Your centre. Dantian. The one point.
I guess it took me a few years to understand my centre, as I didn't know how it could be harnessed in technique. Of course I knew I had a centre of gravity, and that all sportspeople use it when they compete but don't think of it in martial terms.
But connecting the centre to your technique in aikido is a revelation. I first noticed how using my centre contributed to power in my technique when performing kokyu nage. Then later in all techniques, around shodan.
Teaching to use your centre is very difficult because it something you must feel. Your connection to your centre, and your arms extended in front of you cannot deviate as you turn. It's like holding a box in front of you. Balanced, knees slightly bent and relaxed. Tai no henka.
Koichi Tohei Sensei's rules for mind and body coordination:
- Keep one point
- Relax your body
- Keep weight underside
- Extend Ki
Sugano Sensei didn't talk about hip movement at all. He just said 'move your body'. It's the same thing.
In Saito Sensei’s 1st Suburi, this is a brilliant exercise to learn to control the hips in utilising that power in a strike with a bokken. Which is of course ‘shomen uchi’ (frontal head strike).
For me, this relates totally to Sugano sensei’s kiri sage and kiri ske. We move our centre as we strike, utilising the hips as we cut down into right hanmi.
Initially I struggled with the differences in both masters, but now I see the similarities.
Funukogi (rowing boat exercise) is often used to develop centre also.
And of course tai no henka, a foundation basic.