The modern drift in Aikido is so great that it is impossible to rediscover the Founder’s authentic practice without resorting to a time warp. The book Budō, published by O Sensei in 1938, represents this time warp, which is why it is so precious.
This is the first clear and comprehensive definition of the fundamental principle of Aikido. It is based on the precise instructions given by the founder of Aikido in "Budō". These instructions had never been made public until now. The book is banned from publication in Japan.
Hanmi is a position, it is static. Hito e mi is nothing other than hanmi, but it is the dynamic form of this position. Hito e mi is the rotation of hanmi and its transformation into a ‘moving line’ (O Sensei’s expression) through the pivoting of the body.
Certain detailed explanations given by O Sensei in Budō – which have never been taken into account by anyone due to the ban on reprinting this work in Japanese and the lack of a reliable translation – have enabled me to gain access to hidden knowledge.
Certain extremely precise explanations given by O Sensei in Budō – which have never been taken into account by anyone, due to the lack of a literal and reliable translation of this work – have enabled me to gain a new insight that feels like a revelation.
Aikido is a martial ritual through which man embodies the transcendent and sacred ways of the Universe by physically reproducing them. The human body is a temple through which the miracle of technical creation is analogously accomplished.
The transition from hanmi to hito e mi is achieved by pivoting both feet on the spot. At the end of the transition, the foot that ends up at the front has necessarily pivoted on the heel, whilst the foot that ends up at the back has necessarily pivoted on the ball of the foot.
