Table of Contents

• Reflection of the Week: Shisei (姿勢)

  • The Dual Nature of Shisei: Physical and Mental Pos …

  • Benefits of Proper Shisei

  • Cultivating Shisei: Tips for Aligning Body and Min …

  • Shisei: A Lifelong Practice

• Upcoming Seminar!

• Training Week In Review

Reflection of the Week: Shisei (姿勢)

Shisei (姿勢) in Ki Aikido represents more than just physical alignment; it reflects our mental posture and attitude. This dual nature of Shisei, encompassing both body and mind, is deeply connected to Tohei Sensei’s Ki Saying, “Unification of Mind and Body.” Aligning your physical stance with a calm, focused mental state enhances balance, mental clarity, and presence.

The Dual Nature of Shisei: Physical and Mental Posture

Shisei is the foundation of both how we move and how we think. Proper physical posture—standing straight, relaxed shoulders, and balanced weight—facilitates the natural flow of Ki, enhancing your stability and effectiveness. However, the mental aspect of Shisei is just as critical. Your attitude, calmness, and mental focus mirror and influence your physical stance. When mind and body are unified, as emphasized by the Shokushu, you create a powerful synergy that allows you to navigate challenges on and off the mat with poise and control.

Benefits of Proper Shisei

1. Enhanced Balance and Stability: Proper posture helps maintain your center, making your movements more effective and efficient. This stability is not only crucial in Aikido but also helps you move through daily life with confidence.

2. Mental Clarity and Focus: An aligned posture promotes deep, steady breathing, calming the mind and sharpening your focus. This clarity enables you to respond thoughtfully to challenges rather than react impulsively.

3. Presence and Confidence: Good Shisei projects presence and assurance. This isn’t about appearing dominant or arrogant but about being fully engaged and composed in every moment, which positively impacts how you interact with the world.

4. Emotional Resilience: Maintaining Shisei helps regulate your emotional state. By keeping an open, relaxed posture, you encourage positive thoughts and greater emotional stability, helping you handle stress with grace.

Cultivating Shisei: Tips for Aligning Body and Mind

1. Be Aware: Regularly check in with your posture, noticing both physical and mental alignment.

2. Align Your Spine: Keep your back straight and balanced, imagining a gentle pull from the top of your head.

3. Relax and Breathe: Let go of tension in your shoulders and jaw. Use Ki Breathing to deepen your connection between mind and body.

4. Positive Mental Attitude: Approach challenges with openness and curiosity, maintaining a calm, focused mindset that supports your physical posture.

Shisei: A Lifelong Practice

Shisei is a continuous practice of aligning your physical stance with a positive mental attitude. By embracing this approach, you unify mind and body, leading to greater focus, calmness, and overall well-being. Let Shisei guide your movements and mindset, both in the dojo and beyond, as you strive to live with balance, presence, and resilience.

Embrace Shisei and the unification of mind and body to enhance every aspect of your practice and your life.

Upcoming Seminar!

EKF Fall Seminar with Fryling Sensei presented by Philadelphia Ki-Aikido
Saturday 28 September

Register Online Here

Direct any questions or comments to Kenneth Mills, assistant instructor at Philadelphia Ki-Aikido [email protected]

Training Week In Review

On Monday we reviewed

• Ki Breathing,

• Hitori Waza, with an emphasis on

  • Udemawashi

  • Sayu & Sayu Choyaku

    • Remember that the body moves down because the knee bends, not because the arms drop or the torso tilts.

  • Udefuri

    • Remember that the torso doesn’t rotate, the arms rotate in the should socket. The emphasis is on the DOWN movement more than the turning/around movement.

  • Udefuri Choyaku

    • Remember that the movement is like a spring that opens, and then curls in again. Have a big opening feeling, then turn the whole body, then it corkscrews at the end as the front arm wraps around, the back arm extends out, and the one point drops.

• Ki Testing at the Shokyu Level

  • Remember the emphasis at Shokyu is ensuring that the person knows the difference between having mind and body unified, and not. When you first touch, if their mind is disturbed give them a moment to self correct. If they do self correct quickly, that is a pass.

  • Remember you are not testing for physical strength or weakness. You are helping them to understand the state of their mind. The physical “push” in a shokyu test is NOT the test, it is a sign/marker that they have done it well, a physical way of saying “Well done!”.

  • This is why the authorized examiner must be much more calm than the examinee, so they can see/feel the state of the examinee’s mind and show them clearly if it is disturbed.

• two 5th kyu arts (Katatekosatori Kokyunage, and Katatetori Tenkan Kokyunage)

  • At 5th kyu, understand clearly where is your mind. Understand the 5 principles of leading others, and move together.

On Wednesday we did:

• Ki Breathing,

• reviewed how Shisei (Posture) impacts our stability in a variety of ways and how it can impact those around us too

• did Ki Meditation

• Hitori Waza,

• Oneness Rhythm Exercise,

• Review of Katatori Nikyo, Sankyo, and Yonkyo (Irimi & Tenkan)

  • emphasizing maintaining control throughout the process, not just at the point of technique application and later pin.