“There is no greater danger than underestimating an opponent.” Lao Tzu
Furuya Sensei once wrote, “No precision, no focus, no center.” What he alludes to is that without precision we cannot lead lives that are balanced, focused and filled with success. In budo training, we learn seido (精度) or “precision” because the techniques can be quite lethal and in battle we cannot take anything for granted. If we underestimate our opponent, then our hubris may lead to our downfall. If we underestimate our own abilities, then we take ourselves for granted and then we can be overtaken by our challengers. Sun Tzu said, “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” Understanding this, to be successful, we must be aware. With training and awareness, we can realize O’Sensei’s assertion that, “There are no opponents in Aikido.” There are no opponents because we realize that we are actually our greatest opponent, and thus no real opponent exists. If we are the only true opponent, then we are really underestimating ourselves and that lack of awareness can lead to our downfall. Lack of awareness can lead to taking things and people for granted and this underestimation can lead to pain, regret, loss and hurt feelings. A person of budo strives for precision so that they can become aware of even the smallest detail because they know that awareness can lead to gratefulness and that thankfulness brings us a happier and more balanced life. Don’t underestimate your opponents.
Today’s goal: Tell someone that you are grateful for something that they have done for you.