Whenever Koichi Tohei sensei taught “Ki”, there was a talk he made at the beginning without fail.
“We must not forget that at the root of the relative world lies the absolute universe. We are part of the universe, and by understanding the nature of the universe, we can live in accordance with the principles of the universe.”
Learning by his side as an Uchideshi, I heard the same talk over and over again, so I gradually started to feel “Oh, it is the same story again”. One day after training was over, Koichi Tohei sensei called me in.
“You were listening to me with a look on your face that said, oh, the same story again.”
I was startled and said, “No, I was not!”, trying to cover it up.
“Don’t lie. I am looking at your Ki. I know you were.”
“Actually…, I did, sir, only a little bit,” I admitted.
When Koichi Tohei sensei heard me say this, he laughed out loud, and said, “Have you ever once wondered why I keep repeating the same talk?” I certainly had never thought about it and did not know why at the time.
25 years have passed since then, and I have had many experiences and now I know better. He repeated the same talk every time, because it was the most important thing. We, humans, tend to forget the most important things!
We live in a relative world. Where there is “up,” there is “down,” and where there is “good,” there is “evil.” Where there is a “parent,” there is a “child,” and so it is with “me” and “you.” Social life is possible because we perceive things relatively.
On the other hand, all existence originates from the Ki of the universe, so from the perspective of Ki, everything that exists is connected through ki at the root. But living in a relative world, it is easy to forget this fact.
In terms of Shinshin Toitsu Aikido technique practice, if we can only view the relationship [between nage and uke] relatively, it becomes “the thrower” and “the thrown”. When a boundary is created, conflict and resistance arise, and the technique does not work. When we are one with the universe, and the Ki is flowing through us, there should be no boundary. This is why the techniques work.
In our daily lives, we create boundaries everywhere. Those who persuade, those who are persuaded; those who sell, those who are sold. Those who preach and those who are preached to; those who train and those who are trained. If we view the relationship as relative and the boundary is created, Ki will not flow through. In such a case, there is no sense of oneness.
For example, we can view the relationship as the one “teaching” and the one “being taught,” but we can also view it as “learning together from their respective standpoints.” In such a case, the sense of oneness is created. If we do not forget the fact that all things are connected by Ki at the root of our relative perceptions, we can do things as one.
However, putting this into practice in daily life is sometimes not easy. Why is that? In our social and family situations/environments, we are constantly facing harsh realities of life. However, that is not the real cause.
[The real reason/cause is] because humans are most susceptible to forgetting the most obvious and important things. That is why it is necessary to check/confirm each and every time.
Translated by Mayumi Case
Edited by David Shaner
Eastern Ki Federation
https://easternkifederation.org/
Original article in Japanese: 毎回、確認する (Maikai, Kakunin Suru)
March 1, 2025
https://shinichitohei.com/japanese/04-%e3%83%a1%e3%83%bc%e3%83%ab%e3%83%9e%e3%82%ac%e3%82%b8%e3%83%b3/35024/
