Breathe

The best Aikidoists never stops breathing.

The other day, I overheard Ken Watanabe Shihan telling his sword class, “When your shoulders sit, the technique has entered your body.” I thought to myself, “This is so true.”

What Watanabe Shihan could have been referring to is the concept of mindful breathing or that the student has started to breathe properly within the course of the technique. In Japanese, the word for “breathing” is kokyuu (呼吸).  Kokyuu can mean “breathing” but it is also used in reference to when someone gets the “knack” or acquires the skill of something. In other words, we have gotten used to the technique, environment or situation, lowered our shoulders, and have stopped holding our breath.

In the beginning of our training, a common practice is to hold our breath even if it is in an ever so slight way. Holding our breath is a primal response to stress as our bodies prepare for fight or flight. We hold our breath as a means of coping with stress as our minds focus, heart and breathing rates increase, muscles tighten, and our anxiety levels rise. This is something that many of us do and don’t even realize that we are doing it. That is why we get so tired (aka hypoxic) in the beginning of our training. Have you ever noticed that you are more tired in the first part of class but by the middle or end of class you aren’t as tired anymore? This is a function of our bodies relaxing and that our breathing has returned back to normal.

The phenomenon of mindful breathing or not holding our breath is different for everyone. Most likely holding or not holding our breath is based upon one or a combination of our stress level, initial fitness level, skill level, or level of awareness. Typically, it takes about  three to six months of consistent training to gain the awareness that we are holding our breath and to stop doing it.

When we can mindfully breath and have mastered the movement, we gain a sense of calmness. In swordsmanship, this is called seichu no do, do chu no sei (靜中動 動中靜) or “movement in calmness, calmness in movement.” An interesting quote from Shoshitsu Sen’s book Tea Life, Tea Mind can help us to understand this point: “A person making and drinking tea in contemplation approaches a sublime state of tranquility. But, strange to say, this tranquility will deepen even further when another person enters the microcosm of the tearoom and joins the host in contemplation over a bowl of tea. That we can find a lasting tranquility within our own selves in the company of others is the paradox.” Similarly in Aikido, that we can maintain our calm as a person tries to attack us is the paradox of training.

In the old days of Aikido, they used to say, “Keep the one-point!” The one point or ichinotanden (一の丹田) is approximately two inches below our navel. Although we breathe from our diaphragm which is above our navel, the place that we want to be breathing from in an Aikido or meditative sense is our tanden. The tanden is our physical center of gravity but in Japanese metaphysics it is the “source of breath” and the place of increased physical and mental stability, and emotional balance.

In Aikido and in Life, breathing brings us back to the here and now. Every day things will happen, good and bad. The true goal of Aikido training is having the ability to breathe and be calm no matter what is happening to us or around us and that is why the best Aikidoists never stops breathing.

Today’s goal: Whatever happens today, don’t stop breathing!

Watch this video to better understanding breathing

With Rather Than Against

From the Aikido Center of Los Angeles’ Aiki Dojo Message - With Rather Than Against

The best Aikidoist learns to fight with rather than against.

People often misunderstand Aikido as being solely the Art of Peace. On a certain level, it is but at the beginning of our training it really isn’t. Peace, as author John Stevens has us believe, is Aikido’s destination but that “place” is at the farther end of our training. According to Glenn Yoshida Sensei, training has two stages called tanren (鍛錬). Tan means “to forge” and ren means “to polish.” This idea lends itself to the understanding that training is a journey where we start out as one person but arrive much later as someone different.

In the beginning stages of our training, we learn to aragau (抗う) or “fight against” our opponents. Here, we fall into the typical definition of fighting as “a violent confrontation or struggle.” Actively contending, resisting, and struggling with our opponents is how we tan (鍛) ourselves and grow stronger not only physically, but technically and mentally too. At the beginning, we see the person standing in front of us as merely a person to attou (圧倒) or “to overpower” or “defeat” because they are our “opponent” or “enemy.” This is not right or wrong - it is just part of the journey. Thus, for a bulk of our time as a beginner, we work harder, not smarter.

Later in our training, we ren (錬) and refine what we have learned in the previous stages of our training. Here, because it is Aikido, we learn to awaseru (合わせる). Awaseru can mean “to fight” or “to put blade to blade” but in an Aikido sense it means “to join together.” This is where we understand the meaning of the ai (合) in Aikido. The more we resist or fight against, the worse our technique is or the harder it is on us. Thus, we are forced, either by age, life, or pain, to move with our partner rather than clash against them. This is also where the person standing in front of us changes from being our opponent to being our partner and we learn to awaseru and fight “with” them rather than “against” them. Until this time, we were actively trying to resist them or dominate them. Now, we learn how to move with them and put them into a position where we use their own actions and koudouryoku (行動力) or “leverage” to defeat them. In a sense, we fight with them and work smarter, not harder.

In Aikido and in Life, there will always be something that rises up to throw us off balance. Some days we just wake up and our foot hurts for no reason. Other times it is that larger than life person cranking our wrist. Regardless, we have to overcome it. Normal people think that balance is a state that they achieve. Balance is a dynamic practice where day in and day out things come up, destabilize us, and we re-stabilize ourselves. Having the mentality to fight against these destabilizing factors causes us to unduly suffer. Using our Aikido training, we learn to fight with the untoward things that come up seemingly out of nowhere. Fighting with them rather than against them  enables us to take things in stride and face them with grace.

Everything, in Life and in Aikido, is either a test of our level or a lesson we need to learn. Carl Jung said, "Whatever you resist, persists.” Understanding this, the best Aikidoists always fights with rather than against.

Today’s goal: Whatever happens today, don’t give up or give in - go with it!

Evolve

From the Aikido Center of Los Angeles’ Aiki Dojo Message - Evolve

The best Aikidoists allow themselves to evolve.

Aikidoists should have an evolutionary mindset. When I say evolution, I am not talking about changing Aikido or incorporating techniques from other arts. Evolution, in this sense, is about evolving the Self. O’Sensei advocated that “the true victory is self-victory” or masakatsu agatsu (正勝吾勝). The more one trains in Aikido, the more they come to realize the truth in O’Sensei’s words.

One of the main things we battle against in our training is iikininaru (いい氣になる) or “self-complacency.” Self-complacency is “a state of self-satisfaction, often accompanied by a lack of awareness of potential dangers or deficiencies.” For a myriad of reasons along the Way, we become fatigued and then our egos quietly whisper a reason to become satisfied with good enough and then we become complacent. In a sense, we become “stuck” or hamarikomu (填まり込む). Interestingly, hamarikomu also means “to be addicted to” and so we become addicted to the accolades, abilities, praise, or level that we have attained and thus don’t want to leave it in the name of evolution and in pursuit of the unknown. Therefore, the greatest enemy is not the person who stands before us but TV, cellphones, the internet, or a soft comfortable chair. They make it so easy to get stuck and they are so addicting, aren’t they?

In order to battle self-complacency, we have to actively seek out opportunities to evolve. One way to do that is with Aikido training. In training, no stays the same. Every obstacle surmounted regardless of outcome is a victory. Every time you come to class or step up to a challenge, it is a victory and when we do something that stretches our comfort zone, it is a victory. Notice that none of these things have anything to do with dominating others or being effective - those things are external. William Butler Yeats said, “It takes more courage to examine the dark corners of your own soul than it does for a soldier to fight on the battlefield.” Masakatsu agatsu.

If we take a step back and really think about it, Aikido training in the beginning is really about irimi or “moving forward.” Irimi is not just something we do - it is metaphorical. The discomfort of moving into an attack gives us the will to evolve and the more we do it, the better we get at it. It is only after we have mastered irimi that we move into higher consciousness movements like tenkan or tenshin.

Furuya Sensei once wrote, “In one sense, we must practice with kindness. In another, as a martial art. The Art of  Aikido is very strict and demanding. As we go higher in rank and experience, Aikido is more unforgiving and becomes more difficult - we must understand this as a part of our training and Path. It is with these challenges and the overcoming of many difficulties that we can polish ourselves and discover our greater Selves. Like a Samurai sword, its true value and beauty only comes forth with the polish. A sword is not born with a keen edge, only its potential. Only under the skill of the master polisher can the sword realize its sharpness.”

In order to take on an evolutionary mindset, we must allow. Allow ourselves to let go of our past selves so that we can evolve and polish ourselves into the greatest version of ourselves thus far.

Today’s goal: Step out of your comfort zone. As someone once said, “If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.”

Courage to Fail

From the Aikido Center of Los Angeles’ Aiki Dojo Message - Courage to Fail

Furuya Sensei once wrote: “It is not that you lack self-confidence or ability, it is just that you are afraid of failure. You shouldn't worry about this. There is no such thing as failure until you create it in your mind and bring it into your life. It really does not exist, it is only an idea, value judgement, or sensation which simply comes and goes in your head. It does not exist in reality or in Nature. Why many worry about failure so much is that they are very much attached to failure. Why? Because failure is an easy way to absolve one's self of responsibility and commitment which we hate or find burdensome. Don't waste your time and energy on such tiresome games, move on! The only problem with failure is that, if you buy into it, it takes a little bit away from you, doesn't it? That little bit of yourself can never be taken back. So simply put the idea of failure or loss out of your mind!”

One of the interesting things that happens along the way in our Aikido training is that we develop the courage to fail.

In order to grow, we have to try new things. Attempting something new or different requires taking risks and with that risk comes the possibility of failing. Lots of times, as we become comfortable, the possibility of failure causes us not to try. However, Aikidoists know that true growth can only occur if we leave our comfort zones and try something new. No one can be 100% certain of the outcome and so, because no one knows, Aikidoists just allow it to be and focus on their own efforts.

Ultimately, regardless of the outcome, we either learn, or lose. The only way to truly lose is if we don’t grow or learn anything from the outcome, win or lose. Aikido training requires hansei (反省) or “self-reflection.” As we self-reflect, we look for what went right or what needs work. If we fail to negotiate someone’s attack and blame them, we are not learning, and the situation has a sort of negative connotation. If we get struck and reflect back on what we could have done better, then things have a more positive tone. If like begets like, then positivity will generate positivity. Thus, all we have to do is change the way we see the possibilities and failure will lose its grip on us.

If we can change how we interpret failure and give it a positive spin, then trying sans the outcome becomes about growth. If we focus on the growth, then we can learn to not only have the courage to fail but also to be furuu (奮う) “to be invigorated” by the opportunity of trying.

Thinking about outcomes in this way removes the fear of failure and on a certain level creates the courage to fail. One of the main differences between normal people and Aikido people is that the practice of Aikido teaches us to actively search for ways to improve. We never lose because we are always learning. Training teaches us to embrace the process, not the outcome. Thus, a good Aikidoist has the courage to fail.

Today’s goal: Try something new. You never know what your new normal might be.

Momentum

Aiki Dojo Message - Momentum

The best Aikidoists master momentum.

In Japanese, one way to say, “momentum” is kiun (氣運). Ki means “energy” and un means “luck.” To many of us, momentum can seem like this ephemeral thing which is like luck because it appears or disappears so easily. In sports, when someone loses momentum because of being hit, it is referred to as atarimake (当たり負け). Thus, we can posit that momentum is about being able to get up after taking a hit.

One of the things we learn in our training is that we must be good at managing the ups and downs. If we fall in love with the ups, then the downs will be devastating.

Most times it seems as if there are more downs than ups. It seems that way because of something called negative bias or the tendency to mainly remember the less savory experiences. Negative bias is an evolutionary survival skill which helped our primitive ancestors avoid danger and thus we tend to remember negative experiences more vividly than positive ones.

Training teaches us gaman (我慢) or “perseverance.” To persevere is to yarinaosu (遣り直す) or “to be able to start over.” Starting over is a mindset where we are able to wipe our minds clean of something. The Buddhist monk Takuan Soho who was an advisor to the prolific Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi gives us a clue as to how to do this when he said, “Sever the edge between before and after.” To per(sever)e, we must cut off any thoughts about before or after. This enables us to be in the moment and not be hampered down by the past or be anxious about the future.

One way we unknowingly learn this in class is with each attack. If the pace of the class is slow, then we have time to think. When this happens, our conscious minds get tangled up thinking about what has happened before or what will happen next. In contrast, if the pace of the class is fast, then there is no time to think, and our minds unconsciously wipe the slate clean so that we can purely just get up and attack. This is a skill that is cultivated with consistent and constant training. The more we train, the more wiping our minds clean becomes a habit and the less we hold on to things.

One thing ukemi teaches us is how to get up quickly. The faster we can get up, the less time we spend on the floor. This becomes a metaphor for life. In life and in Aikido, things will happen and if negative bias controls us, we will only focus on the negative and never get up. This negativity blocks us from getting up and starting again. Aikido training teaches us how to manage momentum but not how to control it. Managing it means that when things are on the high, we ride that wave and do as much as we can. At the same time, when things are down, training teaches us how to wipe our minds clean and start again.

One of the greatest assets an Aikidoist can have is the ability to realize that they are on a low, dust themselves off and start again. Momentum is not so much the ability to seize an opportunity. Momentum is about having the humility and ability to start again.

Today’s goal: If you are down, don’t stay down - just start over.

Mind Your Thoughts

From the Aikido Center of Los Angeles’ Aiki Dojo Message - Mind Your Thoughts

“We take care of our bodies each day, it is reasonable that we take care of our minds and spirits as well.” - Rev. Kensho Furuya

The best Aikidoists strive to master their thoughts.

One of the things we are trying to accomplish in our Aikido training is kyoshintankai (虚心坦懐) or “To have an open and calm mind with no preconceived notions.” However, this mindset takes training.

One way to train ourselves into this mindset is by learning how to find suki (隙) or “weak points” in our opponents. When facing an opponent, we look for any mental or physical weakness that we can exploit.

The best place to begin this training is at the start of class. First, we begin by watching people during the warmup. Here, you can assess people’s level of physical flexibility but at the same time assess the flexibility of their minds. For instance, if they can’t touch their toes, then you would suspect that their low back is tight or injured and exploit that weakness in the course of the technique. Another example is if the person cannot follow the sequence of the warmup. Every dojo warms up in a different way. If that person, especially a visitor, cannot follow the sequence, then it shows that they don’t have a very flexible mind and either have a big ego or have trouble copying movement. Either way, you would suspect that they only do Aikido in a rote way and thus would exploit their inability to follow in the execution of the technique.

In the first part of one’s training, it is in the best interest of the student to  get good at seeing the negative. Negative things are things that the opponent hides because they know that it makes them too vulnerable. In the beginning the weaknesses are physical. With more experience, we can see the mental/emotional things which are more devastating if exploited.

The only problem with this method is that, as they say in Japanese, uwasa wo surebakagegasasu (噂をすれば影が射す) or “Speak of the devil and he shall appear.” If all we habitually see is negativity, then negativity has a way of coming back to us because like begets like. If all the world looks negative, then we start to become negative and thus the devil shall appear.

At some point later, we must transcend this level because the negativity is not healthy for us. So, we use this power of observation for good and try to shift our minds from noticing what is negative and exploitable to what is positive and encouraging or inspiring. Here, we learn that a person is immensely more powerful when they have the capability to be compassionate. Everyone is somewhat compassionate but only a true warrior can have the courage to be it, live it, and give it. This is where we learn one of the highest teaching in Budo nasake ni hamukau yaiba nashi (情けに向かう刃なし) or “There is no sword which can oppose kindness.”

Lao Tzu said, "Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.” Thus, if like begets like, if we look for negativity, we run the risk becoming negative but conversely if we look for good, good comes back to us. The best Aikidoist aspires to always be calm with an open mind and that’s why they strive to master how they think.

Today’s goal: Don’t forget as David Foster Wallace said, “Your mind is an excellent servant, but a terrible master.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Be Great

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.” - Marianne Williamson

The best Aikidoists aren’t afraid of being great.

One of the most interesting phenomenons that happens in training is that people leave just as they are getting good. As a teacher, I want to refine my craft of teaching, so I naturally think, “Is it me?” or wonder, “Did I do something wrong?” But then I try to remember that the world doesn’t revolve around me and that my job isn’t to make people good. My job is to teach to the best of my ability, nothing more. Therefore, the outcome is not up to me but solely within the purview of the student and their efforts.

We often say that one “follows” the Way or is “on” the Path of Aikido. So, it helps to remember that every person is on their own journey, me included. Normal people see difficulties, challenges, or adversities as reasons why we should not be doing something and quit. Aikidoists are different and we see those trials and tribulations as the catalysts for kawaru (変わる) or “to change.” Kawaru also means “to be transformed” or “to be uncommon.” Thus, the extraordinary person that we are to become is born out of the adversities that we face.

Furuya Sensei once wrote, “When we suffer bad times, we always think that the world is against us. Actually, we can look at it in another way. The bad times that we suffer are actually a blessing in disguise. Only the purest gold is tested in the hottest fire, lesser metals cannot take the heat. Dogen Zenji said, ‘The greater the aspiration, the greater the enlightenment.’ Aspiration is always tested and polished by hardship.”

Sometimes, it is not failure that we fear, but rather the challenge to be great. Being great sets up an expectation and we fear that expectation or, on the other side, that fall from greatness. So, we hide. We hide our talent, ability, or greatness. In Japanese, “to hide one's true talent or knowledge” is referred to as wakoudoujin (和光同塵). Wakou means “peace and light,” dou means “same as” and jin means “garbage” or “dust.” Thus, we hide ourselves because we think that our greatness is somehow not worthy enough.

No matter who we are, our rank, or how much time we have on the mat, there will always be some adversity staring us in the face. Some of it is physical like aging, injury, or a lack of skill. Others will be mental like temperament, self-doubt, or a lack of confidence. Regardless, there will ALWAYS be something that we will have to overcome. Fear and adversity are the paths. They show us where we need to put in the work and their existence is pointing us in the direction toward not only our growth but our greatness.

Aikidoists see everything as a challenge that needs to be overcome. They don’t shrink and they don’t hide. Aikidoists follow the Way of Aikido which means that they don’t resist adversity but see everything as a stepping stone or a forge that is helping them become better and better. The best Aikidoists aren’t afraid of being great and so they never hide and actively seek out opportunities to grow. When adversity rears its head, don’t run away or hide, allow yourself to be great.

Today’s goal: “Do the thing you fear the most, and the death of fear is certain," - Mark Twain

Be Bold

A good Aikidoist is always bold.

There will never be a time in our training when we aren’t being tested. I don’t mean for ranking or promotion. What I mean is that regardless of rank or experience there will always be trials and tribulations - there will always be something to overcome. The easiest adversity is the one attacking you head on. Harder adversaries are those that can’t be seen and come in the form of lack of motivation, aging, tiredness, injuries, etc. That is why Aikido is 100% mental. Those mental opponents can’t be seen but are way more devastating than the physical ones.

The first step in defeating the inner opponent is realizing that they exist. The mental opponent quietly whispers in our ear things that sound true or appealing like: “Don’t go to the gym,” “Take the day off from the dojo” or “Maybe, you should just quit.”

When we realize that the inner opponent exists, they instantly become easier to defeat. Before we realize that the inner opponent exists, their whispers are so powerful that we think that their utterings are true. Once we realize that the inner opponent exists, we can dismiss their seemingly truthful suggestions and boldly overcome their attacks. In Japanese, one way to say, “bold” is gouki (豪氣). Gou in this sense means “great” and ki means “energy.” Therefore, one can assume that to be bold means that one has great energy or that in being bold one attains great energy.

In training, students shouldn’t shy away from adversity whether it is not doing the technique correctly, getting corrected by the teacher, having someone resist their technique, or getting hit. Adversity teaches us and our mistakes reveal to us many truths about ourselves. So, it is a good idea to actively search out opportunities to fail. On a certain level, if we aren’t getting hit, then we are not trying hard enough. To extend our ability, we need to know where we stand. If we are never getting hit and our technique always “works,” then we are not trying hard enough and, in a sense, not really growing. If we encounter some resistance, we have to find a way around it - we have to prevail. With every obstacle, resistance, or hit that we overcome, we become stronger and stronger. One Japanese word which means “to prevail” is habikoru (蔓延る). Habikoru also means “to become powerful.” Complacency is the enemy of every great martial artist. So, getting hit or encountering some sort of obstacle only means we are trying hard enough. Thus, no matter what is happening or what we are feeling, there is no need to get discouraged because resistance is the Way. When we do get hit, it should encourage us because all it means is that we are actively trying hard enough. Those who don’t want to be tested never get hit.

We are all greater than we could ever possibly imagine. We can’t see it because the inner opponent is blocking us. Therefore, Aikido training is designed to put us through these trials and tribulations so that we can see that we are truly greater than we ever imagined. There will always be something. No one is immune. The normal person chooses not to look. An Aikidoist is not typical and is someone who trains to be bold and thus wants to be tested.

Today’s goal: Be bold. It is ok to get hit but it is never ok to stay down.

Information and Knowledge

Information and Knowledge

This article originally appeared in the March 1, 2025 edition of the Spanish language magazine El Budoka. Thank you to Santiago García Almaraz Sensei for translating it. Read Informacion Y Conocimiento

“Information and knowledge are not the same thing. You can get information from your computer and the internet, but you can only get knowledge when you unify your mind with your body. Please be respectful, cautious, and mindful at all times.” - Rev. Kensho Furuya

In 1996, Rev. Kensho Furuya wrote the book Kodo: Ancient Ways. In that book there are 41 articles that Furuya Sensei wrote as a column for the martial arts magazine, MA Training. The book is loaded with wisdom, and I don’t use that word lightly. To this day, 18 years after Furuya Sensei’s passing, we still get letters and emails from martial artists all over the world voicing their appreciation for his book and how much his book inspired them. I once saw this one student’s book in Spain who claimed to have read it more than 20 times. I believed it because the fore-edge of his copy was so worn and black that he must regularly thumb through it. He said that whenever he needs motivation, he opens up Kodo.

I was a student under Rev. Kensho Furuya for 17 years and one day. The most crucial day was that one extra day. On that day he passed away and it completely changed the course of my life. This March marks the 18th year since Furuya Sensei passed away. On this anniversary I thought that I would give my seven favorite quotes from Kodo and give my explanation of them.

When I asked him, “What do you look for in a student? He answered “attitude.”

Attitude is the number one indicator of student success. It is one of those things that can’t be taught but a student can learn. Attitude is intrinsic. Everything on the inside shows forth on the outside. If we have found inner peace, then it will be reflected in our Aikido. Furuya Sensei used to say that “You can learn everything you need to know about a student by how they do Aikido.” Who we really are is reflected in our attitude. Attitude is one of those things which cannot be faked forever. Sooner or later the real you comes out.

One cannot do martial arts with a calculator or adding machine. These are machines to figure out profits. Martial arts is beyond calculation.

Today, a dojo is a business. It is one of those things which can’t be helped. A dojo cannot be a business, and a business cannot pretend to be a dojo. It is a tricky balance for the teacher who strives to keep the dojo at least 51% a dojo. If they can do that, then the dojo and the art will prosper. If they cannot resist the urge to make it a business, the art will suffer. Most times, a dojo doesn’t “add up” because we put students over profits.

Become a “real” martial artist. Become a “real” person.

There is a saying, “real budo, real person.” What this means is that the more one develops themselves as a martial artist, the more they develop as a person. Being a “real” martial artist is not about effectiveness. True martial arts development is not about fighting - it’s about character. Or rather the balance between the two. Furuya Sensei called this balance saikan koubai (歳寒紅梅) or “the elegant apricot flower and the strong plum blossom.” He said, “Saikan koubai means to focus too much on war makes us rough and crude while the emphasis on too much beauty makes us weak.” Budo is a balance. Strive to be a better person rather than juvenilely just a person who hurts others.

Overcome all obstacles in your life, regardless of how difficult they may be.

Every day there will be something that stands in our way. Weirdly, the easiest obstacle is a human opponent. The harder opponents to deal with are the ones with no human form like taxes, homework, or just no energy or motivation to go to the dojo. Regardless of the obstacle, we still have to be a martial artist about it. What that means is that in everything we do, we never give into our feelings or emotions. Those feelings bring for emotions like fear, temptation, or boredom. The best martial artist sees past the “story” that our minds are telling us when they tell us to give up, give in, or quit.

Anyone who trains to see even the smallest detail of the technique or art will progress quickly.

One of the hardest things to develop in our training is our “eye.” Our “eye” is not the same as vision or being able to see something. Most beginners focus too intently on the bigger picture and lose sight of the finer details. Having an “eye” means being able to see some detail and understand how that detail fits into the bigger picture. The first thing a student must develop is the ability to “see” even the smallest detail and the second is the understanding of what that detail means or how it works. When we create that type of skill, there is nothing we cannot learn or, more importantly, teach ourselves.

To be discouraged is a part of training.

This is the martial arts dirty little secret. Discouragement is the martial artist’s only true friend. Without discouragement, most of us would just quit because we wouldn’t know the value of something. Discouragement keeps us grounded and teaches us the true value of things or people. Discouragement tests our will. The most important thing to remember about discouragement is that it is ok to be discouraged. It happens to all of us. The true test of discouragement is if we give in to it or give up. Discouragement tests us and teaches us. Discouragement shows us where we need to put in the work.

Because learning is endless, mastery is endless.

There will be ups and there will be downs, but the Way is never ending. With every obstacle that we overcome, we gain knowledge, wisdom, and experience. That wisdom is what we use to gain more success in life and in the dojo. If we think that there is an end, then we will stop at the slightest bump in the road or with the most mediocre victory. Furuya Sensei used to say, “The Way is hard.” What makes it hard is when we think of it as a sprint that has an end. In the mastery of martial arts, there is no end but that is not a bad thing. Realizing that the Way is endless gives us excitement for the next obstacle, lesson, or test. The Way never ends, and it is never boring.

The greatest gift a teacher like Furuya Sensei could ever give us is the idea that a path of self-perfection exists. This path gives us the opportunity to make ourselves into the best versions of ourselves. The Way is hard, but it is definitely worth it! The last scroll Furuya Sensei put up in his tokonoma before he died read (守愚不移志 默默養其神) or “Be humble, be strong, and always keep going.” It seems as if it was his last teaching. So true indeed!

Fall Back Fridays - Attitude and Ki

Note: Furuya Sensei originally posted this to his blog on November 19, 2004.

The only thing to prevent you from fulfilling your dreams is your own attitude. It is your mind in which you materialize your dreams, but it is also in your own mind where you can also kill them. . . . . Practice must focus on your mental attitude so that you can clarify the direction of your thoughts.

In training, we can prove ourselves by demonstrating a good attitude, but by showing a bad attitude, we prove nothing. . . . .

Most people cannot see beyond themselves. When coming to the dojo, or in any activity in one's life such as work or family, or being with family members and friends, the “energy” or ki (氣) changes with every second. One must be constantly in tune with these energy changes in the timing, the situation and the circumstances we always find ourselves in. Because most people cannot see beyond themselves, they are always caught in “awkward" circumstances - this only means they are not "fitting in" to their own world and environment. Ki does not only come in while doing Aikido - it is around us everywhere and in every second of our lives. Do not tune this out but try to tune into this energy. This is how we bring Aikido into the practice of Aikido and into our daily lives.

Watch this video of Furuya Sensei talking about Aikido

Imaginations

The best Aikidoists strive to defeat their own imaginations.

In Japanese, the word for “imagination” is kasou (仮想). Interestingly, kasou can also mean “potential enemy.” The direct translation of kasou is ka or “temporary” and sou means “thought.” With understanding, one can think that our temporary thoughts can be our potential enemies.

Thinking about this, our minds or the way we think can be holding us back. Maybe that is why author David Foster Wallace said, “Your mind is an excellent servant, but a terrible master.” When we think about Wallace’s quote, it is easy then to understand O’Sensei’s assertion that “the true victory is self-victory” or masakatsu agatsu (正勝吾勝). The enemy O”Sensei could be alluding to is our rampant imaginations.

Our imaginations and the stories that we tell ourselves can either help us or hold us back and the real battle rages on. At every moment, we are telling ourselves a story. Most times those stories are not positive. Usually, the story consists of why we aren’t good enough, able enough, or some other old saw as to why we should stop what we are doing or give up what it is we want.

In Japanese, “to get wrong ideas by letting one's imagination run wild” is referred to as ki wo mawasu (氣を回す) or our “ki goes round and round.” Ki wo mawasu also means “groundless suspicion.” When we read too much into things or listen to other people’s opinions, we become ungrounded, and we run the risk of letting the stories that we tell ourselves take over our lives. In Aikido, when this happens, we say that person has “lost their center.”

Most times, the stories or our imaginations are not grounded in reality and exist only in our minds. Therefore, the counter to the stories in our heads is to get out of our minds and into our bodies. We need to retake our own center or ground ourselves.

Aikido training is completely grounded in reality. From learning to ground our bodies and use our centers in the warm-up to negotiating attacks from our partners, none of those things can be done in our heads. The moment we go into our heads and listen to our imaginations, we lose our center or just get hit. In Aikido, students have to be 100% mindful at all times. Being mindful means being aware of one’s self and one’s actions in the present moment. We cannot be here when our minds are there and thinking about the past or worrying about the future. Maybe that’s what Takuan Soho who advised the prolific swordsman Miyamoto Musashi meant when he said, “Sever the edge between before and after.”

In Aikido, when we have “lost our center,” we have lost our grasp of the present. The antidote to the story in our heads is to ground ourselves in reality. We can use many of the exercises from the warm-up to ground or training itself. We can also take a paper and pen inventory of what is true and use it to dissolve the stories that our imagination has created for us.

The “power of imagination” or souzouryoku (想像力) can help us or hurt us. It is completely true that our minds are horrible masters but wonderful servants. The truest victory might just be taking back the mastership of our minds. None of us are immune to this phenomenon - it just something that we must constantly manage. That is why the best Aikidoists strive to defeat their own imaginations.

Today’s goal: Get out of your head and get back into your body - it is the only thing which you can know is real.

Watch this video of Brene Brown talking about the stories we make up

Work in Progress

The best Aikidoists are a work in progress.

In the journey of Aikido, as author Gertrude Stein once wrote, “There is no there there.” She was talking about a physical place but in Aikido, it means that there is no real mastery to achieve. The only true mastery is in the process of understanding the Self. If that is true, then Aikido is only a journey of continuous learning. Understanding this helps us to negotiate our Aikido training a little easier.

Often, when we meet adversity, we get down on ourselves - some of us even quit. This is because we have an overly romantic view of Aikido. We think that training will somehow make us more dominating, indestructible, or undefeatable and the training will become easier at some point. Sure, that is part of it but most of the time, we are a work in progress which seems like it is filled with more downs than ups.

Aikido training reveals our kigai (氣概) or “true mettle.” Kigai might mean “mettle,” or “fighting spirit” but it translates as ki or “energy” and gai or “condition.” Understanding this, one can posit that our real mettle is in the true strength of our spirit. Training reveals if there is a gap between who we say or think we are and how we really react. Ideally, there should be no gap or at the very least it should be very small.

In training, we learn how to negotiate people, attacks, or situations. Throughout class, there will be those people who resist, attack too hard or soft, are too big or small, or just rub us the wrong way. These people are the best training partners because they are the most unreasonable. Being unreasonable, they bring us opportunities to teach us lessons about ourselves or test our level or development. Regardless, our response reveals who we really are.

In class, with every adversity, strong opponent, or difficult technique we face, we gain the courage and confidence to face more and more adversity. That is a superpower. Not the overcoming part, but the willingness, openness, and bravery to face things as they come regardless of where we are or the outcome.

Perhaps, that is why Furuya Sensei used to regularly say, “The Way is hard.” It is hard because none of us actively want to experience the downs. When I was young, I used to think that he was complaining. Now that I am older, I realize that he was merely shrugging it off and stating a matter of fact. Our egos think that we will always be on top, young, in shape, or motivated. The truth is that life and its circumstances ebb and flow. No matter where we are or what is happening, we will have to put in the work.

The road is bumpy for a reason - it is the road less travelled. Most people don’t want to know or don’t have the courage to seek out who they truly are. Gratefully, with every bump in the road, it asks us “Are you truly the person you say or think you are?”

The road of Aikido and Life will be filled with obstacles. It is not good or bad. It is merely an opportunity to learn. When adversity rears its head, face it. Strive to overcome it but if you fall down, get back up but never ever quit. Aikido is a journey of continuous learning and that’s why the best Aikidoists are a work in progress.

Today’s goal: Everyone has to start from somewhere. This is just where you are today - don’t quit, just keep going.

Watch this TedTalk to better understand continous improvement

Let Them go by

成るように成る
Naruyouninaru
Let nature take its course
- Japanese proverb

The best Aikidoists let them go by.

The Japanese proverb naruyouninaru (成るように成る) means “to let nature take its course.” When we let nature take its course, we allow something to happen without trying to control it. In an Aikido sense, the stronger the attack, the harder they are thrown.

In Aikido, we never collide with or crash into our opponents. We also never impeded our partner’s movement. Instead, we let them go by as they attack us. I don’t mean in an apathetic or defeated sense. We let them go by and allow the intention of their attack to dictate the consequence of their action. Or in other words, we let nature take its course.

Early on in Aikido, many of the techniques were katame-waza (固め技) or “control techniques” which manipulated the wrist, elbow, or shoulder. Later, Aikido became more sophisticated and many of these control holds became throws or nage katame-waza (投げ固め技). This deftness of technique demonstrated the superiority of one’s ability.

Previously, as the nage would be applying the hold, the uke would feel pain, fear, or become immobilized. This is where the power and effectiveness of Aikido as a martial art came from. Now, as the hold is being applied, the uke finds themselves in motion and falling through the air as they are “thrown” instead of immobilized.

In order to achieve this higher level of technique, the nage and uke cannot clash or collide with one another. Knowing how the body moves, the nage maneuvers their opponent into the technique as they are attacked. Knowing where and how the body will react enables the nage to know where to place themselves to cause the uke to “fall into” the technique. To do this flawlessly, the nage needs to let the uke go by rather than smash them into the technique. And so, techniques like shihonage, kotegaeshi, or juji-nage to name just a few evolved and became throws rather than just control holds or joint locks.

Later on, letting the attacker go by becomes a metaphor for life as well. So often in life, we are trying to control or force people into doing it our way. We hold on to them or force them to do things because we think that we need them or that they are necessary for us to achieve happiness. When they don’t want us or move against us, we take it personal. A majority of the time, it is not personal at all. As someone once said, “It is not that people are against you; they are just in it for themselves.” When we can realize this, it takes the edge off their actions. This softening enables us to act with propriety and calmness rather than anger, frustration, or sadness.

At the crux of Aikido is this ability to remain calm. When we are calm, we can see all options as well as all sides of the coin. Aikido is a practice and so is being able to let people go by, especially when they are trying to hurt us. Letting someone go by is the mark of a truly evolved person and that is why the best Aikidoists let them go by.

Today’s goal: Don’t get mad, don’t take it personal and never contend - just let them go by and let nature take its course.

Wait For Nothing to Happen

The best Aikidoists wait for nothing to happen.

The cycle of Aikido training seems to be short bursts of something happening wedged in between long periods of nothing happening. The ardent Aikido student knows that nothing has to happen first before something great can happen.

In class, there is a moment within every technique when the uke feels weightless. Mujuuryoku (無重力) or this “state of weightlessness” occurs only for a fraction of a second and within that moment, the opponent’s balance is broken.

In Judo, they mechanically “take” their opponent’s balance in order to create a throw and call this kuzushi (崩し). In Aikido, we do not directly take the opponent’s balance per se. We use our movement to create a situation where our opponent “loses” their balance. This is something that some people call aiki (合氣). In that moment, our partner momentarily becomes weightless and loses their balance, and we use that loss of balance to our advantage. If we can stretch out that fraction of a second, along with the feeling of weightlessness there is this sense of mu (無) or “nothingness.” Nothingness is a concept that is hard to explain but for just a fraction of a moment, there is no sound, no smell, or any other perception other than a feeling of weightlessness. At this point, when the experienced practitioner feels weightless, they guide their partner, and the opponent falls into their technique.

Nothingness is similar to the Void in Greek philosophy which is defined as “a necessary space for atoms to move, thereby enabling the existence of matter.” This corresponds with one explanation of ki (氣) whereas ki is “energy on the verge of becoming matter and matter that is on the verge of becoming into energy.” The Void aka “nothingness” is the place where ki energy is in the process of transforming into something tangible.

The hardest part is to not misinterpret this moment of nothingness as being a moment where we have lost control. It is easy to feel this way because nothingness is so foreign to us. Society has conditioned us to think that something always has to be going on. We have to be in control, accomplishing, or achieving measurable gains. Anything other than what can be tangibly perceived is most likely a sign that we are not doing enough, going in the wrong direction, or are on our way to defeat.

Lots of times in life and in Aikido, we get discouraged because we think that nothing is happening. Change takes time but when it does happen, it seems to happen overnight. Every day we toil and toil and nothing seems to happen. Then, one day we experience a shift, and we no longer move the way we used to move. If we have been working on it, it somehow got better. If we haven’t been working on it, it somehow all falls apart seemingly overnight.

Weightlessness or nothingness is the place where things are about to happen. In Aikido, when we feel this weightlessness, we take the advantage and guide our opponent into our technique. In Aikido and in life, if you can realize the feeling of nothing, then you just might be on the precipice of that energy shifting. Just before any breakthrough, the energy has to build up before it can transform. Thus, the feeling of nothingness is an important factor in Aikido and in life. The best Aikido students know the value of nothing and that’s why they are waiting for nothing to happen.

Today’s goal: Don’t give up, instead give in to nothingness. Remember, nothing always precedes something.     

Possibilities

The best Aikidoists are open and vulnerable to the possibilities of what can be.

No one knows what will come next. Normal people think in terms of abunage (危な氣) or “the possibilities of danger.” With this type of eye, they are on the lookout for people, things, or situations which can cause them harm. Thinking this way unknowingly creates negativity to come to them. This is because according to the universal law of Cause and Effect, negativity will in turn come to us because “like begets like.”

Aikidoist are not average people. An Aikidoist is supposed to be a person who not only sees the world as a glass that is half full, but they are also supposed to be open and vulnerable to its possibilities. Aikidoists don’t see the person standing in front of them as an “enemy” because seeing someone that way causes us to see them negatively and as we create negative outcomes for them, it in turn brings us negativity.

Henry Ford said, “If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.” To learn Aikido is to learn to see that there are other possibilities out there other than the ones we usually think. Thus, Aikidoists are trying to see things a different way. For instance, the person who forgets to give us our change at the supermarket isn’t a thief or incompetent. They might be, but they also might be focusing on something else like a sick child at home, a term paper due tomorrow, or a thousand other things other than us. When we can see past ourselves, then the person standing in front of us is not our enemy. To them, we may not even exist as their minds or hearts are elsewhere. Understanding this, perhaps then we should give them grace instead of destruction.

When we start to see things differently, then we can look for potentiality. Potentiality is the “latent qualities or abilities that may be developed and lead to future success or usefulness.” The key word is “latent.” In Japanese, one way to say “potentiality” is sokojikara (底力). Sokojikara is intended to mean “potentiality” or “real strength” but its direct translation is “deep” or “hidden” “power.” Thinking about this, one can hypothesize that real power comes from the depths of being able to see possibilities.

In class, things will happen which trigger our conditioned responses. Most times, we react the same way no matter where we are, who it is, or what happens. Like when we blow up at the cashier at the supermarket when they make a mistake. How we usually respond, good or bad, is based upon how we have been conditioned. Some people are cool and nothing bothers them. Others blow up at even the smallest perceived slight. This conditioned response is what Aikido training is trying to develop upon. You might think change might be a better word, but change presupposes that our conditioned response is bad. No, it is the baseline that we are trying to evolve from and in order to evolve, we don’t try to eradicate it but rather strive to understand it, accept it, and move forward from it.

In Aikido and in life, things will happen, mostly untoward. The best Aikidoist trains themselves to give grace rather than destruction. In order to do that we need to see all the potentialities. So, instead of getting mad and exploding on that person, we can ask ourselves, “How else COULD I react?” If we can see the other possibilities, then other ways exist and then so does the possibility of change. The best Aikidoist learns to see rather than to react because they know that the possibilities are endless.

Today’s goal: Be open and vulnerable to the possibilities of what can be.

Watch this video of Sadguru talking about possibilities

Perfection?

Aikido: the balance of perfection vs. imperfection.

In today’s more, more, more society, we are conditioned to accumulate, work harder, or strive for more. Every social media influencer gives us 1o more ways to be better and get more work done. Aikido is no different. On the surface, Aikido is the pursuit of perfection: perfection of the body and the self. However, on a deeper level, it is a balance of perfection and imperfection.

Someone asked me, “Shouldn’t we be working towards perfection in our Aikido training?” The answer is not yes or no. The answer is “it depends.” It depends on what our natural personality is. If you are a person who lacks determination, work ethic, or sticktoitiveness, then yes you should try to be a little bit more perfect. If, on the other hand, you are a person who is driven and has the tendency to overwork, then you should strive for a little bit more imperfect.

Think about from the point of view of “stance” or kamae (構え). In Aikido, we are supposed to be standing in hanmi (半身) with one leg forward and one leg back. In hanmi, the front leg is bent, and the back leg is straight. Most think that this means that the back leg is pushing against the front leg but that is only half of it. The front leg is also pushing against the back leg. Standing with this idea in mind creates something called tensegrity which is a structural principle that uses a balance of tension and compression to create stability. However, this is not solely static. It is dynamic tension and thus our stance, in an ever so slight way, is going in and out of imperfection and perfection. It needs imperfection or a pull to create a shift in order to move. It needs perfection for stability to issue or absorb power. Neither can exist without the other.

In class, there is also this dynamic tension between perfection and imperfection. We should be striving for self-perfection but at the same time we should be allowing ourselves and others to be imperfect. Pretty much every day, there will be people that irritate us. Their mere presence can cause us discomfort and thus we want to confront and change them or just avoid them altogether. We should do neither. A quote attributed to Carl Jung explains it best: "What we hate in others is what we hate in ourselves.” Thus, those people who incite us, irritate us, or cause us discomfort with their irritable attitudes, undesirable behaviors or imperfections are nothing more than the signpost pointing us in the direction towards mastery. If you could only see it as such, those people are a gift from the universe. They are teaching us where we need to put in the work. They show us where we either need to be focusing our self-perfection on or where we need to be a little more self-imperfect.

In Aikido, we are supposed to be learning non-violence. What that means is that we have to learn to give compassion and empathy rather than resort to violence. Remember, there are many forms of violence but basically violence is doing something to someone which causes them harm. Martin Luther King said, “Darkness cannot drive darkness; Light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; Love can do that.” Don’t try to change others, only try to find the balance within yourself between striving to be perfect but at the same time allowing yourself or others to be imperfect. Aikido is a practice and thus it is a balance between perfection and imperfection.

Today’s goal: Give grace. No one’s got it all figured out - not even you.

Watch this video on perfectionism even if you don’t have ADHD

Editor's note: This article written by Ito Sensei was originally published in the Spanish language magazine El Budoka 2.0 on January 1, 2025. It was kindly translated by Santiago Almaraz Sensei. Read it in Spanish here: Motas de Polo Que Pueden Converstirse en Montana

Specks of Dust Become Mountains 

As 2025 begins, it is helpful to remember that martial arts training is a singular pursuit, and we alone make ourselves good. No one, not even AI can do it for us. We have to show up, put on our uniform, and put in the work. 

Currently, the ownness of learning is placed upon the teacher. Pass or fail, mastery or no mastery are all the fault of the teacher. In the past, the burden of learning was placed solely on the shoulders of the student. If the student did not apply themselves, they would never attain mastery. With that in mind, many teachers taught very little but expected a lot. As they say, “The best teacher is the one that is the most unreasonable.” Being unreasonable means that they can’t be bargained with, nor can they be manipulated into giving into the demands of the students. Tangibly teaching very little or being difficult forced the student to be diligent. 

In the past, when asked what qualified a person to be a teacher, they would only answer, “I am strict.” They never listed their qualifications or awards that they had won because those things are immaterial to developing a student. They believed that the only thing that they could give a student was discipline. In the past, they believed that a student had iji(意地) or “willfulness” and it was the teacher’s job to transform that obstinacy into konjou (根性) or “fighting spirit.” Iji is to have the willfulness to resist and fight against something while konjou is to channel that will and fight for something. 

Teachers enact external discipline while students exercise internal discipline. A teacher cannot give a student discipline. Self-discipline is often something that has to be realized. Only after adhering to the teacher’s discipline does the student see the benefit of having discipline and adopts the standards for themselves. This is where a student learns the benefit of secret work. 

Secret work is something that Furuya Sensei once talked about casually. Secret work is some unspoken thing that one does to improve themselves that isn’t readily apparent and that they rarely talk about with others, nor is it enforced by others. On a certain level, secret work is gamification. Gamification is "to play around the rules where participants creatively bend or interpret the established rules to achieve their goals.” 

The teacher enacts certain standards, and the dojo has rules that need to be followed. In addition to those rules there are a whole set of practices the students and teachers do that are unspoken. To the uninitiated, they can’t even see them but to the ardent, they are in plain view. Some of these things are secret work. It could be something as benign as making sure to stretch your legs before class because you previously injured that muscle. It could be as sacred as never stepping over weapons that are laid on the ground. 

Regardless of what, secret work are rules, practices, or standards that we place upon ourselves that are not necessarily enforced by others that we use to get the edge on our competition or to move our mastery forward. 

Here are some things that may only pertain to my dojo that I have noticed them doing since I was a student, but you can use to discipline yourself:  

·      Change your clothes in less than five minutes.

·      While changing your clothes, you must always be half dressed.

·      Hakamas had to be folded in less than two minutes.

·      You cannot fold a hakama in your day clothes.

·      Uniforms should not be in disrepair or smelly.

·      In your bag, your uniform had to be folded properly.

·      Drinking water during class was frowned upon. Hydrate ahead of time.

·      Sitting out when you were tired was frowned upon. Stay in shape.

·      Pack your bag the night before.

·      Have an extra uniform in your car.

·      Never step over weapons.

·      Never run or throw things in the dojo.

·      No yelling or loud noises in the dojo which included talking and laughing.

·      Must ask permission before using someone else’s weapon or the dojo weapons.

·      There was no restroom. Use the restroom ahead of time.

·      If you were to drive Furuya Sensei, your car had to be fueled up and clean and you had to know where you were going. 

·      Call the dojo and inform the teacher that we are sick or going to be out of town.

·      All injuries had to be reported.

·      Be at least 30 minutes early. 

·      Be well groomed. 

·      Never overeat.

·      It was expected that we maintain a regular training schedule.

·      Never do anything which would distract or disturb others while they are training. 

These constructs existed before smartphones, text messages, or email. These things required one to be diligent and disciplined to follow them. Some of these things were in place to make sure we didn’t waste time while others were there to force us to think ahead. Every item on this list was unspoken. No one specifically said, “You have to do this.” Many of these were born out of seeing Furuya Sensei get mad at someone else for making a mistake. 

In Japanese, an often used proverb is Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru (塵も積もれば山となる) which means “Even specks of dust if piled up can become mountains.” Mastery is merely a mountain made out of specks of dust. Going to class creates a speck of dust. Being diligent and packing our bags the night before creates a speck of dust. With every effort, we create a speck of dust. It is a given that we have to put in the work. However, secret work enables us toil behind the scenes and get another speck of dust. Secret work is the difference between good and great. A good student shows up to class and trains hard - that’s a given. A great student has already put in the work and uses class as a way to measure themselves. It takes discipline to think ahead and create strategies to overcome obstacles before they arise. Don’t wait for the opportunity to arise or for someone else to make you good. Martial arts training is about being proactive not reactive. 2025 is the year of the snake and snake years are about self-discovery. Discover where your holes are and figure out ways to put in some secret work there - it will pay off. 

I wish you a happy, healthy, and worthwhile 2025!

Watch this article as a video

Last Days

Where do birds fly at night,
Following the moon so calm,
Only the true sword so bright,
Opens the gates of Paradise.
- Rev. Kensho Furuya

The best Aikidoist strives to live every day as if it is their last.

I was watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and something Charlie’s grandfather said at the end caught my attention. Feeling slighted by Willy Wonka, he said, “I’ll get even, if it’s the last thing I do.” I thought to myself, “The last thing you want to do before you leave this Earth is get revenge?” It seems so petty and empty to want to end one’s life in the pursuit of getting even for some sort of slight.

In Meditations, Marcus Aurelius  wrote, “Perfection of character is this: to live each day as if it were your last, without frenzy, without apathy, without pretense.” Reading this, I thought to myself, “Ahh, those things truly encompass the path of Aikido.”

In terms of frenzy, an Aikidoist strives to be calm and never rushes. Rushing is a telltale sign that someone’s nervous system is in a heightened state where we are more apt to make a mistake, and mistakes are the surest path to defeat. Aikidoist strive to achieve seichu no do, do chu no sei (靜中動 動中靜) or “movement in calmness, calmness in movement.” With a calm and a centered mind, the Aikidoist is able to better meet any challenge with appropriateness and propriety.

Apathy is to have “a lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.” Apathy is the opposite of the ardent Aikidoist. A good Aikidoist is mindful, efficient, and economical with not only their resources but their time and opportunities. Furuya Sensei always used to say, “Training is a privilege.” It is a privilege because not everyone has the time, money, or opportunity to train. Thus, it would be a waste to not capitalize on the opportunity that we have been given. Aikidoists make the most out of their lives or situations regardless if it is ideal or not.

Pretense is about being inauthentic. In Aikido, we often talk about hara (腹) or our “center.” Most think of this as being something anatomical or metaphysical. But one’s center can also be about finding one’s authenticity. Lots of times we are “Faking it until we make it.” The more we train, the more “we” come into focus, and we begin to understand just who we are. Once we have found our true authenticity, we will have also found our true “center.”

"If it is the last thing I do" is an idiom that means “for someone is absolutely determined to do something, no matter what, even if it requires extreme effort or is the very last thing they manage to accomplish before anything else.” Every day, 150,000 people die and don’t get a tomorrow. As Gabriel Garcia Marquez said, “Tomorrow is never guaranteed to anyone, young or old. Today could be the last time to see your loved ones, which is why you mustn't wait; do it today, in case tomorrow never arrives.” Tomorrow never comes because it is always today.

As the year comes to an end, what will be the last thing you do be? Aikidoists strive to be examples of how studying a budo makes you a better person. A better person doesn’t engage in revenge or hatred - they are people of character. A person of character strives to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving. At the end of Willy Wonka, Charlie gives back the candy instead of trying to sell it, upon seeing his gesture, Willy Wonka says a quote from William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice: “How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” As an Aikidoist, if it is the last thing you do, strive to be a good person. Have a safe and wonderful New Year’s Eve and a Happy New Year!

Today’s goal: Begin with the end in mind and truly live every day as if it is going to be your last - you won’t regret it.

Don’t Give in

The best Aikidoists strive to not give in.

When we lose self-control for a moment, the Japanese call this isshun magasashite (一瞬魔が差して). Isshun means “for an instant” and magasasu means “to give in to an urge.” Interestingly, magasasu also means “to be possessed by an evil spirit.” This rings true because when we give into our smaller selves it really is as if it is not us at all.

In terms of not giving in, what I am talking about is the internal battle between who we are striving to be and our smaller selves. Our smaller selves are petty, emotional, or overly sensitive. When I say don’t give in, what I mean is don’t give into sadness, anger, hurt feelings, jealousy, or any other negative emotion that we tend to personalize. Our smaller self says, “Did you see that? or “What did they mean by that?” and loves to take every little thing personal. Negative emotions are a form of self-harm and thus is a form of violence. Any form of harm whether it be  physical, mental, or emotional is considered violence and goes against O’Sensei’s philosophies.

Most martial arts are about engaging in resistance. They move or employ techniques which actively resist their opponent’s advances. Aikido is different. Aikidoists proactively engage in self-restraint. To resist means to actively fight, oppose, or struggle against something or someone. Demonstrating restraint implies having a certain amount of self-control. One of my student’s explained it succinctly when he said, “In most other forms of martial arts, the intensity is like a switch. Their movements and techniques are either on or off. Aikido is like a volume knob where the intensity can be dialed up or down depending on the situation.” The learned Aikidoist proactively engages in the appropriate amount of response for the appropriate situation. To do that requires that we practice mindful restraint.

To the uninitiated, it appears that Aikido is just one person giving in to another so that one person can do some contrived movement which to them has no martial value regardless if they have any martial arts experience or not. What a person who doesn’t do Aikido doesn’t understand is that we move with the opponent rather than against them. This enables the Aikidoist to administer the appropriate amount of leverage which will garner the best result for both the attacker and the attacked. The uke and nage are both engaged in awaseru (合わせる). Awaseru can mean “to put blade to blade in a fight” (i.e. resistance) but from an Aikido perspective, it means “to match the opponent’s movements, speed, rhythm, etc” in an attempt to gain control of them (i.e. restraint).

Aikidoists are supposed to be proactive meaning we aren’t waiting to be attacked nor are we allowing ourselves to be attacked. Epictetus said, “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” In both Aikido and in life, things will happen which are out of our control. If we are not proactive, we might give into the temptation and give into resentment, anger, or give into any other negative emotion which prevents us from being the people that we want to be. Have you ever noticed that we don’t give into joy, happiness, or any other positive emotion? Most positive emotions are states of being rather than states that we give into.

This holiday season: Be the person you want to be and don’t give into temptation to follow your smaller self.

Watch this interesting TedTalk about emotions.

Aiki Dojo Message - Kindness

“Fellow samurai must support each other. We are never so keenly grateful for the kindness of others as when we have fallen on hard times.” —Oishi, The Loyal 47 Ronin - Chushingura

The other day, my daughter was selling some of her drawings at the Holiday Market that one of the other tenants was having in our parking lot behind the dojo. She is 10 and is not a professional and her drawings are pretty juvenile. I held my breath every time someone came by her table to look. Then something magical happened. Someone bought one and then another and another. At some point, this man stopped and started to ask her questions. He then said, “I’d like to negotiate with you for your sample book.” My daughter sheepishly said, “Five dollars?” The man said, “No higher.” My daughter replied “10?” He reached out his hand and said, “How about 20 dollars?” They shook and did the exchange. The look on my daughter’s face was epic. Seeing this act of kindness from a stranger, I instantly thought, “Ahh, there is no sword that can oppose kindness.”

At that moment, I understood the Japanese proverb nasake ni hamukau yaiba nashi (情けに向かう刃なし) or “There is no sword which can oppose kindness.” At first glance, I thought this proverb was about being kind. However, when I saw these people give their hard-earned money so that a young kid would not give up on their dreams, it made me want to cry. In Japanese, being moved by something is called hodasareru (絆される) or “to be moved by kindness.”

There is a difference between giving kindness and being kind. Giving kindness is about the act. Being kind is a mindset or a character trait. Anyone can give kindness. Sometimes, people give kindness as an act from their smaller selves as they try to garner favor for their own benefit. This isn’t bad, it is just empty. Other times, there are those who are kind as a way of life and do things because that is who they are because they have been taught to be that way or it is just their nature. Giving or being is not mutually exclusive. Most times, we have to fake until we make it. With each act of kindness, whether genuine or forced, we move closer to developing the mindset or character trait of being kind where it becomes an all the time thing.

Furuya Sensei said, “How someone does Aikido tells you everything you need to know about them.” What he meant is that Aikido is a conduit that tends to bring to the surface one’s true personality.  In other words, people can see who we truly are by how we move.

In class, we bow to our partners not as an act of subserviency but as a gesture of kindness. If kindness is not in your DNA, kindness is a practice. The bow is then how we practice being kind. On the mat, we will meet all sorts of people and many of them we will not like. Those people are the fodder for change. They give us the chance to practice being kind to someone that we would rather be mean to. In Japanese, they say ada wo ondemukuiru (仇を恩で報いる) or “to repay meanness with kindness.”

Anyone can be a bully, heartless, or unkind - it takes no inner strength to do so. It does however take a tremendous amount of inner strength to be kind in the face of adversity. I don’t fear people who are strong or have good technique. I fear those that can be kind when there is nothing in it for them - they have true inner strength. That is why there is no sword that can oppose kindness.

Today’s goal: Be kind to someone today who doesn’t deserve it.