The pursuit of conscious and fully integrated movement is the goal of every discipline.

Awareness and integration mark the distance between an advanced practitioner and a beginner; between a pro and someone taking their first steps in a profession; between wisdom and restlessness.

This process can be physically experienced. We go through it cyclically in the Dojo where we train, and in turn, we bring it into our groups. It is a practice methodology that is both simple and profoundly impactful.

We begin by moving slowly, increasing our awareness of movement. Initially, movement must be simple and fully integrated: the alignment of hand-foot, elbow-knee, shoulder-hip provides a reference point for coherent, fluid, and -precisely- integrated movement.

The progression of this experience then incorporates an object into the movement -whether a jo, a bokken, or a belt. Finally, one or two partners, through grabs, take on the role of obstructing the movement.

At this point, some aspects become evident.

Action often degenerates into reaction. The breath stops, the body stiffens, and brute force is used to break free. One turns -reluctantly and ineffectively- to technique, discarding the harmony and fluidity that was previously maintained in the absence of resistance.

Consequently, some aspects, so simple that they become surprising, can be experienced.

When we anchor integrated movement to breathing and ensure that external events do not alter it, the breath itself becomes a powerful anchor for movement -one that is difficult to stop.

As a result, the mind does not take over or pre-plan anything. No mental “what-if-else” structures arise, and no metaphorical handbrake is applied to the body.

One final aspect -the least obvious of all- is the emergence of will and decision. The integration of movement can become so well-trained that it feels natural. However, it remains rooted in the will to infuse each gesture with presence.

Similarly, movement through space -no matter how irregular its trajectory- can be entirely random and empty, or it can be filled with awareness. An unforeseen obstacle may alter the path, but not the will -and thus, not the final outcome- of reaching the destination.

Experimenting with these dimensions within our own system reveals an uncomfortable truth. The ultimate reason behind most -if not all- unattained goals is our own lack of integration.

Conversely, most -if not all- achieved goals are the result of our system’s ability to integrate with the elements it continuously encounters. Or conflicts with -since, in the end, it is the same thing.

Stubbornly clinging to one direction and losing sight of the destination; confusing the means with the end; believing we can rely solely on our own strength; removing ourselves from the equation of our own existence…
These are common experiences we have all lived through. And yet, we complain and blame everyone -except the only ones truly capable of bringing real change into our lives: ourselves.

Aikido allows for experimentation with this process in a broader way than other disciplines.

The technical curriculum is nothing more than a basic toolkit for implementing this process. The technique has a clear geometry, the execution trajectory is simplified compared to a real attack, and the finalization is always ensured.

The risk of becoming trapped in technique -and thus in the mind- is extremely high. Of course, mastering the curriculum takes time. Increasing proficiency requires patience and an environment that facilitates and supports growth.

However, once a satisfactory technical level is reached -when the mechanical sequence of movements is clear and internalized- it is essential to ask ourselves whether we are merely repeating yet another routine, yet another kata, or whether we have truly activated a process of real integration.

Indeed, training environments are -rightfully- friendly. One falls because people are “nice.”

And so, when we meet new people -whether new members or participants at a seminar- one person will fall with the same movement, another will be projected, and yet another will remain firmly standing.

And then, when we think we are enlightened, relaxed, halfway to becoming gurus, and highly skilled, someone will block us -and suddenly, we find ourselves completely incapable of going where we intended.

Simply because we never realized that we had trapped ourselves with our own hands.

Disclaimer: picture by Jimmy Chan from Pexels