Henry Kono Sensei – Yin and Yang in Motion

aikido techniques kono fri.

Henry Kono ~ 2008

Aikido in Balance March 1, 2012

Andrew Miller and Tyler Crandall are studying the principles of yin and yang and balance as it applies to aikido. This practice has developed in our years of studying under Henry Kono Sensei, and direct student of the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba O’sensei. You can find us at aikidoinbalance.org

Yin and Yang in Aikido?

Our teacher Henry Kono was given a certain clue from the founder of Aikido as to the concept on which AIkido is based. When Kono Sensei asked “Why can’t we do what you do?” The founder simply replied, “I know yin/yang and you do not.” Based on this information Kono Sensei made it his life’s work to study the concept of yin/yang as it relates to the practice of Aikido. Kono Sensei’s meditations on this subject led to some startling insights about how to throw an opponent without disturbing the attacker in any way.

For the purposes of explaining yin/yang as it relates to aikido, the concept is very simple. Yin/yang is how two bodies move as one. For practical purposes, in order for this to happen, the two bodies meet at a common center. When this center remains constant between the two bodies there can be no conflict. The power in aikido lies in this balance.

During Kono Sensei’s, study with the the founder of aikido, he noted that occasionally Ueshiba O’sensei would state, “I am never going to tell you what I am doing” to the class. Despite this, Kono Sensei noted that the founder would infrequently restate a few different sentences that seemed to have significance that took many years to understand. Roughly translated, this is what was said:

“The movement of the Universe is expressed through the feet, what the human mind wants is expressed with the hands”
“Move your totality in the orbital path, finish in a hanmi”
“This X is right between your hands”

Above information copied from: aikidoinbalance.com