Table of Contents

• Reflection of the Week:

  • Maai (間合い) and Its Deeper Meaning

  • Maai, Music, and Space Between Notes

  • Maai and Its Relation to Body (External) and Mind/ …

  • The Benefits of Maai

  • Cultivating Maai

  • Conclusion

• Training Week In Review

Reflection of the Week:

Maai (間合い) and Its Deeper Meaning

Maai (間合い) in Ki Aikido refers to the concept of distance or interval between partners, yet its significance extends far beyond physical spacing. Central to this is the idea of Ma (間), which means "space," "interval," or "between-ness." Ma is the space that allows harmony and timing to unfold, whether in martial arts, relationships, or even music. Ai (合) means fit, suit (as in that outfit suits you), or join. It is the same Ai as Aikido. Ma and Ai combine to mean the interval that suits the moment. 

Ma also appears in the words Ningen (人間), meaning "human being," and Aidagara (間柄), meaning "relationships." A human being is a between-ness person, a person aware of the space between, as opposed to a Kojin (個人) or individual (literally, one of person). The character Ko (個) means article, thing, or item and even looks like something separate, in a box. The character 柄 (-gara) means the inherent qualities or characteristics of a thing. So, Aidagara is the inherent quality or characteristic of space, interval, between-ness (Ma) – relationship. 

In both cases, Ma highlights the vital importance of the space between—between people, between actions, between emotions. In this way, Maai teaches us to be mindful of the space we occupy, both physically and mentally.

Maai, Music, and Space Between Notes

Consider music as a metaphor for Maai for a moment. Just as the beauty of a melody comes not only from the notes but from the silence and space between them, Maai emphasizes the space between action and reaction. In music, the Ma between notes allows rhythm and flow to emerge. In Aikido and life, it is the space between actions—when to advance and when to hold back—that defines the harmony of an encounter.

When we move in proper Maai, it is like playing the right note at the right time, while respecting the intervals of silence that bring balance and meaning to the performance. It’s the connection between moments that gives rhythm to our techniques and to our lives. 

Maai and Its Relation to Body (External) and Mind/Heart (Internal)

Externally, Maai governs the physical space between ourselves and others. In Aikido practice, maintaining the correct distance allows for effective techniques while safeguarding oneself from unnecessary harm. This physical awareness is much like the space between musical notes that shapes the overall piece. Similarly, our Shisei (姿勢, posture) and Shisen (視線, eye-line) influence our ability to navigate and control the Maai between us and our partners.

Internally, Maai connects to our mental and emotional states. Just as music requires the silence between notes, our mental and emotional well-being relies on the space we allow between thoughts, feelings, and actions. This inner Maai—knowing when to remain calm and when to act decisively—creates balance in our interactions and decisions.

The Benefits of Maai

Cultivating Maai offers several benefits, both on and off the mat:

• Increased Awareness: By focusing on distance, we heighten our sensitivity to subtle shifts in our environment, whether physical or emotional.

• Balance: Maai helps us maintain equilibrium, ensuring that we do not overcommit to a position or retreat unnecessarily.

• Harmony in Relationships: In personal interactions, Maai teaches us how to engage meaningfully without overwhelming others, promoting healthy boundaries and mutual respect. The space between people, like the space in music, is where harmony is created.

Cultivating Maai

Start by observing your physical space during techniques. How does your posture influence your ability to maintain the right distance? How does adjusting your Shisen (eye-line) shift your awareness of Maai?

Equally important is cultivating inner Maai. Through practices like Ki Breathing and Ki Meditation, we learn to rest in the space between breaths, the space between concentration and expansion and thus build the capacity to remain calm even in stressful or unpredictable situations. This inner Maai is what allows us to act decisively without losing our composure.

Conclusion

Understanding Maai in the context of Ningen (人間) and Aidagara (間柄) deepens our appreciation for the connections that exist in every aspect of life. Whether it’s the space between opponents in martial arts, between thoughts in meditation, between cars while we drive, or between people in relationships, Maai teaches us to respect and cultivate the intervals that allow harmony to emerge. Just as music relies on the space between notes, our actions in life rely on the balance of calm and movement, connection and individuality.

Let us commit to cultivating Maai, fostering stronger relationships, settling our minds, and a developing a greater sense of balance—both on and off the mat.

Training Week In Review

• Ki Breathing

  • Pay attention to the space between the end of your exhalation and beginning of your inhalation. Pay attention to the space between the end of your inhalation and the start of your exhalation. Are you rushing through these, or can you rest there, even briefly.

• Ki Meditation

  • When ki concentrates at the One Point, at some point you can no longer imagine anything smaller, the beach ball, basketball, baseball, pea, pin, atom, subatomic particle images of half-half-half-half breaks down. Can you rest in that infinitesimal space?

  • When ki expands from the One Point, at some point you can no longer imagine anything larger. The beach-ball, room, city, county, planet, solar system, galaxy, universe image breaks down. Can you rest in that infinite space?

• Walk forward and shake your partner’s hand. Do you need to shuffle and find just the right space, looking at your feet and their feet? Or do you just naturally find the right space?

• Working with a partner starting far apart, one person slowly approaches the other. Can you feel when the distance is “right?”

• Now, do the same but one person holds a bokken, or a jo. Or both people have weapons. How does that change the space? How does that change the feeling of space.

• Hitori Waza

  • Can you feel the space between each count? Is there a natural rhythm?

  • Pay special attention to ushiro tekubitori zenshin and koshin. There should be a space/pause/gap between each left or right movement to allow everyone to come back to the starting position since you moved off the line. 1, 2 and 3, 4 and 1, 2 and 3, 4 rather than 1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2, 3, 4

• Oneness Rhythm Exercise

  • Use the music! It helps so much to really feel the rhythm, feel the spaces/invervals/gaps. When we count instead of use the music we tend to go too slow (even slightly) or subtly vary the rhythm and lose a large part of the dynamism.

• Kumi Waza

  • Work on your techniques with rhythm (4th kyu - What is the Rhythm). Having proper Maai gives you the time to develop the appropriate rhythm for the technique. Make sure, as nage, you make that space between each art.

  • Know the “Music” of each art. Here’s what we practiced this week.

    • Katatekosatori kokyunage (gyosho): up - down - down

    • Katatetori tenkan kokyunage: around - down - up - down

    • Katatetori ikkyo irimi - down - down - in

    • Katatetori ikkyo tenkan - down - up -down around

    • Katatekosatori koteoroshi - around - down - down

    • Katatori Ikkyo Irimi: down - down - in

    • Katatori Nikyo Irimi: down - down - up - down - down around

    • Katatori Sankyo Irimi : down - down - up -down - lead turn behind

    • Katatori Yonkyo Irimi : down - down - up -down - in

    • Katatori (Ikkyo/Nikyo/Sankyo/Yonkyo) Tenkan - as above, but start with down - up - down rather than down - down

I look forward to seeing you on the mat (and in daily life) soon!