You are in the front of uke and you are also in the space where uke is unaware. It is irimi in aikido. The fighting in aikido always comes to end at the beginning and the rest is to get rid of uke. A real irimi doesn’t be observed. That is, you can vanish in the front of uke even if he looks at you. The topic of this article is to discuss the principles and requirements of the irimi in aikido, which is one of most important secrets and mysterious techniques.
A real irimi means the whole body moves to the space around uke. It can be powerful like a mountain or gentle like flowing water. Uke can feel and see dori but can’t stop dori to irimi. At the moment of irimi, uke loses his mind to fight against dori.
Generally, Irimi means dori moves to the blind spot of uke and meanwhile strikes or controls uke. In aikido, irimi is similar but somewhat different with general case. The purpose of irimi is to get together with uke and so is atemi whose purpose is getting balance and connection with uke by destroying uke’s center line or balance instead of striking uke.
Both purposes of atemi and irimi are to get together with uke and then make uke lose his power and mind of strike. What aikido wants is peace and not destroying or controlling uke by pure force. Of cause, absolutely high technique and skill are necessary and it is what we want when we get training hardly.
The principles of irimi in aikido
1. At the beginning of irimi, move your weight to the front foot and then move your step.
2. Don’t move before you are almost stricken and the stable foot with most weight is necessary when moving your step.
3. Cover the action of irimi (or protect yourself) with atemi.
4. Find out the blind spot of uke where is unaware generally.
5. Irimi is not strike. It is like flowing water and unaware of by uke.
6. Get the same direction with uke, especially your heart and mind.
真正的入身，是會消失在對手面前的，這是技術，不是魔術。
武少林．馮士家
要能讓對手看到你，但又進入他意識不到的空間，這就是合氣道的入身。在合氣道中，戰鬥，總是在開始的那一瞬間就結束了，其餘只是善後。一個真正的入身，是不會被看見的，即使你的對手睜大雙眼看著你，你仍然可以消失在他的面前，這次的主題，我們將探討合氣道入身的原則與要求，這是一個合氣道技術中，最重要的袐密之一，也是最神袐的一項技術。
一個真正的入身，是指在全身整體的移動狀態下來進入對手的空間，可以像山一樣強壯，也可以像流水一樣柔，對手可以感覺到、看到，但卻無法阻止。在進入的當下，受方將完全失去戰鬥的意識與架構，這才是一個真正的入身。
入身，一般來說指的是進入對手的死角裏，並在同時做出各種不同的攻擊或控制，在合氣道中也是，但有一點不一樣的是，合氣道的入身，真正的目的是為了與對手合而為一，就如同當身（ATEMI）一樣，不是著重在攻擊，而是透過當身的方式來破壞受方的中心或重心，進而與對手保持平衡與連結。
入身最主要的觀念也是一樣，目的都是為了與對手合而為一，進而消除其攻擊力量與意圖，以此來達成和平共處的目的，而不是單純以武力來控制或破壞對手，當然，擁有絶對的技術實力與功力，也是必要的條件，而我們也正是為了此，不斷的努力與訓練著。
合氣道入身的原則
1.在入身的當下，先將重心移至前腳，然後才開始移動步法。
2.移動步法時，必須確定重心的腳是穩定且是在被攻擊到的最後一刻才移動。
3.使用當身技來掩護入身的動作（或保護自己）。
4.去找到對手的死角，通常對手的意識照顧不到的地方，就是他的死角。
5.入身，不是攻擊，要像水一樣自然的流入，讓對手沒有意識到你的行動。
6.跟對手保持同一個方向，尤其是你的心與意念。
註：本文同步刋載於黑帶誌中文版。