Nishi Health System

Nishi Health System (Nishi-shiki) consists of health exercises purported to activate certain bodily functions^[1]. It has been founded in 1927 by Katsuzō Nishi^[2].

Because Katsuzō Nishi was also an aikido teacher at Aikikai Hombu Dojo hence many aikidoka were introduced to the Nishi Health System which resulted in the incorporation of certain exercises, like the fish exercise (kingyō undō, 金魚運動), into aikido and the way aikidoka took care of their health^{[3] [4]}.

The organisation around this system is called Nishikai, which helped Koichi Tohei in starting up aikido in Hawaii, which has members of Nishi-kai on all of its islands^{[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11]}.

The Nishi Health System system is partly incorporated in Genkikai by Masatomi Ikeda^[12].

Additional recommended knowledge

Weighing the right way

How to ensure accurate weighing results every day?

Daily Visual Balance Check

Exercises

Six laws of the Nishi Health System^[13]

1. heisho (平床寝台)
2. kochin (硬枕利用) When you sleep, use the hardest possible bed and hard semi-cylindrical pillow.
3. kingyō undō (金魚運動) Swing your hips horizontally like fish swimming about 1 minute.
4. mōkan undō (毛管運動) Lie on your back and rise your arms and legs. Then shake your arms and legs about 1 minute.
5. gasshō gasseki undō (合掌合蹠運動) Lie on your back and join your hands and feet. Then slide your hands and feet horizontally about 10 times. When finished, rest with your hands and feet drawn in about 2 minutes.
6. hifuku undō (背腹運動) Sit down Japanese style and swing your upper body centering on your hips about 10 minutes. When you are incline position, pump your abdomen. When you are upright position, shrink your abdomen.

Students

• Masatomi Ikeda

Books

• Live Longer the Nishi Health System Way Prevent Sickness Maintain Health and Treat Ailments by Katsuzō Nishi.
• Nishi System of Health Engineering by Katsuzō Nishi. Kessinger, 1936, paperback, ISBN 0766151565
• Nishi System of Health Engineering : Based on an Entirely New Theory of Blood Circulationby by Katsuzō Nishi. Hardcover.
• Live Longer the Nishi Health System Way Prevent Sickness Maintain Health and Treat Ailments by Katsuzō Nishi. 1997. paperback.
• Genki Kai by Eric Graf. Aikido Ikeda-Dojo La Chaux-de-Fonds, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, 2003, hardcover.

References

1. ^ Japan - Behind the Scenes - People
2. ^ The Nishi System
3. ^ Interview with Yasuo Kobayashi (2) by Stanley Pranin. Aikido Journal, Aiki News #93, fall 1992.
4. ^ The "Fish" exercise
5. ^ KI: A Road That Anyone Can Walk by William Reed.
6. ^ Shin’ichi Suzuki Sensei: Head Instructor, Maui Ki-Aikido by Christopher Curtis. Aikido Journal.
7. ^ Koichi Tohei. Aikido Journal.
8. ^ Interview with Robert T. Kubo by by John Goss. Aikido Journal #120.
9. ^ United States, History of aikido in the. Aikido Journal.
10. ^ Francis Takahashi, 6th dan Aikikai, joins Aiki Expo 2005! by Stanly Pranin. Aikido Journal.
11. ^ Aikido in the Postwar Years - Part 1: 1946-1956 by Stanly Pranin. Aikido Journal
12. ^ Genki Kai by Eric Graf. Aikido Ikeda-Dojo La Chaux-de-Fonds, la Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, 2003, hardcover.
13. ^ Nishi Health System Network