Oyo Henka

Rather than pitting strength against strength, Aikidoists train to blend with their attackers energy so that they can use it to pin or throw. But what happens when attackers feel technique as it develops and resist — by pulling back, pushing, or bracing?

On this DVD, Saotome Sensei — a direct student of Aikido’s founder — answers this question, describing ways to use an opponent’s resisting energy. In offering his answer, Saotome Sensei urges us to go beyond practice of basic technical form to a higher level, which he calls Oyo Henka — a level at which we are so calm, relaxed, self-assured, and noncompetitive that we adapt to our partners’ “feedback” and spontaneously bring conflict to a harmonious resolution.

In addition to almost an hour of recently filmed lectures and demonstrations, this DVD contains rare historical footage.