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Brain Power Magazine: Issue 3
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AIKI AND ESSAY WRITING -- Mind Mapping and Martial Art
Ed O'Grady explains the links between two apparently diverse topics.
A precise definition of Aikido is difficult as every time you think you might
have gained an understanding, it turns out to be so much more. Developed by Morihei
Ueshiba, it is not just a sophisticated martial art based on concepts of non-violence,
it is also a spiritual system aimed at unifying body and mind. Ueshiba, often referred to
as O Sensei, explained how principles of Aiki (spirit and harmony) could guide
our daily lives.
As a student and teacher of Aikido for the love of it and a teacher of psychology to earn
a living, I have tried to apply Aiki principles to the tasks and challenges my students
are faced with. I am still a novice in the grand scheme of things and I do not claim
anything but a rudimentary understanding of Aiki philosophy, but here I shall present some
of the basic Aiki principles and how I use them to describe an effective
approach to essays.
O Sensei said that one of the ways he could explain Aikido was by means of a triangle, a
circle and a square.
The triangle represents the principle of Ki, the generation and flow of
energy. For a student this could be seen in terms of enthusiasm and effort. It also
represents the trinities one finds in life: birth, life and death; heaven, earth and human
kind; student, teacher and examiner; study, examination and success! As far as essays are
concerned, this could be the trinities of theory, evidence and evaluation or theory,
methodology and ethics. Whatever the discipline I'm sure one could apply this idea.
The circle represents Ju, flexibility and suppleness. The principles of
circularity and blending are probably the ones most obvious in the practice of Aikido. The
most basic application to the essay here is something teachers have been telling students
for years: Don't learn essays off by heart! If in training one plans a defence before the
attack then you cannot be open to the unique nature of each attack.
Similarly if a student has a prepared essay in advance of an exam then they may be in conflict
rather than harmony with a question. Any subtleties of wording in the question may then be
missed and we end up with the 'everything I know about...' essay. More generally we could
think of conflict in the classroom. A confrontational student is unlikely to get far.
Similarly, if a teacher is confrontational with a student, even though they have the
balance of power, what will be achieved? You may be able to break a brick in two but what
do you have? A broken brick.
Another application of circularity is the relationship between the
beginning and end of the essay. When starting an essay, know what your conclusion is going
to be. If you know where you're going, it is easier to plan a route (apologies if that
sounds corny). Also if faced with a question, why not answer with a question?
The square represents Kon, the diamond element. This signifies the solid,
stable basis of all techniques. In essays and exams we can clearly see this in solid
effective preparation. As Aikido skill develops through training, so will academic skill.
Develop skills like Mind Mapping that will help you deal with the volume of information
you have to cope with; study the demands being made on you by familiarising yourself with
the syllabus; and practice your examination technique under timed conditions.
Mind Mapping in Practice
In general, I feel that we spend far too much time passing on data rather than developing
the necessary skills to handle that data. One of the most satisfying
aspects of my job, therefore, is when I can show students the potential they possess and
encourage them that effort in the right direction will bring reward.
Above is the first Mind Map of a year 11
(GCSE year) student, Nikunj Khutti, which was produced after about 15 minutes' instruction
on the basic rules.
As an experiment the subject of the Mind Map was a section of the author's introduction to two Japanese texts: the Go Rin No Sho or Book of Five Rings and The Book of Family Traditions on the Art of War. While producing my own Mind Map on the same reading I thought that this subject matter was a bad choice - the text was far too difficult.
However, not only is Nikunj's Mind Map interestingly similar to mine (below), but on a spot test he also surprised himself with the amount of information he was able to recall!
Issue 3: Contents
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