Staying rooted while standing and being stressed is all well and good but Aikido requires that I be able to be rooted while I'm in motion. Curiously, I'm not the one who's aware of my rootedness, it's my partner who feels it when we are moving together. I've noticed this myself, especially when I uked for Maruyama sensei; and now when I am uke for several of my longtime students. My students tend to acquire this feeling around the 15 - 20 year mark. Suddenly as ukes they will become very heavy; when they take the role of nage I'll feel their connection with the larger reality as I attack. During Ki exercises I'll be able to push and pull them with much greater force than before.
When I get thrown by someone who is rooted in motion their connection with the universe is palpable. I feel it in my bones as though I'm falling into a very solid hole that is at once empty and heavy as all get out. And I don't just give myself over to the throw, all light and airy. Since I'm a lot older now than when I began this journey I have to take care of myself in order to be able to fall and stay healthy. Consequently all my attacks come in a committed but controlled manner with much centeredness and weight underside. My balance, if not taken by nage, will tend to reinforce my feeling of heaviness and I'll be very difficult to throw.
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