Dynamic Body Mechanics
In the Japanese Martial Art
In the Japanese Martial Art
Aikido is a Japanese Martial Art that focuses on coordinating KI (気or氣), the body's internal energy. This is done with the Haku (魄), the physical element of of the body, working with the Kon (魂), the spiritual.
O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, rejected shallow separation of the physical and spiritual parts of the self. He felt the Kon, the spiritual, must dominate the Haku, the physical, the naked aggression of combat.
He believed any person, any age, from any nation, by intense physical and spiritual training, could improve the human character and achieve true wisdom. Aikido uses self-discipline and custom to regulate respect for their opponent and O-Sensei's vision of following the higher path to universal peace and harmony.
To expand on this, the spiritual Kon needs the physical body Haku as a vessel, to move, to operate, to express KI in a physical manner. To better utilize the haku, the body, one should understand the anatomy and how the body physically moves.
A discussion of the anatomy and physiology of the body, in relation to Aikido, will be presented in this website. We will utilize original artwork and photographs to identify the muscles involved in dynamic movement, rotational techniques, focusing on the elements needed for proper posture, balance, and control.
O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido, rejected shallow separation of the physical and spiritual parts of the self. He felt the Kon, the spiritual, must dominate the Haku, the physical, the naked aggression of combat.
He believed any person, any age, from any nation, by intense physical and spiritual training, could improve the human character and achieve true wisdom. Aikido uses self-discipline and custom to regulate respect for their opponent and O-Sensei's vision of following the higher path to universal peace and harmony.
To expand on this, the spiritual Kon needs the physical body Haku as a vessel, to move, to operate, to express KI in a physical manner. To better utilize the haku, the body, one should understand the anatomy and how the body physically moves.
A discussion of the anatomy and physiology of the body, in relation to Aikido, will be presented in this website. We will utilize original artwork and photographs to identify the muscles involved in dynamic movement, rotational techniques, focusing on the elements needed for proper posture, balance, and control.
Authors
Writer, Editor Richard Shouse, MMSc, PA-C earned a Masters of Medical Science degree from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. A physician assistant for 25 years, he works in Boulder, Colorado, primarily with orthopedics, urgent care and physical therapy.
Richard is an aikido student in the Aikikai Tanshinjiku Dojo in Broomfield, Colorado. He has practiced Wu style Tai Chi for 20 years and is currently training in the Yang style and QiGong. |
Co-editor, Aikido Technical Advisor Kei Izawa Sensei is the Chairman of the International Aikido Federation in Tokyo, Japan, his term expires in 2020.
He began practicing aikido in 1969 under the guidance of the late Doshu Kisshomaru Ueshiba and is currently a 6th dan black belt. In 1976 he began training, impressed with the rotational technique and projected force taught by the late Shihan 8th dan Mitsunari Kanai. Izawa Sensei is currently the chief instructor for the Aikikai Tanshinjiku Dojo in Broomfield, Colorado, where he includes many of Kanai Sensei’s teachings. |
Artwork and illustrations are by Mariquita Sensei, a graduate of the Instituto Santa Ana de Bellas Artes (Institute of Fine Art) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. With an interest in Japanese art she studied Sumie (traditional black ink drawings) for over 4 years while in Japan. She is a Shodo 2 dan in Japanese caligraphy.
In 1978, while in Tokyo, Mariquita Sensei began practicing aikido under the instruction of Kisshomaru Ueshiba Doshu and his son, the current Doshu, Moriteru Ueshiba. Among other teachers, she has been a student of the late Mitsunari Kanai Sensei.
Mariquita Sensei is a 4th dan Aikido black belt and co-founder of the Aikikai Tanshinjuku Colorado. She is editor and producer of various aikido related videos and DVD materials sold globally.
All her art work provided in this website and the book to come is original.