Iaido and the importance of Ki Ken Tai no Icchi
- mjersg
- May 4
- 4 min read
Welcome, this article by one of our members, Jacob, reflects upon the concept of Ki Ken Tai no Icchi 「気剣体の一致」. Jacob decided to pen the article after being inspired by another member, Rose. Please enjoy.
Some time ago, a mini library was set up in the dojo for everyone to browse through, and among the catalogue was a book called "The Basics of Zen Training" by Imori Sogen that caught my eye. For a while now, Zen was something that I was fascinated in because I believe that there is a connection between Zen and Swordsmanship, seeing that the Samurai and other Swordsmen practised zazen religiously. As I read the book for some time, something caught my attention. A similarity exists between Swordsmanship and Zen in a particular concept, particularly the concept of Ki Ken Tai no Icchi in Swordsmanship and the State of Oneness in Zen.
We hear about Ki ken tai no icchi a lot during training, but what does it mean? In kanji, it is written as 「気剣体の一致」. Ki (気) is usually referred to as spirit, as in to practice with great spirit. Ken (剣) refers to the blade, and tai (体) is the physical body. The kanji 一致 has the meaning of synchronicity or similar meanings such as consistency or unity. When each individual word comes together, it can be roughly translated to “The unity of the spirit, blade and the body”. Without one or the other, a cut is improper and therefore ineffective.
The State of Oneness was mentioned in “The Basics of Zen Training”, and it is described as the body and mind coming together as one while practising zazen. As one practices meditation, one focuses on the breathing, unifying both of them into a state of unity through rigorous practice. In Zen, achieving the harmonising of both body and mind through breathing is essential for us to be concentrated, focusing on the present moment. Zen also recognises this in the performing and martial arts that actions are done with both the body and the mind united. It even goes to mention that, and I quote, “In zazen, the mind and body are unified like that of a swordsman facing an opponent or a cat ready to pounce on a rat”.
Both concepts seem interchangeable to a degree, and through reading this book, the connection between them becomes more obvious than ever. That being said, I recently came to the realisation that these concepts are not just limited to our martial arts training. This concept is, in fact, universal.
When an artist does their work, they pour their heart and soul into it, bringing the mind and body together and working in coordination to make an artwork that they enjoy. Such is important for the arts in general, especially when it comes to physical works. Take sculpting, for example. Back in the day, when a slab of stone was the sculpting material, this was considered a destructive workflow. In this modern era, where a mistake in the software can be erased with a shortcut key, artists back in the day did not have this luxury and have to put their utmost into the piece, putting their mind into it, for a single mistake causes imperfections that stray away from their vision of their works or worse, be destroyed. But they do not think or even entertain the possibility of the artwork coming out poorly. They only entertain the present moment, the now, the work that needs to be done in front of them and craft it earnestly. This applies to art, but in many walks of life, the concept of Ki Ken Tai no Icchi is very applicable, even down to some of the most basic aspects in our lives that we may not even notice because of how fundamental it is, but one thing is clear. Without our unified mind, body and spirit, what we do becomes half-baked and incomplete.
In Iaido waza, we do the moves with the same intent based on the application of the wazas, focusing on the present moment. A move that lacks either one of them isn't effective. The blade’s effectiveness is decreased, and so is the stance. Take Kasumi (霞) for example. Most people who start learning the waza become distracted by the second cut at the bottom, heavily disrupting the first cut. I also happen to be one of those who is focused on the second cut as well. The first cut lacks spirit, and consequently, the opponent guesses our intent and intercepts or is lightly wounded at best. This way, we deviate from the teachings of Iaido and the concept of Ki Ken Tai no Icchi. If we did the first cut as if we were doing mae (前) with our spirit, sword and body all focused on that single moment of the first cut, the second cut becomes effective with the same concept.
Such is life as well. We constantly worry about the future and dwell on the past, so we spoil the present moment, similar to how we perform kasumi while fixating on the second cut. Focusing on the moment with Ki Ken Tai no Icchi, we take a step forward with our body and mind in the present moment, ensuring that we move forward wholeheartedly.
Sincerely,
Jacob
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