“The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing, in so far as it stands ready against
the accidental and the unforeseen and is not apt to fall.”
- Marcus Aurelius, Meditations
Aikido is probably one of the best self-development tools. Aikido can teach us things like follow through, patience, and assertiveness and it can also help us stay in shape. However, where Aikido really excels at is in the confrontation of fear.
O’Sensei advocated for masakatsu agatsu (正勝吾勝) or that “the true victory is self-victory.” On a certain level, what O’Sensei is really talking about is fear. All new or difficult endeavors come with some amount of fear. A normal person allows themselves to be overtaken by fear. Aikidoists feel fear but they just don’t allow it to stop them.
The definition of fear is “an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or is a threat.” Someone on the internet coined this idea that FEAR is an acronym that stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. Thus, if fear is an emotion, the question becomes “Is fear real?”
Fear is a feeling or an emotion and not tangible. Understanding this, one thing that we unknowingly learn in Aikido practice is to confront our fears to see if they are real. In Aikido, there are so many layers to the training from the physical like rolling, complicated techniques, or difficult opponents to the mental-emotional like frustration, self-doubt, or anger. With each layer there are new levels of stress, anxiety, or fear. It is easy to think that adversity is the signal that we are going in the wrong direction. However, in Aikido, whatever or whomever is causing us fear is the way we are supposed to go. Maybe that is why the first thing we learn in Aikido is irimi or the ability to “move forward.” When we feel fear, the question we should ask ourselves is “Is that real?” The only way to truly know if something is real is to stand up to it. One Japanese word for “fear” is anjiru (案じる) but it can also mean “to take one’s sword in hand.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.” We all feel fear - no one is immune to it. Fear is merely the gateway, and we cannot be victorious over something unless we are first brave enough to go through those doors. Anyone can physically best another person, but only a real warrior can defeat themselves. With every fear we overcome, a new layer of ourselves is revealed and we come just a little bit closer to finding our true selves. Perhaps that is why O’Sensei stressed defeating ourselves over fighting with others. When confronted by fear, the best Aikidoists quietly say to themselves, “Is that so?” and irimi into the challenge. If nothing else, Aikidoists are brave enough to have the curiosity to see if their fears are true.
Today’s goal: Whatever is causing you fear - go in that direction.
Watch this video of former Navy Seal Jocko Willink to better understand facing fear