「練りと腹圧の共通点は何かな？」
挙手したのは8歳児や9歳児たち。彼らは答えました。
「自分の姿勢が良くなる！」
私は続けて質問しました。
「練りと腹圧には違いがあるの？」
彼らは目を輝かせて笑顔で挙手し答えました。
「練りは、身体の上と下が逆方向に回転してる。雑巾を絞ったような状態。その絞りがもとに戻ろうとすると速い回転が生まれる♪」
幼い子供たちが次々発言する光景を見学していた保護者たちは私と一緒に驚いていました。
国籍も老若男女も関係ないのです。理の道を共に歩めば我々は皆、天と地と人と調和出来るに違いありません。
On Saturdays, dojo practice starts at 9:25am. Although the students are still sleepy, they gather on time. This morning, there was a moment when I felt the students’ growth. During the kata practice, I asked the students,
“What do Neri and abdominal pressure have in common?”
The eight- and nine-year-olds raised their hands. They answered,
“It improves my posture!”
I continued to ask them,
“Is there a difference between Neri and abdominal pressure?”
They answered with shining eyes, smiling faces and raising their hands.
「In Neri, the upper and lower parts of the body rotate in opposite directions. It’s like wringing out a rag. When the wringing returns to its original position, a fast rotation is created ♪」
The parents, watching as their young children spoke one after another, were amazed and delighted with their children’s growth, just like me.
Nationality, age, gender, etc. are irrelevant. If we walk the path of reason together, we can all live in harmony with heaven, earth, and mankind.
“Ten, Chi, Jin no Ri Dou ni Wa suru”