Aikido and The Cave
By: Darrell Foster
The concept of the non-competitive Japanese martial art or the non-violent art of Self defense is an oxymoronic dilemma. To the non-practitioner, the concept makes no sense because to the majority of the world’s populace, Martial Art means painful strikes, high flying kicks, screaming ninjas, kung Fu razzle dazzle, karate chops and breaking boards. All these methods are clear signs of violence. Children in the nation’s major cities line up with colored belts preparing to ‘chop socky’ their friends on the school playground the next day. That’s the general perception of Martial Arts in this country.
So what is this “absorb the attacker”, “less can be more,” spinning tops, triangles, and circles concept that talks of underlying forms and physical techniques that are spiritual and based on some life force called “Ki”. What are you kidding? Is this realistic? Non-violent and spiritual (please, “ yea Ok”) if you believe that I have a bridge I want to sell you in London. And what about this concept of Being in Harmony with the Universe? Is this more non-sense or some form of pusillanimous dance?
Here we have our quandary – Let’s attempt to find a solution. Throughout history, lack of true knowledge and understanding has been a major contributing factor to the downfall of many Nations. Such is the predicament of Aikido. The public at large is trapped in the Cave of ignorance and conjectural beliefs.
For more understanding we must explore “The Republic”, by Plato, with specific reference to the “Analogy of The Divided Line” and “The Allegory of The Cave”.
The main focus of argument in “The Republic” seeks to determine the nature of a just life. The foremost intent of the debate in “The Republic” is to determine an extended definition of what constitutes justice in a given state, whether or not a concept of justice may be determined by citizens in a given state. This leads to the question, what is Justice, and what would lead to the good and happy life? As the discussions move on between Socrates, Cephalous, Polemarchus, Thrasymachus, Adeiamantus, and Glaucon we pause for a time to contemplate “The Analogy of The Divided Line.” At this point in the discussion Socrates is attempting to make a distinction between knowledge and belief. He tells us there are four levels of intellect 1. Imagining, 2. Belief, 3.Thinking, 4. Dialectic.
“The Republic” then moves us to “The Allegory of the Cave.” Here is where we find the prisoners that have been chained in the cave since their childhood; they are chained to the ground and chained by their heads. They can only see the wall of the cave in front of them. A fire is burning behind the prisoners; between the fire and the arrested prisoners, there is a walkway where people walk, talk and carry objects. The prisoners perceive only shadows of the people and the things passing on the walkway; the prisoners hear echoes of the talk coming from the shadows. The prisoners perceive the shadows and echoes as reality.
If we unchain one of the prisoners and make him turn around, he would be frightened, aggrieved by new physical movement, dazzled by the fire, unable at first to see.
When he is told that the people and things he now perceives are more real than the shadows, he will not believe it. He will want to return to his old perceptions of the shadows as reality.
When we drag him out of the cave and into the World of day, the sun will blind him. But he will gradually see the stars and the moon; he will then be able to see shadows in the daylight thrown by the sun; then he will see objects in the full light of day. The sun makes this new perception possible. If we took the prisoner back into the Cave and into his old world he would not be able to function well in his old world of shadows.
For the allegory, the Cave corresponds to the realm of belief; the World of Day corresponds to the realm of knowledge. The sun stands for the Form of Goodness itself.
If the prisoner were to be returned to the Cave, his old fellows would not believe his experiences, since they have always been imprisoned in their world, The Cave.
Living the martial way as do all true Aikidoka will free the practitioner from the chains of our societal Caves; television, computers, video games, parties, etc. All the vices that represent instant gratification versus delayed gratification. Sacrifice versus pleasure.
For the Aikidoka, the lack of discipline represents the Cave and the Dojo represents the World of Day where the ultimate truths and knowledge of Aikido can be realized.
It is only through diligent training that we discover how to maintain equanimity in life’s circumstances. It’s through training we learn to refine the techniques. It’s through training we discover that circular movements allow us to avoid violent collisions with an opposing force. “The Founder O’Sensei Morihei Ueshiba often described the state of stillness within movement as Sumukiri the total clarity of mind and body.” The concept of the harmonization between the human body and the universal energy (Ki) of heaven and earth can only be discovered through training, training, and more training. Where? At the Dojo.
In final analysis it is our responsibility as Aikido practitioners to promote and support the Dojo. For it is only there that we can drag our fellow man from the caves of their life styles, from the pleasure principles that are destroying mankind’s integrity and sense of honor, respect and dignity. It is our responsibility to promote The Way we have discovered. We must help to unchain the prisoners from their Caves and show them to the World of Day, because only there will they obtain full knowledge and understanding of the non violent, non competitive art of Aikido. We must guide the prisoners so that they may discern and recognize Aikido can be a path to a better mind and body, and ultimately a path to a better Life.
