my priority.”

I:            “If you could not bring it to me yourself, then why couldn’t you ask somebody else to do so?”

A:           “……. Probably I could have done that, however, this idea did not come to me at the time.”

I:            “Then, why did that idea not come to you?”

As such, this exchange of conversation could have lasted forever. However, this Uchideshi was not saying this with any evil intent. He did not recognize that he was simply offering excuses.

The point is that he could not realize that the mistake he had made was a reflection of his state of mind. Unless he knows the state of his own mind and amends this state of mind, he will repeat the same mistake again and again. Unless he confronts (sees) his state of mind, he cannot become a good instructor. Therefore, I didn’t forgive him prior to making the cause of the mistake clear.

After the several exchanges in our conversation, his real feelings appeared as follows;

A:           “…. In fact, I felt a bit of bother.”

I:            “Why did you feel it was bothersome?”

A:           “Probably I did not care and didn’t respect the person who asked me. I took my own business precedence over the person’s wishes.”

I:            “Do you think it is OK for you to keep having that state of mind?”

A:           “No, I would like to change the state of my mind, otherwise I will repeat the same mistakes again.”

Some people never change even after such a process as above. But still, I do not want to give up encouraging them to “confront (see) their mind”. Fortunately, this Uchideshi got the point and has never committed this same mistake since that time.

It can be considered that the execution of both the techniques of Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido and activities in our jobs in daily life, are the reflection of the state of our mind.

We can know the state of our mind by observing the state of our body. And then, after knowing the state of mind, we can amend the way of we use the mind. By continuing this processes, we will be able to improve.

The following is the practice and validation for this month.

[Point of practice]

・If there was a mistake in your job or daily life, see what the state of your mind was at the time.

[Point of validation]

・    After seeing the state of your mind, amend the way you use your mind.

・    Write down how you changed consequently.

A Happy New Year

"To Live is to extend Ki."

Calligraphy by Koichi Tohei Sensei
The Founder of Ki-Aikido (Shinshin Toitsu Aikido)

Considering the other's Ki

A Short Instruction:
The purpose of this article is to practice and validate the Ki principle (Mind moves body) which is the foundation of Ki-Aikido in our daily life. Therefore, it has no meaning if you just read it without practicing it.

The fundamental method of mastering anything is practice. However, it is not enough just to practice, but it is also important to validate how one has changed as a result of the practice.

It is easy to lose what you have learned without practice. On the other hand, you will never lose what you have learned through practice and validation. Therefore, please read, practice, and validate the contents of my article for at least one month.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Considering the other’s Ki

This is a story of what took place while I was traveling from Tokyo to Osaka by Shinkansen (Bullet train) a few weeks ago.

There were two business persons sitting across the aisle from me. They appeared to be an employer and his employee. They jumped onto the train just before the doors shut.

I did not intend to listen to their talk on purpose, however, due to their loud voices, their conversation was difficult not to hear.

Employer:  “I told you to wait for me at the north exit of Yaesu district, didn’t I? Why were you waiting at the north exit of Marunouchi district? (* There are many exits in the Tokyo station.)”

Employee: “I am very sorry, sir. I only remembered the word ‘north exit’ you mentioned…”

This humorous conversation lasted until the train reached Nagoya station (* Nagoya is in the central part in Japan between Tokyo and Osaka.)

The face of the employer was really red in anger and he was scolding his employee with a severe voice. The employee got totally frightened.

Employer:  “Hey! Now I am really thirsty, so go and buy me something to drink!”

Employee:  “Yes, sir!” (His answer was very good.)

Usually there are salespeople coming through the train with food and drinks. However, the fellow could not wait for this and so gave his employee money and sent him to purchase the drink. After a few minutes, the employee returned with a drink.

Employee:  “Sorry for making you wait, sir! Here is the drink for you.”

Employer:  “Hey, this is a hot coffee. As thirsty as I am, do you expect me to drink this really hot drink all at once?”

Employer:  “Oh…., I am very sorry, sir…”

The employer had said that he was thirsty, so therefore the employee should have bought a drink with mild temperature.

Their conversation was so funny that I could not take my eyes off of them.

Employer:  “I am a little bit hungry.  Please go to buy something for my breakfast.”

Employee:  “Yes, sir!”

Again, he could not wait for the salesperson to come and made his man run. I was guessing “In considering the man’s Ki, probably a sandwich would be the right thing to bring.” The employer mentioned in their conversation that he drank alcohol too much the previous night, and since this now was the following morning, I guessed that he would not want to have a heavy meal.

Then, the employee returned.

Employee:  “Sorry for making you wait, sir! Here it is for you.”

Employer:  “Hey you! This is just a packet of rice crackers and peanuts! What should I do with this?!”

Of course, the packet of rice crackers and peanuts was unwanted by the employer.
Then the employee asked him,

Employee:  “I am sorry sir, should I have bought a beer as well?”

Employer:  “Stop it! Are you making fun with me?”

Employee:  “Absolutely not, sir!”

Employer:  “OK, no more arguing. Now, please go and buy sandwiches!”

From their conversation, I understood that they were going to business negotiation in Nagoya, so beer would absolutely not have been the right thing there.

The employee was trying hard to serve the boss, however, one of the causes of this man’s wrong answers and actions is that he was “not considering his Ki”.

By directing and sending our attention (Ki) to others and putting ourselves into the other’s place, we can understand the other’s intention (Ki).  Even when we try hard to do our best, if we act when considering only our own preference, we can not serve what others want or need.  When we think “I am not being appreciated even though I am trying my very best!”, in most cases this means we are only acting according to our own preferences.

In order to “put ourselves into the other’s place”, first we need to know that person. In order to know the person, not only should we ask questions properly, but we should read his or her feelings through normal conversation and facial expressions, which reveals attitudes.  The capability of reading (considering) the other’s intention (Ki) can be improved through training.  This is especially important for people who have a job in which they daily need to contact and communicate with the other people.  For them, this is vital training.

The following conversation is the end of these men’s funny story.

Employer:  “I will sleep a little, so please wake me up when the train arrives to Nagoya.”

Employee:  “Yes, sir.”

Probably the boss went to bed very late the previous night, so he fell deeply asleep immediately. Then the train arrived at Nagoya station.

Employee:  “Sir, the train already arrived at Nagoya station.”

Employer:  “How come are you waking me up after arriving at Nagoya?!”

Then the employer rushed to get off the train. While he was sleeping the contents of his luggage were spread around untidily. If his employee had awakened him some minutes earlier, it would have been better.

Their conversations and actions were like a comedy show. After that, I wondered how their business negotiation went.

On the other hand, this employer has a responsibility as well.  He must take into account whether his employee is capable of considering his boss’ intentions (Ki). This employer was wrinkling his forehead and was quite irritated, so the employee was nervous about being scolded again all the time. Thus, the employee was unable to direct his Ki in the way that was required.

I train Uchideshies and it seems that I am very scary for them, so I sometimes have an experience similar to the employer in the above story. Each time this happens, I correct my attitude.

Without considering the opponent’s Ki, we can not perform Aikido techniques.  In this story, we can see the importance of Aikido in daily life.

The following is the practice and validation for this month.

[Point of practice]
・When you are requested to do something by someone else, you need to think by putting yourself in the other’s place (Consider other’s intention, or Ki).

[Point of validation]
・Ensure if what you did was really what the other person wanted you to do.

Strengthening Ki

A Short Instruction:

The purpose of this article is to practice and validate the Ki principle (Mind moves body) which is the foundation of Ki-Aikido in our daily life. Therefore, it has no meaning if you just read it without practicing it.

The fundamental method of mastering anything is practice. However, it is not enough just to practice, but it is also important to validate how one has changed as a result of the practice.

It is easy to lose what you have learned without practice. On the other hand, you will never lose what you have learned through practice and validation. Therefore, please read, practice, and validate the contents of my article for at least one month.

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Strengthening Ki

A person’s state of “having strong Ki” does not mean the person has a “stern character”.

When starting something new, we often worry about the possibility of failure. If an idea, such as “Can I really do this?” comes to our mind, we will not be able to send our Ki properly to what we are supposed to do. When we worry in thinking that “It might fail!”, or “What should I do if I fail?”, our ability to follow through to completion and continuation will be lost.

Only by continuing to strongly remind ourselves with the idea that “I can definitely do this!” or “I will definitely keep doing this until completion!” can we successfully complete any action. This ability of firmly maintaining plus Ki is the same as the state of “having strong Ki”.

Often, when people have worries in their mind, they tend not to face those worries. They do not admit the fact that they have worry.  Instead they may say, “I am not feeling any worry”. However, when they intentionally avoid feeling worry, they still continue to experience the worry.

As long as we try to run away from the worry, it will chase after us.

One way to succeed is to change our way of thinking.  For instance, we can change our way of thinking from “What should I do if I fail?” to “How and with what method can I succeed?” Certainly, that may be a good way and sometimes the worry is mitigated at once. However, changing the way of consciously thinking is just a temporary measure and is not a complete resolution.

We have “Conscious mind” that we can recognize and “Subconscious mind” that we cannot recognize. 

Conscious mind is formed from materials stored in the Subconscious mind.  Therefore, if minus materials are stored in the Subconscious mind, the Conscious mind is likely to become minus. In order to strengthen Ki, changing the contents of Subconscious mind is necessary.

The specific way for the above is “Meirei-Anji-ho (The Power of Suggestion method)”. The way to practice this method is to stand or sit in front of a mirror and say to the reflection of yourself in the mirror “You have strong Ki”. It is most effective to not say this in the first person using “I”, but to say it in the second person using “You”. While doing this, you must not have any doubt in your mind. Also, what you say should be only one thing. Saying many things is not good. After that you need to go to bed and sleep without watching TV or reading a book, etc.

While you are sleeping the Subconscious mind is primarily active, rather than the Conscious mind.  Therefore, if you speak to your reflection in the mirror just before sleeping, what you say will easily pass into the Subconscious mind during sleep. You need to continue this method daily, for at least three months.

What happens as a result? This will be known only by the person who actually puts it into practice. I absolutely do not recommend what I do not practice. In my position, I am required to always produce a result, however, if I slacken my Ki, I will get worried. But while doing the above “Meirei-Anji-ho”, I can overcome any worry that I may have for whatever I may need to face.

Even now, this is one of my crucial trainings.

The following is the practice and validation for this month.

[Point of practice]

・Do the Meirei-Anji-ho from today for three months.

[Point of validation]

・Write down any change you experience every day.

Sending Ki In Advance

A Short Instruction:

The purpose of this article is to practice and validate the Ki principle (Mind moves body) which is the foundation of Ki-Aikido in our daily life. Therefore, it has no meaning if you just read it without practicing it.

The fundamental method of mastering anything is practice. However, it is not enough just to practice, but it is also important to validate how one has changed as a result of the practice.

It is easy to lose what you have learned without practice. On the other hand, you will never lose what you have learned through practice and validation. Therefore, please read, practice, and validate the contents of my article for at least one month.

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Sending Ki In Advance

Throughout the year, I have a number of different responsibilities each day, such as the teaching in seminars, meetings, news gathering, negotiations, and the education of Uchideshi, etc.

There is tremendous energy needed when making important decisions. If ten or twenty decisions need to be made in a day, I will be totally exhausted unless I have good strategies to deal with such a great number of jobs.

In fact, with only a small effort, we can handle the jobs easily. That is, “to send Ki to all the things to do in advance”.

The job to which we direct our Ki willingly is not tiring, however, the one which we feel we need to do because we are told to do so and to which our Ki is not directed, is very tiring. This is the difference between “Ki goes in advance of doing the jobs” and “Do the jobs and Ki comes later.”  Even if the time difference of Ki is only an instant, it causes a very big difference.

Let us assume that we have many things to do today. If one job is troublesome, that job will stick in our mind and our mind will not be fully directed to the next job. Our Ki gradually gets delayed. Then, our concentration is lost, efficiency gets lower and we feel exhausted.

If our Ki goes through all the events and tasks in advance, our concentration will not be lost half way through. However, if our Ki reaches only half way, our concentration will be lost then, as Ki was cut off, and as a result we get exhausted and even many incomplete tasks are left behind.

Then, what should we do specifically? I will show you one example. Write down all the events and tasks at the beginning of the day (or in the evening before the day if possible) and do the necessary preparations and arrangements. By doing so, we can send our Ki to all the things to do from the beginning to the end of each day. Then, each planned tasks and event becomes a stream of line in mind, not just separate events. In this case, our Ki will not be cut off at the half way point.

“Sending Ki to all the things we do in advance” does not mean to try hard and become tense unnecessarily. Rather, it means to use our mind clearly and naturally. 

The example above is for sending Ki to all planned events in the daily schedule. Also you can try to send Ki ahead of time for a specific event. For example, when you take a break, first make preparation for the next thing to do, then rest. In this way you will naturally send Ki to the next event or task in advance. By doing so, you will feel comfortable to come back to the job after the break. Without this process, you will feel uneasy coming back to the job and as a result you will become very tired.

There are many people who get sick on holiday. It is because their Ki is cut off when they take holiday.  By making the necessary preparations and arrangements for the post-holiday jobs before taking the holiday, our Ki will not be cut off and we will feel comfortable to come back to work.  In this way we can have a holiday free of worry.

Since having learned “Sending Ki in advance”, I have not felt tired even having a busy schedule. Also I have not had sickness on holiday.

I often have the opportunity to see people who play active roles and have great success on the front lines in every field, but I have never heard any of them saying “Oh, I am so busy!” They appear to be enjoying their work very much, though their schedule may be even busier than mine.

People who repeat “I am busy! I am busy!” are impatient and busy only in their mind. There are not so many people who are really busy in a true sense. In the Japanese language, the word “busy” is written in a way to mean “mind is lost”.

The people who are enjoying themselves even though they have busy schedules, are not pretending this enjoyment, but actually enjoy their work by sending Ki to the future events.

The following is the practice and validation for this month.

[Point of practice]

・  Before a holiday or taking a break, make preparation and arrangement for what you will return to. (Send Ki to the next schedule in advance)

・Send Ki to all the things to do for the next day.

[Point of validation]

・Record in a notebook how you observed the differences after practicing the above.

Having Appropriate Images

A Short Instruction:

The purpose of this article is to practice and validate the Ki principle (Mind moves body) which is the foundation of Ki-Aikido in our daily life. Therefore, it has no meaning if you just read it without practicing it.

The fundamental method of mastering anything is practice. However, it is important not just to practice, but also to validate how one has changed as a result of the practice.

It is easy to lose what you have learned without practice. On the other hand, you will never lose what you have learned through practice and validation. Therefore, please read, practice, and validate the contents of my article for at least one month.

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Having Appropriate Images

Everybody unconsciously has particular images for things in their mind.

One example is about “work”. Here, I will discuss the images on the premise of “ work” in Japanese culture.

I teach in company seminars, requested by company managers who are learning Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido or Ki Principles. Sometimes I teach in new worker’s seminars and when I do, I always ask,

“Do you think work is something you can enjoy, or something that you have to be troubled about?”

The answers are divided in half. Some answer, “Yes, work is joyful!” On the other hand, some answer, “No, work is troublesome.” This difference is attributable to their images towards “work”.

We can find even more interesting things if I ask them the following:

“When your parents are on duty, do they look like they are enjoying their work, or bothered by their work?”

Those who see their parents as enjoying their work, view their own work as joyful. However, the ones who see their parents as being bothered by their work also view their own work as troublesome.

This is an important point, because this means that the images for work in these young peoples minds were made not by actually experiencing the work, but by receiving influence from their parents, mostly “unconsciously”, which is interesting.  In some cases, these images are created in their minds by the influence of the other adults such as teachers in school.

Later on, these younger workers may develop a different view, depending on whether they view their work as the one “they must do for earning their living expenses even though they do not want to” or whether they view their work as something that “they positively pursue to improve themselves”.  Also it differs depending on whether they think they work “only for themselves”, or “for serving the others”.

We are free to have any kind of images in our mind, however, the most important thing is to know whether our images are appropriate or not.

I often ask the beginners of Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido,

“Please give me your image towards Aikido”.

Here I mean that I am requesting an answer regarding the images they hold of Aikido, not as the art of self-defense or even joint-locking techniques, but as to whether Aikido looks like the something they can do or they cannot do (looks difficult). Many people say it looks like “something they cannot do” (looks difficult).

As we said, such images are created from their past life experiences. If they keep that kind of image in their mind, they will find it very difficult to improve. When we hold the image of “I cannot do this”, then we can never accomplish that.

Realizing this, instructors choose the easy techniques for the beginners and let them have a positive experience of being able to perform those techniques. Then, the image in the minds of those beginners changes from “I cannot do this” to “I might be able to do this!”

This process is very important. Training in this way, after a while, the students see for themselves what images they hold at the time and allow themselves to train to create the image of “I can do this!”.

Another example of images held in the mind is the idea that “Japanese people are not good at English”. This image has been unconsciously supported repeatedly. Who would want to hold such an image as that?

Let us summarize.

Everybody has their own images for things. These images were made not by consciously choosing them, but by receiving them unconsciously from parents and teachers in school, etc. It is fine if these are appropriate images, but if not, then the attitude of the person holding such views tends to become negative, which will be a strong impediment in their positive development.

It is important to know the images we have unconsciously in mind, and to check whether these are appropriate.

The following is the practice and validation for this month:

[Point of practice]

・  Choose from the following categories: “Aikido training”, “Work”, “Study”, “English”, “Family”, “Money”, “Husband”, “Wife,” etc, and write down the images that you hold towards this category.

[Point of validation]

・Find out when, where, and how you obtained such an image.

・Check whether the image is appropriate or not.