© Idōkan Poland Association “IDO MOVEMENT FOR CULTURE. Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology”, Vol. 19, no. 2 (2019), pp. 21–28 DOI: 10.14589/ido.19.2.4 PEDAGOGY & PE Shawn R. Bryant Endicott College of International Studies, Woosong University (Korea) 171 Dongdaejeon-ro, Dong-gu Daejeon 34606, Republic of Korea, Tel. +82 10 4858 6376 e-mail: [email protected] Fighting With No One: Reflections on Education, Aikido, and Peace Submission: 14.07.2018; acceptance: 30.12.2018 Key words: transrational, elicitive conflict transformation, wiwikink’api’, verwindung, postmodern, twisting Abstract Background. This paper is a reflection on aikido as a tool for teaching about elicitive conflict transformation and the larger field of peace and conflict studies. Problem and aim. One of the central difficulties of teaching elicitive conflict transformation is that, as an adaptive and emergent method, it is non-prescriptive and therefore conventional didactics are inappropriate. The aim is to add to the existing corpus of literature on aikido and elicitve conflict transformation by combining the philosophical perspectives presented in this paper. Method. The reflection builds on a comparison of Canadian First Nation’s philosophy, the Japanese martial art aikido, and the Hei- deggerian term Verwindung as complementary philosophical approaches that can potentially deepen the understanding of elicitive conflict transformation. From the starting point of the Indigenous Canadian perspective from the Hesquiaht Nation, the term wiwikink’api’ is introduced, which means ‘fighting with no one.’ From there, aikido is presented as both a physical and spiritual practice that teaches non-aggression and balancing forces and it is compared to Verwindung. Results. The three philosophical approaches have notable similarities that emphasize the core principles of elicitive conflict trans- formation: non-dualistic perception, self-awareness, and perpetual twisting. Conclusions. The final remarks draw parallels between these reflections and the state of the art of elicitive conflict transformation. Introduction italicized, except when found in direct quotations. Words in German follow the standard convention that nouns This paper reflects on the martial art of aikido as a pedagog- appear with a majuscule. Wiwikink’api’ follows the con- ical tool to teach about peace and conflict transformation. ventional standardized orthography of Nuu-chah-nulth. A brief summary of elicitive conflict transformation (ECT) The three concepts to be discussed describe possibil- will be presented. This will be followed by a description ities of behaviour in conflict. Through these concepts, it of the concept wiwikink’api’, which served as the inspi- is possible to imagine behaviour in conflict that engages ration for this paper. Aikido will be briefly introduced the other, regardless of whether that other is perceived and explained through the words of the founder. The to be friend or foe; defends oneself without retaliating Heideggerian term Verwindung will be brought forward and therefore does not fuel the spiral of conflict; is strong and related to aikido and to wiwikink’api’. Finally, some but not aggressive; implies care for the other; and does concluding remarks will be offered. not have a winner and a loser. Bringing these attitudes Since the text includes some words in four differ- into interactions with others can make peaceful inter- ent languages, some notes on conventions are required. actions more likely. Non-English words are italicized to differentiate them in the text. The author has treated “aikido” as a noun adopted into English and is thus written without macron, Elicitive Conflict Transformation (ECT) and is treated no longer as a proper noun, but as an accepted sport such as boxing or karate. Romanized Jap- In the MA program in Peace Studies at the University anese words follow the Hepburn romanization and are of Innsbruck, Austria, instruction in aikido has been an 22 “IDO MOVEMENT FOR CULTURE. Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology”, Vol. 19, no. 2 (2019) integral component of the curriculum for over a decade. internal) or higher (in terms of external) layers of con- The Peace Studies program in Innsbruck has defined flict. Homeostasis implies that individual human beings itself by specializing in transrational peace philosophy, as well as groups naturally strive for a dynamic equilib- elicitive conflict transformation (ECT), and elicitive rium. The implications of these principles for the topic conflict mapping. With an emphasis on experiential at hand are far-reaching and for this paper should be learning, aikido has been used to teach about peace on taken simply as a backdrop and as orienting principles. a corporal level. It is martial art, or rather an art of peace Following the principles laid out in this perspective, as its founder conceived of it [M. Ueshiba 2007a], and peace is not the absence of conflict but lies in the pro- the physical practice is itself an example of ECT. cess of how one deals with it. Peace is thus understood The nexus of aikido and ECT has already been as a relational concept and human beings are always in written about. The literature covers both aikido as a relation with one another. Peace is then in constant flux pedagogical tool teaching about ECT and the practice just as our relationships are ever-changing. Peace needs of aikido as an elicitive method itself. The notable start- to be balanced with every encounter. In this sense, peace ing point was the second volume of Wolfgang Dietrich’s is both ephemeral and perennial. This is reflected in the Many Peaces Trilogy, which was published in 2011 in philosophy of aikido in that the harmony between nage German [Dietrich 2011] and then in 2013 in English and uke, between a perceived attacker and a potential [Dietrich 2013]. The state of the art of aikido and con- defender, needs to be found in every encounter. flict transformation was more elaborately fleshed out in 2015 with the compilation AiKiDô: The Trinity of Conflict Transformation, edited by Winfried Wagner, published Wiwikink’api’ as part of the Elicitiva series, a project of the UNESCO Chair for Peace Studies to promulgate work combin- The impetus for this paper came from the author’s encoun- ing Peace Studies and Humanistic Psychology [Wagner ter with the Nuu-chah-nulth expression wiwikink’api’, 2015]. Since aikido has already been tested and discussed meaning ‘let them fight with no one.’ There is an obvious as an educational tool for ECT, it is the intention of this parallel with the philosophy of aikido as it is reflected in text to add to the state of the art by bringing in the com- the statement from Dietrich and Wagner: “As an art of parative concepts of Verwindung and wiwikink’api’. peace, Aikidô is invincible because its practitioners do The specific meaning of ECT can be explained by a not enter into a fight with anything or anyone” [Dietrich closer inspection of its three component words. Starting & Wagner 2015: 11]. This encounter therefore opened with the adjective, ‘elicitive’ refers to the idea that it is elic- up a new perspective on how to think about conflict and ited out of or evoked from the context of the conflicting conflict transformation. parties and their environs. Although it is a neologism that The expression is in the Nuu-chah-nulth language, has not yet found its way into dictionaries, it is under- an Indigenous North American language from the west standable with reference to the verb ‘elicit.’ The word coast of Vancouver Island. There are active revitaliza- ‘conflict’ may seem obvious, however it is understood tion efforts of the language and there are very few native in its etymological sense of a neutral ‘coming together,’ speakers. The source of this knowledge is John Chris- rather than the conventional negative connotations of tian (J.C.) Lucas, an elder of the Hesquiaht Nation of conflict. The word ‘transformation’ is purposely used as the Nuu-chah-nulth tribes and a friend and mentor of a departure from previous epistemological frameworks the author. J.C. Lucas blends his Hesquiaht heritage, his of understanding conflict. In this way ECT differenti- Baha’i faith, and Lakota traditions into a syncretic sha- ates itself from conflict prevention (stifling potentially manistic cosmovision. As such, wiwikink’api’, the word creative energies), conflict management (a hierarchi- and the philosophy behind it, is an example of relational cal and mechanistic management model), and conflict knowledge; Heidegger’s work can be read by any uni- resolution (assuming that there is a right answer). The versity student, but until now, the idea of wiwikink’api’ philosophy of ECT, therefore, is to use what is given and cannot be found in books. This is both a great opportu- twist it into a new form as in the sense of Verwindung; nity, to share it with others, and a great responsibility, to in the spirit of Aikido, it is to engage the encounter and present it genuinely. Since it is a relational knowledge, to enter and turn. where it came from, when and under what circumstances, ECT is furthermore based on three key principles: are essential for its interpretation. Ultimately, the inter- correspondence, resonance, and homeostasis [Dietrich pretations presented here are solely the author’s and do 2018: 36-53]. Correspondence means that the visible not attempt to express a definitive truth about Nuu-chah- surface layer of conflicts, the episode, is influenced by nulth cosmovisions. interpersonal and intrapersonal aspects and those inter- In his explanation, J.C. stressed three aspects to nal and external aspects correspond to one another. aid in the interpretation of wiwikink’api’. Firstly, there Resonance refers to the principle that our surface level is the literal meaning. He recounted that in times of conflicts are harmonic resonances of deeper (in terms of conflict, his elders had said to him, “wiwikink’api’,” mean- Fighting with no one: reflections on education, Aikido, and peace 23 ing ‘let them fight with no one.’ Secondly, J.C.