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.

Adapt

“Depending on the circumstance, you should be as hard as a diamond, flexible as a willow, smooth flowing like water, or as empty as space.” - Morihei Ueshiba

The best Aikidoists are masters of adaptability.

The single greatest skill every Aikidoist should cultivate is adaptability. Adaptability is “the quality of being able to adjust to new conditions.” In Japanese, one way to say “adaptability” is tekiouryoku (適応力). Tekiou means “to adapt” and ryoku means “the power to.” Thus, adaptability is having the power to adapt to one’s circumstance, environment, or opponent.

Adaptation is a fluid state of mind that is both willing and capable of finding a way to surmount any situation or circumstance. Every day we are confronted with things that are out of our control. Our egos look upon new or different things with fear and thus it tries to control it. Adaptation looks at it with curiosity and says, “Let’s see what this is all about.”

If every day is the same, then we are probably not growing. To grow, we have to be willing to look at something new or different with a mind to “start over.” Starting over is a function of courage and humility. Do you have the courage or humility to try something new? If not, you are giving into the fear of change. Aikidoist not only court change; they desire it. They desire it because they know that the only way to change is to do adapt and try something different. As Henry Ford once said, “If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten.” The normal person likes familiarity and seeks comfort - that’s stagnation. Growth is about trying something different and seeing if it is in fact as scary, hard, or painful as we thought.

Every martial art, Aikido included, has kata (型) or “predetermined movements.” When one thinks of kata, we tend to think of them as being static and one dimensional. What is different in Aikido is that although the attacks and the outcomes are predetermined, what happens in between is not. Aikido movements are supposed to be free flowing and thus its movements are not thought of as kata in the traditional sense. What this means is that the nage or “one doing the technique” has to adjust their movements according to the situation, environment, and how the uke or “one receiving the technique” is moving their body. With every movement of the nage’s body, the uke has to adjust and with each adjustment of the uke’s body, the nage must adjust. No two bodies are alike and so each person will present with a different skill level, body type, and temperament to name just a few. Therefore, each person will have to adapt because every encounter will be similar but different. The mark of a good Aikidoist rests in their ability to adapt their movements to what is being presented. It is a low level of skill to just “do it the way you do it” disregarding the presentation of the situation.   

In Aikido and in life, the one constant is change. Each day a new challenge arrives on our doorstep. The challenge will be similar but different than what we were dealing with yesterday. Thus, we have to have the ability to adapt or in a sense “start over.” No matter what comes our way, we have to find a way, mostly a new way, around it, over it or through it. With every adaptation, we simultaneously become bigger and smaller. We become bigger or stronger in what we can do but smaller or more well defined in who we are. As the Buddha once said, “​​Change is never painful, only resistance to change is painful.” So true indeed. In Aikido and in life, it is all about change or rather our ability to adapt to change and that is why the best Aikidoist are masters of adaptability.

Today’s goal: The secret to life and Aikido is being adaptable to change.

Watch this video to better understand adapting

No Preferences

“The Great Way is not difficult for those who have no preferences. When love and hate are both absent everything becomes clear and undisguised. Make the smallest distinction, however, and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart.” - Sengstan

The best Aikidoists have no preferences…

The other day in class, a student was having a difficult time doing kotegaeshi with their partner. As I walked by, the student looked at me with an expression as if to say, “It’s not me, it’s them!” When I inquired, he said in a hushed tone, “He's not taking the right ukemi.” I told him, “That might be true, but you are struggling because of your expectation as to how they ‘should’ be taking your ukemi rather than accepting their limitations and modifying your movement based upon what they can do.”

Furuya Sensei’s Zen master Bishop Kenko Yamashita used to say, “Nandemo omoidori ni ikanai” (何でも思い通りに行かない) which means “Nothing goes the way you want it to.” The Bishop’s words illustrate a fundamental point in martial arts training - we are not in control of anything outside of ourselves.

In class, many of us are perfectionists and want everything to be “just right.” In a class setting this might be ok because as we are learning the kata of the technique. Kata and repetition are how the techniques enter into our subconscious and become second nature. If we ever have to actually use our Aikido in a self-defense situation, it will be similar but not exactly the same. If we expect that the other person will move like our partners move in class, we will be sadly mistaken. If we can modify our movement to the situation or the attacker, we have a greater chance of being successful. To move accordingly, we will have to be fluid. This fluidity in Aikido can be thought of as ki no nagare (氣の流れ) or “the flow of ki.” Fluidity and spontaneity can only come after we have mastered the basics and those basic movements have effectively entered into our subconscious.

The main thing which impedes our ability to be fluid is our ego’s desire to maintain control and stave off uncertainty. To have a preference or a way in which we want something to go is a form of control. We want control and shy away from uncertainty because we think that will help us manage fear. However, fear is not something to be controlled but only accepted. This is where the Bishop’s words become poignant. When we can accept that nothing goes the way we want it to, we can accept that the fear exists, and we can loosen the grip it has over us.

It is not that we should be robots devoid of wants and desires. Allowing things to be as they “are” is a mindset. A trained martial artist has realized that control of anything external is just an illusion and thus all we can do is ride the tide. In the end, the only thing we can control is ourselves in this one moment.  Perhaps that is why the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi listed “accept things as they are” as his first tenet to live by.

Life and Aikido training will be filled with ups and downs. When something untoward happens, it is only natural that it causes us to become upset. We get upset because that undesirable thing smacks up against our sense of entitlement and we don’t feel that we deserve it. The best Aikidoists know that the only thing that they truly have control over is themselves and how they act and react when something uncomfortable happens. Realizing this, that is why the best have no preferences.

Today’s goal: Go with the flow. Happiness comes to those who have no preferences.

Watch this video to better understand having no preferences

Work Together

Aiki Dojo Message: Fall Back Friday - Work Together

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on January 12, 2003.

Definitely, Aikido is not a sport but if it was it would be a very unusual one! Not in the sense that it will be a competition of strength or skill and not in the sense that one will accumulate points. Aikido would be unusual because everyone, one and all, would carry the ball at the same time, not just the star player! Of course, I am only saying something silly, but the point is, sports only features the #l player or victor and hardly focuses on the team anymore. In Aikido, we are all in the same boat when it comes to our training. Thus, we have to work together.

Not only do we look out for ourselves and develop ourselves, but we must see to all the others around us. This great fundamental difference between Aikido and sports means that we do not focus on ourselves in a self-centered way, but we must think of everything and everyone around us and learn to work well together.

It sounds like an easy enough concept, and I am sure that we have heard it many times before, but, in reality, working together with others is probably the single most difficult skill to accomplish and always we are so vulnerable to frustration and disappointment. Today, it only seems to make sense that "only #1 comes first.” What a sad world this mentality creates. Why don’t we take a minute or two and take a good look around ourselves? No one accomplishes anything by themselves.

Sometimes this singular focus happens in a dojo too. People think it is like a supermarket, only getting what they want and then leaving. Smart ones leave the market quickly once the shopping is done so that they don't waste too much money or time. I suppose this is the smart way to be, but, again, I ask, “look at the world around you today!” A dojo is a different place - where we go, we all go together. Aikido is a different Art - no one can achieve its mastery alone. Please work well together.

Watch this video of Sensei discussing Aikido and daily life

Sincerity

"Economy is the basis of society. When the economy is stable, society develops. The ideal economy combines the spiritual and the material, and the best commodities to trade in are sincerity and love." ~ Morihei Ueshiba

The best Aikidoists strive to be sincere. The Japanese believe in the proverb shiseitennitsuuzu (至誠天に通ず) or “Sincerity can move heaven.”

One way to say “sincere” in Japanese is magokoro (真心) which means “true heart.” Conversely, “insincerity” is kokoronimonai (心にも無い) or “to have an empty heart.”To be sincere is “the quality of being free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy.” True sincerity is easier said than done. The normal person isn’t intentionally insincere. Most times they are insincere because of fear and an unconscious desire for love and acceptance. They think that if they express what is truly in their hearts, then they won’t be loved or accepted. Thus, they spend an inordinate amount of time and energy “faking until they make it.”

An Aikidoist is supposed to be a developed person. A developed person, as someone once stated, strives to ”speak with honesty, think with sincerity, and act with integrity.” The person of Aikido is not supposed to lie, cheat, steal, or show off. Those things expose the true nature of what lies in our hearts and each one demonstrates a certain level of weakness.

Furuya Sensei said, “You can learn everything you need to know about a person by how they do Aikido.” The reason why is because although the movements may be physical, the intention of one’s movements are dictated mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

In class, we attack or move with the sincerity of our hearts. If we are happy, mad, or sad, it is evident in our movements. One way to work on this is in the attack. When talking about the strength, energy, power, or enthusiasm of the attack, Furuya Sensei often advised us to attack our partners with “just enough.” Just enough means the right amount of strength, energy, or power to help our partners do the technique properly for their ability level and just a little bit more to help them grow. We need to know how much is just enough. In order to do that, we need to be aware of our own tendencies and balance that out with the needs of our partners. We cannot be unaware and give our partners just enough. Not enough won’t enable our partners to grow. Too much will overwhelm them and stunt their growth and it might even cause them to become discouraged and quit. Thus, throughout class, we train ourselves to not attack from a place of emotion. To do that, with every strike or grab, we must relax our minds and remember to breathe. Being mindful of our breath enables us to be in the moment and not living in the past in our heads.  When we are mindful of ourselves and aware of others, we can attack our partners with just enough.

Sincerity is not something we achieve. True sincerity is a practice. It is so easy to give into our fears and destroy other people. Likewise, it is easy to give into insecurities and lie, cheat, steal, or show off. To open our hearts and be truly sincere takes so much fortitude that it seems as if it can move heaven. The Aikidoist understands that the path towards their own salvation lies in their ability to be truly sincere. Thus, the ardent practitioner of Aikido trains themselves to eliminate insincerity, fear, and self-doubt from their hearts.

Today’s goal: "Speak with honesty, think with sincerity, and act with integrity.”

Watch this video of conductor Stephen P. Brown discussing sincerity

Fall Back Friday - The Layers of Practice

Aiki Dojo Message: Fall Back Friday - The Layers of Practice

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on March 26, 2005.

Usually, we practice to develop our technique with the purpose of getting stronger and developing more expertise in Aikido. However, this is only one layer of many layers of practice. Of course, we practice hard to develop ourselves. There is another layer of practice where we must emphasize harmony in practice and learning to get along with others and working together in a friendly way. And yet there is another layer where we emphasize the form and rules in the practice to mold ourselves within the spirit of Aikido. And yet, at another level, there is the question of how we bring our Aikido into our daily lives and materialize the Aikido teachings in thought and action.

When you think about it, these are all obvious aspects of our Aikido training. Yet, how we realize all of this together in our practice takes a lifetime of study. Please devote yourself to correct practice.

Read more about Furuya Sensei here: http://www.kenshofuruya.com

Watch this video of Furuya Sensei being interviewed on Fox 11 News

Move Forward

臨 兵 闘者皆陣列在前
Rin byo to sha kai jin retsu zai zen
The bravest warrior excels at the front of the battlefield

The best Aikidoists move forward.

Psychologists tell us that there are five hardwired responses to stress: fight, flight, freeze, flop, and fawn. There is actually a sixth - Aikido. Most of the responses to stress are either passive or aggressive. Aikido is neither - it is proactive. To be proactive is to take control of the situation or attacker. In Aikido, we talk about this concept called awaseru (合わせる). Awaseru means “to unite” but people take this understanding to mean “harmony.” In other words, Aikidoist harmonize with the attack or stressor. We don’t fight or resist the attack, that is aggression. We also don’t become passive and fall apart or freeze out of fear and we definitely don’t just give in and comply. In Aikido, to awaseru, we move in or move with the attack, change the orientation of its power, create alignment with that power, and then redirect that power into something useful like a pin, throw, or joint lock. However, this is easier said than done. To get to this level where we can be proactive instead of reactive takes time and training.

In Aikido training, one of the first things we learn is how to irimi (入身) or “move in.” The reason why is because irimi is the gateway to Aikido movement. It is the gateway because moving into an attack is counter intuitive and irimi teaches us how to have composure to do so. When we are attacked, our basic survival instincts kick in and we either fight or run away. To move into an attack requires not only technique but also courage. In the beginning, we will be late out of fear and/or lack of technique. This lag causes our timing to be late which will enable our opponent to crush us with their strike or jam us up with their grab. With time and training, we become more developed, and our bodies move appropriately. But more than movement, our minds will become somewhat desensitized to the fear of moving in and this is where this idea of harmony comes into play. Harmony is more of an internal phenomenon rather than an external physical response. When we have overcome the fear, our bodies and minds achieve seijaku (静寂) or “quietude.” In Zen, they say that with this quietude comes a “calmness of the heart” or a stillness within. With this calmness or quietude, we can meet that which confronts us with complete composure and truly awaseru or harmonize with the attack rather than fight against it.

Aikido and life are really about the confrontation of fear. Fear shows us where we need to put in the work in. Anyone can punch adversity in the face but only a developed person can move forward and harmonize with their fears. Furuya Sensei was fond of this expression, “rin byo to sha kai jin retsu zai zen” which means “The bravest warrior excels at the front of the battlefield.” We cannot grow if we cower in the back. The only way to be free of our fears and grow is to move forward into them. In the Hagukure, Yamamoto Tsunetomo wrote, “Whenever you meet difficult situations dash forward bravely and joyfully.” Thus, the best Aikidoists move forward relentlessly but also joyfully.

Today’s goal: Once you find your path, move forward and be relentless, but don’t forget to smile joyfully.

Watch this video to better understand confronting fear

Without Thinking

Aiki Dojo Message: Fall Back Friday - Without Thinking

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on November 1, 2002.

The other day, I was talking about how students learn. Usually, we interpret too much or “add" too much to what we hear or understand so it is almost never the same as what we actually hear, see, or sense. If I say "green," they only think of their favorite color of green - it is almost never the "green" I am speaking of. In teaching, I might say, take a small step to the side - but many of us do not understand what a "small step" is or "stepping" at all. Of course as human beings, we have this type of misunderstanding or miscommunication all of the time. We don't understand what something is, only what we "think" it is. In Zen, there is a difficult word: Hishiryo (非思量 ). Hishiryo literally translates as, "not-thinking” but it is supposed to mean “thinking without thinking.” The other day I said that some students think too much and some not enough. What I meant to say is that we should all "think without thinking.” I know that you have already added your own thoughts to this and are saying to yourself, “Now, Sensei is telling us to act like zombies!" No! In thinking without thinking, we are all moving in the same direction, we are all in the same boat, we are all on the same mat practicing. We must all be of "one mind.” To my friends practicing Zen, it always has to be "this or that" doesn't it? It can never be "just" what it is. . . . . In Zen sitting, we talk about "shikantaza," or that “sitting is just sitting,” nothing else, "just sitting!" Indeed, it is almost the same meaning as hishiryo.

Watch this video of Furuya Sensei talking about the benefits of training

El Budoka Magazine - Respect Your Opponent

Editor’s note: This article translated by Santiago Almaraz Sensei originally appeared in the Spanish language magazine El Budoka. Read it here in Spanish: Respeta A Tu Oponente

礼に始まり礼に終わる
Rei ni hajimari, rei ni owaru
Everything begins and ends with respect

In the modern mindset, budo is a sport, and hence we hitonomi (一飲み) or “think nothing of our opponent.” Most times, we see the person standing in front of us as nothing more than our prey or a hurdle to traverse towards our glory.

In the days of the samurai it was different. Samurai held their opponents in high esteem and almost revered them. The opponent was respected because to the samurai, there are no “enemies.” A samurai doesn’t get to choose their opponent. The generals or the lords draw the battle lines and make the wars and it is the samurai’s job to wage it.

Despite being the pinnacle of Japanese society, the job of the samurai wasn’t glorious. In fact, to the Japanese, a warrior was thought to be a distasteful profession because they had to deal with blood and death which were both thought to be aku (悪) or “impure.” Dealing or touching impurity in Japanese is a bad omen which is supposed to bring about misfortune. Thus, from a samurai standpoint, this person who faces them was just as unlucky as themselves. They both have drawn the unlucky straw and have resigned themselves to their fates but at the same time, they both take their responsibilities seriously and so they both have developed themselves to be worthy opponents.

This sentiment is illustrated in D.T. Suzuki’s book Zen and The Samurai. Suzuki wrote: “Let me make a point about [Hojo] Tokimune’s spiritual consolation of the dead. The Engakuji monastery was a monument of both fallen Japanese and Mongolian warriors. The idea that both friends and enemies when dead are to be equally treated with respect originated with Buddhism for it teaches that we are all of the same Buddha nature and while living in this world of particulars may espouse a variety of causes and principles. But these controversies vanish when we pass from these individual existences to the other shore of transcendental wisdom. From the samurai point of view, the idea of loyalty and sincerity is emphasized more than anything else. Enemies are as faithful to their cause as we are to ours and this sentiment when genuine is to be revered wherever and however displayed. Hence one monument dedicated to the spirits of friends and foes.”

The samurai believed in this idea that death stalks us all and that sooner or later each of us will succumb to our fate. This begs the question, “How do you want to live out this moment?” The samurai desires to live their lives with honor and die without shame. Therefore, they try to live their lives to to the fullest knowing they are going to die. The samurai's life is one of servitude and thus they believe in seihakatakushihayasushi (生は難く死は易し) or “Living is difficult; dying is easy.” Thus two warriors meet with an unspoken pact: “Let’s live out this moment to its fullest.” This fullness is what the Japanese refer to as ichigo ichie (一期一会) or “To live a lifetime in one meeting.” These two warriors, have been simultaneously preparing themselves all their lives to meet an honorable death together. This is referred to as gyokusai (玉砕) or “an honorable death” but that is too juvenile of a definition. Gyokusai is the beauty of “to die trying.” That is why gyokusai is also used in love when a person professes their love but is rejected. There is a beauty in a person’s unadulterated honesty despite the possibility of rejection or death. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the samurai respects their opponent instead of despising them.

The samurai uses their opponent for motivation. Not in a hateful way. Motivating oneself with hate or emotion shows a low level of ability. The samurai motivated themselves out of honor and respect. The Japanese say, aiteshidai (相手次第) or that “we determine our attitude according to our opponent.” Therefore, if we are able to see past the veneer of a person trying to harm us and realize that they are no different than us, then we can respect their commitment, sacrifice and determination.

That is why in the Japanese martial arts, they say, “rei ni hajimari, rei ni owaru” (礼に始まり礼に終わる) which means “Everything begins and ends with respect.”  Most think respect is encompassed in the act of bowing before and after practice or competition. However, as we can see, the roots of respect go way deeper than the act of bowing or saying, “please” or “thank you.”

Respecting others is a reflection of ourselves. We show respect and engage in etiquette because that shows our level of development. A person who can only see the other person as an enemy or as fodder for our success is an empty person.

When talking about a tsuba or “sword guard,” Furuya Sensei once wrote, “The skull is a poetic allusion to Musashino or the plains of Musashi where a ferocious battle took place and years later, all that remains of these glorious Samurai who fought in this battle are their bones bleaching in the sun. It is said that there is a special hell where warriors who die a violent death in battle go to which is a kind of hell called Ashura (阿修羅). From this scene, many famous poems were written. One line from a great poem is ‘all that is left of these brave warriors.’ And another line is ‘warriors are indeed a sad lot!’ What this means is that warriors should never glorify themselves because their job is the killing of others and it is not a job to be proud of because it will always lead them to Ashura. As Aikido warriors, we must always be humble and modest in everything that we do.”

Despite what the movies tell us, most samurai duels ended in aiuchi (相討ち) or “mutual defeat.” In the martial arts, the surest road to defeat is to over-value our own skills and underestimate our opponent’s. Thus, we are always supposed to think that our opponent is of at least the same or greater skill than ourselves. This forces us to train and develop ourselves. Thus, in a sense, that person who opposes us made us greater. So, there is a beautiful sadness when two great warriors developed themselves to their fullest potential only to die poetically together. Understanding this, our opponents always deserve our praise and respect.

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