Daily Training

I have been reflecting on the benefits of daily practice, I recently
completed an intensive three day self defense training, 30 hours of
training  in three days with practical demonstration and written exam.
The Discipline from my daily practice served me well and enabled me to
remain focused and helped me to achieve a positive result. I am now a
certified Rape Aggression and Defense trainer, and I am Going to
present this training as a community service.  I had many challenges
and opportunities to examine, my skills as  this training was
designed to take me to the breaking point, pushing me to limits  both
physically and mentally.
The Training I have and the daily practice from OPB and Ki Aikido
allowed me to not only pass but I leaned much about myself, under fire
so to speak my calmness manifested itself more than I imagined it
would, and I now truly see a direct benefit of  daily practice.
The real work is with in your own mind.
Training to connect with the living quality of each moment. Coming
back to right here right now with gentleness and precision. Connecting
deeply to others and realizing that separation is the illusion.
Training in not causing harm and maintaining an open and flexible
mind. These are very practical and lasting effects of serious training
and are not for the feeble minded or weak at heart. True training
requires discipline and honest self reflection, not only of what to
train but why to train.
I thought  might share this as encouragement, what we do has helped me to be in a better position to
help others.

Ki Intervention L.L.C.

My Name Is William Perkins, I am a husband and father of three. I have practiced Ki-Aikido
with mind-body coordination since 1995. I hold the rank of Nidan in Ki-Aikido and Shoden in Ki
development. I am a trained mediator specializing in Victim offender mediation and issues of
restorative justice and balance. I am a former Corrections Officer and I trained Correctional Officers in
crisis intervention and restraints, (both physical and mechanical) I am a Peaceful Intervention Trainer,
and an assistant instructor for the Kansas Ki Society. I Co-Founded Ki Intervention to teach practical
self defense and rape prevention training for women and girls as I have a wife and two daughters, this
is too important to leave to chance. I am also a formal student in the Order of Pragmatic Buddhists, as
a Martial artist and when a corrections officer I was often asked to teach practical self defense and
escape for co-workers and students. I found that most could do the movements in class but soon forgot
them or didn't practice the newly acquired skills. When I teach I like to find what someone is good at
and make them great, rather than average at everything. The R.A.D. program is designed to
use women's strengths based on what works for them. This is the best Basic Self Defense program designed specifically for women I have seen. I am excited to Begin teaching RAD In Lawrence I Just completed an Intensive Instructors Certification Program. R.A.D. is the only Program sanctioned by the International Campus Law Enforcement Administrator's Association. ICLEA.
R.A.D. is the strongest self-defense network in the country. The course meets or
exceeds all guidelines for choosing a self-defense program prepared by the National Coalition Against Sexual Assault
(NCASA). Programs are taught at over 450 university police departments, municipal police and sheriff departments,
local transit companies, military bases, and independents across the U.S. and Canada. At this time there are nearly
5000 instructors certified internationally.

Changing habits

When we train to break habitual patterns of our physical arts we can break the blockages in our minds. As we work with habits and prejudices and stop struggling against ourselves we can begin to work with uke's in a new way. Moving from a place of compassion and wisdom. As we begin to think in these terms and our motivations shift to our bigger self and or intent is to free others from suffering and the root causes of suffering. We can not help but to transform our small self as well. I have stated before that Tohei Sensei has given us all the tools necessary, Essentially this thing Called Ki-Aikido has the ability to allow one to realize their potential and develop deeply connected relationships with themselves and others. The movement from gross physical movements to the refined internal aspect of connection, then maintaining this connection over time and distance, is a way of training on a deep deep personal level, one only has to let go of the assumptions, that this is a Martial Art and I have to Throw you with this or that technique. The Irony is the arts themselves work better when we give up these assumptions too. What is necessary to throw you or to move my self to the next level of consciousness is the same. The answer is always there nothing to acquire, ki is always extending and getting out of your own way is the essential training.

Taigi

I have been thinking about Taigi. What is Taigi, how is it different. Basically it is a series of arts combined together within a time frame combined with the proper rhythm and timing.
To me preforming Taigi requires that you know the arts but this is not enough; you must make a deep connection with uke and extend this connection through out the Taigi. From bow to bow as is often said. So how does one do this? I think in the beginning you learn to move uke's center to effect their balance, then as you progress you move from your center or one point to affect uke and begin to lead uke. Then at a more advanced level you begin to move from our center(nage/\uke), realizing the connection with no separation between nage and uke. From the observers vantage point it is difficult to tell who is throwing who. Nage and uke move together in fluid motion . Shaner Sensei uses the image of Nage and uke are a single animal with 4 legs. Move from the center of this new animal you have created with uke.

FOUR BASIC PRINCIPLES

(Shinshin Toitsu no Yondai Gensoku)

To realize the (original) unity of mind and body (bodymind).

1. Keep One Point - Principle of the mind

Seika no iten ni kokoro o shizumei toitsu suru.

Calmly realize (your) mind at the one point in (your) lower abdomen.

2. Relax Completely - Principle of the body

Zenshin no chikara o kanzen ni nuku.

Completely release (i.e. throw away) all tension from the entire body/mind and emotion.

3. Keep Weight Underside - Principle of the body

Karada no subete no bubun no omome o sono saikabu ni oku.

Let the weight of every part of the body settle at its lowest point.

4. Extend Ki - Principle of the mind

Ki o dasu.

Ki Extends

Change your attitude but remain natural

As long as we think you are attacking and now I am going to throw you then we are stuck. This is the same as saying I am going to help you because you need help. This is dualistic and implies one has it and one dose not. This is not compassion or connection to uke other than on a temporary basis, fundamentally nothing has changed. The concept ofIntoku is doing good in secret with out the notion of praise or reward. This applies to Aikido arts as well. Wanting to throw somebody is working against rather than with someone. THIS IS REALLY ABOUT WORKING WITH YOUR OWN UNDESIRABLE SELF this is how one can truely grow and develop thru Ki-Aikido. we can give up the clinging desire of what it is really going to be like when I throw someone, this is a trap....
if I change this, if I breathe more, if I could only have a bigger mind, etc...
these are all attachments that keep us in a cycle of looking out there for the answers. Keeping us from realizing there is enough ,right here ,right now.