先日１７日、心身統一合氣道会の宗主藤平光一先生のお別れ会が1000名を超える多くの参列者とともに、築地本願寺で行われました。会場はプラスの氣で満ちあふれ、生前藤平先生の影響を受けられたそれぞれの分野の方々や海外から駆けつけた方々が、偉大な業績をのこされた先生を偲んでおられました。

私の恩師である藤平先生は19５３年に合氣道普及のため渡米され、1974年には心身統一合氣道会を創立し、24ヶ国、5万人にその教えを広め様々な人に大きな影響を与えてこられました。

世界中に心身統一合氣道を広めていくため、全身全霊で打ち込まれ９１歳の生涯をまっとうされました。　いま、こうして私も米国に住み心身統一合氣道を指導できるのも、先生がその基盤を整えてくれたからに、他有りません。

藤平先生が生前よく言っておられた言葉の一つに、「いくら強くなっても、道場で学んだことを日常の仕事や人間関係などで生かせなければ、意味がない。。。」 という言葉があります。　武道家としてはもちろんのこと、人間としても素晴らしい理念をもって生きとうし、様々な人の模範となってプラスの影響を与えてこられた先生の明確で簡潔な教えは、これからもいろいろな人たちによって生き続けることでしょう！

生きるということは氣をだすこと （１）

“生きるというとこは氣をだすことである”　

私の恩師藤平光一先生の言葉です。

日本人で”氣”と言う言葉を知らない人はいないでしょうが、それでは　”一体氣ってなんですか”と問うと、はっきりこれが氣ですと答えられる人は少ない。意図的にはつかみどころがないからです。

一般的に”氣”と言うと、天気、大気、空気といった自然を指したもの、磁気、電気といった物理的なもの、陽気、陰気、元気といった人の気分を表したもの、活気、人気、俗気といった人々の繋がり状態をいったものや、妖気、邪気、殺気など忌み嫌うものまで、多種多様です。一見　”氣”ということばや漢字がなにかイメージを固定化しているようにみえますが、アクセス次第ではいろいろと変化していくこの”氣”は、使いこなせると便利、だが説明するとなるとやっかいでもあります。

日本の古代では、眼にはみえなくても存在するもの、そしてそれを感じるための（蟻の）触角みたいなのを、”き”、”け“と発音したようです。ここで、注目したいのは、氣は発信から受信と一方方向に伝わるのでなく、両方同時に発信／受信した状態ということです。＊此れについては、いつかまた新ためて述べたいと思います

さてここで、哲学的な難しいことは置いておき、まずはリラックス、そして氣をだしてみることをお奨めします。

リラックスの仕方はいろいろありますが、肝心なのは、一口でいうと心身統一であるかどうかです。意識と身体が一致している状態のリラックスだと氣が出る感じがよくわかります。＊心身統一したリラックスの方法は後述します。

自分はきがでてるんだと考えるだけでも、そのきという感覚を使って、なにかと繋がる（氣になる）、そして繋がると同時に（その相手からの）きが入ってきて（氣に入る）、するとやがて好きになる　（好氣）。そうなれば自分も相手もお互い反応し合って活氣よくなるという相乗効果が出てきます。

どうも最近、覇気とか元気がないな〜と感じたら、まずは、どうしたら氣がでるかを考えてみましょう。。。

（続く）

To Live is to Extend Ki (1)

“To Live is to Extend Ki”

This a quote from my Aikido teacher, Koichi Tohei Sensei.

Even though the word “ki” is common in Japanese language, if you ask any Japanese person “what is Ki?” not many people can answer clearly. Generally speaking, ki implies natural phenomena, such as weather or air; physical matters, such as magnets or electricity; people's feelings, such as positive or negative or cheerful moods; time, such as the connection between past to present to future; the condition of groups of people, such as liveliness; or something socially unwanted but transmitted from person to person, such as sickness or accident. But if I write that any (or all) of these things define “ki”, the idea of “ki” becomes fixed - which might miss the point. It is more as if ki changes by the way you access it; it depends on the viewpoint of the person using it. If used properly, it is very convenient, but when you try to explain it, it becomes difficult to handle.

In ancient Japan, they pronounced “ki” or “ke” for something that cannot be seen or invisible, but can be felt. Just as ants use antennae to sense their environment, that feeling action is called ki. It is important here, Ki is not a one-way communication, it is a 2-way simultaneous communication. (I would like to explain about that some time later)


There are so many layers to ki philosophically, that they will be set aside for now. I rather encourage you to relax…and extend ki. There are many ways to relax, but what is import is mind and body coordination. When your consciousness and physical body match, then it is easy to understand the feeling of extending ki, relaxing with mind and body coordinated....

Here is the progression in Ki:
Kininaru--“become ki”. First, just think “I am extending Ki,” - by using the feeling of Ki, you connect with something, and your perception of the object is changed.
Kiniiru--“become favorite”. Then, once the connection is made, you receive the ki from the object.
You mutually activate (kakki) and become greater than the sum of the parts.

Haki - “penetrating ki” - means to act without hesitation, and Genki(origin ki)--means to be genuinely cheerful and well connected with the origin. IF you feel that don't have Haki or Genki, that is the time to consider extend Ki, connect, change your perception, and receive ki from what is around you.

To be continued…

非常時の備えリスト。The list of items for emargency time

家族や友達が日本に居る方、日本に現在居る方、下記の情報転送お願いします。
すでにご存知のことばかりかもしれませんが、ご参考にしてください。

If you have a family and friends in Japan, please shared this list

May be you already know and prepped but re-check again.



【持ち物】things to bring

・現金 cash

・身分証 ID

・印鑑 Hanko

・保険証 insurance

・飲料水(なるべく多めに) water

・非常食(缶詰めやお菓子等) food

・携帯と非常用充電器keitai and battery charger

・ティッシュ tissue

・タオル(５枚程) towel more than 5

・懐中電灯 light

・カイロ portable warm pack

・サランラップ wrap

・毛布 blanket

・家族の写真(はぐれた時の確認用) family picture (showing who is looking for, specially if you have kids let them have ID your pic with contact number )

・ホイッスル(生存率が格段に上がる) whistle

・メガネ glasses

・いつも使用している薬 medicine

・音楽プレイヤー(音楽を聞いて落ち着ける) Music player

・生理用品(必須 ) sanitary napkin

→生理用品はなるべく多く準備して下さい。予定日でなくてもストレスで急に生理になってしまうことがあります。その上、怪我をしてしまったときの止血帯として利用でき、とても便利です。

Sanitary napkin is so useful

Sometime stress cause the period and also it could be very useful as a blood stopping item.



※非常時は『身分証』があれば通帳がなくても現金の引き出しが可能なので通帳は必要ありません

If you have ID you can withdraw you money (has limit at one time)



【緊急行動パターン】things you need to do

・ドアをあける open the door

・必要な荷物は玄関へ need item throw to the outside

・底の厚靴をはく(ケガ防止) wear the shoese has thick bottom

・ガスの元栓をしめる turn gus off

・停電時、外出時はブレーカーをおとす(火事防止) down the breaker (electric bottom)

・出来るうちに携帯とPCに充電 charge mobile and computer

・とりあえず落ち着いて行動 calm calm calm

・災害用伝言ダイヤル171の利用(避難場所も伝えること) emergency dial 171

・被害がひどい場所の人の為に回線がパンクしないよう電話は最小限におさえる limit the phone call

・スカイプなら使える Skype can use

・ 警察や被害者を装った詐欺に注意する(女性や子供、お年寄りははなるべく１人にならないように！詐欺電話やトイレやお風呂を貸して下さいと言って男性に訪 ねられても女性１人の場合は部屋にあげないように！過去に災害時の詐欺や盗難、性犯罪の例があります！気をつけて下さい！)

Be aware of stranger

Please be careful to use toilet especially for young kids



【避難時の注意】 when you evacuate

・壊れかけのタンスや冷蔵庫に近づかない step away from closet and refrigerator

・ガラスや塀に注意する careful glasses piece

・壁の亀裂や柱の傾きは倒壊の恐れあり即避難 away from the old building

・狭い道、崖沿い、川沿い、海を避ける away from narrow street ,near the river ,ocean

・海沿い、川沿いの人は高台に避難 if you are near the river keep stay at the high place

・ヘルメット、なければ帽子を被る(ケガ防止、保温) wear the helmet if you do not have wear the hat

・火がつきやすい化繊の服は避ける chose the close not easy to burn

・火災時は風上へ when the fire comes, stay at the top of the window

・マスクや濡れマスクを装備する wear the musk

・車は走るのをやめて路肩によせて停止 no driving car




【地震が起きる前なら】before earthquake

・ヘルメットはあるか check helmet

・非常食や水の蓄えはあるか prep food and water

・応急処置セットはあるか first aid

・寝袋はあるか sleeping bag

・避難所や避難ルートの確認 check the way of evacuate





【NTT公式情報】 公衆電話は災害時優先的に繋がります。被災地の公衆電話は無料で使えます。ただし国際電話は使えません。

The public telephone is connected by priority at the disaster. The public telephone of the disaster area can be used free of charge. However, international phone calls cannot be used.



【NHK安否情報放送】 NHKでは安否情報に関する放送を随時していきます。次の番号にご家族の状況やメッセージをお寄せ下さい↓

0354528800

05033699680

NHK broadcasts at any time concerning the victim information. It is ↓ in the following number ..sending.. as for family's situation and message.





【被害者用伝言ダイヤル】



・被災者の方

1→171を押す

2→「１」を押す

3→自宅やじぶんの携帯番号を押す

4→伝言を録音する



・安否を確認したい方

1→171を押す

2→「２」を押す

3→安否を確認したい方の番号を押す

4→録音された伝言を再生する



【 voice mail service for victim 】



1→dial 171 and recorded.

2→press "1"

3→ home phone number and the self mobile number who pushes

・4→ record your message



・checking The message



1→press 171

2→press "2"

3→press the tel number you want to check

4→listening your message again.



【無料公衆電話のかけ方】

・みどりのアナログ電話は緊急ボタンを押すか10円玉を入れると通話できます。通話後10円は戻ってきます。

・デジタル公衆電話は受話器を上げるだけで使用可能です。



【 how to put free public telephone 】

・Can an urgent button be pushed or Midori's analog telephone be talked over the telephone by putting ten yen coin.

Ten yen returns after it talks over the telephone.

・The digital public telephone can be used only by raising the receiver.



【地震による体調不良】

・地震酔い→目をつぶり深く静かに１０秒程深呼吸(数回繰り返してください)　このとき臍下（おへその下辺り）に意識を鎮めると、更に効果的。

・ エコノミークラス症候群→長時間の避難生活、車の中や駅などでの待機で血行不良になり脳梗塞や心筋梗塞の恐れがあります。トイレを我慢しようとして水分を とらなかったりしないこと、同じ姿勢を長時間とらないこと、軽いストレッチをすること、狭い車内や室内などでは足を上げて寝ること！

【 bad health due to earthquake 】

・when you feel an earthquake motion sickness → you take deep breathe calmly for about ten seconds (Please repeat several times). It's more effective, if set your mind at the lower abdomen while while you are breathing.

・ It becomes a poor circulation like an economy-class syndrome → stranded for a long time, in the car, and the standby such as the stations and there might cause for the cerebral infarction and cardiac infarction if you don't take any water to endure the rest room, and the same posture is taken for a long time. A light stretch is good, and the foot should be raised in the car or narrow seat in indoors while you sleep.



【非常用飲料水】

サントリーが自販機を無料開放しています(自販機のボタンを押すだけです)

【 drinking water for emergency 】

Suntory company is opening the vending machine free of charge (The button of the vending machine is only pushed).



【非常用簡易トイレの作り方】

便器にビニール袋を二重に入れ、口の一部を管などに括り固定する。ビニールの中には新聞紙等を入れ、消毒液があれば入れるかスプレーをする。必要に応じビニール袋を取り替える。

【 how to make simple rest room for emergency 】

Put a double plastic bag in the toilet, and part of the opening should bundled in the Toilet tube to be stable. Put a news paper in the bag, and if you have an antiseptic solution, puts or sprays it. The plastic bag should be changed whenever necessary.

2010 - Year of the Tiger, and a New Decade

There are two characters for "tiger" in Japanese. For the zodiac sign, we use 寅("tora"), the same character as in Chinese, and for the animal, we use 虎｡ I asked my students what they think of when they hear the word "tora"; one said the Jewish holy book, and the other said "Tora, Tora, Tora" the movie about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. I was told when I was a boy that the progression of the zodiac comes from the order that the animals came to bid farewell to Buddha when he was dying. First was the rat, then the ox, then the tiger, and so on.

A tiger, as you might be able to predict, is relentlessly ruthless once it decides to attack. Any false move, and you're in trouble. But you don't have to worry about being attacked as long as you are doing what the tiger thinks is right. Its not like I believe that any year is determined by the Chinese zodiac or any other, but it is a good idea to honor anything that people pay attention to for so long. This year might be a good one to watch carefully what we are doing as a society.

The past decade, we struggled somewhat to find a new sense of value, since the world is not necessarily working as well as we thought it would. At least, though, we see that now. We thought that the oil crisis of the 1970s taught us something, but it ended up being sensational and short-lived. It did produce some physical changes, specifically the size of cars, to save money. But it sees that now change is required on a deeper level.

This doesn't necessarily mean that we have to stop using some natural resources; maybe some technology will allow us to be much more efficient and sustainable. But no new technology will be successful unless people see a benefit in it. So, we have to ask of any new technology: is this really helping us? Does the Internet help us communicate better? Do cell phones?

We seem to feel lonely even though we are often able to connect through Twitter, facebook, and other social networking sites. Really, there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction, and as long as we can remember that, we'll be alright. The problem is when we ignore our fundamental instinct, which tells us that there is something missing from technological communication.

Sustainability is also built into our instinctual side. I have never heard of a predator hunting its prey into extinction; they know to leave some thing for the future. For example, perhaps most of you are aware that tuna have been over-fished, mainly to be consumed as sushi. If I asked any single Japanese to give up eating tuna, or any chef to stop serving it, they would kill me; but if a sushi chef can bring some sustainable fish that is as good as tuna, or even better, then people will eat that fish. This requires understanding by both the consumer and chef about what sustainability is, and a desire for it.

My Aikido teacher, Koichi Tohei Sensei, said that in Aikido there is no way to stop what people want, but you can change what they want. He also said that before you can expect to control anyone, you have to control yourself. Practically, in terms of our way of life, people won't give anything up, but they will change to something that they see as better. The first step in this is to live up to your own conscience, what you feel deeply is best for the world.

"One candle can light ten thousand, which can become the power that illuminates the world, we must start with ourselves."

- Koichi Tohei Sensei

Obon

In my frequent travels, I've noticed how crowded the airports have been, which reminds me a bit of Tokyo. In Japan, it is now O-Bon, an old Buddhist festival in which the dead are believed to come back for a few days. It also happened to be that World War II ended around the same time of year, on August 15th.

Traditionally, O-Bon is celebrated with folk dancing, but for sure now there are also a lot of horror movies showing all over the country, in theaters and on TV. Many people are also returning to their hometowns. Regardless of what religious, ethnic, or cultural difference, I've found it a good thing to pay respect to those that have passed away. No matter what happens to them, they live in our memory.

Another huge summer event in Japan is the National High School Baseball tournament. Each prefecture (state) gets to send only one team. I used to wonder why adults want to see non-professional kids play, because baseball for me was completely a professional activity.

But now that I'm outside Japan, I can see what they were after. The kids do have many glitches in their technique, but the beauty is that they play so sincerely, both to get there and against each other. It is one of the last places where we can see the true meaning of amateur sports. They are playing for honor, for their town and whole prefecture, which will remember them for decades if they play really well.

I've tried to find the same thing in this country, and indeed there are many amateur sports played at a high level. But when I see high school football, I sense a lot of pressure from parents. Not that there is not pressure in Japanese baseball - of course everyone wants them to win. The difference, maybe, is that after every game almost, both the players and spectators all cry. On both teams and FOR both teams - winners and losers - for happiness and sadness.

I hope we can have this in Aikido, a celebration of collective accomplishment, of having made it through, and empathy for those who made such a sincere effort, but lost.

Train well, and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Sensei

As I mentioned before, my father passed two years ago. I assume there are many ways to be a good father. There is no formula.

My father's generation, the same one as my Aikido teacher, seems to not want to talk about their care and love to their own child, but instead show it. My father was born as the first son, and so was I. I don't remember him talking to me much, but rather showing me what he wanted me to be. So I had a hard time understanding him, what he meant, and what he wanted.

Almost 40 years have passed since I began practicing Aikido, and I have come into a position to be called Sensei. What I teach is called Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido. Shin Shin Toitsu can be translated as "oneness of mind and body", and Aikido has been translated by my teacher as "the way to oneness with ki".

Being in this country for so long, I have been exposed to many teaching styles, and many ways of coaching or training for sports. Occasionally, I step into my daughter's aerial acrobatics class. I am always impressed by the generosity and planning that goes into the teaching, and how creative the instructors are in presenting it.

Western teachers and coaches seem always to focus first on success, and present this to their students. Contrarily, teachers of traditional Japanese arts such as Noh, Kabuki, koto, singing, and martial arts, are known for first saying "that's wrong". There is a very famous story from a Noh player: a student asked him, "What is Noh?"

The teacher replied, "If I tell you, you are never going to understand Noh. Period."

For a long time, I struggled with what style of teaching is good for students in the US. If I want to be popular, obviously I have to be like a Western coach, and encourage my students. But as a Japanese artist, I would rather not teach the essence of the art, and simply check on what they have developed. I would rather encourage intuition, and learning of the body rather than the head. Too many ideas will block it, and the teacher's job is to tell them to knock that off.

So the student has to steal what the teacher does, day by day, moment by moment. Japanese arts rely on becoming a way of life.

"Shin shin toitsu" is a process of changing consciousness, which requires positive reinforcement, so students accept it easier on a conscious level. But again, Japanese traditional arts have to be blended into the daily activity, into the subconscious, which requires clarity and precision. In other words, it has to be called wrong when it is.

Some years ago, there was a discussion in the Aikido community over whether a Sensei is a teacher/coach or an artist. A coach encourages and inspires, but has to be there all the time, almost to the point of annoyance. An artist, on the other hand, is more like a gardener, who must pay constant attention to his plants to know when to stress his plants and when to feed them.

Shin Shin Toitsudo was founded by Tenpu Nakamura sensei, a philosopher. His thought is carried well by my teacher, Koichi Tohei Sensei. Aikido was founded by Morihei Ueshiba Sensei, who was a very traditional Japanese teacher, who taught nothing, but showed the Way. I am very glad to be able to draw on both sides - the intellectual and the intuitive. I feel very complete as a human, rather than highly specialized to one side or the other. It is sad to see some people who criticize teachers and celebrate artists, or vice versa. Both ways are dead wrong. There is no formula, just as there is none for how to be a father.

Any animal can be a father, but we human can pass something on. Something more than shelter and basic needs. I feel lucky, not because I was born as a lord of creation, but as being Sensei who can pass something to next generation and enjoy doing so.