Trustworthy

My aikido teacher often says that, “it takes two people working together to create a technique,” his point being (I think) that each partner has a job to do. This seemingly simple statement is actually very complex when you begin to examine all the components which go into such a creation.

For the uninitiated, some background: Most aikido practice consists of what is essentially a kata, or forms practice…a prescribed sequence of movements which make up the technique. One difference in aikido is that most of this kata is paired, or performed with a partner, and each partner has a role to play. One person (referred as uke) is designated to give an attack and to receive the technique. The other person (referred to as nage) receives the attack and gives the technique. See the symmetry there?

Giving and receiving, by both partners.

Some believe that this cooperative give and take during practice means that aikido is not a truly dangerous martial art. I would tell you that is absolutely not the case. Practitioners of aikido spend a great deal of their time developing the ability to take (sometimes very high) falls and receive joint locks and pins safely, so that they can avoid injury and continue to train. Watch this short video and see if you think an untrained person could take these falls without injury:

Whether or not you “believe” in aikido as an effective martial art, there is no denying that there is an element of danger in even practicing aikido…especially when taken to this level. So on one hand, it is certainly critical for uke (the person receiving the throw) to polish their skills in order to practice at this level safely.

But that is not to say that nage (the thrower) has no responsibility for safety. While aikido is a martial art, and accidental injury can happen, it is all too easy to use that as an excuse to shrug off an injury to a partner. We must remember that our partner is willingly lending us their body for our practice; allowing themselves to be placed in a vulnerable position, trusting that we will not hurt them…carelessly or deliberately.

My partner here is trusting that I will not apply the wrist lock to the point of injury.

Junior students practice with seniors, trusting that the more experienced student will not exploit their advantage in skill and apply a technique with excessive power. Likewise, senior students willingly allow junior students to practice on them and develop that power, but must also be able to trust that the junior will not abuse that advantage. Nage must be trustworthy if we are to be able to train and grow together safely in a dangerous art.

One of the best compliments I have ever received in my aikido practice was the time when, preparing to practice a particularly scary technique, a dojomate bowed to me and said, “I trust you.” The truth is that whether it is spoken aloud or not, every time someone bows to you and joins you in aikido practice, they are saying “I trust you.”

We must always strive to be worthy of that trust.