A Short Instruction:
The purpose of this article is to practice and validate the Ki principles (Mind moves body) which are the foundation of Ki-Aikido in your daily life. Therefore, it has no meaning if you just read it without practicing it.
The fundamental method of mastering anything is practice. However, not just practice, but it is also important to validate how one has changed as a result of the practice.
It is easy to lose what you have learned without practice. On the other hand, you will never lose what you have learned through practice and validation. Therefore, please read, practice, and validate the contents of my article at least a month.
Communicate Clearly
I teach Ki Principles at many companies and educational institutions.
I receive many invitations to speak, but since my main job is to teach Ki-Aikido, I am not always able to accept some of the invitations. Ki Society has enough human resources so that we will be able to continue to cultivate our instructors, and in the future, many people will be able to study Ki principles at their own offices.
When I teach at companies or educational institutions, I always ask participants to fill in a questionnaire first. The purpose of this questionnaire is to get some general feedback, and moreover I would like to know how much participants understand from my lectures.
One question I always ask is, “Are my lectures easy to understand?”. Many participants do answer “Yes, very easy to understand”. It is my pleasure.(I feel I am not enough, therefore, I try to make an improvement always.)
One of the participants who is management consultant once asked me, “How is it that your lectures are so easy to understand? Have you received any special training?”
Since he asked this question, I realized that I have never received any special training, outside of Ki-Aikido training.
This is not to make me something special, but I relate this because I have a point in mind. That is, to always send Ki to others, to see their state of mind, and to see if others understand my teaching and explanation and practice it.
When people don’t understand, this causes them to feel uncomfortable. (Of course, there are many variations of this amongst different individuals)
Often those people look gloomy and are sending minus Ki. On the other hand, it is always comfortable to understand. When there is understanding, people look happy and send plus Ki.
That is to say, if you send Ki to others, you can see others’ Ki, and you can understand the understanding of others very clearly.
If others look like they do not understand, what should we do? If it is possible in the situation, you ask others to repeat what you have said. Then, if you check by asking a question, you can understand the understanding of others very well.
When others cannot understand, if you think “This is their fault”, your teaching ability will not be improved. Therefore, I do not say “I already told you” even if others cannot understand what I said. The speaker also has the responsibility to send Ki and be sure that others understand clearly or not.
If you constantly try to clarify your teaching, it will gradually be improved. My teaching ability is based on those experiences, therefore, there is no special training, other than this, required.
This is the way I answered the man’s question. My answer seemed a surprise to him, because he thought it was too natural.
However, sending Ki to others is natural when you practice Ki-Aikido in the dojo and in your daily life. Nonetheless, many people do not send Ki to others.
We tend to accept something special as having great value, but do not accept something that is natural. However, it is always important to do the natural thing in a natural way.
To communicate clearly is not an inherited ability but a matter of training. And essence of this training is that you want to communicate clearly to others. Where is this state of mind come from? If you understand this, you can send Ki to others naturally.
Please discover this for yourself by doing this month’s practice and validation.
[Point of practice]
When you explain something to others, first, send Ki to them.
Check to see if they understand you. Check to see if they send plus or minus Ki.
If you think that others do understand, you have accomplished your purpose.If they do not understand, you have not done so. Make a note of each of these cases.
[Point of validation]
When you succeed, how is your state of mind? Validate this.
When you do not succeed, how is your state of mind? Validate that.
What is the state of your mind when you explain something clearly to others? Do those others approve of your advice? Do those others have plus mind? Is your advice then passed on to still others, or do those you are speaking to simply keep it for themselves?