Category Archives: Ame-no-Torifune

Tama no Hireburi                          Fune kogi

1> Calming
Entering a state of receptivity

2> Left foot forward. Hypate.
Bringing the energies of Fire to yourself.
Birth, growth of the tree towards the Zenith.
red         

EI-EI [or EI-O] 1)

3> The accumulation of knowledge
and virtue only happens with gentleness.
Rising of Fire corresponding to receptivity to the
complementary Element, [Water]..

4> Right foot forward. Mese.
Bringing the energies of Water to yourself.
Life develops harmoniously through the reciprocal interpenetration of the two Elements [Water and Fire]. Heaven and Earth become unified. The branches of the tree deploy.
green-blue 

EI-O [or EI-SA] 1)

5>  The ‘ethers‘ of Heaven and Earth
fuse to produce internal fire which will rise.

6> Left foot forward. Nete.
Air [Wind/Wood] is born of the union of Water and Fire in an
unceasing continuum. The “Child” of this union
“Ki-Lightning-Thunder” is let loose, and “bursts out”, spreading peace in the 4 directions. The sound is the “result” of the shock between the yang of the ether and the yin of the internally  accumulated submission. Blossoming of the tree’s blossom.

White-golden.

E I-SA [or EI-EI 2)]  1)

7>  Peace engenders humility and the
seven  successive modifications of being […access to all eight trigram energies…]

1) Amended to follow the  Tsubaki Shrine’s traditional order. The original is the same sequence, but with a décalage of one. There are so many possible reasons for that: from traditional ryu teaching, to simplified modern teaching, to a simple mistake in taking notes…

2) which curiously evokes its Japanese homonym: “Ei-ei” – “eternally”.

Le jeu des energies réspiratoires, gestuelles et sonores dans la pratique de l’aikido,   J.-D Cauhépé and A. Kuang,   p. 167

CHINKON KISHIN NO HO:  the method for calming the spirit – – –

Most practioners of aikido still begin each practice with exercises combining body movement, the chanting of names, and breathing associated with vizualisations, similar to those which the Founder of Aikido used to practise.

These exercises are, in Japan, designated by the term “CHINKON KISHIN NO HO” – which translates as: “the method for calming the spirit”.  This definition will come as a surprise to many aikido practitioners, who undoubtedly have no suspicion that such is the goal of these exercises.

But what are these exercises?  Why are they still practised today?   What utility do they have?

*  The CHINKON KISHIN NO HO exercises and their origin

We owe these exercises to a Shinto/Buddhist [sic] monk,  KAWATSURA BONJI (1862-1929).   It was he who brought back into current usage a system of self-purification (misogi) which had existed in pre-Nara Shinto practice: at a time when it had not yet been influenced by Buddhism or Confucianism. This system consisted of a series of exercises with names that are difficult for a Westerner to pronounce: FURUTAMA [FURITAMA] – OTAKEBI – OKOROBI – IKUBI NO HO – AMA NO TORIFUNE. [AME NO TORIFUNE]

FURITAMA: this exercise is done sitting seiza. After reciting the NORITO SOJO,…

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