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.

Conquer The Mind

The best Aikidoists strive to conquer their minds.

The real battleground is within. However, this field of battle cannot be accessed directly. In order to reach this playing field, we have to reach a higher level of self-development and have also gained a necessary amount of self-discipline. On this battleground we get to engage our truest enemy - the self.

In Aikido, we are trying to get to this place that Furuya Sensei called kokoro no yoyuu (心の余裕 ). Kokoro means “heart” or “mind” and yoyuu translates as “space" but is intended to mean “calmness” or “composure.” Kokoro no yoyuu is this state where our minds are unencumbered and as such can move without burden. Our minds get in the way of our movement because as someone once said, “Every action begins with a thought.” Ideally, if our minds are free, our movements will be free too.

When talking about kokoro no yoyuu, Furuya Sensei wrote, “One must develop the physical technique but only through constant training and experience can one develop the proper frame of mind or kokoro no yoyuu to have this ‘mental space’ that allows us to go as we please, freely and unhampered. This does not mean being mentally lazy or asleep, this is having an active, alert mind which is actually moving so fast, freely and spontaneously that it appears that it was very relaxed and easy all along.”

In not only Aikido, but in every aspect of our lives, we all want to move with a sense of lightness where we are not encumbered by our thoughts or emotions. Perhaps that is why Aristotle said, “Through discipline comes freedom.”

Getting to this place begins with the littlest acts of self-discipline. With every obstacle overcome, the self-discipline to do so begins to build upon themselves. As our self-discipline gets bigger, we get to engage bigger and bigger opponents. On the mat, the smallest act might have been just being disciplined enough to show up. A little larger act might be having the courage to not shy away from a bigger or stronger opponent. By the way, courage is nothing more than exercising discipline in the moment when we are afraid and want to give up, back down or give into our smaller selves.

The best Aikidoists know there will be no greater foe to face than the self. The self knows all of our weaknesses and how to get around all of our strengths. 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 a battlefield.” ’O’Sensei also understood this and that’s why he believed in masakatsu agatsu (正勝吾勝) or “the true victory is self-victory.”

Our greatest victory lies not in defeating others but in knowing and mastering the self. The real battleground is within and thus the best Aikidoists strive to conquer the mind.

Today’s goal: Remember, as David Foster Wallace once said, “Your mind is an excellent servant, but a terrible master.”

Be Elusive

“To cut a man with a single blow is easy. To avoid being cut by a man is difficult.” - Yagyu Munenori

The best Aikidoists strive to be elusive.

To be elusive means to be “difficult to find, catch, or achieve.” One way to say “elusive” in Japanese is shutsubotsujizai (出没自在) which directly translates as “to appear and disappear at will.”

It is said that the “early bird gets the worm.” For the most part this is true. If we can get a head start on our opponents or our goals, then there is a higher likelihood that we will be successful. Thus, we seem elusive. Conversely, the normal everyday opponent won’t put in any more work than is necessary in that particular moment. The true opponent or enemy wakes up early or stays late, labors with us in mind, and is strategizing so that they can get out ahead of us.

Elusiveness can be both physical and mental. In Aikido, physical elusiveness begins with footwork or more specifically how we move our feet. One skill we are trying to develop in our Aikido training is to be light-footed or “to be able to step or move quietly.” This is different from being able to sneak up on someone or tiptoeing. Being light-footed is to be able to move quietly with a sense of smoothness, and calmness while still moving powerfully. One way we teach ourselves this is when we move in to strike or grab, and we don’t allow our foot to stomp or make an audible noise. This noise is the tell-tale sign that the person either leaped when attacking or that they are too heavy-footed when they move. There is a saying, “heavy foot, slow foot.” If we can lighten our feet, we should be able to speed up our feet and thus attack faster, dictate the spacing, and attack with better timing.

Mental elusiveness has its roots in the physical. A person who is ashigaomoi (足が重い)  or “heavy-footed” is also a person who is “slow,” “indecisive” or “reluctant.” Regardless of the word we use, that person is a step or so behind and thus the timing and the spacing could be off when they engage their opponent. Another way of saying “elusive” is kaisoku (快足) or “being quick on one's feet” which people use to say that someone reacts quickly.

When we think of this idea of elusiveness and “appearing and disappearing at will,” what elusive means is that we get to dictate the terms of the engagement. We seemingly disappear because we are so far ahead or prepared that the opponent can’t see us. We only appear when we want to engage. Our elusiveness enables us to set the tone and put our opponents on the defensive.

Being elusive is nothing more than spending the time and energy to prepare. The Greek philosopher Archilochus said, “We don't rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.” The more we prepare in Aikido and in life, the harder we are to beat. Elusive is not so much about being able to dodge but in being so well prepared that the early bird gets the worm. Anyone at any given time can be beat, but to beat a good Aikidoist, you will have to catch up to them first.

Today’s goal: Don’t forget: “We don't rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.”

Watch this video to understand why waking up early is important

Keep Your Cool

“If you think you're enlightened, go spend a week with your family.” - Ram Dass

Aikido is grace under pressure. In Japanese this is called juuatsu no moto de no kedakasa (重圧のもとでの氣高さ) or “nobility under pressure.” I gather that nobility in this sense means to demonstrate one’s character in the face of adversity.

To me, it is so interesting to watch a new student’s reaction to being strongly grabbed or struck for the first time. It runs the gambit between being stiff or becoming overly passive. Even more interesting is when they have to become the attacker and either become super aggressive and grab on for dear life or grab so lightly that you would think they were holding a flower. It is not right or wrong; it is just the beginning. To name just a few of the factors, how we react, or act is a mixture of how we were brought up, the things that we believe, and our past experiences.

Regardless of how we initially react or attack, one of the milestones that we are trying to achieve in our training is to be calm when someone attacks us. Calmness is not passive nor is it aggressive. True calmness is the outer representation of our inner being. Ernest Hemingway when writing about courage called it “grace under pressure.” Grace under pressure is often defined as “To remain composed and in control of your demeanor when faced with challenging situations.” In swordsmanship, this could be referred to as seichu no do, do chu no sei (靜中動 動中靜) or “movement in calmness, calmness in movement.”

Most martial arts are active or “offensive” and begin with how to initiate offense or aggression by teaching their students how to wield their arms or legs. Others are seemingly more passive or “defensive.” This feels more counter punching-esque where students are taught how to fend off attacks after the moment of contact. Aikido is neither. Aikido is proactive and combines both offense and defense. Aikidoists move in on their opponents like a person who employs a striking art but not with the goal of striking. Aikido is not counter punching either and waiting to be attacked. Upon engaging an opponent and after the moment of contact, the Aikidoist redirects their attacker’s attack and changes the orientation of the power of the attack into a pin, throw, or joint lock. To take it a step further, the Aikidoist’s mindset is not centered around harm either.

The rub is that in order for an Aikidoist to be “effective” and initiate movement and redirect their opponent’s attack, they have to be able to be calm. How long does movement in calmness, calmness in movement take? I’ve seen people attain it by 3rd kyu while I have seen others not achieve it until 3rd dan. I imagine that it “takes as long as it takes” because of the factors that go into how we have been conditioned to react or act and thus calmness comes when calmness comes.

As we begin the holiday season in the US, it is helpful to remember the poignant words by Ram Dass: “If you think you're enlightened, go spend a week with your family.” When we spend time with family, we tend to fall into our old familial roles that have their old family dynamics. Ram Dass’ words are so true and thus we learn that everything in life is either a test or lesson. Regardless of what happens to us, the most important thing is that we never lose our cool and thus Aikido is grace under pressure.

Today’s goal: Don’t lose your cool. Remember, everything is either a test or lesson.

Watch this video on staying calm under pressure

Focus

Happy Birthday, Gary!

Aiki Dojo Message - Focus

The best Aikidoists learn to focus.

In Japanese, “to focus one’s attention” is chuuryoku (注力). Chuu means “to concentrate” and ryoku means “power.” Understanding this, one could theorize that focusing our attention is to concentrate our power.

Learning Aikido can be hard. There are a lot of moving parts on many different levels. On any given technique, we can concentrate our focus on larger ideas like the physical, technical, mental, emotional or spiritual, but we can also look down to the smallest detail at things like footwork, breathing, or self-talk to name just a few.

Sports psychologist Dr. Richard Schmidt said something to the effect that it takes 300-500 repetitions to develop a new skill and about 3000-5000 repetitions to correct a bad habit. If Schmidt is correct, then the more we focus on the right thing, the more efficiently we can learn. Mirroring this, when talking about learning, Furuya Sensei said, “You can’t just dig anywhere, you have to dig in the right place.”

Since there are a lot of things going on. Students have to learn to not just focus for the sake of focusing but also learn to focus on the right things. In order to have the power of focusing our concentration, students must learn “to watch intently” or mitsumeru (見つめる), “listen intently” or kikikomu (聴き込む), and kimochi wo hikishimeru (氣持ちを引き締める) or “focus our minds.” Seems obvious but like all simple things, they are hard to do.

The ardent student of Aikido should start by focusing their concentration physically. The physical is where we learn “how” to focus. Learning to see begins with being able to differentiate the techniques and then the details of the techniques. Here we learn to bear down and weed out the things which are not pertinent. Students should first ask themselves if they know what technique is being taught. Later, they ask themselves questions like, “What are my feet supposed to be doing?” Or “What are arms and shoulders doing?” That is why it is important for teachers to focus their teaching on the basics and doing the same techniques repeatedly. The more our eyes see the sameness, the more it begins to learn pattern recognition and seeing one thing over another.

Learning to hear is harder because our minds are talking at the same time. When we can turn off the mental chatter, we can actually hear what is being said instead of the inner dialogues of our minds. Teachers help by cueing with short words which prompt the students’ movement. These cues are what students learn to focus their hearing on.

Learning to focus our minds is a function of both seeing and hearing. Once we can focus our eyes and ears, our minds are not far behind. After technical mastery, we then go inward and try to see where our minds go when we do the technique. Do we talk to ourselves in a positive and kind way especially when we make a mistake? Do we find ourselves getting angry, frustrated, or judgmental? All of these are clues to our true mental state. Thus, the first thing to change is our mental state and that begins by realizing that this is going on. Then we spend Schmidt’s 5000 repetitions on changing it.

The game of life is about figuring out who you are, why you are here, and where you want to go. Learning in this sense is not about accumulation but about paring down to reveal the true you. In Aikido, we learn to focus on not only what is necessary but what it is we truly want - inner peace. Anyone can learn movement, but only the best can  focus their minds. That is why the best Aikidoists learn to focus.

Today’s goal: Don’t get distracted. Focus on what it is that you really want.

Watch this video spoof on the Karate Kid to better understand how to learn.

Fall Back Friday - Times Flies!

Aiki Dojo Message: Fall Back Friday - Times Flies!

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on February 2, 2004.

Oh, how time flies! It is really not pleasant, I think, to think about the passing of time and how we get older and how things change - it is often kind of sad. Yet, we should always keep this in mind so that we don’t waste time.

We do waste so much time even though we go around to everyone complaining, "I am so busy, I am so busy!"

My Zen teacher used to say, "We waste 85% of our lives doing meaningless and frivolous things!" He also said, "We always think we are in control of our lives, but most of the time, we are just pulled back and forth, here and there, by so many people around us and so many circumstances in our lives so beyond our own control." When I think about this, how true it is!

Do not waste time. Every moment is needed to attain your enlightenment!

There is an old Chinese saying, "Even ten thousand pieces of gold cannot buy back one lost moment." How true this is!

In Aikido, always practice like there is no tomorrow. When you see your friends or classmates, always treat them like you will never see them again forever. When you do your work, always think that this is the only time you will ever be able to enjoy being useful

Do not think about your death, it is too depressing to keep this in your mind and it is not a healthy way to develop yourself. But always keep your death in front of you, like a true samurai warrior, and you won’t even waste one minute ever again! Please understand this well and think about this seriously!

A Blink of The Eye

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the September 1st edition of El Budoka magazine. Click here to read the Spanish version: En Un Abrir Y Cerrar De Ojos

A Blink of The Eye

Often times during the Sengoku period of civil wars in Japan, invading armies would take over towns. In one town, all the villagers fled before the army arrived except for a Zen priest. Curious, the general of the army paid him a visit. Upon meeting, the Zen priest, paid the famous and feared general no more respect than usual and didn’t seem to look at him at all. In anger, the general reached for his sword and said, “You fool, don’t you realize that the man in front of you could run you through without blinking an eye!” Unmoved, the Zen priest calmly replied, “Don’t you realize that the person before you can be run through without blinking an eye?” Impressed, the general withdrew his troops and spared the town.

The reason why the general was impressed was because the story demonstrated the priest’s willingness to be unmoved by the threat of attack. The priest’s statement showed that “the eyes are the true index of the heart” or mewa kuchi hodo mono wo iu (目は口ほどに物を言う). Understanding this, the general knew that the priest was someone that should be revered rather than destroyed.

In Japanese swordsmanship, the eyes are an important aspect that needs to be developed. In Kendo, the neutral stance is referred to as seigan no kamae (正眼の構) which commonly translates as“correct eye stance” but most think it means “to aim at the eyes.” On a certain level it does, because aiming at the eyes is a psychological trick used an attempt to overwhelm the opponent. However, to efficiently aim at the eyes, we also have to not look into their eyes.

In the old days, they used to say, “Never stare into your opponent’s eyes.” The reason was because it was thought that an opponent could hypnotize us with their eyes. This so called hypnotism would cause us to lose focus for a split second and miss the opponents advancement or attack.

There is some truth to not staring. Hardening our eyes as we stare causes our eyes to dry out which causes us to blink. Blinking is a natural reflex which our body does unconsciously to keep our eyes lubricated. It is thought that an average blink lasts somewhere between 0.10 and 0.40 seconds. In modern sports performance, it is thought that conscious movement happens somewhere around 0.20 seconds and subconscious movement can be as fast as 0.08 seconds. Thus, a person who has trained reactions could attack us within the interval of a blink of the eye.

This begs the question, “Where should we look?” However, the question isn’t where should we look but rather how we should be looking.

In swordsmanship there is something called enzan no metsuke (遠山の目付) or “Looking at a distant mountain.” If we only look at what is in front of us like hands or weapons, then we can be tricked with feigns, tricks, or misdirections. To achieve enzan no metsuke, we have to unfocus our eyes so that we can “see” the entire mountain. When we unfocus our eyes, our eyes become wider and our eyes are able to pick up movement more efficiently.

In the eye there are cones and rods. Cones are sensitive to color and are needed for sharper vision. Rods are sensitive to movement and changes in brightness. The retina covers the entire back of the eye and has more rods than cones. In the center of the eye, where the fovea is, there are more cones than rods. When we unfocus our eyes, our eyes widen exposing more rods. It is thought that information from our peripheral vision is processed about 25% faster than information received from our focused vision. In self-defense situations, Furuya Sensei advised us to turn our heads slightly to one side or situate our bodies at angle to our opponents. Doing this, exposes more of the retina and enables us to pick up movement faster which will hopefully give us an advantage when we are being attacked.

Another thing that naturally happens when we unfocus our eyes is that it causes our minds to lower into a subconscious state. Here, as stated before, being in a subconscious state enables us to be around 0.12 seconds faster in reaction time. Getting into a subconscious state allows our minds to act mindfully and appropriately without being held back by judgement, tricks, or emotion.

In the old days, it was thought that a good swordsman had superhuman powers like tengentsuu (天眼通) or “clairvoyance” because they could sense an opponent’s attack. However, tengentsuu might mean “clairvoyance” but it is just a skill. In sports performance, this seemingly clairvoyance is merely the link between the eyes, subconscious states, and athletic performance which is called quiet eye. When athletes are “in the zone”, they are often accessing their peripheral awareness which allows them to see and react quicker than usual. The quiet eye is not only about where or how the player is looking but also how they process information. In a 2015 article in the Atlantic, David Kohn wrote, “Using eye-tracking technology, researchers have found that locking onto the relevant stimulus during the right time frame—typically the few hundred milliseconds before, during and after the movement—greatly improves your chances of success.” When talking about the quiet eyes, Exeter psychologist Sam Vine said, “The difference in focus time between a beginner and an expert is as small as a fifth of a second.”

Unfocusing our eyes so that we can pick up movement faster is just a skill. It is like looking at one of those blurry 3D pictures. In order to see the hidden picture, we have to relax the muscles in our eyes. Relaxing will expand our field of vision which will allow us to pick up movement faster and it will slightly blur the face of our opponent so that they cannot hypnotize us and lead us astray.

Our eyes are not only a tool but can also be a weapon. It is said that a great swordsman can cut you down with their glance. Supposedly, when we look at someone, we see their whole face but don’t necessarily see their eyes. That is why, when meeting people, our parents have repeatedly chided us to “look them in the eyes when you address them.” To cut someone down with your eyes you have to look through them through their eyes as they stare back at you. It was thought that by doing this with true intention, one could cause them to get scared or at least momentarily waver because you are able to see what is truly in their hearts. This is hard to do with a weaker opponent because they will most likely become uncomfortable and look away in response. Either way, when you look through them, you step forward and cut them down while they are momentarily distracted.

Shakespeare wrote, “The eyes are the windows to the soul.” Perhaps that is why the general spared the priest. Either the general could see the priest’s level of development by looking at his eyes or the priest looked through the general’s eyes. Regardless, the general knew that not even killing the priest would cause him to change his mind.

The best martial artists’ inner development is more important than their outer development. The developed martial artist knows that their eyes can be a weapon or give them away in a blink of an eye. That is why good martial arts not only trains their bodies, but their eyes as well.

Never Static

The best Aikidoists are never static.

The crux of Aikido training is movement. In Aikido, we don’t block attacks; we defeat our opponents with movement. This is proactive rather than reactive. At the tachiai (立ち会い) or “the initial moment of contact”, we are supposed to be in motion. Being in motion enables us to not absorb the attacker’s energy but simultaneously find the tipping point and utilize their energy or momentum for our own purposes.

In class, beginners typically start from static with grabbing attacks where there is no movement at the moment of attack. This is done intentionally because it helps to teach the student proper spacing. This also teaches them how to overcome strong grabbing attacks and this method helps them to develop strength, balance, and poise. Later on, the attacks become more dynamic and striking attacks are introduced. The student takes the proper spacing that they learned statically and applies them dynamically. Here, they use movement to thwart their opponent’s attack. Since the attacker was in motion, it is easier to take their balance and use their momentum against them. This is where our movement starts to “look like” Aikido. From the outside looking in, it may seem as if the trained Aikidoist is waiting to be attacked. Even though our bodies might not be in motion, our minds are already moving.

Here, static or dynamic becomes a state of mind. In meditation, we don’t attempt to stop our minds from thinking. Instead, we allow our minds to think but don’t place any importance on any one thought and just let the thoughts go by. In a sense, our minds are like the opponent, and we move past their thoughts, not allowing ourselves to get caught up with any one attack. In swordsmanship, this is called the non-abiding mind.

A dynamic mind is about having the mindset of constant development or improvement. This is a different mindset than fixing what is broken. On a certain level, fixing has a negative connotation and that is dangerous because negativity leads to more negativity. This is a trap that our minds set for us because many of us unconsciously use negativity as a defense mechanism. If negativity begets negativity, then positivity brings about more positivity. Thus, when we think of things as being an evolution which requires development or improvement, we are tricking our minds into being more positive.

The process of life is never fixed. We get older, we get busier, our bodies change, and our minds can become weaker. Understanding this, we should think to ourselves, “This is where I am and I want to improve upon this.” This is the complete opposite of mourning the loss of what we used to have and trying to fix what’s broken so we can get back to where we used to be.

In life and Aikido, there will always be things that are confronting us. When we apply dynamism or this idea of not being static, then those things which confront us won’t be able to get a hold of us. With this mind, our opponents (or our minds), will have to catch us to defeat us. Thus, we have to be proactive, ever evolving, and unstoppable.   In a sense, we must be a moving target and that’s why the best Aikidoists are never static.

Today’s goal: Be dynamic. The only way to become unstoppable is to be constantly developing yourself.

Fall Back Friday - The Natural Path

Aiki Dojo Message: Fall Back Friday - The Natural Path

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on August 10, 2005.

Aikido practice must always be clear, simple, natural and with good spirit. If you can master these qualities alone, you will be a great person!

What we think is difficult is actually simple, and what we think is simple is actually quite difficult. At least, this is the way to understand our Aikido practice. . . . .

Self-defense is nothing more than living life in a simple and safe way. Why we fight with each other or feel we must gain power or advantage over others, is simply a distortion of how we should understand the life we lead. . . .

There is nothing more easy and natural than Aikido. However, how to find this easy natural Path is very difficult.

Understand

The best Aikidoist seeks to understand.

Aikidoists take the world view that there are no accidents. If there are in fact no accidents, then everything fits together into a puzzle forming a bigger picture. Thus, everything has meaning. I am not talking about it from a philosophical or religious standpoint of who gets to be in control of the direction. What I am talking about is trying to understand oneself within this moment and understand the meaning of how or why this occurrence factors into the larger picture. With this mindset, an Aikidoist becomes a seeker.

Every day when students arrive at the dojo, they should have an intention - they should be working on something. They should be proactive and work to perfect some aspect of their technique or themselves. Those that just show up, will gain some benefit but those that have a purpose will improve much faster.

Improvement in Aikido is incremental. We improve inch by inch, or step by step.

One thing students should be working on is perfecting their footwork. It is thought that the better the footwork, the more efficient the technique will be. Conversely, the more the feet move in a nonsensical or wasted way, the more inefficient the movement will be. In the old days of teaching, footwork was the last thing they taught. It was the last because if a student knew the footwork, then they also knew or could figure out the timing of the technique or how the technique generated power. This information could then be used in the future to defeat the system, the technique, or the teacher - so it was taught last. Therefore, even the smallest step has meaning and importance to the overall movement. Interestingly, when the Japanese say, kyakkashouko (脚下照顧), it means “look carefully where your own footsteps fall” but it can also mean “know thyself.”

When I was a student, Furuya Sensei used to end his talks and some of his blog posts with the rhetorical question, “Can you understand this?” The way I took it, was that it was an open challenge. It was like he was saying, “Go home and think about this and see if you can figure it out.” I could have just sat there and nodded my head waiting for the class to end or I could try to be proactive and try to understand it. Trying to understand something is about “introspection” or naisei (内省) and it creates the mindset of intentionality. A person who has this doesn’t just want to be told the answer. A true seeker wants their own “aha” moment and to discover their own meaning. They don’t just want to borrow someone else’s enlightenment.

The goal of every human being and Aikidoist alike is to find themselves. At Ryoanji temple in Kyoto, there is a famous tsukubai or stone “washbasin.” On the face of the stone basin there are four kanji characters that are surrounding a square. The ideographs alone don’t mean anything, but when combined with the square (口), the characters become 吾 唯 足 知 which translates as ware tada taru wo shiru or “I only know contentment.” Through training, we only train to know contentment. Contentment is a function of knowing ourselves and understanding the meaning of our lives and its components. Everyone wants to win, but the best Aikidoists want more - they seek to understand. Can you understand this?

Today’s goal: If everything happens for a reason, seek to understand. Ask yourself, what’s the reason for this?

Watch this video of Thich Nhat Hanh discussing meaning

Chance

“Chance favors only the prepared mind” - Louis Pasteur

The best Aikidoists leave nothing to chance.

In Aikido, we are supposed to be scanning for our opponent’s suki (隙) or “openings” and simultaneously hiding our own “weak points.” Weak points are used to gain advantage and hopefully the victory. Interestingly, the word suki can also mean “chance.” Thus, one can posit that chance needs some sort of opening. 

This makes sense, up to a certain point, that chance is a function of preparedness. In Japanese, “attack preparedness” is kougekitaisei (攻撃態勢). If we are diligent in our preparations, then chance will go in our favor but if we are careless in our training then most likely chance will not. One definition of chance is “The occurrence and development of events in the absence of any obvious design.” Therefore, to the ardent Aikidoist, chance or its effect on the outcome is largely about effort. 

In the dojo, students should be searching for incremental improvements in their techniques. With every mindful repetition of technique, a pattern should start to emerge. Some patterns are about what is working while others are about what is not. Those things that are not working enable us to “see” where we need to put in the work. With every wrinkle that we smooth out, we get closer and closer to perfection. Obviously, perfection is not attainable or sustainable but in striving for it, we close the gap on chance.

When I was a student, we weren’t allowed to hurry in the dojo. We weren’t allowed to do things in a hurried way like run in the dojo or throw things to each other. My first foray into this was on someone else’s behalf. During a black belt examination, Furuya Sensei asked the candidate to demonstrate tanto-tori or knife disarming techniques called for a tanto. At that moment, a black belt slid one across the mat. Sensei got mad and afterwards unleashed a diatribe on this guy. We all had to sit in seiza and listen to this lecture for what seemed like an hour. The gist of Sensei’s teardown was, as Martha Beck would say, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” He spoke about how we don’t run in the dojo or throw things because a moment of carelessness can cause damage, an accident, or an injury. He said something to the effect that when the time comes, it is hard to separate being a normal person from being a martial artist and that our sloppiness in the dojo would most likely carry over to carelessness on the street. 

From Sensei’s teardown, I learned that rules of the dojo weren’t there to oppress me but were there to help me develop good habits. Learning those good habits could then be applied to everything in my life because it really is true that “how you do anything is how you do everything.”

Author James Clear said, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.” The system is how we prepare ourselves. Without a doubt, chance can never be completely eliminated but it can be mitigated if we prepare ourselves ahead of time. 

In Aikido and in life, we should try to use chance to our benefit. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Well begun is half done.” His wisdom indicates that if we prepare ourselves ahead of time, the chances of things going in our favor are much higher. Things will happen and we can never be 100% prepared but the more we apply ourselves in our training, the more likely the outcome is in our favor. A good Aikidoist understands this and does their best to leave nothing to chance.  

Today’s goal: Apply yourself, leave nothing to chance. 

Watch this video of former Delta Force Operator Brett Tucker talking about preparedness

Fall Back Friday - The Teacher is a Compass

Aiki Dojo Message: Fall Back Friday - The Teacher is a Compass

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on March 11, 2002. 

If I were to think about the main objective of being an Aikido teacher for myself, I would say that, most importantly, it would be to set the student's life on a good, constructive and fulfilling course. I think this is an old idea. In olden days, teachers were known as "compasses" who kept their students' lives on course.

In the dojo, the first objective is to give the student a basic knowledge of Aikido and perhaps the initial phase of training may be pretty much physical. However, as students advance, especially at the black belt level, it seems that the proper attitude and mental focus is very important because this is what will be most valuable to the student's life in the long run.

From the standpoint of the teacher, on the mats, it is easy to correct the technique because we can see what is wrong immediately with the students' technique or posture or balance, etc. However, it is the students' mental focus and posture which is much more difficult because it can't be readily seen and it is often hidden deep inside the student's heart.

At the same time, the student must learn to be open to the teacher and express the proper attitude in training. This is why we follow the proper etiquette and rules for training because it is through these forms that one can learn how to behave and act properly. One may not understand these rules at first so they are difficult, but as time goes on and one gains more experience and knowledge in the art, they become very clear and one sees how necessary they are.

Sometimes, I have to watch myself because I am always harping on the same subject day after day so you must be tired of hearing me talk about the same thing over and over again. I only do this because it is always on my mind and because it is so important. 

When I talk with my students and everyone, most people are so interested in the so-called "mental" or "spiritual" aspects of the art, but few - very few - ever approach it. I think, nowadays, we are much too absorbed with our own selves. The "Self" as we know it, is not "mind" and is not "spirit." This Self is something like a big clump of something which is hiding our true mind and spirit. Training is to clear away this clump. This is what we must understand in practice.