The 5 Elements of AikiFit

The foundation of AikiFit is the five elements of life: Earth, Metal, Fire, Wood, and Water.

Earth represents the foundation upon which all is built.  Our core muscles serve as the pillar of fitness.  Those with a solid core experience better health through improved respiration, posture and digestion. In athletic performance the core muscles facilitate the transfer of energy between the lower and upper extremities. AikiFit movements pull energy from the ground to build your core.

Metal represents the strength of the body.   In our bodies, muscle mass is the furnace that burns calories and exhausts our body fat.  According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association  muscle mass accounts for up to 75% of our body’s daily caloric expenditure. Simply, more lean muscle tissue means more calorie burning.  AikiFit movements use the weight of  steel to tone muscle groups; allowing them to work in harmony throughout your daily activities.

Fire represents the passions within.  It is the roaring blaze of your spirit that attracts others to you and fuels your success.  AikiFit movements test your spirit.  When you will feel the muscles burning, you will realize the power within that is at your disposal. AikiFit will fan the flames and show you how far you can go.

Wood represents the nervous system.  Like roots that bind Earth into a stable, yet vibrant, mesh that nourishes all life.  It is with this spirit of connectivity that  AikiFit incorporates the wooden training tools of the Samurai;  the bokken and the jo. AikiFit challenges your endurance and builds self-discipline through the practice of ancient katas.  Through repetition of movement, the weapon becomes an extension of the arm, the arm an extension of the body, the body an extension of the breath.

Water represents your body’s vital fluids. The blood pumped through your circulatory system. The sweat that pours out as you pass through the Aiki Spiral. It has been designed with water in mind, to keep your juices moving for the whole hour, so you can leave feeling energized and refreshed. As Bruce Lee  said, ‘Running water never grows stale. So you just have to ‘keep on flowing.’

Each of these elements interact with and depend on the other four, for example:

• Wood absorbs Water; Water rusts Metal; Metal breaks up Earth; Earth smothers Fire; Fire burns wood.
• Wood parts Earth ; Earth absorbs  Water; Water quenches Fire; Fire melts Metal; Metal chops Wood.

And so, each element is a necessary part of AikiFit.