In daily practice of basic strikes (with staff, sword, fist or foot), martial practitioners tend to picture in their minds an opponent toward which those strikes are aimed.
It is important to understand that field reversal doesn't require that an opponent actually exist. Practice of strikes toward an imaginary opponent contains field reversal tendencies, attributable to ideation of an externalized opponent. Practicing within the image, thwe unwary practitioner tends to work on striking outwards toward an external locus. When practice is made this way, when strikes are made toward an imaginary locus, one is actually practicing the fundamental field reversal mistake of uke!
Field reversed, image-based striking practice with the staff, wherein one imagines striking toward an opponent (the very definition of field reversal), is not in line with the deeper demands of a non-resistive martial approach. No matter how powerful and impressive such strikes may be, the practice of striking outward towards the externalized image will not only not improve field stability, it will promote field instability! Never forget that you become what you practice!
Aikibojitsu manifests the primary power impulse of every strike, of every type, downard, because that impulse is in line with the primary inward flow. Thus every strike, whether in solo practice or in practice with a partner, whether the target is close in or far away, whether the strike is planal or precessional, vertical or lateral, compressive or rarefactive, originates in the same inward, downward and non-field-reversed power impulse.
If an external locus is to be the target, let that target be struck by the energy of a wavefront propagating through the hyperbolic spiral's dual asymptotic polarity. Then all strikes arise from a common downward beginning, rendered fundamentally similar by the hyperbolic spiral structure's wave carrying capacity.
Each and every practice strike in Aikibojitsu is therefore designed to open a channel of transparency for energy to find a clear path to ground. Every strike is focused upon setting and deepening base. Every strike thus made leads to a more balanced, more grounded human being.
(Further discussion of the hyperbolic spiral and strike control can be found on Hyperbolic Spiral section).
Field Reversal