Sometimes, it is good to be cornered

一本槍
Ippon yari
One single spear

Sometimes, it is good to be cornered. Sun Tzu once said, “When you surround an army, leave them an outlet to escape.” He thought that if an army was cornered with no escape, then they would fight with “The courage of despair” and thus they would fight to the death and be harder to defeat. We saw this idea almost play out prior to the end of WWII when the Japanese people readied bamboo spears in anticipation of being invaded. “Ippon Yari” or “One single spear” was the slogan used to inspire the Japanese people to give one last great effort and fight to the death. Today, we aren’t engaged in desperate battles, but we can still use this “courage of despair” to our advantage. When our opponent backs us into a corner thinking that we will wilt, we come out guns blazing or swinging for the fences because we have no other choice but to put in an all out effort. My brother called this, “forced success” because there was nowhere to go but up. In Aikido training, we are supposed to seek out stronger or more experienced training partners. The reason for actively seeking out difficulty is because those people who are above us are supposed to give us a hard time and push us outside of our comfort zones. This gentle “push” is what forces us to improve. There is an old Chinese proverb which supports this: “Without struggle, there is no growth.” When we are cornered, we will have no choice but to desperately fight to the bitter end. Being cornered forces us to improve just as fire forges swords, mud produces lotuses and pressure makes diamonds. If a student is pushed to the edge of their comfort zone or ability with the intention of improvement, then they will have no other choice but to improve. The feeling of being cornered with no way out forces us to fight with all our hearts to win or find a solution to our problems. Thus, sometimes, it is a good thing to be cornered. 

Today’s goal: The universe unfolds as it should. So, if you need some help making a change, maybe you should paint yourself into a corner.