The Circle of Understanding
by Branislav Vasilijevic
- ' To understand the whole, it is necessary to understand the parts. To understand the parts, it is necessary to understand the whole. Such is the circle of understanding. ' —Ken Wilber
We are learning. Day in and day out, no matter how much we try not to, we are still learning (even if how not to learn). In the dojo this is obvious. We learn, we see others learn, we ask others to help us learn and, sometimes, we even help others learn. But the question what learning is, how it is possible and what is its structure rarely strikes us as a burning one. I will try to explain why I find the above quote very illuminating and how it pertains to aikido.
Let's start with an absolute beginner on his first class. Sensei demonstrates a "simple" technique (e.g. katate tori ikkyo). That technique itself can be considered as a whole (although it is a part of a larger whole), while its separate movements in it can be considered as parts. The novice has two ways to approach the learning of this technique. One is by learning every movement separately, trying to understand the parts, and then putting them together in a temporal succession. The other is by doing the whole technique without breaking it into parts, that is trying to understand the whole. Both of these are fine as long as the other one is not neglected. Having practiced for even few days we all become aware that the whole technique approach will not work when we are faced with a completely new technique. That is the "you cannot understand the whole without understanding the parts" part of the equation. Insisting on this approach when you have not even begun to understand the parts leads only to frustration. On the other hand, the learning in parts approach does just fine-until a certain point. You learn the separate motions that constitute the given technique (turn your body this way, step that far to the side, put your arm...) and then you execute them one after the other. That, however, is not the end of the story. Because once the parts have been grasped to some degree it is time to invoke the second half of the equation ("you cannot understand the parts without understanding the whole") and to close the circle of understanding. At this point, parts are there as separate movements, however the technique is not just a temporal succession of these movements but something more. It is like the difference between the mixture of two hydrogen and one oxygen atoms and the molecule of water. Parts are exactly the same but the totality they constitute in these two cases is rather different. Perhaps the most poignant difference is in the stability (or autonomy) of that totality. In the case of the mixture of atoms there is no stability, you can break them apart with as little energy as you wish. On the other hand, the water molecule has certain stability: you can perturb it with significant amounts of energy and it will still be itself. It is the same with aikido techniques. If you know the parts but not the whole, then even a slight unexpected change in circumstances (e.g. uke reacting differently) will destroy the technique. However, if you have grasped the technique as a whole, it becomes stable. Your technique acquires autonomy and even significant unexpected perturbations are not a threat to it.
Therefore, let us not cut the circle into two since neither half can develop without the constant interplay with the other. To continue the quote from the beginning:
- 'We move from part to whole and back again, and in that dance of comprehension, in that amazing circle of understanding, we come alive to meaning, to value, and to vision: the very circle of understanding guides our way, weaving together the pieces, healing the fractures, mending the torn and tortured fragments, lighting the way ahead-this extraordinary movement from part to whole and back again, with healing the hallmark of each and every step, and grace the tender reward.'
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