Hikitsuchi-sensei's essay on Iaido, Aikido and Zanshin, 1973
May 21, 1973
ZANSHIN is to leave behind unified KI unrelaxed (undone). In IAI-DO, your sense your opponent's (attacking) KI in advance thereby impeding his/her attack and take him/her down. Never relax (undo) your KI until the end because the (downed) opponent may come back to attack you again and throw you off guard. (ZANSHIN is) leaving unified KI to the full. KI is sprit. KI is heart. Aikido practitioners should especially train IAI-DO to learn how to, among other things, unify and let out your KI. This is of absolute importance to those who want to master AIKIDO. That is, AIKIDO is a SHINKEN SHOBU(***). Train as though your life depended on it. Because it is the road to a training of true self-being.
-Michio Hikitsuchi 10th Dan.
(*** Note: SHINKEN SHOBU - The original Japanese meaning is sword fighting with live blades. In more commonly used Japanese, SHINKEN has the meaning of earnest or serious and SHOBU meaning a match.)
What is "Zanshin" (Focusing Spirit)
"Zanshin" is an art of maintaining your universal "Ki" spirit and remaining completely focused until the end. In case of Iaido, you need to sense opponents aggressive "ki" energy before they attack you and completely deny them any opportunity to attack you. Then you must beat them. However, just because they are down (or beat), you never know if they will attack you again. So it's important that you remain completely focused until the end. Ki is a study of true spirit and heart. All the Aikido practitioner should practice/train in Iaido to polish their universal "ki" spirit and study how to release their "ki" energy. This is extremely important training for all the Aikido practitioners. In all Aikido is an martial art of "Shinken Shobu" (Live Blade practice. Highly intense practice). Give everything you have during training because the path of "True Spirit Development" continues.
-Michio Hikitsuchi 10th Dan.
Translation by Tsurushima Shinjiro
