AI KI DO · Yuishinkai Aikido Yuishinkai Aikido was founded by Sensei (master) Koretoshi Maruyama to promote universal values and principles of peace throughout the world. Maruyama

AI Practitioner February 2010

29

Volume 12 Number 1 ISBN 978-1-907549-00-7

More Articles at www.aipractitioner.com

ABSTRACT

Aikido is most commonly translated from Japanese as ‘the way of harmony’. In her article José explains her outside world, the Appreciative Inquiry method that she uses in her work, and her Inside world, Aikido, more specifically Yuishinkai Aikido.

Aikido is most commonly translated from Japanese as ‘the way of harmony’. Do is the Tao, the way; Ki translates as ‘spiritual energy’; and the most encompassing meaning of Ai is ‘harmony’. Harmony is blended with our environment by changing difficulties into joy and conflict into peace.

Writing for the February issue of AIP gives me the opportunity to tell the story about my Inside and Outside worlds.

My Outside WorldThe Outside world for me is the world that I work in, using the Appreciative Inquiry (AI) method. Working with executives and their teams in support of organization culture transformation, strategic development and positive leadership capacity-building. I see my role in these processes as an advisor. Only at the beginning of 2009 did I discover that what I did in organizations, workshops and advising meetings had a name and a structure. And then I started reading all about AI, and did a course on AI at the TNO organization in the Netherlands. 2009 was an important year in my life. I discovered AI and Yuishinkai, which brought East and West together in my research, counselling work and workshops.

My Inside WorldThe Inside world for me is the world of Aikido, and more specifically Yuishinkai Aikido. Through Yuishinkai Aikido I can inquire about the possibilities of making contact that we have through working with Ki (chi).

AikidoAikido is a Japanese martial art founded by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969). The art is young, but throughout his life the founder lived as a true samurai in the ancient Japanese tradition. He embodied a state of unity with cosmic forces that has been the spiritual ideal of martial arts throughout Japanese history.

José W. OtteMBA is a researcher, consultant, speaker, trainer and author on Appreciative Inquiry, positive change, positive leadership and spirituality at work. She founded MIZU, specializing in the combined application of Appreciative Inquiry and Aikido. In 2010, José is starting a PhD in Appreciative Inquiry. Contact: [email protected] www.mizu.nl

AIP February 10 Otte: AI KI DO

AI KI DO


30


He practiced many different forms of martial art and Shinto to build the existing form. Morihei Ueshiba insisted that ‘Aikido is the study of the spirit’. For him, techniques were the means to express the spiritual principles of Aikido. Although it is most widely known as a martial art or system of self-defence, Aikido is also a profoundly spiritual training or a means of personal development; a way of making contact. Morihei Ueshiba’s vision resulted in the creation of Aikido as a path to universal harmony and world peace.

Central to Aikido is the idea of being in harmony, rather than in conflict, with opponents. The movement and energy of attack is redirected without the need for collision or use of force. The physical practice of this fundamental principle leads to a better understanding of people and nature, while teaching essential skills for the resolution of conflict. The movements of Aikido are designed on the principles of nature and flow in circles and spirals. When Aikido is performed well there is great beauty and composure in the movement of both partners. It is an art in the true sense of the word.

We also find this in the constructionist principle of AI where we learn that we are all interconnected (coming from the same source, connected to each other by what others call The Collective Field, or The Wave). The word ‘connect’ is important here.

In our modern, western world, my inside world Aikido is a way to develop myself and my spirit. I practiced the Aikikai form of Aikido for almost 20 years, until I had to find another school and discovered Yuishinkai Aikido in the summer of 2009.

Yuishinkai AikidoYuishinkai Aikido was founded by Sensei (master) Koretoshi Maruyama to promote universal values and principles of peace throughout the world. Maruyama Sensei is widely respected as a teacher who dedicated his life to communicating the benefits of ‘positive mind’ through Aikido. I find AI principles in much of the information produced by him.

On the website of the international Yuishinkai Aikido organization, there is a Vision Statement which says that a vision ‘begins with intuition and dreaming, a cohesive image of an ideal to strive for’. For me, this is about Western and Eastern method coming together, and for my inside and outside worlds joining. The same language is used in constructionist and poetic principles.

Sensei Koretoshi Maruyama, the founder of Yuishinkai Aikido states that:

‘Words have a power of their own. The power of the spoken word was recognized in ancient Japan as kotodama, or word-spirit. Kotodama means: “to speak a word is to encourage it to come true”. Your life energy responds to sounds and thoughts, as expressed in the spoken word. When you fill your daily life with positive words and thoughts, your life is filled with the power of Ki. In this way you can keep mentally and physically healthy, and have a positive influence on others as well. Words have real power, and can produce practical results in your life.’

This is what we see in the Constructionist Principle of AI.

‘Words have a power of their own. To speak a word is to encourage it to come true.’ Sensei Koretoshi Maruyama, founder of Yuishinkai Aikido



31


Movement begins in the centre of the hara, the ‘one point’, where the aikidoka’s mind is focused. The spiritual content of Aikido can be expressed in the word hara, which ranges in meaning from ‘belly’ to ‘heart-mind’ or ‘soul’. Hara is not only the physical centre of the body: properly understood, it is also the centre of our spiritual energy.

The kotodama of hara is ha (eight) and ra (spiralling outward). Much the same as the heart pumps out blood to nourish the physical cells of the body, hara distributes ki to all parts of the body. The process of ki distribution can be controlled by concentration, or intention. Concentration and intention is ki directed to the point of focus. In the centre of the brain is another energy-producing centre, or hara, from which new consciousness (word-soul) is born.

When these two centres are combined, great spiritual power can be realized. By practicing Aikido day in and day out, these two hara centres become united vertically; the will becomes rooted in the body’s physical centre and the excess activity of the mind ceases. Heaven (mind) and earth (body) are united through spirit (the will). In this way the total meaning of hara, body-mind is realized.

Koretoshi Maruyama sensei has written the following motto which Aikido practitioners are encouraged to read aloud each morning and night to keep the subconscious in a positive state of mind:

I am mind itself.

If I hold positive thoughts in my mind, good things are likely to happen.

Holding negative thoughts in my mind works against my best interests.

Therefore, even if my body suffers physically, my mind remains optimistic.

Even if I encounter obstacles my mind is never defeated.

Today I fill my heart with thoughts of joy, gratitude and hope.

I face each new day with a bright and optimistic spirit, which I express in word

and deed.

I have faith in life, and life responds in kind.

Maruyama sensei also states that ‘Kan So (positive visualization) enables anyone to positively affect their lives.’

In AI, this is the participatory principle. And we also find this in the circular process in an AI project.

AI and Yuishinkai combinedPerhaps it is more fair to say that my purpose in life is communicating about intention. Connecting with others works without effort through intention. Through the combination of AI and Yuishinkai Aikido, I find that living centred in decisive and compassionate action is now possible. I also feel that through working as an advisor within companies, or advising executives, I am more able to restore the circle as a natural means, because all processes within AI are circular, as well as all techniques in Aikido. Working with the principles of Yuishinkai Aikido has given me the opportunity to inquire and learn more about what Ki, or energy, and through that with intention, can do for us as people, and for us in organizations.


Aikido is an art that is more like a way of life. The Aikido practitioner lives a life of inquiry.


32


Development comes through inquiry. And through inquiry comes implementation. In both AI and Aikido inquiry is the first step in the process of bettering our work and our lives. In Japanese, there is a word for the way inquiry can help you be open and awake: Sho Shin, inquiry with the curiosity of a child.

What the techniques of Yuishinkai Aikido add to AI projects is the physical wake-up call. People wake up, return to the here and now. AI projects get an extra dimension. Yuishinkai Aikido shows what we can do with intention – practice on the mat shows how intention can help us in our ‘normal’ life, or perhaps I should say outside world.

Art that is a way of lifeAikido is an art that is more like a way of life. The Aikido practitioner lives a life of inquiry. The technique takes over ten years to master; however, it is possible to teach and work with some of the principal techniques in AI projects.

To show non-Aikidokas what the most natural posture is can be done in a short session. However, as with AI it is important to make the technique part of one’s life. That is why I always say that Aikido is not a short term cure for misery. Aikido techniques can be used to help AI practitioners give their audience more energy that is more a way of life. Daily focus on that what we want more of is important. To have the intention to do so is important.

For me it is fulfilling to combine AI and Aikido. If that is impossible, then the knowledge that I gained through Aikido is still with me, helping me to say the right thing at the right time. Through the exercises in the Yuishinkai Aikido lessons, I have learned to truly connect with people. While AI has given me a more theoretical structure to positive leadership and positive change, Yuishinkai Aikido gives me the physical and mental backbone to connect.

The combination of AI and Yuishinkai Aikido helps me in the search for the possibility that individuals’ personal goals, reflecting their concerns in life, can influence corporate goals and so offer added value to an organization. For organizations, it is vital to give employees opportunities to grow, to find those goals. And by giving people this chance and challenge you might end up with a company where this collective talent is then an added value.

Many techniques and methods are being developed to find people’s talents. Perhaps because only rational analyses and statistical information are used, it often doesn’t work. Finding one’s talent, or better finding one’s purpose is easily done using the questions in an Appreciative Inquiry process. By adding the Yuishinkai knowledge it becomes even more easy.

The purpose is loveTalent is not only what we do with our brains. The real purpose is a mix of mind and body. The old Greeks knew that. For them, human nature was mystical. Plato thought of a perfect world of ideas that he would call heaven, in which human purpose was clear. For him, our lives on earth existed to help us deal with earthly challenges. Teilhard de Chardin talks about purpose as being Love. According to him love is the most universal and mystical cosmic energy. Through this feeling of love one can experience oneness with the universe. In books on Aikido and in the message Morihei Ueshiba gave the world, people interchange the words ‘peace’ and ‘love’. I think that if Morihei would have lived in another time, where


Sensei Koretoshi Maruyama


33

Back to Table of Contents


war was not such big influence, he would have chosen the word love instead of peace. He called Aikido ‘the art of peace’.

KiBy opening and strengthening the energy channels of the body, it is possible to channel energy freely through your body and help others do the same. There are many forms of Eastern teachings explaining to us what Ki is and how we can work with Ki: Reiki, Tai Chi, Qigong and in Yuishinkai Aikido.

It is interesting to see that the way that the knowledge is shared is changing. Twenty years ago, in order to learn about Ki you would have to either go to a yogi (a teacher) in India, China or Japan and live there for a couple of years. Then you would maybe be allowed to bring the knowledge you gained with you to the West.

Nowadays sharing knowledge is quicker and easier: a new form of Reiki called Kundalini can be introduced in half an hour. The initiation is an attunement where different energy centres (Chakras) and energy channels are opened and strengthened. This way you can have access to this energy and channel it through your hands. You can then ‘switch on’ the energy just by intention. The word intention in this paragraph is important. Intention is sending Ki – energy to that what you focus on. Ki is the Japanese word for energy. Most of us cannot see the energy – but through practice and research everyone can learn more about energy and how it works for you.

My dreamMy dream, or rather what I will be working on in the near future: both in AI and in the teachings of Koretoshi Maruyama sensei I learn to look with a positive mind to the future, and ask the right questions to direct my life into the future that I dream.

In my dream I see that I can help others to truly connect. My work brings me to other countries in Europe: travelling is another form of inquiry. I have a story to tell, but am eager to hear your stories as well. Communication and connecting with others is my dream, my purpose in life.

I have faith in life, and life responds in kind.



International Journal of Appreciative Inquiry

Inside:

Back Issues at www.aipractitioner.com

20 Appreciating Action Learning by Geoff AllanCombining AI and action learning sets.

Neuroscience: a New Friend to OD and AI by Richard CoeLooking for answers about how the brain functions, especially in different social circumstances and sensory environments.

25

AI KI DO by José OtteAI combined with Akido creates a connection between East and West which can be used in organizations to create positive change, positive leadership and organization culture transformation.

29

Part 2: Combining AI with Other ModelsCreating a Bridge Between Deficit-based and Strength-based Problem Solving: the Journey of a Six Sigma Master Black Belt by David ShakedThe challenge of combining the energy and creativity of AI and process mapping with post-it notes and deep statistical analysis.

16

11 An Appreciative Approach to Inclusive Teambuilding by Bente Sloth and Carsten HornstrupA leader talks about her journey towards leading with a focus on inspiration, motivation, co-creating learning and not least, creating a great work environment.

4 Introduction to The Inside and Outside Worlds of an AI Practitioner edited by Geoffrey Allan, Steve Loraine and Anne Radford

8 Part 1: Personal Challenges of Organisational LeadershipFragile Practice, Humble Learning, Extraordinary Outcomes by Joan McArthur-BlairEducation is all that matters. It is the greatest gift a government can give people. Generative leadership requires both humbleness and passion.

AIP February 10 The Inside and Outside Worlds of an AI Practitioner


International Journal of Appreciative Inquiry

Inside continued:

Back Issues at www.aipractitioner.com

43 The AI Circle: A Place to Develop Our Skills and Ourselves by Jeanie CockellCreating a space for our internal selves to show up (who we are) as we share our strategies for working in our worlds (what we do).

Reshape to Reframe: Living AI in our Bodies by Roz KayOur mental frameworks are deeply rooted and they shape our bodies in ways that impact our listening, seeing, attention and more.

47

54 AI Research Notes by Jan Reed and Lena HolmbergResearch Notes carries news of AI research which is about to start, is in progress or has been completed. Contributions are from researchers around the world.

59 About the May 2010 IssueGuest Editors: Loretta Randolph and Neil Samuels This issue will be devoted to Individuals and Organizations Flourishing Through Time.

IAPG Contacts and AI Practitioner Subscription Information60

39 ‘We’re in it Together’: Living Well with Dementia: Creating a Regional Strategy for the East Midlands by Julie BarnesOn 2 October 2009, 180 people from across the East Midlands, UK and from all parts of local health, social care and community services came together with people with dementia and their carers to create a regional vision for living well with dementia.

51 Confessions of an AI-coholic: The Road to LEAD by Ada Jo MannLEADing from your strengths.

Part 3: Evolving Our Practice Through Reflection and Working in New WaysIt’s Not the Events – It’s the Spaces In Between by Sarah LewisA story about working with what you can, not what you can’t.

34

AIP February 10 The Inside and Outside Worlds of an AI Practitioner


60

Volume 12 Number 1 ISBN 978-1-907549-00-7AI Practitioner

IAPG Contacts and AI Practitioner Subscription Information

ISSN 1741-8224 Subscribe at www.aipractitioner.com

International Advisory Practitioners Group IAPG

Members of the International Advisory Practitioners Groupworking with AIP to bring AI stories to a wider audience

Druba Acharya, Nepal

Gervase Bushe, Canada

Sue Derby, Canada

Sara Inés Gómez, Colombia

Lena Holmberg, Sweden

Joep de Jong, Netherlands

Dorothy Liebig, Germany

John Loty, Australia

Sue James, Australia

Maureen McKenna, Canada

Liz Mellish, Canada

Dayle Obrien, Australia

Jan Reed, United Kingdom

Catriona Rogers, Hong Kong

Daniel K. Saint, United States

Marge Schiller, United States

Jackie Stavros, United States

Bridget Woods, South Africa

Jacqueline Wong, Singapore

Margaret Wright, United Kingdom

AIP SubscriptionsIndividualsNGOS, students and community groupsSmall organisationsUniversity/Research Institute Large organisationshttp://www.aipractitioner.com/subscriptions

Back Issues and Articleshttp://www.aipractitioner.com/issueshttp://www.aipractitioner.com/articles

Change of subscriber detailshttp://www.aipractitioner.com/customer/account/login/

Publication Advertising/SponsorshipFor the advertising rates, contact Anne Radford.

Disclaimer: Views and opinions of the writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Every effort is made to ensure accuracy but all details are subject to alteration. No responsibility can be accepted for any inaccuracies.

Purpose of AI PractitionerThis publication is for people interested in making the world a better place using positive relational approaches to change such as Appreciative Inquiry.

The publication is distributed quarterly: February, May, August and November.

AI Practitioner Editor/PublisherThe editor/publisher is Anne Radford. She is based in London and can be reached at [email protected]

The postal address for the publication is:303 Bankside Lofts, 65 Hopton Street, London SE1 9JL, England.Telephone: +44 (0)20 7633 9630Fax: +44 (0)845 051 8639ISSN 1741 8224

AI Practitioner © 2003-2010 Anne Radford

Back to Table of Contents

Documents

AI KI DO · Yuishinkai Aikido Yuishinkai Aikido was founded by Sensei (master) Koretoshi Maruyama to promote universal values and principles of peace throughout the world. Maruyama