精鋭軍
Seieigun
Elite warriors
Martial arts are for the elite. When I was a student, Furuya Sensei would often say, “Aikido is for the elite.” Whenever he would say that, it would always make me cringe because I thought he was talking about it being about status and I thought he was being a snob. I am a Virgo and year of the Dog so fairness is something that resonates with me. Towards the end of Sensei’s life, he stopped saying that it was for the elite and started saying, “Aikido is egalitarian - anyone who puts in the work will get good.” Years later, I now understand what he was talking about in both statements. The word seiei (精鋭) means “elite” and we see the same kanji or pictograph sei used in many other words like seieigun or “elite warriors” and seido or “precision.” When we examine the kanji, it can help us to better understand what it means to be elite. Sei (精) means “skill, attitude or energy” and ei (鋭) means “sharpness or edge.” Thus to be elite is less about status and more the sharpness of one’s attitude or character. Aikido, like all martial arts, is really about the elite of spirit. When we begin a martial art, we start with nothing - we have no skill, no idea what we are doing and have no confidence. The more we train, the more we improve and the more we gain confidence in ourselves. Anyone can start a martial art, but very few make it a way of life, but those that do will develop this warrior spirit or elite spirit. It is the training, not so much the art, that builds character and this elite spirit. Through training in the martial arts, students gain skill, but they also learn perseverance, self-confidence, patience, and respect or in other words they gain the spirit of the elite. We only truly become elite when we can take what we’ve learned in the dojo and apply that character or attitude to our daily lives. In Aikido and in life, anyone who puts in the work will get good and become elite.
Today’s goal: Elite is a mindset and work ethic. What can you do in your life to become elite?