Kakejiku - Takemusu Aiki Calligraphy

Takemusu Aiki, 武産合氣, is a Japanese expression used exclusively in Aikido. It is one of the core spiritual concept developed by Morihei Ueshiba to support his practice of Aikido.

武 - Bu (as in Budo), also read "Take", originally holds the sense of "War" or "Martial". However, to Morihei Ueshiba, it had a divine nuance, and 武 was a gift from the gods.
産 - Musu, means "innocent", "naive", but also refers to the concept of birth, nativity and creation.
合 - Ai – joining, unifying, combining, fitting (as in Aikido).
氣 - Ki – spirit, energy, mood, morale (as in Aikido).

It is sometimes said that this expression refers to the birth/creation of harmony through the practice of Budo. From a more spiritual/religious perspective, it can be interpreted as the divine inspiration that creates life and harmony between living things.
This expression was very important to Morhei Ueshiba, so much so that he produced countless calligraphies of this expression throughout his life.

The Kanji "Ki", now commonly written "気" in its modern form, is often written 氣 in calligraphies. It is an older version also called Kyujitai.

This Kakejiku is made of traditional "Washi" Japanese paper. The paper is stuck on a traditional piece of cloth made of pure cotton. The Ichimonji (decorative bands at the top and bottom) are made of a very traditional mix of cotton and synthetic silk called Donsu. The synthetic silk used for this Donsu is made of pre-dyed fibers, which is the best and most traditional process for Donsu production. Made by Master Koreian, this product is nothing but a piece of art, made in the most traditional way. Each piece is, of course, sealed with the master craftsman's seal.

• Maruhyoso Kakejiku: it is made of 4 sections, the top section called "Ten" (Heaven in English), the bottom section called Chi (Earth in English), and the two pillars on the right and left sides supporting the Heaven. Because Kakejimu were observed from a Seiza position, providing perspective, the Heaven part is longer than the Earth part, for balance. Full size: 25 cm x 142 cm.
• Sandanhyoso Kakejiku: Divided the same way as Maruhyoso, it differentiates by the "Ichimonji" at both top and bottom of the calligraphy itself. Ichimonji simply means "straight line" and usually refers to a straight strip decorated with a traditional pattern. The Ichimonji part is made of a different fabric. The "Futai", or tassels (two pieces of fabric hanged at the top) are made from the same fabric/pattern as the Ichimonji. Full size: 25 cm x 142 cm.

In Shodo, mastery is often divided into 3 categories, corresponding to 3 different styles, each one more advanced than the former, similarly to the concept of Shu-ha-ri: Kaisho, Gyosho and Sosho. Kaisho represents the most basic/academic style, the Kanji are clearly recognizable, and written the same way they would be in regular writing. Kaisho is "the form". Gyosho is the semi-cursive style, a style in which the Shodo practitioner starts to express himself; the Kanji are still easily readable by Japanese natives, but much harder to read for non-native readers. Gyosho is a "digression". Sosho represents the separation from the academic form, a style that allows the master to completely express himself; the Kanji are usually very difficult to read or recognize, even by Japanese native readers. At this moment, we only offer Kaisho and Gyosho fonts so the calligraphy offered here are still readable and therefore suitable for a Kamiza. 
In master Koreian's work, the Kaisho is a little more cursive than the usual Kaisho that would produce a lower level student. The Gyoshotai is not yet Sosho but looks very personal, much more than what is traditionally expected for a Gyosho production. 

To order this product, please refer to the number in the upper left corner of each picture, and select this number in the option field. 
Each piece is unique. Upon placing the product in your cart, the product is reserved for a short amount of time. Should you leave the website, it will be made available for other customers. We do not accept reservation: first come, first served.