On the Purposes of Atemi

Duncan Crannell (ACNJ - Morristown)
s2pidduncan@yahoo.com

I am a fifth kyu student at the ACNJ dojo in Morristown, NJ. Since starting my training here, I have become aware that there is something of a debate or controversy in the aikido world having to do with the question of just how martial this martial art should be. Are we, as aikidoka, to treat all adversaries as misguided persons needing enlightenment, or as enemies? Should our atemi be used strictly as diversions, employed as a tactic to enhance our ability to bring uke safely to the mat, or should we entertain the possibility of actually striking someone with the intent to inflict harm? These are questions that I hear debated over and over (I mention the Readers Forum in Aikido Today Magazine as a good example). As I train with, listen to, and make friends with other students, I hear all sorts of viewpoints expressed.

We are all attracted to the vision that O-Sensei had of a healed, unified world, and are all committed, in some way, to bringing this vision to fruition: we would not be studying aikido otherwise. At the same time, we must be prepared to admit that there are some situations that arise in our world for which the direct application of martial force is the only responsible choice: for instance, what should an aikidoka do if some innocent, defenseless person is being abused or harmed?

At class one night we were working on a series of techniques arising from a ryotetori attack. One of them involved an atemi directed at uke's face which then, upon uke's evasion of same, slipped past her head, turning into a kind of headlock. The instructor invited us to reflect upon the idea that, in certain circumstances, the atemi might need to be employed, not as a feint, but as a true punch delivered to uke's face. Similarly, he made the point that we practice shihonage using great care to place uke's hand close to his shoulder, but (again in certain circumstances like a serious, violent attack by multiple assailants) we keep in mind that this same technique can be exercised in such a way as to produce "a really sick noise". And again, one morning studying under a different instructor, we were working on a technique that involved directing an atemi at uke's face to upset her balance. He said: "Don't just throw your hand up in a haphazard way: choose a good target, like the 'moustache area' and direct your atemi with purpose: you may need to do this some day, and it is as well to prepare now."

We are all unique individuals; our bodies come with different sets of strengths and abilities, we all have different goals for our martial arts training, we all have different philosophies about how our lives should be lived. We will all encounter unique situations as we move through our lives; some of these may be situations in which a martial action is necessary. How we choose to act, how forcefully, how violently we respond to violence, is something no one can foresee. This tells me that we must spend time thinking about these issues before an emergency arises: readiness is all. And the greater the range of actions we are fluent in, from locks and pins to 'devastating atemi', the better we can tailor our response to the needs of the arising moment: again, readiness is all.

Consider police officers: we equip them with lethal sidearms, and we pay them, not just to be able to use lethal force, but to responsibly decide where and how to use it.

I don't think that most of us will ever meet a situation where 'devastating atemi' is required; it is by far more likely that we will be involved in an encounter with (as one of my instructors puts it) "your stupid jerk drunk brother-in-law".

And I don't think that feeling the need to be capable of dealing 'devastating atemi' implies an attitude inconsistent with O-Sensei's vision. Here is a poem by Solomon Bloomgarden, a Lithuanian born Yiddish poet that, I think, captures the spirit that many of us strive for:

So much for what I think. This much I know: if any one of us ever chooses to use lethal force against another human being, no matter how justified, they will pay a terrible, terrible price for doing so. Using violence against another human being cannot be undertaken without diminishing one's own humanity. To do so may, under certain circumstances, (such as defending oneself or innocent people from attack) be the best, even the only thing to do, but the price will be paid nonetheless. We, as Budoka, must accept that even as we prepare our bodies to employ our martial skills, we must prepare ourselves to accept the responsibility, the cost of doing so.