The warm-up in aikido: a neglected subject

An aikido lesson involves a structured routine that generally consists of three groups of exercises: warming-up, rolling, and interaction techniques. Although great consideration is paid to warm-up exercises in aikido lessons, they are neglected in most books on aikido practice. Because warm-up exercises can be used to transfer skills into a communication training course, they deserve considerable attention.

Warm-ups help prepare the body for the physical demands of training, enhance flexibility, and reduce the risk of injury. Although these somatic routines may vary across dojos, they usually include aiki-taisō, kishin-chinkon, dō-in, and makkō-hō. Aiki-taisō exercises are individual exercises aimed at developing and stabilising a relaxed suppleness and improving the rhythm of both respiration and circulation.

The basis of aiki-taisō is verticality in a relaxed, natural, well-centred posture without excessive muscle contraction or tensing of the shoulders. From the vertical position, aikidoists perform flexing, stretching, and coordination exercises (Westbrook & Ratti, 2001, Chapter VI).

Kishin-chinkon focuses on specific breathing patterns and physical movements (Broder, 2008, p. 343). Two common kishin-chinkon techniques in aikido warm-up are boat-rowing or torifune (rowing the boat in a relaxed stance with one foot in front by pushing the hips and arms forward at the level of the lower abdomen and pulling the hips back and letting the arms follow back) and soulshaking or furitama (shaking the spirit, jewel, or soul by first placing the hands together in a mudra position with the right hand over the left leaving a small space in between and then shaking the hands in front of the lower abdomen) (Haroun, 2015, p. 109; Tōhei, 1966, pp. 76–78; M. Ueshiba & Stevens, 1993, pp. 97–99; Westbrook & Ratti, 2001, Chapter VIII).

Dō-in exercises aim to activate energy flow in each area of the body. They cover the whole body and use various applications of pressure, massage, rubbing, and other stimulation that can easily be performed as an individual routine (Kushi, 1979/2007, p. 80). Each dō-in exercise “should be conducted with no interruption whatsoever from one exercise to another, as spring water bubbling out from under the bushes deep in the mountains forms a stream which runs down continuously, gathering water and becoming a river, and reaching the ocean at last” (Kushi, 1979/2007, p. 115).

Like dō-in, makkō-hō exercises also aim to activate energy flow. Makkō-hō is a series of stretching exercises that stimulate proper movement, posture, and circulation with a central focus on the spine (Kluivers et al., 2019, pp. 10–25). Dō-in and makkō-hō are part of traditional daily Japanese life. I once saw an elderly Japanese lady doing some makkō-hō stretches and dō-in tapping in the aisle of an aeroplane on a long overseas flight.

Aiki-taisō, kishin-chinkon, dō-in, and makkō-hō are not mere warm-up exercises, they teach skills that are an integral part of the rolling and interaction techniques in aikido. In fact, they are based on a wide array of vitality ideas stemming from Japanese esoteric Buddhism, Japanese Shintō (especially Ōmoto), traditional Chinese medicine, Japanese medical culture, and Chinese natural philosophy (Lowry, 2006; Niehaus, 2005, 2019; Stevens, 2013). Therefore, several aikidoists do the exercises as a routine at home to improve their well-being and somatic awareness.

| Slightly adapted excerpt from the author’s doctoral dissertation: pp. 24-25. |

Aikido books explain the physical and spiritual dimensions while often neglecting a key part: the self-regulation practice of the typical warming-up exercises.

Aikidoist doing warming-up exercises at the beach
Note. Photo © Anna Jurkovska, retrieved from Dreamstime.com on 5 January 2022

References

Broder, A. (2008). Mahikari in Context: Kamigakari, Chinkon kishin, and Psychical Investigation in Ōmoto-lineage Religions. Japanese Journal of Religious Studies. https://doi.org/10.18874/jjrs.35.2.2008.331-362

Haroun, R. (2015). Philosophical and Spiritual Roots of Aikido. In W. Wagner (Ed.), AiKiDô (pp. 87–113). Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-10166-4_4

Kluivers, L., Börger, P., & Kleingeld, N. (2019). De essentie van de Makkō-hō en de strekkingen van Masunaga [The essence of Makkō-hō and the stretches of Masunaga]. Brave New Books.

Kushi, M. (2007). The Dō-in way: Gentle exercises to liberate the body, mind, and spirit. Square One Publishers. (Original work published 1979)

Lowry, D. (2006). In the dojo: The rituals and etiquette of the Japanese martial arts (1st ed). Weatherhill.

Niehaus, A. (2005). Die Öffnung der Felsenwohnung: Visionen des Ueshiba Morihei. In In Kampfkunst als Lebensweg (pp. 186–205). Kristkeitz.

Stevens, J. (2013). The Philosophy of Aikido. Echo Point Books & Media.

Tōhei, K. (1966). Aikido in daily life. Rikugei Pub. House ; Distributed by Japan Publications Trading Company.

Ueshiba, M., & Stevens, J. (1993). The Essence of Aikido, Spiritual Teachings of Morihei Ueshiba, compiled by John Stevens. Kodansha International.

Westbrook, A., & Ratti, O. (2001). Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere: An Illustrated Introduction. Tuttle Publishing.