Just Enough

Just enough.  A phrase I have heard repeated over and over again.  My instructor, Bindner Sensei repeats this constantly.  It seems to be the answer to many questions.  Mustard Sensei is also fond of this answer as well.  Inevitably whenever I ask how much I should move to take someone off balance or how hard I should step forward the answer comes back to “just enough”.

In Yoshinkan Aikido the purpose is not to jump out of the way of an attack, but to move at the last moment and move just enough.  You are not trying to not get hit as much as you are moving at the moment of first contact.  In here lies the power of Yoshinkan Aikido.  In moving at this moment you are able to take Uke’s momentum and power and use it against him.  It is at this point that (as recited by a great man) that you are able to “Steal Uke’s Heart”.