The ‘Aiki Secrets’ books are for those finding frustration with traditional ‘arts that start with Aiki’ teaching methods
Specifically, for those whose initial reaction to ‘Just do this’ is ‘Why?’The ‘Aiki Secrets’ books focus primarily upon the physical aspects of Aiki. They share a unique approach to understanding the physics and simple machines that are applied when practicing Aikido
This first book: Aiki Secrets: Six Precepts and the Dynamic COB (Center of Balance), lays the foundation for explaining the higher aspects of the art by sharing the key ‘Precepts’ that underly all Aiki techniques.
These precepts are based on how your body works, and thusly, how it doesn’t; By better understanding the human body’s strengths and weaknesses, we begin to focus on the core aspect of what Aiki is physically: the control of stability and balance
The study of stability and balance is borne of awareness of your Center of Balance (COB).
‘Six Precepts’ explains how this ‘dynamic’ ‘spherical’ aspect of your physical nature behaves under pressure
With this awareness, and clues on how to strengthen or diminish the structure of your body, you begin the path to understanding how to manipulate your and Uke’s COB to your advantage, and better perform Aiki techniques
These are short stories that set up key contexts where Aiki applies, or give base level detail to the true precepts that follow.
We use these terms in class often even now, nearly ten years after their publishing
Basic Terms covers many ideas, but here are a few highlights: [Click them! They are drop downs!]
The rest of the book reveals the foundation for Aiki practice in three segments.
Each segment holds two precepts, and reveals deep insight to the mechanical elements of controlling stability and balance.
The early precepts are somewhat commonly known and do not require as significant explanation as the latter precepts, but all sections include explanation and drills to make reading and understanding a true body awareness; physical experience
Knowing the basics of Aiki is great, but we need to find ways to use it if we really want to learn it
Traditional Aiki-Age and Aiki-Sage drills are expressed as wrist grabs, but Aiki is a control of Uke’s COB.
This precept takes a closer look at the effects of these drills as ‘impact upon Uke’s COB’
It substitutes control of Uke’s torso to show the parallels so the Principle expressed in Aiki-Age and Aiki-sage (control of Uke’s COB) can be explored in other techniques.
As a bonus, the final lesson contained is not actually a precept, but the first secret to using Aiki to make Uke fall. Called ‘Pin and Spin’, this lesson reveals how to initially destabilize Uke, and then truly ‘break’ Uke’s balance (so they fall). The outward expression of ‘Pin and Spin’ is easily understood, but the depth of the understanding is enhanced by the Precepts themselves. This is why it is presented at the end of the book, and at the start of your use of directed precision when practicing the Aiki arts.