Keeping One Point in Aikido: Part 1

Video Transcript

"So the first topic that I wish to cover is the primary fundamentals of Aikido, which are "one point", "keep weight underside", and we'll start with those two first. Keeping "one point", what is keeping "one point"? Keeping "one point" is focusing your balance, focusing your intention to a spot that is just below your navel and is very centered and focused in the weight of your body. Most people and most Americans carry the majority of their weight in their shoulders, chest and back. Whereas most Europeans and Japanese in particular carry the majority of their weight in the centers of their bodies in between the knee up to about the chest level and this can be seen in Sumatari, judo, karate a great many other martial arts. These people are very focused into the eastern concept of centering and keeping one point and maintaining their constant balance. Now let me expand on that slightly, keeping constant balance in not being able to stabilize yourself one hundred percent of the time because as an animal and as a machine the human being shouldn't be able to walk properly anyway. Now with that being said, we're going to learn, our first exercise today is actually to learn how to walk properly."