What is Ki?
The practice of Ki is not based on the size or the strength of the individual,
because theoretically that shouldn’t matter. Ki is a strength that goes
beyond pure physical power it is a universal strength. Ki is energy that permeates
the universe. Ki comes from nothing yet it exists everywhere. It is invisible,
it is intangible, you can’t see or taste it, so the only way to tap into
it is to “feel” it, or to experience it. If you try to think too
hard about it or try to verbalize it, for example, by saying or thinking “smaller,
smaller, smaller” or “half, half, half”, you never really
find it. The act of actually saying or thinking the words is a physical or
conscious action and is therefore wrong. We do our best to do nothing but to “feel” Ki
and to “live” Ki, to simply be natural. To “be natural” means
to do nothing, to allow the natural force of gravity to take over. Do not resist
or tighten up. Relax and be completely calm. However, it does NOT mean to be
asleep or “dead”.
There is great innate power in being completely relaxed. Imagine being calm in an emergency, being calm in a dangerous situation. Imagine being steady and confident while competing in sports, or as a soldier in combat. When you are relaxed, you are confident. When you are calm you can do anything. When you are the opposite of calm – stressed, nervous, or angry – do you think you can solve problems? Save your child’s life in an emergency? The answer, of course, is “no”.
In practice we are always saying, “keep weight underside” or “extend Ki”, these are simply phrases that allow us to put the concept of Ki into words. It’s really up to you to find your own definition. It may be different for you than it is for me, and that is okay. An individual will have his own methods for finding Ki and applying it. You need to find your own. The concept of Ki is difficult to grasp and difficult to explain. That is why we test each other in class.
In the Japanese language there is no simple definition of the word “Ki” – try asking someone who speaks the language. It is a broad concept. You find the word “Ki” incorporated in many Japanese words and phrases. For example: genki (health), denki (light), tenki (weather), ikimasu (to go), you’ll notice that all of these words are dynamic. They define movement or an action or energy. Ki is all of these things and more.
Our physical bodies come from Ki. If you look at the atoms and molecules that our bodies are composed of, you will see an energy force that holds it all together – the protons and the neutrons and the electrons circling around a nucleus. It is in many ways the same source of energy that binds the universe together. The moons and planets circling the sun, the sun and its solar system circling the galaxy, and the galaxies as giant pinwheels circling the universe. Who knows the extent of the power of Ki. But for lack of a better word, “KI” is the power of the universe.
Ki does not replace God. Ki and Aikido are not a religion and should not be seen as such. Differing religions and their concept of eternal life, blend very well with the concept of Ki. Ki Aikido is a philosophy of living. The word Ki is simply the Japanese name for this concept of universal energy. But there are many languages that have similar words for similar concepts. “Prana” to the Hindu, “Chi” to the Chinese, “Mana” to the Hawaiians (and other Polynesian cultures) and “Maban”to the Aboriginal Australians, to name just a few.
Ki exists everywhere and is not something you can simply build up in your body by lifting weights or by gaining weight. Ki is in constant flow throughout the vast universe, constantly ebbing and flowing. In Ki Aikido we train to tap into this flow. Join with it and to blend with it. When you achieve oneness with the universe, when your mind and body are unified, only then do you become invincible. For most, if not all, of us this is an unattainable goal. We will spend our lives seeking it. Just like in training, we practice and practice so that we can take the test to get the colored belt. Is the colored belt really the goal? No it isn’t. It’s just the beginning of another phase in your training. The training never ends. You will never reach perfection. It is a lifetime of training and then you die. However, after you die, your Ki energy is reabsorbed by the universe, in that sense, through Ki, we all live forever.