Søren Dalsgaard og K. Mauryama. Tokyo April 2009
My quest
The idea of "unification" of mind and body is wrong - as mind and body always is one. The spiritualization of the two however is the Great Work and life after that or Complete Attainment, which is possible in one lifetime, if a meeting with a teacher do happen.
By a teacher should be understood: a person who all ready was a teacher in a past incarnation. Persons who do not have these qualifications are not teachers but instructors.
Again, such a meeting or not, is the Consequence of you own condition of Karma.
You have to know that!
Aikido - a living proces.
After O´sensei, K. Tohei, sensei expresses his reservations in these words: Some things missing, some things wrong.
By his founding of Shin shin toitsu aikido, he was trying to bring back some of the missing things in Aikido. His koncept of Ki, however did not re-opened the door of spirituality, but only health aspect. The spiritual aspects as in Rai-ki and Yu-ki were still missing.
Our aikido is orientated towards K. Toheis perceptions. When K. Mauryama, sensei, saw the aikido K. Tohei, sensei was doing he thought: “This is the aikido I saw O´sensei doing”, and he joined the KNK as well as K. Yoshigasaki, sensei and many others who did not find the deeper qualities in the interpretation of Aikikai as an organization.
Are there differences in aikido technique? Naturally, aikido is not a system to be copied, but as all art a living process. There do not exist such things as “objective techniques”.
Actually the techniques are only the manifestations of your inner moral imaginations. When I pointed that out to my first Aikikai instructor he replied: “There is only techniques in aikido”, after that I knew he could no longer be my instructor. Same think happened years later, with a KNK instructor. So where were the deferens between the Aikikai and KNK?
Aikikai are many stills, but is a monarchy based on the bloodline of the Ueshiba family, with Doshu, I, II and III. What Tohei stood up against, is sadly now repeated in the KNK, as his son became the new President.
Few years after, in 2001, the represent in KNK Europe, K. Yoshigasaki, sensei, made his own organization, by almost identical mane, Ki no kenkyukai, association international. Naturally KNK found that use of its name to be improper.
All most all KNK Dojos followed K. Yoshigasaki, Sensei in to his new organization, and so did I. He adapted now the old title Doshu, but in a new interpretations, as “protector” and not “leader” of Aikido. A protector in his concept is a person who for many years totally has devoted his time to Aiki-do. However, no doubt that Aikikai have a hard time to accept that interpretation. Why he needed such a title for him self remains unknown to me.
The funding his own organization, created some unrest in the infrastructure or natural authority, whish up to this point have be in the hands of K. Tohei, sensei. However I was open to see in which direction this initiative would take us. There were many positive signs.
K. Yoshigasaki, sensei have cultivated his techniques according to his own unique perceptions, and his aikido is very elegant and harmonies, but for many it bacame a choreographic. That is instructions of how uke is suppose to mow according to the intentions of nage. Still he always were referring to Aikido as a Budo, but where ever I came for seminars I saw the same tendency among his Sempais: pre arranges relationships, lines and ki-test. This tendensy was especialy dominating in Denmark, where more leading instructors had a background in Alexsander Gymnastic.
By time his teaching became more philosophical lectures, creating a silent unrest among many Sempais, but every buddy laid low and said snuff - it happens to unique teachers and the result becomes privet interpretations. I saw that too 15 years ago, with K. Nishio, sensei, and a true master according to his own wrights, but his love of karate and judo could not leave him.
After K. Yoshigasaki made his own private dojo in Belgium, the teaching of Aikido, was given in to the hands of his Shihans. His private dojo was devoted to his new concept Kenkodo. However, after the founding of his own organization the concept of Ki, was fading away.
I do understand that the concept of Ki or Qui has been over used. However it is hard to find a better oriental word for this universal principle – but sciences to, have long ago given up the concept of the occident: The universal ether.
A quistion of education
Examination and graduations is a part of aikido. Like it or not. The test followed by Hagama, is used in many ways according to still. Some use the 3 kyu, 2 kyu or 1. Kyu and some 1 Dan. After 10 years as teacher in aikido , I prefer to place it as lat as possible. Why, because it much to often creates inflations in the mind of the students.
When it comes to the Grading Syllabus, must are a collections of teuqunics put to getter in a matter giving no meaning. Examination in aikido is not as a test of ability of memorizing things.
The use of Taigi as created by Tohei, sensei is not in line of his original intentions, which according to my information was. 1) A play ground for multi-Dan + 3 Dan 2) a memorizing system for public performers. In other words Taigi was intented for students be on examinations. The use of Taigi as World competitions and syllabus is not a good for the development and educations of humans who want to know the essence of aikido.
A new suggestion
When I looked at the Grading Syllabus of K. Maryuama, sensei I found a tool which were free from the old school system. A organic combinations of basis – combine in a compressible way. Slowly adding layer on layer a basic foundation – no complicated constructions of fancy stuff making people dreams of “aikido with ki form day 2” - in others words the technique of Kata. Repeating of technique more times and collected by the students them self.
The examination of Hitory Wasa and Ki-test were simply integrated in normal aikido training, which puts and end to the endless explanations and discussions always following in the in wain effort to explain “what is ki”.
By reducing the whol question of examination in that way – there becomes much more time for the direct and spontaneous enjoyment of “just do it”
Mind and spirit
After 40 years of my own study of Spiritual sciences I am not expecting much. However in spit of K. Tohei, sensei and K. Yoshigasaki, Senseis strong efforts, I felt that the “lost word” still was not found. In my 20 years of aikido study, I came to see, the lifeline to this Budo, was founded on the inspirations of the Japanese Ki-masters, unknown and secret to most Aikido Sempais and Senseis.
K. Mauryama, sensei, I have only known for 2 years, but what I have seen so fare, is a direct introduction, with out many words.
His aikido seems all most "orthodox", in the meaning: authentic tradition, close to Daito Ryu and Shinkage Ryu or the authentic traditions of Budo. To see the 75 years old master, taking instructions in Aiki-jutsu from one of his Sempais and taking Ukemi, showed me a humility not often found among Senseis!
However when it comes to the methods of examination in AY, I found a process very comprehensible and useful as a tool in the art of educating human beings.
The philosophy is the Wisdom, but the path of spirituality is the path of Life.
The life spirit or Universal Ki is the path of healing and love, as Individual Ki.
Here are some of the schools and root-masters of Ki: Rei-ki, Niko Usui - Sataihou, Keizo Hashimoto - Seitai, Haruchikan Noguchi – and Yuki, by K. Mauryama.
I have come to the conclusion, that the esoteric impuls of Aikido, is based on the traditions of the Ki-masters, and not impulses form western psychology or therapy or Indian Yoga.
As for meditation I cane only speak for my self:
Do not even whish for students to meditate. Keep one point in the Kotedama: Do not reject – Do not follow. Please understand, that meditation will never bring you in harmony with the Universal Ki or give you any form of Satori. Meditation is only needed after achievements, to keep the mind spiritualized under all circumstances in this incarnation.
As dojo cho
Before I regained responsibility in the life of organizations, I had a period of 7 years, driving Night Taxi and praxis Aikido. I wanted to destroy with out mercy, what so ever, all bad habits, ambitions and lust for name and fame in my social work.
Before that point, I had been initiated in to Ati-yoga or Chang in India 1969, by C. M. Chen. Member of The Rosicrucian Order, 1970 and Grand Councilor of its Nordic Grand Lodge. A follower of R. Steiner and G.I. Gurdjieff for decades.
So when the question came at the ages of 54, of regaining responsibility, by making a Dojo of my own, I hesitated and examined my true intentions very deep. Would it not be wiser, just to be sempai and not sensei?
My old Chan master. C. M. Chen pointed it out to me in Kalimpong, India, by his words: “I am not a guru – but only a yogi. Why, because all the gurus are killed be there disciples”.
However in 1997 I made my own dojo “Ki & Aikido, Århus” associated to K. Tohei, Senseis Shin shin toitus aikido or Ki no kenkyukai, but the new KNK ai gave new questions.
It also influenced some of the Sempais in my own dojo. The new rules open for making a new dojo if two people whished so. Used in the proper manner it is a liberal rule, but use to promote privet intentions, is the path of Clicks.
The work of Dojo is the path of purification of unlearning. When the test in the grading systems is put in to effect, some are tempted to complain or seeking short cuts.
So some Sempais made there own Dojo. Actually, in a small city as Aarhus, it was an over do, creating confusion among the members. However the leading Sempais in Denmark supported this development, at that time giving total non-sens or hasnamus, as GIG puts it.
On the other hand, the Wisdom of Foresight has a meaning, which our small ego not always grasp or “The plans of the masters, which no one know before they manifest”.
Had it not been for this division, my present situation had been rather difficult to administrate, as the Liberty I needed to make the transformation in my work, would have created more problems now, that then.
Every group has a magnetic center, and if the students are not in harmony with that center, they will sooner or later leave the work. Staying in such cases is a waist of time for the students, the teacher and the Group as such.
I worked for some years to stabilize the situation, but when I saw the spiritual aspect of the work of KNKai. Not was in the line of my quest and oath to my self, I redraw from that organization and transformed by the generosity of K. Mauryama, sensei my work in to a level more in harmony with my Conscious. That is: a organisation, where only individual relations are the foundation of social work.
And so in Tokyo 2 of April I was appointed Chief Instructor of Aikido Yuishinkai Danmark and given the grad of 6 dan.
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