Nagare waza is a term that is used to say this technique is done in motion but the meaning of the character refers to the “ki” of birth.

The original Chinese character is seen above, which is an image of a child being swept downriver pushed by the converging waters surging from upstream. This depicts birth at the moment the water breaks, specifically focusing on how the water and energy help push out the baby into this world. The brushed version of nagare is below which combines the characters for water, child, and river.

In Aikido, ki no nagare is more than moving technique, it is the practice of recognizing how a technique is born. The end goal of aikido is “takemusu aiki” which is the manifestation technique on the spot in the moment of of harmonizing with an attack.

Even if you know that you are doing irminage the focus of aikido is to continuously strip away the opposition, intention, effort, and stubbornness until all you are left with is a way of securely connecting to someone that produces an opportunity for resolution. You practice a technique to know what it looks like, you practice a technique in motion to try and experience how it feels to catch the wave, but ultimately what is left is a spirit or birth that you and your partner are drawn into through mutual connection, a shared ride in the same current. Looking back you realize what just happened is the thing we call iriminage.