Often, after I show some technique during the lesson, I observe how my students work, and I see that their movements are completely different from those that I showed them.

They don't see the subtle but significant difference between what they've seen before and what I've just shown. Learning to see clearly and correctly is not as easy as it may seem. Even with good physical development, the student's preconceived opinion puts curtains on his vision. If people have such difficulty seeing things happening right in front of their eyes, you can imagine how much harder it is to perceive the more subtle and elusive things that accompany physical movements.

 

The first task for a beginner to learn Aikido is to learn to see; not only to see with open consciousness what his eyes say, but also to keep his spirit receptive to the profound meaning of what lies behind the technique. I am sure that training your own perception precedes the successful development of basic techniques. You must be liberated in order to sharpen not only your visual perception of physical movements, but also the sharpness of mind and spirit. You should be able to develop your intuitive sense of purpose and meaning behind the movements your teacher shows and develop an inner view of the mental and spiritual qualities he or she possesses. I do not exaggerate the importance of following your teacher's instructions.

 

What you saw, you have to Polish with constant repetitions. Repetition is a great teacher and he will show you your mistakes. For example, when you're practicing suburi or repeating chopping sword strikes, you don't necessarily have to swing the sword well if you're only doing five strikes. But if you set a goal to perform a thousand strokes without stopping, in the end you will learn the correct and effective way to use the sword, because only the correct execution of the movement allows you to perform such a large number of repetitions. Only through practice will increase the level of your understanding of the technique. Your teacher will not be able to answer your body's questions through reason.

 

To learn Aikido, you must repeat the movements shown to you again and again until your body teaches you the natural wisdom of movement, which will allow you to absorb the knowledge that the instructor gives you. The accumulation of only book knowledge and technical skill is not the goal of Aikido practice. You have to work to strengthen your character and raise your consciousness to a higher level. Studying Aikido can't be selfish. You should develop your sensitivity to other people and your concern for them in constant communication both during the practice of Aikido and in everyday life. It is this understanding that should accompany your technical development. If you ignore the impact of your actions on your partner's mind and body, you will never reach the true goal of the practice and your technique will never be effective. That's why it's so important that you never train in a way that causes pain or injury to your partner. It's a moral responsibility. The damage you have done to someone can affect how they earn their living. Imagine, for example, the consequences of a surgeon's finger fracture.

 

Sensitivity to the needs of others implies not only the development of the five senses that you know, but also the sixth and seventh. The sixth sense we can call intuition. It is the ability to see under the mask your own face and catch elusive signals that are beyond the action of physical feelings. The sixth sense allows you to see the goal - to see the action that begins in the body before it is done. It allows you to read the feelings of others. The seventh sense is much more difficult to describe and develop. "Divine inspiration" - that can be translated from Japanese language, but this term may be misleading. What I mean by the seventh sense is the opportunity to see how any action is reflected in the unbreakable ways that permeate all nature. For example, expansion and contraction are natural functions that control our breathing, and they are also principles that govern the creation and destruction of galaxies. In Aikido, the expansion and contraction of the body make up most of the movement that creates a successful technique. The seventh sense is wisdom, which allows us to maintain an understanding of the laws of nature that govern all things.

 

The seventh sense is a feeling that allows you to erase the boundaries between you and your partner to understand that causing pain to another is causing pain to yourself, to feel someone else's pain as your own and to feel the world as a whole, not a cluster of different opposing parts. Think about how you listen to music. You don't listen to her note by note. You listen to the whole work and understand its beauty. The seventh sense is the ability to listen to all the music of the Universe in which you live, to hear how your notes add up to a song that is part of the Universe. Aikido must seek to your Association - the body and spirit by nature.

 

Developing a seventh sense helps you make sure that the relationship with your training partners will be fruitful. Your partners come to you with a variety of experiences. They have different age, profession and temperament. You don't meet two people with the same physique, character, or way of thinking. It seems simple and clear, but it is often forgotten. It is very important to keep in mind that each of your partners has different opportunities and limitations.

 

Our practice is not a real fight, but a fictional situation that gives us the opportunity to Polish our physical and mental qualities. Your partner is not your enemy. Partners give each other the opportunity to face a hypothetical attack and deal with it. The uke attack must be real, real, but without malicious intentions-just a pure attack. Naga, in turn, should never cause harm or disrespect to uke, who gives himself to the power of Naga. Anger, emotionality or an attempt to intentionally harm your partner is not just a violation of etiquette. It's devastating to both you and your partner, and very stupid. During my instructor career, I was often witness, as many with great potential and abilities lost due to arrogance and failure to see your partner in person. They refused to see the physical limitations of their partners and the great opportunities that exist beyond these limitations. Physical development may stop over the years, but spiritual development never stops.

 

Those who refuse to understand this are people who have lost orientation in their lives and lost the way of Aiki-do. To my regret, I have seen many falls even among the masters of a very high level. You should not give in to anger, hatred, fear, inferiority, arrogance or other negative feelings during class or in everyday life. Become a crystal clear mirror reflecting your life. Selfishness and conceit cloud the surface of this mirror. You should remain humble and receptive, remembering that the purpose of your studies is to improve yourself and increase your consciousness, not to compete or compare yourself with others. Classes with unpleasant inner feelings and negative emotions muddle your inner vision and prevent you from seeing clearly what is happening around you.

 

You will lose the sixth sense, and a sense of intuition is absolutely necessary in order to see the impending actions of your partners. You will lose the seventh sense, which is the link between the way and the purpose of your studies and the ways of nature. All things follow the path of nature, and Aikido is no exception. If your Aikido training begins to move away from this path, you will not be able to maintain the creative energy that allows you to progress in training.