Overcoming the Impossible

“The only way to discover the limits of the possible
is to go beyond them into the impossible.” - Arthur C. Clarke

The best martial artists believe in the impossible. In Japanese, to “to accomplish the impossible” is fukanou wo kanou ni suru (不可能を可能にする). To believe in the impossible is more than having a positive mental attitude. A positive mental attitude is about having optimism. Believing that the impossible is possible is a form of willfulness that is tinged with a bit of pessimism. The pessimism in this sense is the disbelief that something is impossible to accomplish. A martial artist has to be a little bit stubborn. It is said that the best student has iji (意地) or “willfulness” and it is the teacher’s job to turn that willfulness into konjou (根性) or “fighting spirit.” Therefore, a martial artist has to steadfastly believe that if something or some idea exists in this world, then it was created by a human being and if it was created by a human, then it can be reproduced, achieved, overcome, or defeated. Spitefully, a martial artist says to themselves, yonojisho ni fukanoutoiumoji wa nai (余の辞書に不可能という文字は無い) or “The word ‘impossible’ does not exist in my dictionary!” Normal people have self-limiting beliefs. These self-limiting beliefs cause them to judge things as being possible or impossible. If they deem it as possible, then they will try to accomplish it and if they think it is impossible, they won’t even try. For instance, since the late 1800s, people have been trying to run a mile in under four minutes. Prior to 1954, it was thought that running a mile in under four minutes was physically and physiologically impossible. On May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister ran a mile in 3:59.04. His record only lasted for 46 days and since that time thousands of people, even teenagers, have run a sub four minute mile. The current world record is 3:43.13 and is held by Hicham El Guerrouj. Martial arts training is all about overcoming the impossible. From the moment we start training, we are confronted by things that are seemingly impossible. For instance, people are trying to hit us with all their might, and we are supposed not to deftly defend their strike but also do it calmly as well. All martial arts are skill based. If it is a skill, then anyone can achieve it and gain some level of proficiency with time and experience. In the beginning, it might seems as if getting good is a shinannowaza (至難の業) or “Herculean task” because we move our bodies in such a clunky way and can’t seem to move with the same precision or smoothness as our seniors. Later on, with every foe or challenge we overcome, our ability grows, and we can take on bigger challenges and stronger opponents. At some point, we realize the transparentness of our self-limiting beliefs and not only come to doubt them but challenge them as well. This is where martial arts training crosses over into daily life. Arthur C. Clarke said, “The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible.” In the martial arts and in life, impossible is only a state of mind. Martial artists understand this and that is why the best martial artists believe in the impossible.

Today’s goal: Let go of your self-limiting beliefs and think, “If they can do it, so can I.”

Watch this video of goats to better understand what is impossible

Tipping Point

The best martial artists patiently toil towards the tipping point. The tipping point is defined as “the critical point in a situation, process, or system beyond which a significant and often unstoppable effect or change takes place.” In Japanese, one way to say, “tipping point” is ichidaitenki (一大転機) which literally translates as “one big turning point.” The tipping point is this seemingly magical place where all our efforts pay off and we bakeru (化ける) or “dramatically and unexpectedly improve.” The main problem is that none of us knows exactly when or where the tipping point will take place. Another notable and irritating problem with tipping points are that they are preceded by odoriba (踊場) or “plateaus.” Plateaus are these annoying flatlands where we don’t necessarily get any worse but nothing seems to be getting any better either. Interestingly, odoriba also means “dance hall” which implies that a plateau is just a place where we feel like we are just aimlessly dancing around while we wait for our efforts to pay off. In the martial arts, when we throw someone, we are looking for the tenshin (転身) or “pivot point” in the technique. The martial arts pivot point is this optimal body position which creates the most mechanical advantage to throw or unbalance an opponent. In class, the teacher shows us physically where the pivot point is which will generate the most leverage to create a clean and smooth throw and efficiently use our opponent's energy or momentum against them. Later on, as the attacks become faster and the throws become quicker, we have to know where the pivot point is by “feel.” To be able to feel the pivot point requires patience and experience. Furuya Sensei would often quote his Zen master Bishop Kenko Yamashita as saying, “Nandemo omoidori ni ikanai” which means “Nothing goes the way you want it to.” Because nothing goes the way we think or want it to, we must have patience. Seneca said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Therefore, to have luck or reach the tipping point, we must prepare ourselves by putting in the work. John Ruskin said, “The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.” The Japanese version to Ruskin’s assertion could be Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru (塵も積もれば山となる) or “Even specks of dust if piled up can become mountains.” Martial arts training is about incremental improvement and frustratingly some of those changes aren’t necessarily visible to the naked eye. Understanding this, the only thing we can do is be patient and toil on. In the martial arts and in life, when things aren’t going your way, don’t lose hope or give up. I can’t tell you when your tipping point will happen but all I can promise you is that if you patiently toil, it will happen sooner or later - I promise. The best martial artists know that nothing happens overnight and that’s why they patiently toil towards the tipping point.

Today’s goal: Don’t lose hope. Be patient and toil towards your tipping point.

Watch this video to better understand the tipping point

Be Positive

The best martial artists have positivity bias. In Japanese, Kokorogake (心掛け) is one way to say “way of thinking.” Kokoro means “heart” or “mind” and gake means “to hold.” Thus, the way we think is based upon the things that we hold in our hearts. Anais Nin said, “We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.” A normal person tends to think more negatively or be more negatively biased. Negativity bias means that “our natural tendency is to give weight to and remember negative experiences or interactions more than positive ones.” Martial artists are not normal people and so they tend to think of things in a more positive way. Don’t get me wrong, martial artists have their bad days too, but the difference is that they don’t allow themselves to wallow around in their misery and if they do, it is not for too long. To have a positive mental attitude is to have “a mental and emotional attitude that focuses on the bright side of life and one that expects positive results.” One metaphor for a positive mental attitude can be something called komorebi. Komorebi (木漏れ日), in Japanese, means the “sunlight coming in through the trees.” In the forest, when the trees darken the light of the day, we can focus on the dark or take some solace in the little rays of sunlight that are peeking through the branches. Seeing the sunlight peek through is natsukashii (懐かしい) or “nostalgic” but in this sense it means the “nice feelings” that focusing on the rays of light bring us. Martial artists strive to live their lives in the present moment by focusing more on the good rather than doomsdaying on the bad. In the Hagakure, Yamamoto Tsunetomo wrote, “There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man's whole life is a succession of moment after moment. There will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue.” Therefore, a martial artist knows that focusing on the positive things might not change the outcome, but it makes the unbearable just a little bit more bearable. In training, it is the same way. Every day in class, we are supposed to be challenging ourselves to improve. To improve, we focus on changing the minutest details of each technique which we know will influence the whole. By focusing on the small things that we can change, we are unknowingly teaching ourselves how to focus on the good and not catastrophize on the negative things which we may not be able to change. For instance, sometimes when we can’t best our partner, the only thing we can do is keep attacking. By not giving up and with every repeated attack, we learn to have heart or to have unwavering perseverance in the face of adversity. With time and experience, this mindset then carries over into our daily lives and we learn to focus on the good or the things that we can change. Henry Ford famously said, “If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.” Thus, we learn that what we choose to focus on is a choice. We can choose to see the dark or we can choose to see the sunlight. The best martial artists have positivity bias and so they always choose to see the little rays of sunlight breaking through the trees.

Today’s goal: Nothing is 100% bad. Choose to focus on the good even if it’s only 2% good.

Watch this video about fishing to better understand a positive attitude

Be Resilient

“The imperturbable mind is the secret of warfare.” - Adachi Masahiro

A good martial artist rolls with the punches. In Japanese, utarezuyoi (打たれ強い) means “to be able to take a strong hit.” Being able to take a hit is a metaphor that is intended to mean “be resilient.” In a martial arts sense, resiliency should look like indifference. We should never show any reaction to any situation or opponent because how we react gives away our intention or level of ability which our opponents will use to defeat us. One way to say, “indifferent” in Japanese is kiganai (氣がない). Kiganai translates as “no energy” but from a martial arts standpoint it is supposed to mean that our energy is not easily moved or swayed. To be swayed is to mindlessly react. A good martial artist is not easily swayed and thus always acts mindfully and appropriately. Indifference is an attitude that demonstrates to those that would intend to harm us that we are ready and thus don’t care who they are, how big they are, what they do or what the circumstances are. In Japan during the Edo period (1603 - 1867), a popular martial artist’s pun was kamawanu (鎌輪ぬ) which meant “we don’t care.” One way this pun was often displayed on a sign was with a sickle (kama), a rice bowl or chawan (wa) and the hiragana character (nu). Kamawanu was a warning to the people who would enter the dojo that we don’t care and won’t hesitate to fight you so you should be on your best behavior. Training teaches us how to be indifferent to all opponents or circumstances. For instance, in class, when we first learn to roll, we are afraid to roll, and our rolls are kind of boxy. The more we practice, the more our rolls smooth out and the more indifferent we become to doing it. Later, the better we are at rolling, the harder our opponents can throw us and we barely even think about the whole act of rolling. The same thing happens when we encounter bigger or stronger opponents or when we face multiple opponents. Understanding this, the dojo becomes a microcosm of life. In life and in the martial arts, things are going to happen, and every foe or adversity will seem bigger than life but regardless, we still have to face that adversity. The martial arts teach us to be indifferent to adversity, but that doesn’t mean to be careless. It means that, as a martial artist, we don’t care who we face because we are going to stand up regardless and standing up to adversity just becomes another day on the job. Thus, no matter how hard we are hit or who hits us, we should never show that it affects us and that is why the best martial artists roll with the punches.

Today’s goal: Whatever BS comes your way today, be indifferent and take that punch.

Watch this video to better understand resiliency

Accept Change

替えることは勇氣を持たなければなりません
Kaeru koto wa yuuki wo mota nakereba narimasen
To change you need to be brave.

The best martial artists embrace change. A martial artist has to embrace change because they know as Heraclitus once said, “The only constant in life is change.” Normal people fear change and resist it because they perceive it as being uncomfortable and scary. A martial artist isn’t a normal person and they know kaeru koto wa yuuki wo mota nakereba narimasen (替えることは勇氣を持たなければなりません) or  that “to change you need to be brave.” Martial artists know that comfort and fear are the currency that they have to pay to get the change that they want. In terms of change, there are four distinct levels in learning: shu (守), ha (破), ri (離), and myou (妙). Shu is the beginning or rote stage of learning where we precisely master the form or kihon-waza (基本技) or where we change our bodies into the art. Ha is the details stage where we break the kihon-waza into its smallest details and gain a real understanding of the technique and solidify the change. Ri is the transcendence where we lose the form entirely and are completely changed. The form does not disappear but transcends to where we can see it but in a certain way we cannot. In Buddhism they call this shikisokuzeku (色即是空) or “form is emptiness, emptiness is form.” At the end, shuhari transforms into myou which is the last stage but it really isn’t a stage but rather what ri or true mastery looks like. Myou is a person’s enlightenment. When we watch martial arts masters move, their movements seem almost supernatural or not of this world - that is myou. Myou means “wondrous” or “mysterious” where we can see that it is Aikido or Karate, but at the same time not really Aikido or Karate. For instance, in swordsmanship, we are taught to defend our centerline with a strong stance. Miyamoto Musashi’s myou can be seen in his happou biraki (八方開き) or “open on all eight sides” stance where he is seemingly completely open to attack and not defending his centerline. A normal person cannot stand with all eight sides completely open - they would get completely destroyed. To get to Musashi’s level of myou requires a lot of change. Musashi’s completely open stance is a kind of metaphor for martial artists in that to get to his level of enlightenment or change requires a certain level of vulnerability. Researcher Brene Brown said, “Vulnerability is not winning or losing; it’s having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it’s our greatest measure of courage.” Therefore, to truly change requires vulnerability and a lot of courage. We need vulnerability to trust the process and we need courage to step into the unknown. In life and in the martial arts, change is never comfortable. However, if we perceive it as painful and bad, then it will be painful and bad. If we can perceive change as being the gateway to our greatest selves, then the fear and uncomfortableness is a little bit more tolerable and manageable. The best have the courage to be open and vulnerable to the possibility of what can be and that’s why the best martial artists embrace change.

Today’s goal: When you feel the pangs of fear creep in, have courage and say to yourself, “I am open and vulnerable to the possibilities of what can be.”

Watch this video to better understand change

Value of Defeat

“Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.” - Morihei Ueshiba

The best martial artists understand the value of defeat. Most people, even seasoned practitioners, think that the martial arts are about winning and losing. However, the goal of the martial arts is not to vanquish our foes or to even win. The true goal of martial arts training is to change - change into better people. Therefore, losing is almost a necessity. In losing, we receive the two greatest gifts: humility and graciousness. We can exhibit humility and grace in winning but we cannot learn humility or grace in winning. Therefore, the only way to learn humility and grace and ultimately become a better person is to lose. Author Steven Aitchison wrote, “People change for two main reasons: either their minds have been opened or their hearts have been broken.” Understanding Aitchison’s quote, our hearts have to break in order for our minds to be opened. Interestingly, the Japanese kanji 心 is interchangeably used as either “heart” or “mind” depending on the context and lends itself to this idea of the heartbreaking creates an opening in the mind. Understanding this, the idea is that a person who has never lost will be incapable of showing true humility or true graciousness. We have to lose in order to learn the value of humility and when we have learned that then we naturally come off as being gracious. In most cases, we cannot be truly gracious without a sense of humility. When people watch Aikido or just about any other martial art, they are naturally only focused on the nage (投げ) or the one “doing the technique.” It is only human nature to focus on the hero as we identify with their dominance or confidence which we desire to have in our own lives. However, being the nage is the culmination of ability but to get there we must first focus on being the uke (受け) or the one who “receives the technique.” The reason why is because to take ukemi (受け身) or “receive the technique” is to be on the losing end of the collaboration. By taking the ukemi, we are unknowingly teaching ourselves humility as we not only accept but perfect the losing side of the partnership. In the martial arts, it is said that “winning too much is a bad habit.” Winning too often or being the nage too much is bad for us because it feeds our egos and that is why losing is so crucial to our growth in the martial arts. Perhaps that is why in the martial arts we are forced to take ukemi because to take ukemi is the physical practice of higher conscious concepts like humility, perseverance, or courage just to name a few. Someone once said, “Never let success get to your head and never let failure get to your heart.” Understanding this, winning, or losing is not really the point. In the martial arts and in life, we are all searching for a way to positively experience the ups and the downs. Losing teaches us so much more than winning but the thing which all the best martial artists are trying to really lose is their egos and that is perhaps why O’Sensei said, “Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something.” Martial artists aren’t losers, but they understand the value of defeat.

Today’s goal: Nelson Mandela once said, “I never lose. I either win or I learn.”

Watch this video featuring Denzel Washington to better understand losing

Vigilance in Victory

“When you think you’re safe is precisely when you’re most vulnerable.”
- Shimada Kambei, Seven Samurai

A good martial artist never lets their guard down. An often-quoted trope in martial arts training is that we should be “striving for balance.” The interesting thing is that we must strive for balance but never attain it. That is because to be balanced is to have “the right amount — not too much or too little — of any quality, which leads to harmony or evenness.” To be “vigilant” or youjinkengo (用心堅固) means that we “keep a careful watch for possible danger or difficulties” and to do so requires that we be ready to attack or defend at all times. Therefore, to be vigilant, we have to at least be 51% or more on the ready and if we are in a state of balance, then we are neither ready or not ready but since we are neither then we are not ready. Therefore, by definition, balance is the opposite of vigilance. An argument can be made that by being balanced or at ease, we have a better sense of clarity from which to spring from. This might be true but most of us might find complacency and mistake it for balance. Perhaps that is why we encourage people to “strive” for balance instead of advocating that they “attain” it. To be ready means to not let our guard down. In Japanese, one way to say “to let one's guard down” is ki wo yurusu (氣を許す). Ki in this sense means “mind” and yurusu means “to allow” and so it is implied that to let our guard down is to allow our minds to drift or lose focus. When I was a student and we got lazy, Furuya Sensei used to scold us by saying, “Don’t fall asleep.” Explaining this, Sensei once wrote: “We must continually be determined in our own minds and hearts to be constantly aware and on the ball. Without this strong commitment and direction in our heads, we will always be a little slow and always and always late to the draw. Eventually, when the opponent attacks and beats us and has already left, then we might even wake up!” Thus, Sensei didn’t mean to literally not fall asleep physically but to be ever vigilant and not lose focus mentally. One of my favorite quotes from the movie Seven Samurai is where Kambei says to Shichiroji, “When you think you’re safe is precisely when you’re most vulnerable.” Victories and feeling safe have a way of lulling us into complacency and all martial artists know that complacency is the road to defeat. The best opponents are willing to wait and be patient for us to fall asleep and for complacency to set in. When we lower our guards and our swords get dull, then they will attack us. A Japanese proverb that supports this idea of being ever vigilant is kattekabutonoo wo shimeyo (勝って兜の緒を締めよ) or “to tighten your helmet after a victory.” The meaning is that when we are victorious or when things are going well, we have the tendency to let our guard down and so we must be vigilant even in victory and tighten our helmets just to be safe. Understanding this, a good martial artist is ever vigilant and thus never lets their guard down.

Today’s goal: Don’t be a good victim. Always be diligent in your efforts but completely aware of your surroundings.

Watch this short video to better understand vigilance

Asking For Help

The best martial artists ask for help. There are only two types of people who don’t need help: gods and liars. Gods aren’t people and they won’t or can’t ask for help and since none of us are gods and martial artists don’t lie, then even the best at times need sukedachi (助太刀) or “help.” Sukedachi means “help” or “assistance in a fight” but it directly translates as “Help with a big sword.” This could mean that the person needs assistance with a heavy burden or needs the help of someone with a big (or strong) sword. In the old days, a martial artist never spoke about their weaknesses, shortcomings, or needs. One reason for this was because a samurai was always supposed to be proud and as such the proverb goes: “A samurai, even when he has not eaten and is hungry, uses a toothpick like a lord.” Another reason for a person to be stoic was because Japanese society adheres to a group mentality mindset where the success or harmony of the group is valued over the individual and expressing one’s individuality would be considered selfish. The martial arts reason to hide one’s shortcoming was because it was thought that if others knew of our suki (隙) or “weaknesses,” then they would tsukeiru (付け入る) or “use it to their advantage” and defeat us. This martial mindset is understandable and even warranted to some degree. However, the way a modern martial artist looks at it is that a lower caliber martial artist tries to hide their shortcomings, situation, or circumstances. At this level, hiding openings is more about embarrassment. By asking for help or allowing people to see who they really are makes us feel uncomfortable and we think that it will make us appear weak. It is said that at a high level, a martial artist has no openings. By openly displaying their shortcoming, it takes makes the weakness into a strength because they are aware and are not ashamed or scared of it. Therefore, to admit that we need help demonstrates a high level of ability because to ask for help requires a certain amount of awareness, humility, and courage. One of the things which I love to hear is the sound of people rolling before and after class. In addition to the sound, what is especially wonderful is when people are practicing their rolls and a senior student is helping them. This before and after class interaction between students is a demonstration of the health of a dojo because it is an indication of the level of mutual collaboration, trust, and dedication. A person who doesn’t trust won’t ask and a person who is not dedicated will not help. A dojo is a special place where people come to grow together but that growth will only occur if the teacher and the students work together because as Henry Ford once said, “Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask. Asking for help doesn’t show that you are weak - it shows that you have the courage and humility to ask. That is why the best martial artists ask for help.

Today’s goal: Furuya Sensei used to say, “It is better to ask and bear a moment of shame, than not to ask and endure a lifetime of ignorance.”

No Destinations

武道はあてなき旅
Budo wa atenakitabi
The martial arts are a journey without a destination.

The best martial artists know that there’s no there there. In the martial arts, it is said, budo wa atenakitabi (武道はあてなき旅)  or that “the martial arts are a journey without a destination.” Thus, there is no there that we are trying to get to. There is no destination because the martial arts journey or douchuu (道中) is about self-development not self-perfection. If we think that there’s a destination, then our minds create an end point and a predetermined amount of time to get there. When we don’t get there or don’t meet our time goal, then we are apt to quit. Also, by thinking that there’s a finish line or end point, then our minds have already created a limitation and limitations in the martial arts mean death. Miyamoto Musashi said, ”It takes 1,000 days to forge the spirit and 10,000 more days to polish it.” A day consists of working eight or more hours and so the math works out to about 30 years without a day off. Author Malcolm Gladwell asserts that it takes 10,000 hours of study for the average person to become an expert but in Japan, a person is not considered a takumi (匠) or master level craftsman until they’ve spent 60,000 hours refining their skills. That’s the equivalent of working eight hours a day for 20.5 years without a day off. Martial arts is considered a high level craft since it deals with life and death. All higher level arts require ryuuryuushinku (粒々辛苦)  or “toil.” To toil means “to work hard tirelessly” and the martial arts are all about toiling. Understanding this, every day in class, students and teachers should have a goal - something they are working on, something they are toiling on. I often ask my students, “What are you working on?” I am amazed when most don’t have a focus or something that they are trying to figure out. They think that just coming to class will make them better. They aren’t necessarily wrong as even Woody Allen once famously said that “90% of success is just showing up.” However, just relying on showing up is what normal people do. A martial artist is not a normal person and so they have to do more than just show up - they have to toil. To toil is to engage in a continual cycle of awareness, actively applying oneself (toil) and creating incremental change. Actively applying oneself means to be mindfully engaged in something to the nth degree or smallest detail. To do that, we must be mindfully working on something and not just mindlessly showing up. The greatest skill a martial artist can possess is the ability to toil and to do this we need to realize that training is a journey towards perfection but not the attainment of perfection. When we have this journey mentality, everything becomes either a lesson or a test. Lessons help us gain mastery and tests demonstrate to us where we are on our quest towards mastery. The higher we go, the more difficult the road and so the truth about life is that the quality of our lives might improve but at the same time life is only getting harder. It never gets any easier because one or all of the four undefeated opponents are always chasing us: the Grim Reaper, Mother Nature, old injuries, and Father Time. If we stop when we have arrived at a destination, then one of these opponents will catch us. That is why the best martial artists never stop because they know that there’s no there there.

Today’s goal: “If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.” - Banksy

Watch these two videos of Demetrius Johnson and his ability to never stop moving

Don’t Lose Hope

“No matter if the enemy has thousands of men, there is fulfillment in simply standing them off and being determined to cut them all down, starting from one end.” - Hagakure

The best martial artists never lose hope. Hope is defined as “an optimistic state of mind that is based on an expectation of positive outcomes.” However, hope is more than just an optimistic state, it is a feeling. Writer and musician Andy Crouch said, “Human beings can live for 40 days without food, four days without water and four minutes without air. But we cannot live for four seconds without hope.” Hope is this feeling or spark that we have inside of us that when we feel it, it drives us. One way to look at hope is that its like this power inside of us which gives us life and thus it is our touki (闘氣) or “fighting spirit.” Conversely, when we lose that feeling, we lose hope. When we reach our level of hopelessness then our minds will fall, our bodies will give up and our opponents will be able to defeat us. Interestingly, one way to say hopeless in Japanese is kainashi (甲斐なし) but when you breakdown the kanji, it means “lack of beautiful armor.” If hope is like armor, then we can cultivate it. Every martial artist’s armor has three layers of defense: body, technique, and mind. The first layer is tairyokuzukuri (体力作り) which means “to develop of physical strength and stamina.” In order for our opponents to break our fitness or our bodies, we either simply need to be out of shape or they need to push us beyond the limits of our preparation. The next level is jutsu (術) or “technical” where we develop technical ability, strength, and stamina. Typically, we think that a strong defense is built around strong technique. It is commonly thought that the better our technique, the better our defenses will be, and this is not presumably wrong, but once our fitness goes, then technical failure is not far off. The final and most important level is  tsuyoikokoro (強い心) which means to have a “strong mind” but translates as “having a strong heart.” To have “heart” in a martial sense means that someone is able to be resilient and keep fighting forward in the face of difficult or overwhelming circumstances. Every day in class, we are supposed to be challenging each other on a physical, technical, and mental level. In swordsmanship, this is referred to as kiarasoi (氣争い) or  to press one’s opponent to failure “in the spirit of mutual combat.”  The theory is that with every spirited attack that we overcome, our bodies become stronger, our technique will improve, and our minds will become more resilient. In other words, our armor improves and with it our hope or belief in ourselves grows. In the spirit of mutual combat doesn’t mean to train with malice or to be a jerk about it. Mutual means together - we make each other better. Furuya Sensei used to say, “Push them to their level and then one step further.” We train hard and our opponents push us so that when adversity does strike, our armor is strong and that’s perhaps why Archilochus said, “We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” To train is to cultivate hope and, in this sense, belief in the feeling that we are worthy enough to challenge any adversity. No matter who we are, every person has a breaking point. Understanding this, the best martial artists train themselves so that although they may fall or falter, they never lose hope.   

Today’s goal: “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” - Desmond Tutu

Attack their Ki

This article originally appeared in the Spanish language magazine El Budoka. Read the Spanish version here: El Budoka

The best martial artists attack their opponent’s Ki with their Ki.

In the 1940s, 10th Dan Kendo legend, Moriji Mochida was demonstrating Kendo in front of the Emperor of Japan during the Emperor's Cup Kendo tournament at Noma Dojo. At this demonstration, some say Mochida reached a place of enlightenment with the sword. During the match, Mochida effortlessly struck his opponent and calmly and deftly parried every one of his opponent’s aggressive attacks. It is said that Mochida’s seme (攻め) or “attacks” were almost supernatural because he seemed to lead his opponent’s attacks which caused his opponent to miss.

When we attack our opponents minds or thoughts it is called kizeme (氣攻め) or “to attack their Ki.” In swordsmanship, to understand seme, students must learn it through something called san sappo (三殺法). San sappo are “the three ways of using a sword” or “three ways to kill.” The three sappo are: ken wo korosu (剣を殺す) or “to defeat the sword,” waza wo korosu (技を殺す) or “to defeat the technique,” and ki wo korosu (氣を殺す) or “defeat the spirit.” It is obvious from this list that the first two sappo are easy to obtain because they are tangible or perceivable to the naked eye. The last sappo requires a great deal of skill brought about by a lot of practice. Each sappo seems to build upon the previous one.

To defeat our opponent’s sword, we must become one with the sword. One way to think of this is that we learn how to use the sword, and this is also where we begin to develop our cut with the sword. Here we learn how to properly grip the sword, properly swing the sword, and build up our stamina. The other day in swordsmanship class, Watanabe Sensei said, “Proper grip usually means proper posture and a balanced center which enables us to create a proper attack.”

To defeat our opponent’s technique, we must make the sword part of us. One perspective is that the sword naturally moves with the movements of our bodies. Our bodies, arms, and sword move as one unit which enables us to issue power efficiently and effectively.

The final level of combat is done in the mind. Once we have mastered the physical or how to defeat our opponent’s sword and technique, then we harden our minds. Our opponent uses their development at the first two levels to unnerve us and attack our Ki. When our minds have been overcome, this is referred to as kyo-jitsu (虚 実). Kyo-jitsu refers to one’s state of mind where we strike our opponent when we are in a faster subconscious instinctive mindset because our minds haven’t been compromised. We get led astray and get hit because our minds have been attacked and unnerved and here we are in a slower reactionary state of conscious mindset called kyo.

Ideally, when we have aligned the Ki of our bodies and our minds, then our Ki becomes unified. Then, theoretically, when we have aligned the Ki within ourselves, then we become immediately aligned with the Ki of the universe and we become enlightened just like Moriji Mochida.

Therefore, at the highest levels, the best martial artists rely more on the development of their Ki rather than their physical technique. However, understanding this, Ki is one of those concepts that is regularly misunderstood.

Ki means “life force” or “energy” and its kanji (氣) is made up of the radical for steam or breath (气) and is combined with the character komei (米) or “rice.” This explanation gives us a physical representation of the theory that Ki is “energy.” The stored energy is released in the form of steam as the rice is cooked. When I was in acupuncture school, they defined Ki as “energy about to become matter and matter about to become energy.” Both of these explanations help us to understand the word or concept of Ki but don’t help us to understand how to cultivate it or use it.

There are a lot of techniques and theories available as to how to best cultivate one’s Ki. Koichi Tohei and his devotees have a lot of Ki exercises which are designed to help us activate our Ki. It is my opinion that, at the beginning, most students use physical strength or employ biomechanics instead of actually using their Ki to make the Ki exercises work. I posit that most Ki exercises or techniques can’t actually be learned but, rather, those exercises are demonstrations of one’s Ki ability.

When I was a student, Furuya Sensei rarely ever spoke about Ki. The only times that he spoke about Ki in Aikido were at public demonstrations or at seminars. In his day to day classes, the focus was on technique development and not digesting theoretical ideas. The reason for this is because abstract theories can easily lead students astray and that Aikido is, first and foremost, a martial art. To support Furuya Sensei’s methodology, in Zen and Confucius in the Art of Swordmanship by Reinhard Kammer, the master replies, “Swordsmanship is basically the exercising of the Life Force and, therefore, at the beginning of the study the Life Force is exercised by means of technique.” Therefore, it is my understanding that one’s Ki will naturally be cultivated by just practicing kihon-waza or the basic techniques on a daily basis.

Now, with that being said, there is a time and place for everything. It is thought that a student should start to cultivate their Ki and attack their opponent’s Ki at around sandan or 3rd degree black belt. The rationale is that 3rd Dan is where we should have cultivated a certain amount of technical ability and thus the natural progression of training turns inward.

The only problem is that 3rd Dan takes about 15-20 years. In my experience, a couple of ways to speed up one’s cultivation of Ki is with meditation and breathing exercises.

Meditation enables the practitioner to still their minds. When our Ki is calm or heiki (平氣), then our minds are calm and composed. The highest teaching in Budo is equanimity. Equanimity is a type of enlightenment for martial artists because they have the ability to jitsu or act mindfully and not kyo or react mindlessly. Most don’t need more than 30 minutes a day of mediation to help cultivate their Ki.

Breathing exercises teach the practitioner to properly take in more oxygen which steadies the mind and enables the body to focus more appropriately. In Japanese, this is called kigaraku (氣が楽) or “to be at ease." The easiest breathing method is Box Breathing. First, breathe out slowly, releasing all the air from your lungs. Breathe in through your nose as you slowly count to four in your head. Hold your breath for a count of four. Exhale for another count of four. Hold your breath again for a count of four. Repeat for three to four rounds and once or twice a day to help cultivate your Ki.

Utilizing our Ki to defeat our opponent’s is the highest level in any martial arts training. Students and teachers should take care to not start this training too early as physical acquisition should be at the forefront of one’s training. Like Moriji Mochida, when we can attack our opponents Ki with our Ki, we can lead their Ki and almost dictate their movement. When we are attacking someone’s mind or Ki, it opens them up to being defeated and that’s why the best martial artists attack their opponent’s Ki with their Ki.

Movement Creates Change

Samuel Johnson, “Idleness never can secure tranquillity.”

One hidden secret of martial arts training is that movement creates change. One way that movement creates change is based upon something called borrowed discipline. If we don’t naturally have the skills, fortitude, or discipline to create change, then we can borrow what we need from our martial arts training. Every day in class, we learn all these different things while we are just practicing the techniques. On the surface, we are learning how to negotiate ourselves physically. A person strikes at us and we answer with a block, punch, or redirection. On a more deeper level, we are also learning things like perseverance, dedication, courage, and the value of hard work just to name a few. We then use them or, in a sense, borrow them from our training and use them to create better lives for ourselves. For instance, let’s say we want to build up the courage to ask someone out on a date or ask our boss for a raise. To build up the courage, every class we single out the biggest or most difficult people that we are afraid to train with. Every time we do this, it builds fortitude and courage. We then borrow the courage to conquer that fear that we learned by taking on people bigger and stronger and then use it to ask for what we want. The rationale is that scared is the same scared and courage is the same courage. The same thinking can be applied to all the things in our lives that we want to change but don’t have the skills to do so. In this way, the martial art training and its movements transform us. Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman said, “Use the body to shift the mind.” Huberman likens movement to a mechanical system which spreads the chemicals that are released in our brains when we move, and those chemicals or hormones enable us to change our minds and our moods. In Aikido, we are trying to achieve something similar in our movement which is called ki no nagare (氣の流れ) or “the flow of ki.” When our ki is flowing, we are healthy or genki (元氣). When our ki is not flowing, we are “unhealthy” or byouki (病氣). The flow of ki is an actual thing but it is also a metaphor. By moving our bodies, we have the potential to move our ki which in turn shifts our minds and enables us to create change. If you want to change something, change it first in the dojo. Then borrow that discipline and make changes in your regular life. Understanding this, the best martial artists know that movement creates change.

Today’s goal: If you want to change something about yourself, move your body to move your mind.

Watch Andrew Huberman discuss movement

Be a Role Model

花は桜木人は武士
Hana wa sakura gi hito wa bushi
Sakura among flowers, warriors among men.

On April 24th, the legendary martial artist, Fumio Demura Sensei passed away (9/15/38 - 4/24/23).

The best martial artist is someone to look up to. To be a paragon or someone to look up to in Japanese is bushinokagami (武士の鑑). Bushinokagami translates as “warrior mirror.” Understanding this, the best martial artists act as a mirror and reflect back on others a better version of themselves. Demura Sensei and Furuya Sensei were very good friends for many decades. Most people think that practitioners of different styles of martial arts would be rivals, but at the highest level, there is nothing but respect. However, here’s a story about the time that Demura Sensei defeated Furuya Sensei. For about two decades, Furuya Sensei used to organize martial arts demonstrations in the Japanese American community and invited Demura Sensei’s group to demonstrate Karate. One year, Furuya Sensei organized a huge formal demonstration at the now Aratani Theatre in Little Tokyo and invited Demura Sensei to demonstrate. At one point during the performance, our two groups met backstage. To the uninitiated, it might have looked like the beginning of some sort of gang fight as our two groups met face-to-face as we passed each other just before Demura Sensei was about to go on. Furuya Sensei walked up to Demura Sensei and formally greeted him. We all stood behind Furuya Sensei and Demura Sensei’s students all stood behind him. As they talked, Demura Sensei ever so slightly turned his head and in the most quiet and subtle way said something that I think was, “chairs.” Immediately, all Demura Sensei’s students quietly ran off in different directions. In response, Furuya Sensei turned to us with a gritted teeth smile and angrily said, “get some chairs” and we all loudly and chaotically ran off in search of chairs. In what seemed like forever, everyone was searching for chairs in the crowded backstage area filled with theatre equipment. Comically, all the students came running back all at once holding chairs or something to sit on. No sooner than we all arrived, they both bowed to each other and just walked away. Dumbfounded, all the Karate and Aikido students just stood there holding their chairs with sheepish grins. I was the last one to return with my chair and I ran up to Furuya Sensei gasping for air and said, “I got a chair.” Sensei walked past me and angrily said, “Put it back!” Later that day, Sensei chided us on our poor performance and said, “Man, you guys have to be more on the ball like Demura Sensei’s students.” By the way Sensei said that and the look on his face, it was clear that he admired Demura Sensei, but it was also clear that he was bested. Over the next two decades we demonstrated with Demura Sensei many times and Sensei always used Demura Sensei’s demonstration as the example of how to demonstrate well. The misconception is that the martial arts are about winning and losing or developing the physical skill to dominate others. This might be true at the superficial or beginner’s level. However, at its highest level, the true measure of one’s prowess is that in their presence, they make you want to be a better person. Most people don’t know that the Mr. Miyagi character in the Karate Kid film franchise is based upon Demura Sensei. The Mr. Miyagi character or Demura Sensei has gone on to influence several generations of martial artists and martial arts teachers. To reach this level, dictates the true greatness of Demura Sensei. Demura Sensei will forever be the example of what it means to be a great martial artist and a great teacher. He was truly a warrior among men.

Today’s goal: Be someone that is worthy of being a role model.

Watch the trailer from The Real Miyagi the documentary about Fumio Demura’s life

Down-to-Earth

I am saddened to hear that Sifu Harry Wong has passed away.

The best martial artists are down-to-earth. When a person is kind, unassuming, and friendly, we call them “down-to-earth.” In Japanese, hanashinowakaru (話の分かる) means "down to earth” but it translates as “share time.” Therefore, a person who takes the time to share a moment with you could be considered down-to-earth. In the world of martial arts, it is easy to get a big ego and step on others especially when we are skillful or popular. Malcolm Forbes once said, “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” Recently, I learned that Sifu Harry Wong passed away. Harry Wong was a long-time friend of my teacher, Rev. Kensho Furuya. When I was a student, he would often drop by the dojo to bring Sensei gifts and hang out with him. Regardless of martial art styles, the two of them shared a mutual admiration of one another. As students, we could see Sensei’s fondness for Harry because Sensei would address him by his first name even though he was a high-level instructor. Conversely, Harry was unpretentious and always showed Sensei respect by addressing him as “sensei.” I don’t know how they addressed each other in private, but I think Harry called him “sensei” in front of us so as to not usurp Sensei in front of his students. Sometimes they would watch class and other times I would hear them talking or watching TV in Sensei’s office. Harry was around so much that he was almost like family, so we just knew him as “Harry” and not Sifu Wong. I just remember that he was just this super cool Kung-fu teacher who dropped by to see Sensei. He would often come to our Christmas parties and was always nice and approachable. One year, I messed up something with the gift exchange and Sensei got mad at me in front of everyone. When I came back to the table, Harry patted me on the back and said, “Don’t let it get you down, man.” Sensei could be kind of strict and seemed very stoic, yet Harry and Sensei often teased each other. He was one of those guys that could make Sensei laugh and was one of the few people that could get Sensei to break character. After Sensei died, Harry would drop me a line from time to time that just said, “just thinking about you” but I hadn’t seen him in 15 years. Honestly, I can say that I didn’t really know Harry, but he knew me. Last year, Harry nominated me for the David Chow Humanitarian award and when we spoke, he said, “I believe in you.” I was taken back because he was a well-known Kung-fu teacher and Sensei’s friend, and I felt like a nobody. The last time I saw Harry was March 4th when he showed up at Sensei’s gravesite for Sensei’s memorial service. He said, “I have come here several times, but can’t find Sensei’s grave.” Sensei died 16 years ago. Harry didn’t have to visit Sensei’s grave but because he did and that showed what kind of person he was. It is true that “You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” From what I have read on the internet, I wasn’t the only one Harry touched. Harry was a martial artist among martial artists and each of us should work hard to be great but still strive to be down-to-earth like Harry. Rest in peace, Harry!

Today’s goal: Do something for someone who can do nothing for you.

Watch this video from Harry’s Dynamic Strength DVD

Be Generous

The best martial artists are generous sometimes to a fault. Generosity means “showing a readiness to give more of something, as money or time, than is strictly necessary or expected.” Ninkyou (任侠) or “generosity” is the one samurai quality that is rarely talk about because it is a given. Remember in the Hagakure, it states, “If a warrior is not unattached to life and death, he will be of no use whatsoever.” What that means is that a samurai generously offers up their most prized possession - their life. Therefore, the samurai is generous to a fault which means that they will give themselves 100% “even if it means that it brings them harm or discomfort.” A samurai’s generosity is true generosity because it comes without the desire for reward. This samurai generosity is carried over into the martial arts. Most don’t realize that a traditional martial art runs on generosity and I don’t mean from a financial point of view. In a traditional dojo, the teacher is supposed to give 100% of themselves to the development of the student and to the proliferation of the art. For instance, the teacher is always supposed to arrive earlier than the students and is supposed to prepare the space and create an environment that will optimize the student’s development. Teaching the class is the tip of the iceberg and few people see exactly what the teacher does in order to create the opportunity for the students to learn. From the standpoint of the student, it might seem as if their only job is to show up and learn. On a certain level that is true, but the student is also supposed to give 100% of themselves. Like a samurai, a student is supposed to learn how to be generous with their prized possession. Each day in class, students “give” their bodies so that other people may reach the pinnacle in their training. This generosity is given at their own risk and so it should not be abused or taken lightly by the teacher or the other training partners. The founder of Kyokushin Karate, Mas Oyama once said, “Personal greed and egoism are things that cause human beings to forget respect for others and violate rules that have been established for the sake of peace and friendship.” Understanding this, a true martial artist respects the generosity of others and never takes advantage of their kindness and is in turn generous sometimes to a fault themselves. In addition to meaning generosity, ninkyou also means “helping the weak and fighting the strong.” Therefore, the practice of generosity prepares us for the ultimate sacrifice of giving ourselves in service of others and that’s why in budo, they say, “Living is hard, dying is easy.” In the martial arts and in life, to be the best is to work tirelessly in the service of others and that’s why the best martial artists are oftentimes generous to a fault.

Today’s goal: Just one time, go out of your way to help someone else. Tomorrow, wash, rinse, and repeat.

Watch this video to better understand the value of generosity.

Be Formidable

一寸の虫にも五分の魂
Issunnomushinimogobunotamashii
Even a tiny bug will defend itself. - Proverb

A good martial artist is formidable. Formidable is defined as, “To be strong and powerful and, therefore, difficult to deal with if opposed to you.” In Japanese, one way to say, “formidable” is tegowai (手強い) which can also mean “difficult, tough, redoubtable or stubborn.” Interestingly, tegowai literally translates as “strong hand” which suggests that someone formidable has a certain amount of physical power or prowess. Every person has jiriki (自力) or “self-power.” The problem is that most people don’t realize that they have power or don’t know how to tap into it. Martial arts training is one way to release or harness our power. One of the first things that happens when a person starts martial arts training is that they unknowingly hold their breath. This is what makes them tire out or hyperventilate. We hold our breath because it is a biological response that happens automatically because of stress, worry, or fear. Therefore, one of the first things we learn in martial arts training, most times unknowingly, is how to control our breathing. All martial arts movements are based upon kata (型) or “predetermined movements.” All kata movements are timed with inhales and exhales. Holding our breath or breathing in or out at the wrong time causes us to become winded faster and skews our thinking. When we breathe properly, it intentionally calms our nervous system which in turn impacts our heart rate, blood pressure, stress response and immunity. In sword class the other day, Watanabe Sensei said, “When your shoulders sit, the technique has entered your body.” This was interesting because in order to breathe properly, we must be relaxed with the proper posture. So, when the technique “enters” our bodies that means that we have stopped holding our breath and at the same time, we can start to control it as well. Being able to control our breathing enables us to control our minds and our response to adversity. Formidable can be translated as “strong hand” but that doesn’t mean indestructible because formidableness is really a mindset. The formidable mindset doesn’t mean that adversity doesn’t scare us, but rather that we are game to challenge adversity rather than cower from it. In training, it is a really interesting shift when a person finds their power - you can actually see a shift in the way a person walks and carries themselves. The Japanese say, “issunnomushinimogobunotamashii” (一寸の虫にも五分の魂) or that “even the weakest and smallest beings have their own wills, so do not make light of them.” Every person has power and it is the goal in every person’s life to find it. In the martial arts and in life, when a person finds their power, they will become a force to reckoned with. A good martial artist has found their power and that is why they are formidable.

Today’s goal: When things get tough, grit your teeth, furrow your brow, and say to yourself, “I am formidable.”

Watch this video to better understand breathing and mental power.

Learn to Say Nothing

雉も鳴かずば撃たれまい
Kijimonakazubautaremai
The pheasant would not be shot but for its cries.  - Proverb

The best martial artist learns to say nothing. To say nothing is a skill. Most talking is meaningless and is usually an attempt to manipulate, influence, shore ourselves up, or fill an otherwise uncomfortable silence. Martial artists understand this and thus train themselves to say nothing. As martial artists, we are supposed to be trying to find a place in our training in which we are seijaku (静寂) or “quiet.” This stillness is a place void of pretension, grandiosity, and fakeness. In class, students and teachers alike are supposed to be quieting not only their movements, but their minds as well. To quiet one’s movement doesn’t mean move quieter. To quiet one’s movement is to iron out all the extraneous nuances and wasted movements in our techniques. These movement affectations are what our opponents will exploit in order to defeat us. In Japanese, they say kijimonakazubautaremai (雉も鳴かずば撃たれまい) which means “to avoiding unnecessary talk can prevent disaster” but this proverb literally translates as “The pheasant would not be shot but for its cries.” To quiet one’s mind is to smooth out the constant inner chatter. This includes negative self-talk, self-doubt, or any other distracting banter that might be going on in our minds. A quiet mind is a mind that is calm and composed. Typically, when our minds are quiet, then there is no need to engage in meaningless talking because we no longer need to manipulate, influence, shore ourselves up, or fill the uncomfortable silence. Silence in this case is a measure of our aptitude. The philosopher Lao Tzu said, “Those who know do not speak. Those who speak do not know.” Quietness has a sort of gravitas to it in mind and movement. From a swordsmanship standpoint, this quietness can be referred to as seichu no do, do chu no sei (靜中動 動中靜) or “movement in calmness, calmness in movement.” Furuya Sensei commented on this by writing, “This calmness does not come from a mental other-worldliness or from a psychological denial of what's going on around yourself. It is a calmness which is derived from complete training which allows you to think and move freely at will.” Creating calmness within ourselves creates the ability to be comfortable and capable with saying nothing. By saying nothing, when we do say something, we open the door to saying something profound or meaningful which would obviously demonstrate our true level. The best martial artists are supposed to have restraint and thus train themselves to say nothing.

Today’s goal: Think before you speak and ask yourself, “Should I say nothing?”

Photo credit: https://www.artstation.com/davidbenzal

Watch this video to better understand silence.

The Ripple Effect

“The undisturbed mind is like a calm body of water reflecting the brilliance of the moon. Empty the mind and you will realize the undisturbed mind.” Yagyu Jubei

The best martial artists understand the ripple effect. Martial artists recognize that every action carries consequences and repercussions. While ordinary people may struggle to see beyond their immediate needs and self-interest, martial artists stand apart in their understanding of the ripple effect or hakyuukouka (波及効果). The ripple effect occurs “when there’s an initial disturbance to a system which propagates outward to disturb an increasingly larger portion of the system, like ripples expanding across the water when an object is dropped into it.” With this understanding, a skilled martial artist remains mindful of their words, actions, and thoughts, knowing that positivity fosters positivity and negativity breeds negativity. There is a tendency for people to bring the outside world into the dojo so that they can “workout” their frustrations physically. On a superficial level, this is harmless as they work it out on someone or something. The problem with doing it in a dojo is that we are working it out on others and so our actions can have repercussions. For instance, let's say we crank someone’s wrist a little too hard as we are getting out our frustrations. Afterwards, that person resents us and wants their revenge - first repercussion. Later that night, our partner can’t sleep because their wrist hurts - second repercussion. The next morning, they are grumpy and yell at their spouse or kids - third repercussion. That afternoon, they can’t type well because their wrist is injured, and they are also tired from not sleeping the night before and they screw up a big presentation - fourth repercussion. After talking with their spouse about it, they realize that martial arts training is impacting them negatively and decide to quit - fifth repercussion. This ripple keeps going on and on and it all began with our decision to let out our frustrations in the dojo. Conversely, let's say we don’t try to take out our frustrations on others and just have the intention to train hard and have a good class. This intention has a positive ripple effect and creates positive repercussions like camaraderie, weight loss, or any other benefit from exercise and is compounded by nobody quitting. The ripples that we create go unseen and reach farther than we will ever know. The difference between a normal person and a martial artist is that a martial artist is aware that their actions have consequences and repercussions. Understanding this, a martial artist tries their best to mind their actions, choices, and words so as to minimize their negative impact on others. In everything we do in the martial arts and in life, we must be mindful that we have the power to affect the lives of everyone around us. None of us exists in a vacuum and, like dropping a pebble in a pond, everything we do has consequences and repercussions.

Today’s goal: Be mindful because you have the power to make someone’s life better.

Watch this video to better understand the ripple effect

Start From Zero

満は損を招く
Man wa son wo maneku
Arrogance leads to downfall.  - Proverb

The best martial artists cultivate a Zero-based mindset. It is often thought that nurumayu (微温湯) or “complacency” is the martial artists greatest opponent but the true villain is kyoman (驕慢) or “arrogance.” Interestingly, the word kyoman is made up of the two kanji for “pride” and “laziness.” Understanding this, martial artists know that arrogance leads to complacency and complacency ushers in defeat. Sometimes, this arrogance is subtle and not always overt but is just something that unknowingly creeps in over time. This possibly happens because of the unspoken fact that most martial artists will never have to use the skills that they cultivate. Therefore, a martial artist assiduously trains for an inevitability that will most likely never happen. Sometimes, once we realize that the inevitable is never going to happen, we unknowingly contract subtle arrogance. Subtle arrogance is not really an overt arrogance which is focused on being better than others but rather an arrogance that creates complacency because we stop improving ourselves because we become used to thinking that we are “so far ahead” of everyone else. Realizing that this subtle arrogance could happen, the good martial artist creates constructs to circumvent it. One strategy is to have a Zero-based mindset. A Zero-based mindset is the habit of waking up every day thinking that we are at zero and must re-build ourselves regardless of what we achieved in the past. In Buddhism, this could be known as shoshin (初心) or “the beginner’s mindset.” Regardless of what we call it, this mindset is a forced humility of sorts where we pretend to be starting at nothing. This mentality keeps us hungry and helps to enable us to put in the work. The problem with a Zero-based mindset is that it can come from a dark place because the easiest way to create this mindset is to think that we have to work because we are “loser” with a victim based mentality. Thinking you are a loser is problematic because it can become habit forming and detrimental over time. Martial artists aren’t victims and so everything has to be done from a place of positivity where curiosity and wonderment are paramount. With this curious mindset we think, “I wonder how far I can go?” This enables us to focus more on starting from zero than being zero. In Japanese, ryoutounoinoko (遼東の豕) means “to take pride in something mundane” but the literal translation is “to be so ignorant of the outside world that we think that we are one-in-a-million when we really are more like one-in-five.” That’s the rub, we have to think that we are one-in-a-million so that we can take pride in the everyday mundaneness of continuous training for an inevitability which may never come. In the martial arts, arrogance is the presumption that once we achieve a certain level and are good that we will always be good and we can agura wo kaku (胡座をかく) or “rest on our laurels.” To rest on our laurels is “to be so satisfied with what one has already achieved that one makes no further effort.” Martial artists never rest on their laurels and that’s why the best martial artists cultivate a Zero-based mindset.

Today’s goal: William Pollard said, “The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.”

Watch this short video of Jocko Willink talking about Zero mindset

Throwback Thursday - The Tiger's Back

Throwback Thursday - The Tiger's Back

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on December 5, 2003

Quite a few years ago, one student approached me and said that he wanted to begin Zen sitting so I sent him to the nearby Zen temple telling him to go there and ask to join their Zen sitting group. A few days later, in practice, he didn't say anything, so I asked how he liked joining their group.

He said, "I didn't like it at all. When I said I was interested in Zen sitting, the priest was very nice. But when I told him that I also studied Aikido, he frowned and said that Aikido was no good and that I should quit. I was very angry and insulted at his words, so I just left and never joined them.

I told my student that this is very odd behavior and that I will go to the temple and ask the same question and see what happens. I knew that there was a new priest there, but I didn't have the chance to meet him yet.

I went and met the new priest and also told him, "I want to join your Zen study group and I practice Aikido in the nearby dojo.” He said exactly the same thing, "Aikido is no good, you better quit and just do Zen sitting!” I smiled at him and said, "Ok, I will go back and quit Aikido at once.” "No, no!" the priest cried out, "don't quit! I was just kidding you. Usually, when I meet martial artists, they are very arrogant, so I just wanted to test your mind! I apologize!"

After we introduced each other, we began to laugh. It is such a small world. This new priest was also formerly an Aikido teacher. He was first called to the Boston area to teach Aikido on the recommendation of Nobuyoshi Tamura Sensei of France at the Macrobiotic Institute in those days. But after a while when this young priest returned to Japan on personal business, he met a Zen priest and quickly entered a temple where he stayed for several years in training. In order to replace him, Tamura Sensei recommended the wonderful, more highly qualified Mitsunari Kanai Sensei. I met Kanai Sensei in 1968 while I was going to school in Cambridge. Such a small world.

In Zen, often such dialogues take place. It is always easy to get offended if we hold too much pride within ourselves or are too rigid in our thinking. Usually, priests are just challenging each other’s practice or level of training. Someone once said that asking a Zen master a question is like jumping on a sleeping tiger's back. Easy to get on, but hard to escape after!

Watch Volume 1 of Furuya Sensei's The Art of Aikido video series