Aikido Techniques: Redirecting Ki

An important concept in Aikido techniques is to avoid meeting force “head on”.  Imagine a small compact car heading directly toward an 18 wheeler.  It doesn’t take much to imagine which vehicle will emerge relatively intact from such an encounter.   So it is that in a force on force encounter, the individual with superior strength, mass, or energy will emerge victorious.   If, on the other hand, the driver of the smaller vehicle, turns in the same direction prior to impact and jumps in the driver’s seat of the truck, the vehicle can be steered in any direction because control of the steering wheel has been assumed by you.

Controlling Your Own Mind in Aikido Techniques

So it is that in Aikido techniques we can gain control of one’s mind, which is the same as the steering wheel, by blending with and then redirecting the force of whatever attack is presented.  This blending involves a concept referred to as “stepping off the line”.  In the process, a direct force on force encounter is avoided and opens the opportunity for blending and then redirecting this force.  In the following video the concept of redirecting ki focuses on leading your partner’s mind.

Simply side-stepping the force, however, will not automatically result in gaining control of the force of the attack.  Redirecting force involves blending with the force and controlling balance.  One can imagine two garden hoses first with streams pointed directly at each other.  This obvious conflict results in a considerable amount of splashing in all directions.  If one redirects the nozzle and points it in the same direction there is actually an augmentation of the forces.  Couple this with the concept of grabbing both nozzles and redirecting the streams one can now see that the blending is the first step to control.

Aikido Techniques: Learning to Control Yourself

In order to achieve this level of harmonization, one must first be in control of themselves and their own center.  Force can then be redirected in a way that uke’s balance is taken, thereby weakening posture and the ability to resist your redirection.  This is often achieved by a “down-up” motion.

It is through self-control that one can gain control of another’s center.   In subsequent articles on Aikido techniques, I will discuss how this concept can be applied in daily lives such as at work or relating our families at home.

Click here to learn about how Aikido techniques are applied in daily life.