What is Kaizen Aikijutsu?

By Prof. Theodore Wilson 8th Dan Founder & Chief Instructor Of The Kaizen Aikijutsu

Today, Kaizen Aikijutsu is practiced primarily as a method of physical, moral, and spiritual development. Aikijutsu is often said to be like life itself: multifaceted and paradoxical as such it defies easy definition. Ask a novice practitioner what Aikijutsu is and he or she will probably give you a detail explanation of the technical or mental aspects of techniques and philosophy. But ask a master of the art and he will usually reply with a simple, "I don't know," he is not being evasive nor falsely modest. Instead his answer reflects an understanding of the complexity and depths of Aikijutsu. He understands that even after a lifetime of study much Aikijutsu will remain enigmatic and unexplainable. The pursuit of these qualities, truth, goodness and beauty are the elements of the practice of Kaizen Aikijutsu. Rather than focus on the opponent, the student concentrates on the quality of his thoughts and actions, knowing that if they can be made pure and calm, his/her body will naturally correct itself and the technique will be true. To achieve this the student must unify the three spheres of action: mind (attitude), body (movement) and technique (unity). In this state there is no distance between man and woman and the universe-all are in perfect harmony. The idea of goodness, which also includes such qualities as courtesy, compassion, morality, and a non-aggressive defense, is closely associated with the search for truth. On the other hand, proper attitude and behavior, in combination with simple etiquette, create a state of mental and physical calmness that gradually becomes a normal way of life. Tranquility comes when the student learns to resolve the various mental and physical conflicts that arise during the practice of Kaizen Aikijutsu. Naturally the more he is able to do this the better he is at creating a state of mushin (inner calmness), which is the root of tranquility. Smoothness, rhythmical movement, controlled breathing and concentration is very much part of dignity and grace. The concept of Kaizen Aikijutsu is to strive to do better. In general people fear change they prefer to stay within the confines of knowing rather than risk the failure of learning of new knowledge. Learning is an experience that provides an opportunity of growth. One should understand the importance of not giving in to failure, we have a saying (winners never quit, quitters never win) with this mental attitude one tries to reach some level of perfection of mind and body without ego. One should remember the perfection is usually measured in terms of technical proficiency but technical skill is limited, the body no matter how well trained will age and physical ability will deteriorate accordingly. But the mind, or to be more precise, the spirit has unlimited potential for improvement. The key to developing this potential is to understand that the practice of Kaizen Aikijutsu is endless, the reward comes not from the attainment of perfection, but from its unending pursuit in the learning of oneself.