Aimai - Ambiguity of Japan

曖昧 - Aimai: Ambiguity of Japan in Language

It has come to my attention today that one of our chief issues with martial arts terms and such is that the Japanese live and breathe "aimai" or "ambiguity." Aimai is a state in which there is more than one meaning intended when speaking and writing Japanese. It leads to a type of obscurity, indistinctness and uncertainty - this is deliberate/intentional.

This type of communications is expected in Japan. It is a Japanese virtue and it can drive Americans nuts trying to figure out if they have a particular and exacting meaning.  Talk about confusion.

What this means is if we try to use terms and language in instruction we may have to attempt to learn about aimai and also try to use it. Where this comes to an impact in American dojo is we are not Japanese and neither are our practicing students. Even if we are able, as Sensei, to achieve aimai if all our practitioners are not also of the same mind and way we will still lose a lot in translations.

It is no wonder why American businesses find it difficult and frustrating to deal with Japanese businesses and business persons. It also explains a lot as to why we find Asian martial instruction frustrating and confusing. It may also explain why visiting Americans who have not bothered to learn and understand aimai and other traits/characteristics of the Japanese are tolerated and come away disenchanted.

In the end, Americans, must take it all in stride and accept that regardless of who and what is translated in either character or language it will always be "aimai."

In the dojo on Okinawa many times questions asked of Tatsuo Sensei met with silence. This is not how Americans do things and is understandable yet due to a lack of understanding many thought Tatsuo's silence was a form of "yes." In Japanese thought this is incorrect. His body language or natural communications were often conveyed with out words. Often Japanese avoided expressing ideas clearly due to the need to live in harmony for the groups benefit.

In a nutshell, if a person really wants to say "no" they said nothing at first, then used vague expressions that convey a nuance of disagreement. In this manner they conveyed aimai or a variety of meaning. This, of course, is completely foreign to Americans. We have absolutely not concept of this because we tend to be definitive in all we do, mostly.

Another way to "see" aimai is the stories we have in martial arts where when people meet or try to enter a dojo, they often refer to rank or status, i.e. new perspective students would only be accepted if promoted by someone of note to the Sensei. Japanese try to determine the group, i.e. in MA the dojo, and the status of said person within that group, rather than personal traits.

Communications of Japanese depends greatly on the group, on human relationship. Aimai is critical to harmony in Japanese life, where it has the quality of compromise. They, unlike Americans, learn to become aware of one another's thinking and feeling instinctively. There is no need to speak clearly as long as the other person is knowledgeable. It becomes somewhat insulting to express oneself clearly as it conveys that the other person knows nothing.