Aikido & The Feminine Principle

In this video, Miles Kessler Sensei demonstrates some of the qualities of the Feminine Principle in Aikido. Check out the companion video on "Aikido And The Masculine Principle":
• Aikido & The Masculine...
"The terms "masculine" & "feminine" do not refer to gender, but rather to the Yin/Yang experience of being human.
They are a fundamental duality that reflects two sides of the same spiritual coin. Regardless of gender, we all have access to both masculine & feminine principles within. We are all expressions of these types, just to different degrees.
Awakening, embodying, and enacting the masculine & feminine principles in our life is a Path of practice. A Path that will lead to greater balance, integration, and Oneness." ~ Miles Kessler Sensei
For more information on Miles Kessler Sensei and the Integral Dojo go to: www.theintegraldojo.com

[@ambervriends7056]

Thank you, this is very helpful for me in my personal aikido explorations.

[@Rokkyo]

I am not sure about chaotic but I would add caring

[@jackbeen8587]

I dont understand where you want to go with all this feminine/masculine exploration
or why did you choose to use this scale to communicate Aikido.
And if you choose to do that, the "sides" should be portrayed in a balanced way don't you think? But It also seems like you hold the feminine in a much higher, brighter light than the masculine... Why?
All the qualities you mentioned here are things to expect in much later stages of the practice where as the "masculine" qualities (which, according to your polarity concept will be the exact opposite) are considered "low"/early stages in terms of Aikido...
I get that it makes for a better looking Aikido to some, and is probably a lot more fun to train that way sometimes (I should know because in my Dojo the style is what you might call "masculine") but is that reason enough to glorify it to more than it is?

[@IntegralDojoTV]

Hi Jack,
I don't hold the feminine to be higher at all, and I disagree with those who do. As a fundamental duality of the universe they are equal all the way, and all the way down.
As for later stages, sure I see your point. But there are plenty of people who have these qualities more or less on line when they come into the art, and for them the later stage integration is more about developing the masculine qualities.
I could have easily used "Yin/Yang" to get my point across but I personally feel they masculine / feminine are more juicy and easy to get.
My whole point for doing this work is to show that these two aspects are there and when developed in Aikido they will only benefit. So yto use your words, I say lets glorify BOTH the masculine and feminine.
In fact I believe if someone wants to have balanced development then they need to move into both sides of the spectrum. If they don't it causes some developmental blind spots.
But if some says they are only interested in one sode of the spectrum, theny I'm cool with that.
By the way, I think most dojos are on the masculine side of the spectrum. Most dojos I trained in were, and it also my native perspective. It was a journey for me to awaken and integrate the feminine, and eventually find a balance.
In case you didn't see it here is the video on "Aikido & The Masculine Principle".
ua-cam.com/video/jDRTteUrHLM/v-deo.html

[@jackbeen8587]

Thank you for your reply.
I think I understand what you are saying. But I am still not sure how using a gender-loaded dichotomy in a gender biased world promotes integration...
Why not talk about compassion, balance and connection without putting all those dividing words and labels in between? Dont you think it invites resistance? and what should a beginner make of all of this?

[@IntegralDojoTV]

HI Jack,
First, while the masculine/ feminine terms are not "gender loaded" for every body. In fact in my experience, including research, I've found that about 20% of the audience find it gender loaded. And for those 20% they ALWAYS conflate masculine/ feminine principles with "male/female" gender, while making a huge assumption that I am also conflating the terms, which of course I'm not.
As for your question of why not just speak about the terms like "balance, "connection", etc? Well, in fact I do all the time. I've even put out videos doing so ( for example see here: ua-cam.com/video/C195l192ZeA/v-deo.html )
The reason I'm convinced of the importance of highlighting Masculine/ feminine is the following:
1) All the principles in Aikido can be divided into these 2 categories. Just like yin/yang.
2) We all have masculine / feminine in ourselves.
3) We all are usually more of one than the other.
4) Where we have our natural orientation we will also be more in touch with the principles of that pole.
5) Where we are not in our natural element we will be weaker in those principles.
6) This understanding can help us continue to build our strengths and also point out where we can use some more development.
Dose using these terms invite resistance? Of course it does. But by denying what is there in nature, you are also cutting off all the energy of those perspectives, and having an incomplete art as best, or an imbalanced art at least.
So for sure we need to overcome negative setrotypes. We need to fight that good fight. But lets not through out the baby with the bath water. Making a move to the middle because of political correctness may be comfortable but you lose so much of the juice of the art.
What's a beginner to make of all of this? Go directly into your own experience. Determine which part of the spectrum is native for you. What qualities of the art do you already get? Which are more alien to you. Start working on other parts of the spectrum. If you're more masculine then work on receptivity, connection, allowing, letting go, softness, sensitivity, opening, flow, freedom, and so on. If you are more on the feminine side of the spectrum then structure, clarity, objectivity, goal setting, stillness, grounding, efficiency, and so on.
You have nothing to lose by doing so!

[@jackbeen8587]

20%? Wow.... Was not my impression at all but I never did any research, just took a few classes back in the day, read a few articales here and there and what was in them seemed to say that these words have a very common social meaning (which is what I meant by loaded) like this one - wat2146.ucr.edu/Papers/00b.pdf or this one that talks about how just talking in feminen/masculine automatically creates assumptions - www.psychologytoday.com/blog/culture-conscious/201209/masculine-or-feminine-and-why-it-matters
Anyway, I loved that other video. Thank you for sharing.
and best of luck with everything.