Torifune and Furitama are commonly practiced preparatory exercises in Aikido. Torifune 鳥船, which is typically translated as “bird rowing” or literally as “bird boat,” is also known as funakogi undo 船漕ぎ運動 or “boat rowing exercise.” The earliest mention of Torifune was in Kojiki 古事記, an ancient Japanese chronicle of myths, where it was referred to as Ame no Torifune 天の鳥船 (Heavenly Bird Boat). It was the name given to one of the deities born from Izanagi 伊邪那岐 and Izanami 伊邪那美, two of the most important kami (deities) in Japanese mythology. They are sister and brother, and also husband and wife, and they are the creators of the Japanese archipelago and…