2. DISCOVERING TRIPLICITY AND UNITY IN AIKIDO

PHILOSOPHICAL BACKGROUND

While I was aware of the Wu-ji diagram and its message from an interest in Taoism that preceded my involvement in Aikido, I had not recognized the importance of the notion of triplicity until my further exposure to it in the teachings of Aikido itself. As mentioned in the introduction, I began training of this martial art in 1989. My reasons for studying such an activity then were very different to what they are now. Initially, I was attracted to the self-defense aspect of the art, however over the years I came to appreciate more the philosophical and spiritual aspects of the art, as well as its health benefits. Perhaps the single most important thing I have gained from my 16 years of almost daily training in Aikido is the development of a new, personal conceptual framework for viewing the world. Much like learning a second language – the principles, rules and techniques governing physical movement consciously or unconsciously filter into one’s psyche, creating a similar set of rules and principles in one’s mind, that govern, or assist how one apprehends the outside world.

The fact that Aikido’s philosophical and spiritual doctrines are, coincidentally, heavily influenced by the Shintoistic teachings of the Omoto Kyo sect was something I was to learn well after I commenced my training. Shinto, the native religion of Japan, has its early origins in folk traditions that descended from Taoist occultism on the Chinese mainland, so the fact that I was also interested in studying Taoism at the same time was for me a pleasant and meaningful reinforcement of my interest in this subject. The writings of the founder of Aikido evidently contain much Taoist symbolism, such as found in the doka, or “Spiritual Sayings”, where one can find such phrases as “putting the power of Yin and Yang in one’s left and right hand”, and the use of polar opposites such as fire and water, and Heaven and Earth in describing certain movements, or attitudes.[19]

One of the most important oral teachings given by the Founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, on the principles of body movement, is as follows:

This simple phrase has over the years of my training, became clearer and more profound as my understanding of Aikido deepened. Not only does it divide all movement into a three stage process, it also applies a geometrical notion to certain movements and strategic concepts within the training. The triangle, circle and square play an important part in Shinto mysticism, for example, with the Sangen no Hosoku, (three element rule) which governs shape and proportion in shrine architecture, and the Founder used the symbolism of these three shapes to help define his vision of the principles and strategies behind Aikido.

Morihiro Saito, a long term student of the Founder, wrote of Ueshiba's philosophy in his acclaimed series of books on Aikido, "Traditional Aikido";

"I" in this case represents "ascending out-breath", and "ki" represents "descending in-breath", and are also synonomous with "water and fire" and "In and Yo (Japanese for Yin and Yang)" When "I and Ki" is held in balance, we have thus created the environment that best allows the development of the sustaining lifeforce within the physical universe.

The Founder also draws a distinction between body and spirit, but mentions how they function together to form a unity. He equates spirit as relating to Heaven, and the body to Earth. This imagery has strong similarities to the Taoist cosmology of Heaven and Earth "moving like a bellows", and producing all things in existence.

It would be fair to say then, that the present Triplex Unity Theory as I am describing in this work, is a product of both Taoist thought and Aikido philosophy. But how do these lofty philosophical ideas translate to the real world of physical movement?

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Aikido is a defensive martial art. It utilizes principles of softness and relaxation in overcoming strength and hardness. The techniques of self-defence work not through superior strength or speed that clashes with and thus hopefully overcomes an attacker, but by gaining the advantage using softness and flexibility to respond, or harmonise with the attacker in such a manner that defeat of the opponent is achieved with very little effort.

The defensive techniques of the art all involve waiting for the attack, avoiding the threat by repositioning oneself to a safe but commanding location, and manipulating the opponent in such a way that their attack is neutralized, their balance is broken, and their position compromised. Once this is achieved, we then have the options for dispensing with the attacker, such as throwing, striking, pinning, or simply escaping. The art contains a basic core of about 20 attacks, 15-20 techniques, a range of finishing manouvres, and a wide selection of variations, all of which combine to form more than one thousand techniques in the training curriculum. Despite such a great repertoire, there is a relatively small set of principles which govern these movements, and it is understanding these principles which allow for the ability to remember and perform such a large curriculum.

Recalling the oral teaching of Aikido’s founder, Morihei Ueshiba [21], “Enter triangularly, execute circularly, finish squarely” [22], we not only have an instruction on the geometrical shape of physical movements within the technique, but we also have a division of the movement into three clearly defined parts. The importance of relating a geometrical shape to the various movements is confined primarily to the technical performance of the individual movements themselves, and therefore does not have so great a bearing on our discussion as does the latter. What is of greater consequence, firstly is the division of all techniques into the stages of entry, execution and finish, and more significantly, the three fold nature of this division. 

A defensive technique in Aikido is broken down into three distinct parts, each part having a set of attributes determining how that part should be performed. These three parts relate directly to the oral teaching “Enter triangularly, execute circularly, finish squarely”, and hence to the three aspects of the Wu-ji diagram, Tai-Yin, Tai-Yang, and Tai-ji, or Yin and Yang mixed.

The first stage of an encounter is the Entry, and is considered Yin, because at this stage the defender is relaxed, soft, and responsive to the attacker. It begins with the attacker choosing a line towards his victim (see 1 in diagram below), and then closing the distance along that line to engage. As the attack comes close to our body, we “receive” the attack by allowing the attack to come forth, which we simultaneously avoid by repositioning ourselves to a safer yet strategically more commanding position (see 2 in diagram). At this stage we also breathe in, and think nothing of executing any technique or dispensing with the opponent. These attributes are thus considered to be Yin in comparison to the attributes of the following movements. For additional information, the way in which we reposition ourselves in relation to the attacker is triangular, i.e. we enter towards the attack but obliquely to one side or the other, in a linear fashion that would create a triangular pattern on the ground if we were to mark the direction of movement of both the attacker and defender.

The precise point where entry finishes and execution starts is just as the attacker has completed their attack, and the defender has moved and repositioned themselves.

Stage 1. Entry

The second stage of a technique, the Execution, is where we manipulate the attacker into a weak position and completely neutralize their power, now that we have moved into an advantageous position in the entry. This is done with a mixture or combination of feinting strikes, joint/limb locks and movements that destroy the opponents posture and make them vulnerable through loss of balance and mental confusion. The methods in which such movements are applied on the attacker are circular in nature, the joints are twisted in circular fashion, the defender’s body turns and moves in a collection of circular movements that act on the linear attack and responses of the attacker.

 

Stage 2. Execution

In example 3, the movement of the defender is now circular – the body turn on the horizontal plane is rotating on a central vertical axis, an axis which is also moving in a circular path behind the attacker. In example 4, the defender’s right arm is striking at the attackers throat, but is also upsetting their balance and breaking their posture To do this, it describes a circular arc through the air, which causes a torsioning effect against the attacker’s head, making it difficult for the attacker to resist.

The precise point where Execution finishes and Finish starts is when the manipulative technique has completely unbalanced and weakened the attacker, and the defender is then ready to decide how to complete the encounter, by choosing a finish.

The third stage, the Finish, is considered Yang, because the movements during this stage are strong in relation to the now weakened opponent. During the execution stage of the technique, the balance of power between attacker and defender was tipped to opposite sides, the weak (the defender) became strong, and the strong (the attacker) became weak. The Finish is the culmination of the encounter with the attacker, where the defeated attacker is now weak, while the defender remains in the position of strength.

Stage 3. Finish

As shown in example 5, the finish also has elements of squareness; the defender remains in a squared off position in relation to the attacker, and the throw sent the attacker falling in the same direction he came from, meaning that the defender is aware of his surroundings in the four compass directions. As the defender disengages from the attacker, he would slide backwards away from downed body along a straight line, square to the attacker, thus minimizing the chances of the attacker retaliating.

Also in this encounter, we see that the Yin and Yang polarities of the situation are in the Entry and the Finish, respectively. At the beginning of the encounter, the attacker was full of strength and intent to attack, while the defender was passive, relaxed, and ready to respond. At the end of the encounter, the attacker is now weak and defeated, while the defender remains standing, in a strong, commanding position, full of energy. The Yang state of the attacker in the beginning has been changed to a Yin state at the end, while the initial Yin state of the defender is now changed to a Yang state at the finish.

During the execution of the technique in the second stage, the energies of both the attacker and the defender joined, interacted and mixed, creating a new situation. We see that the Yin and Yang states of the defender and the attacker intermixed, producing something new…a change of outcome. 

By analyzing the encounter between attacker and defender in this way; a changing of states of Yin and Yang, and also dividing the encounter into three stages of activity, we can begin to see the Triplex nature of the Aikido attack and defense scenario.  (For a more detailed analysis of the triplicity of Entry, Execution, and Finish please see PART II CHAPTER 5).

Continuing our analysis of Aikido techniques, I will also use some examples of triplicity found in swordsmanship. Traditional Aikido retains the use of training with the sword, as the techniques contain many valuable lessons useful for teaching the principles and philosophy of the art. In Aikido, and indeed most other martial arts, we need to be able to coordinate our body movement so that it acts as one unit which has an internal connection to the centre of our weight and power generation, which is in the hip area. When we have this coordination, our technique becomes more efficient and effective. If our body does not move in a coordinated or unified manner, then our technique is very inefficient, because various parts of the body will actually be acting against each other when trying to move or produce power.

To this end, we have in Aikido a doctrine taken from traditional sword arts, called In Yo Ho, which simply translates as the method of Yin and Yang. This method combines the movements and activity of various parts of the body through an understanding of Yin and Yang. In a way, it is almost like a miniature, encapsulated version of Triplex Unity theory within the larger art.

When stepping forward and cutting with the sword, we have several different elements of the movement at work to achieve this. We have to raise the sword before we can cut, we have to breathe in before we can breathe out, and we have to shift our position by stepping or sliding. Although it may seem a simple thing to do, we need to be able to coordinate these separate pairs of elements into a unified movement if we are to create a cut of any real power or practical use. We do this by dividing each pair into a dual polarity.

In cutting, we must first raise the sword from the ready position, which is held in front of our lower abdomen, to above our head before we choose the target and strike it, cutting in a downwards stroke. We apply the raising of the sword to the Yin polarity, and the cut to the Yang polarity.

When we need to generate power in a movement, the effect is maximized when we coordinate this movement with the out-breath. This is due to the fact that when we breathe in, the chest needs to be relaxed in order to expand and accommodate the filling of the lungs with air. When we exert power, the muscles tend to tense and contract, which has the effect of squeezing air from the lungs. To try and breathe in when exerting ourselves would cause us to feel powerless, and to breathe out the moment before we need to exert ourselves will leave us without oxygen to accomplish the required task. Therefore when cutting, it follows that we must breathe out on the cut, when we need to produce power. So we apply the in-breath to the Yin polarity, and the out-breath to Yang.

To move around on the ground, and position ourselves in relation to the opponent, we must use footwork, which involves either stepping, to change our stance from having one foot forward to having the other forward, or we slide, where we move forwards or backwards but remain with the same foot forward. Since as human beings we only have two feet, to reposition ourselves we must move one foot before the other sequentially in order to move the weight from one location to the other. Since we need to have a well structured stance in order for the body to produce power, the last foot to move must be in position to allow this structure to form. However, when we move, we have to choose a direction, and step or slide to that location. Therefore, each foot is assigned a particular role in the repositioning; one has to choose and step in the required direction, the other is left with following and stepping into position to form the stance needed to produce power. The only possible way for this to work is have the first foot to move choosing the direction, because if the last foot to move was confined to repositioning, it would not be in a proper structure to support the body in producing power for a technique at the end of the movement. Because the last foot to move needs to create a structure which facilitates generation of power, we assign to it the polarity of Yang, and Yin to the first foot to move, because the role assigned to it in relation to the last foot is a Yin role.

To perform a sword strike, as we either attack or defend, with our body moving in a coordinated, unified manner, all we need to do now is simply combine all the Yin elements together, then combine all the Yang elements. So, when we raise the sword to cut, we breathe in, and move the first foot, choosing the direction in which we need to move. This is immediately followed by an out-breath, and the moving of the other foot into a well structured position, so we can create a powerful cut. What began as a movement consisting of six quite different elements is now reduced to a movement consisting of two simple elements, Yin and Yang.

In Aikido, we learn that the breath is what unifies body and mind. This is the meaning of ki-ai, (氣合 lit. energies joined) the shout performed at the moment of focus in a technique. All the physical movements are thus related to the breath, by virtue of them having either a Yin or Yang aspect to them. Likewise, the intellectual processes we must consider while performing such techniques are also related to the breath, so that all come together as a technique that is governed simply by the in-breath and the out-breath.

The example so far has been confined to that of dual polarity. So where is the three-fold aspect to these three pairs just discussed? If we see only two halves in these pairs, how can we find a third, separate polarity to these elements that are related to only Yin and Yang?

The answer can be found, once again, in the Wu-Ji diagram. If we recall, Tai-Ji, the third element alongside Great Yin and Great Yang, is an intermixing of the two extremes of Yin and Yang. Can we find such an intermixing in the three pairs of elements above? With a slight shift in our way of looking at these pairs, we can indeed find a third polarity within them.

When the sword is being raised, it is in preparation for a downwards cut. During this stage, the movement is confined solely to an upwards lift, thus it is confined to one particular state - the Yin. Once it has reached the overhead position, the sword stops further upwards movement, and is now in a state of “readiness to cut”. Once the sword begins its downwards movement to cut, this is now the Yang state, as discussed above. But there needs to be a point where the Yin state changes over to Yang. At the end of the raise, the sword ceases to be raised further, there is a moment when one is in a state of readiness to cut, then this state changes to one of “commencing the cut”, which is the Yang state. It is the state in between the raise and cut, that of readiness, which is the third state. Although it may appear only for a fleeting moment, it is nonetheless a state which is different in nature to the Yin and Yang states of raising and cutting. If necessary, this state of readiness could be extended indefinitely, depending upon circumstances of use, until the cut is required. It is the moment when one state changes over to another, the state of transition, that we are referring to here.

This transitional state is also evident in the footwork. As discussed above, the foot that moves first chooses the direction of movement, and the foot that moves last creates the proper posture. At some stage of the process there needs to be a transition of weight from one foot to the other. Once the first foot to move has been lifted off the ground, at the initial position, it moves to the next position and then touches the ground. During this movement there is no body weight being supported by this foot, which normally supports 50% of total weight. The other foot is supporting perhaps 90-95%, the remaining 5% is held in momentum of the hip movement. After the first foot has touched the ground, weight is smoothly and gradually transferred to it, taking its share off the other foot, and preparing it for its step, the one which will position the foot to create the posture. Once the first foot has transferred all the body weight onto it, the other foot will begin movement into its relevant position, and begin taking back its share of body weight once it has been placed in its position in the ground. We can clearly see that there is a few moments where the first foot is moving, then there is a weight shift, followed by the other foot moving. In each of these states, there are clearly defined and separate roles being played by the body as it moves. Once again, it is only a fleeting moment when the third state, that of shifting the weight, takes place, but is indeed a state different to the other two.

Furthermore, while we are repositioning our body, we may actually take several steps in a single move to get from point A to point B. This notion still applies – the first foot to move still chooses the direction of travel. Each step in between is a cycling of weight-shift between left and right foot as the hip and weight move from point to point. Once the position has been reached, the cycling of weight-shift ceases, and the final foot to move places itself in position in order to create the proper stance, or posture, to allow for the generation of power, or the next movement if needed.  The state in between “first foot to move” and “last foot to move” is a transition of body weight, it is not part nor extension of “first foot to move”, nor is it part of “last foot to move”. Rather, it is a mixture of both,.

By now you probably get the picture, as the same notion applies to the breath. One stage is an in-breath, the other stage the out-breath. The third stage is the moment between in breath and out – the changeover. Once again it is only a fleeting moment; it can be drawn out longer, but this is governed by the body’s ability to hold its breath, as well as the function that breath holding needs to serve (more about this later, in the section on Breath in the Appendix), however, the breath example does present a new complication which will need to be considered. The breath can be held at the end of the in-breath, and at the end of the out-breath. What we have here appears to be a contradiction to the “three-fold” nature of the breath, because it appears we have a fourth stage. We must bear in mind however, that the holding of breath, whether in or out, is really the same – a holding, and therefore we lump the two together to form the third state, that being “not breathing in, not breathing out”. This will also be discussed in more detail in the section on Breath in the Appendix. Rather than conflict with our theory, this minor difference with the other examples simply serves to add a deeper dimension to it, and will be dealt with once the basics have been established. 

To depict these ideas graphically, I have decided to create a simple diagram, which I will label a GEOMETRY, that will hopefully sufficiently illustrate the three-fold nature of these examples, and the relationships between the elements of these examples.  Using the oral teaching of Aikido’s founder as a basis for the diagram, the three states will be represented simply by the triangle, circle and square. Any symbols would suffice actually, however, if they were any more detailed or complicated, it may detract from the knowledge they represent and draw unnecessary attention to the shapes in the diagrams themselves.

What is important to notice in this geometry is not only the three shapes, but also the arrows between them, and the positions of each shape in relation to each other. The arrows are important as they will demonstrate the direction of flow of the processes involved, from start to finish, from state to state, and will dictate the internal structure of the geometry. The positions of the shapes in relation to each other will also have a bearing on the direction of flow of the processes they represent,

In order to fully apply this geometry to one’s understanding of performing an Aikido technique, we first have to assume some instruction in Aikido, as it is beyond the scope of this book to teach Aikido techniques in order to illustrate application of the theory. However, we can get a idea of the way the theory can be applied, by using a summary description of the techniques.

An Aikido technique consists of an attack instigated by the attacker, and a response from the defender. The encounter will occur over a short period of time, anywhere between several seconds to one or two minutes. Falling between a start and a finish, the passage of time will be represented by a lateral movement across the page from left to right on the diagram, passing through the three symbols and following the arrows. If we were to film a technique, then lay the film, frame by frame across the diagram, the beginning of the film clip would line up with the left extremity of the triangle, and the end with the right extremity of the square. Each frame of the clip would show the progressive stages of the technique from start to finish. It is important thus, to first establish that the diagram shows the passage of time, in a horizontal movement, from left to right. There are other types of movement and other shapes that these three symbols form, which form other geometrical diagrams, and will be discussed later.

As we will recall, each technique can be broken down into three parts, Entry, Execution and Finish. All the technical information we receive when learning how to perform a given technique, is then allocated to its relevant section. Thus whatever we learn regarding the nature of different attacks, or the various methods we initially use to respond to an attack, we relegate that information to the area in our memory and mental processing centre that is connected to and represented by the triangle symbol. Any technical information we learn that is associated with our understanding of the execution of a technique, we relegate that information to the thought processes represented by the circle.  Likewise, any technical information we learn that is connected with the finish of a technique, we relegate that to the part of our thought processes represented by the square.

The arrows in the diagram represent the progression from one stage to the next, and the direction in which this progression takes. In this case, triangle progresses to circle, and then to square in order to complete the encounter. Therefore, mentally, we know that once the entry has been completed, we proceed onto the execution, and then onto finishing.

If we introduce to our discussion of this encounter the extra elements mentioned above, such as how to breathe, when to step and how to move the sword (or the hands) during this encounter, it may at first appear quite complicated. But if we follow the Triplex understanding of all the elements in play, we will see how it actually makes things easier to piece together. As we can see in the diagram, the triangle also represents breathing in, stepping in the required direction and raising the sword. When the technique is performed, we combine each of these elements during the entry stage, represented by the triangle, in a coordinated way. At the finish stage, we likewise coordinate the elements related to the square, and thus move the “last moving foot” to the position required to create a strong posture, breathe out, and complete the cut with the sword (or strike, pin, throw etc.).  During the execution stage, represented by the circle, we likewise apply the holding of the breath, coinciding with a shift in weight and also transition the sword movement from raise to a cut.

Every technique we learn in Aikido, and every technical aspect of every technique is thus divided and stored in our memory into the three aspects of the geometry, represented by the triangle, circle and square. Each time the technique is practiced or used, all we need do is simply combine all the relevant elements to their role within the geometry, and process these elements sequentially, following the progression of triangle, circle and square.  

This information is stored within this three-fold framework, and is added to, revisited, and drawn upon for future use or reference, in other words, the framework for this knowledge remains in place within our conceptual understanding of the technique. Having a framework such as this in place within the memory and the processing centers of the mind, we can now use this framework to perform such necessary everyday tasks as teaching it, developing our understanding of the knowledge to a deeper or more applicable level, or extending our understanding in other areas that may be related to this framework. As we learn other techniques within the art, while maintaining this framework, we will begin to see, and thus make the link between, common themes among each of the three elements within the geometry, and having such a framework will facilitate the understanding and transmission of deeper principles of the art, which may be, and generally are, more difficult to discuss on a separate, individual level.  The result of this will be that we can gain a more immediate, and deeper understanding of the art, because we can make connections between the various elements of the art, and this will lead to a better and more rapid application of the knowledge into everyday use.