Aiki-Themes

This week'sThis week's theme is KiAi or focussed ki (気合).

It is a Japanese concept of putting all the movement together in one concentrated moment. Often in some martial arts KiAi is executed with a shout. However it is a misconception that KiAi should always be made with a shout. KiAi is more a state of concentration than a physical effort. KiAi doesn't just make sense in the martial context it also can apply to anything you do. Applying KiAi may make your driving more safe, a conversation more engaged and your work a better quality. It may even improve your cooking skills! Apply KiAi for better concentration and connectedness to be fully engaged in what you do and you will be more successful at it. The calligraphy artist, one who practices the art of shodo, applies KiAi to make beautiful calligraphy and one can observe the way the brush moves smoothly without hesitation or intermittent stopping. It is much like the way Aikido movement is to be applied, as one stroke of the brush dances masterfully in a natural flow over the pape.