Art, music, conversation, and certainly aikido is energized by altering the balance of polar opposites to create a point of connection and balance. O’sensei said, “If your opponent strikes with fire, counter with water, becoming completely fluid and free-flowing. Water, by its nature, never collides with or breaks against anything. On the contrary, it swallows up any attack harmlessly.”
O’sensei often used the circle in his explanations to represent infinity but another quote which is attributed to O’sensei also uses the circle to describe the creation of “ki” and opportunity…
“Circles are vacant. To be vacant is to be free and unrestricted. When a center arises in vacancy, it brings forth ki. Spirit lies in the center of vacancy when this is in accord with infinite universe. Spirit is the source of whole creation, mother of eternity.”
I have found that in my own practice of aikido that it is easy to get in the way of creating the void, resulting instead in a hole or rut. Uke wants to fall or turn or move but I am in the way. If we visualize infinity in the western symbol of two circles intwining in three dimensional space a different metaphor develops.
There is a story of one of O’sensei’s original students demanding justice for a item stolen at the dojo. O’sensei rebuked the student for making someone a thief by giving them the opportunity to steal something.
Hikitsuchi Sensei speaks about moving before a person “becomes the attacker.”
Anno Sensei (Hikitsuchi’s successor) is seen in the video drawing uke into techniques by constantly exchanging positions. Moving to create a vacancy or void for uke to be drawn into Anno Sensei and his uke become two intersecting circles that look more like ∞, the mathematical symbol of infinity depicting how aikido creates ever changing roles propelled by the boundary between space and void, between would-be attack and non-opposition, between connection and isolation, creating a void that draws toward resolution.
Although there is no speaking or explanation of the techniques used by the instructor in the video, I feel like there is a lot to be said about this demonstration. It intrigued me how the sensei seemed to be doing next to nothing, yet he was somehow able to take down every opponent. Watching the video again, it appeared that with a simple change in position, he was able to get the opponents to ultimately take down themselves.
He was able to reach this goal by using one of the strongest forms, the circle. Moving with this shape allows him to turn the situation around completely to go in his favor. By switching spots with his opponent, he was able to become the attacker without actually attacking, leaving his opponent in an exposed defensive position.
Relating this to my own experiences, I think that this knowledge could come to use when practicing Aikido in the future. If I get into the mindset of working with a circle, I could prevent myself from attacking any opponents while still allowing myself to stand against anyone who wishes me harm.