Misogi and Aikido

Misogi

禊

“Polish the heart, free the six senses
and let them function without obstruction,
and your entire body and soul will glow.”
Founder of Aikido

“Aikido is misogi” said the founder of aikido. One definition of the term “misogi” is purification. As a matter of fact, many aikido practitioners talk about a special feeling of mental freshness they sometimes experience after an aikido practice.

Sometimes we arrive at the dojo with a tiered body, worries or stress. Sometimes when we arrive, our head is occupied with thoughts, troubles and conflicts we sometimes all have during our day. As we bow in at the entrance to the dojo, we let our daily matters drop off from our back. They wait for us outside the dojo, but at the end of class, when we "pick" them up, we often realise that their dimensions are reduced to a more reasonable size, and so, our heart gains more space for constructive and calm thoughts that help us deal with those worries.

Aikido practice unconsciously tidy-up our head and heart. In the long run, aikido helps us strengthening our positive qualities, and as a result, we tend to stay calm, and more harmoniously and attentively deal with our life challenges.

Our daily aikido training begins with a series of exercises that help us preparing our body and mind. The first exercise looks like a rowing motion.

Funa kogi undo is also called ame no torifune no gyo. It is an ancient Japanese religious physical and spiritual exercise. The name “funa kogi undo” means rowing exercise. "Ame no torifune no gyo" means “heavenly birds-boat practice”. O-Sensei adopted this thousand years old method, when he learned that shinto priests perform it as part of their preparations before conducting purification rituals.

Funa Kogi Undo 
Ame No Torifune No Gyo

Funa kogi undo also strengthen our legs and teaches us how to move the entire body efficiently and dynamically. The source of the movements is our hara - the lower abdomen, which is the physical and mental centre. Practicing dynamically, fills the tanden with energy. The tanden is imaginarily located within the hara, about three fingers lower from our navel. The sounds that we make as we practice funa kogi undo are “Ei Hou, Ei Hou, Ei, Sa, Ei, Sa”. They are called “Kotodama” - soul words. Sounds affect our mental state, and it is believed that each of these five sounds has a different positive affect: E - Mind, I - Sprit, O - Strength, U - Emotions, A - Birth and creativity. 

Were are we rowing to?

These rowing movements are physical metaphor. In Aikido, we all advance together helping each other, and devotedly proceed in our common journey to become better people, in a better world and a better society.

There are more aspects to funa kogi undo which we will learn and realise later on.