Blackboard with simple sums in chalkJust do as much as you can.Not more than you can. Not less than you can. Just as much as you can. But, are you doing as much as you can?

If one wants to get better at Aikido, all they have to do is just do more Aikido.  I can't tell you how many times I get asked this question, "What else can I do to get better at Aikido?"  My answer is the same answer Furuya Sensei would give which is, "just train more."  It is a common malaise for people to think that a magic pill exists or that the answer to their questions about Aikido or life are complicated or mysterious.  The truth is never quite that sexy.  If one wants their head to stop hurting then they should stop banging it against the wall.

The answers, if there is such a thing, can usually be found in the most obvious or most simplest ways or Einstein put it, "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."  Simplicity applies to not only training but to life as well.

Stop doing that thing that causes you pain. Stop doing that thing that causes others pain. Trust more and don't ask so many questions. Be kinder to yourself and to others. Let go of control and just go with the flow. And most of all just train and be patient.