"The ultimate goal of Judo is to perfect yourself and
to contribute something of value to the world." - Jigoro Kano
The best Aikidoists act like real martial artists. In the days of old, the warrior class in Japanese society was at the top of the social hierarchy. The title samurai (侍) means “one who serves.” The kanji or character for samurai is made up of the kanji for “man” or hito (人) and “temple” or tera (寺). Furthermore, the word for temple (寺) can be separated into the characters for “warrior” or “person of high esteem” or shi (士) and sun (寸) which is the word for “measurement.” Notice that there were no words which represent death, dying, killing or mayhem in the kanji which made up the word for samurai. Thus, breaking these words apart, the true definition of samurai could be a person of high esteem who acts are measured in the service of others. Most Japanese martial arts can trace their lineages back to the days of the samurai and Aikido is no different. And, like the samurai, Aikido has little to do with gaining the ability to defeat one’s opponents. Aikido, like all martial arts, is a vehicle of self-improvement. What Aikido is trying to teach us is how to be better human beings or how to be people of high character or esteem. Thus, one’s prowess in Aikido is measured more in how they carry themselves than how easily they can defeat people. Every year, our dojo volunteers at a local temple to pound mochi for the New Year. The pounding is done manually and is hard work but is supposed to bring good luck. Pounding mochi or “mochitsuki” dates back to the 14th Century. It is believed that the god of abundance or Toshigami will bring good luck, happiness and prosperity in the New Year to those who offer him kagami or “round mochi.” Therefore, by pounding, we are helping people gain prosperity for the New Year. We volunteer as part of training because we are supposed to show the world what it means to be martial artists. How we conduct ourselves is an example of our level of training. Anyone can hold it together for a little while but only a true ardent can live the Way. What does it mean to live the Way? Living the Way is similar to the Eightfold path in Buddhism which can be summed up as “right thought, right speech, and right action.” This too could be the summary of Aikido and traditional martial arts. How we conduct ourselves is the physical representation of not only who we are but how well we are training in our respective martial arts. It takes training to act with decorum and propriety. It takes training to do the right thing at the right time. This weekend, our job is to show people what it means to study Aikido. Everyone should have a good attitude but also work hard, work together, be efficient and most of all lend a helping hand where needed. If we cannot see where others need help, that shows our level of ability. If we get caught fooling around, that shows our level of ability. We have to remember that we do not just represent ourselves. We represent Aikido, O’Sensei, our dojo and our teachers. How we act is a direct reflection upon Aikido and all traditional martial arts for that matter. Today, traditional martial arts are losing ground and people don’t see the value in studying them. It is our job, not just as Aikidoist, but as martial artists to be the example of what studying Aikido, or any traditional martial art can do. The best Aikidoist live the Way and thus they act like real martial artists.
Today’s goal: Live the Way. Be the example of why someone should study a martial art, not the reason why they should not.
Watch this video to better understand how to be in service of others.