INTERVIEW WITH MR. RYUSEI SAEGUSA

M: I'd like to ask about Aikido next.

S: Aikido is very interesting. You know, only humans can operate things from one-sided positions, like cars with handles on left or right. Animals can't operate things unless the handle is in the middle, like those miniature trains monkeys ride. It is remarkable to be able to drive from the car's center, instead of your center.

It's like this (demonstration: he asks to hold his arm and try to keep standing firmly). When I try to move you from my center, you don't move. But when I move from the "center" point between us like a dance, you can't resist. (Here, he easily moves even though I am resisting) When one moves like dancing with the opponent, it relaxes their guard like breaking their security codes.


M: Does this mean placing my consciousness in the middle?

S: It means you take part in the movement with the opponent. It's not that you try to move the opponent from your center. Next, you can try to move from the opponent's center instead of your center. Then it becomes even more easier to move the opponent. It's almost as choreographed, but it's natural and the opponent can't help it.

Aikido makes the opponent settled. When the opponent stops to judge, they settle. Humans settle when we can't understand. It is just like ourselves in Japan now, that we're settled because we can't understand. We're holding our judgements. It's easy to resist when the enemies move the same way as before, but when they move from our center and we don't feel hostility towards them, we don't know what to do and we do as they like.

Self-centered people can't do Aikido. Even if they say "This is for the opponent", they try to move from their center so the opponents don't move. I mentioned earlier about Seitai that "I cure them" nor "I cure myself". Aikido does not "push down" the opponent, it only leads the opponent to "fall by themselves".


M: Is there an age limit to start practicing Aikido?

S: Not at all. I'd like to invite people to practice even if it was 2 days before their death. Do you know what we mainly use our motor nerves for? It's for standing. Aikido begins with standing straight. Same as ballet. When we talk about standing, Edgar Cayce has a beautiful posture. When I look at various pictures of him, the center line runs through him like heaven and earth. I suppose it's impossible to receive intuitions otherwise. It's inspiring to see his pictures. Mr. Cayce has the heaven and earth connection. In other words, people are "how they look". Exactly the same as we see them.