An
engineer's take on the energy flow of Aikido
By Jason Chesney
This week is National Engineering
Week where college engineering department s across the
country honor their engineering programs.
In celebration of engineering week,
Dr. Ron Sims, an engineering professor at Utah State
gave a small presentation on Wednesday relating engineering
t o the Japanese Martial Art of Aikido.
Sims started his presentation by
defining engineering as, "the use of energ y and forces
of nature for the benefit of mankind." In other words,
engine ers use materials and actually do things.
Aikido is similar to engineering
in that it is, "the way to harmonize with energy for
the benefit of mankind." Sims went on to say that people
become the materials that would essentially be used
by engineers.
Aikido was developed in Japan during
the 1920s by Morihei Ueshiba. Sims me ntioned that during
that same time, Albert Einstein was proving several
dif ferent theories and ideas of physics and math. Sims
said that, "Both studi ed energy at the same time, in
different ways."
The main objective of Aikido is to
use an attacker's energy protect the att acker. Sims
taught that Aikido, "Uses energy of the attacker to
protect th e attacker and control your own energy."
Just as engineers try to control the energy of the materials
they use to build things for the betterment of mankind;
Aikido uses energy to control energy forces to protect
mankind. U eshiba said, "The true quest of Budo, (or
way of the warrior) is improving the self, not defeating
others."
In other words, Aikido is not a form
of competition but a method to control one's energy
and protect each other.
Sims also taught the engineering
students who attended the lecture that the three steps
to Aikido are to choose your space to control the energy,
move relatively to join forces with your attacker, and
control your energy to k eep the attacker unharmed but
protect yourself.
Sims stressed that just like an engineering
degree Aikido is gained through study, experience, and
practice.
Sims concluded his lecture by inviting
engineering students "to harmonize y our professional
pursuit of engineering skills and your personal relationsh
ips with others through the control and application
of energy for the benef it of mankind."
Following the lecture, Sims demonstrated
some simple techniques of Aikido t o students to show
that by channeling energy correctly one can accomplish
m uch with very little strenuous effort.
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