Aikido T.K. Chiba Shihan talks about a koan given to him by O'Sensei

Chiba Sensei tells a story of a koan (question) that O'Sensei gave him during his study as uchideshi (live-in student). O'Sensei asks Chiba Sensei, "How do you strike the center of a circle?" The answer comes to Chiba Sensei while viewing a beautiful outdoor scene of cherry blossoms and petals blowing in the wind.

For more information on Chiba Sensei, please go to:
www.birankai.org.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• aikido
• o'sensei
• endo
• shihan
• chiba
• martial
• art
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• morehei
• doshu
• ueshiba
• yamada
• sugano
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• tamura
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• kisshomaru
• moriteru
• founder
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• kung
• fu
• shaolin
• iaido
• sword
• samurai

[aikipath]

OSensei gave me a huge question, a koan one day.

One day he called me up,

He said to me, Chiba, I give you a question. I give you work to do.

"How do you strike the center of a circle?

Thats the question. You work on that.

Days, nights, months after months I worked on it.

[aikipath]

After about three or four years,

I was drying my body after morning session class

I was sweating, tired, exhausted already in the morning.

Leaning over the bench

Enjoying the spring breeze.

And I see everywhere, cherry blossoms, blooming.

The wind taking these petals and flowers everywhere.

Beautiful scene.

[aikipath]

All of a sudden, with no hint

I got the answer given by OSensei.

Watching these flowers up in the air, moving, in circles,

around everywhere.

Boom, something hit me. Deeply hit me.

There I found the answer.

The question is How do you strike the center of a circle?

My answer is I am in it already.

I am it.

[aikipath]

As long as you set up the circle outside of you, you have hard question how to strike.

I jumped everywhere, excited. Happiness.

I couldn't stop. So much joy.

I know essentially, the center of the circle was OSensei.

In a physical encounter, I couldn't touch him.

He was always center of the circle. I couldnt break the rim.

Therefore I had a terribly difficult time dealing with OSensei taking ukemi.

He didnt teach me anything. Just pulled me up in front.

You have to go.

[aikipath]

Year after year, I struggled. I couldnt sleep.

Then I got it. One day.

All the problems disappeared.

I so enjoyed to go with OSensei and do anything I want.

No problem. I could sleep well.

Trips with him became so enjoyable and relaxing.

After that incident of finding the answer, by my own way, somehow

I had no trouble whatsoever.

[aikimasta]

Hi, The question is,

"How do you strike the center of a circle?"

[Martialleague]

Gah! I'm so mad I didn't get to go to his last seminar!! He's an amazing teacher.

[wooneseng]

my kendo teacher told me never to hold/treat your sword the way he's holding in this video for the sword is not a walking stick but soul of a samurai.

[aikimedianet]

Hi, I'm not sure how that "video response" displays.

I just wanted you to know that I created some subtitles and translated it to spanish.

Thanks a lot for the video and the transcription.

[Astrapojohn]

is it possible to write down what chiba sensei is saying? I can't rly make out everything he's saying...

[philoposos]

And what was the answer?

[cora3713]

blah blah blah