The best Aikidoists use their weaknesses to their advantage.
In the early part of our training, we are taught to hide our suki (隙) or “weak points” because we don’t want our opponents to use our weaknesses against us. We hide them like a wound but like a wound, if we only cover it up, it will fester and become diseased. Rather than merely just covering it up, we have to address it. We address it by bringing it to light and treating that wound. After we treat it, sometimes a scar is formed. A scar is a thicker pad of skin which protects the area and ideally makes it stronger.
Most times, we fake until we make it. In order to fake it, we must hide our weirdness, ugliness, or weaknesses. We hide our “true” selves because we think that people won’t accept us or like us and they may even try to take advantage or hurt us.
Aikidoists are not the hiding type. A good Aikidoist puts their weaknesses on display and uses them to their advantage. Not in a false modesty sense, that is weakness as well. They bring them to light because they know that true strength can only be found in weakness.
Furuya Sensei once wrote, “We discriminate between weak and strong because we do not understand ‘true strength’ and ‘true weakness!’ True strength and true weakness are exactly the same thing - there is nothing that separates the two. We discriminate between the two thinking that weakness is bad and that strength is good. This is only a duality which we have created in our minds. We must try to understand true strength and true weakness in our own Aikido practice. When this happens in Zen practice or in an old-time dojo, the sensei might say, ‘Sunao ni nare!’ or ‘Become more weak!’ Or, in other words, lose your own concept of strength and goodness about yourself, it is all just a false mental attachment. I got this scroll (scroll in picture) from a friend of mine who called this, ‘The mystery of Budo!’ It read: Ju Yoku Go Wo Sei Shi, Jaku Yoku Kyo Wo Sei Suru. It means, ’Softness conquers hardness, pliability conquers strength.’ No mystery at all!”
In a buddhist sense, sunao ni nare (素直になる) is supposed to mean “become more weak” but when you look it up, it translates as “Become honest.” Thus, we cannot be true if we are not completely honest with ourselves. Training is a process of self-discovery where we learn who we are in the process of forging our Aikido skill. How this happens is that training has a way of bringing our true selves to the surface. The things that come to the surface are our fears, tendencies, or nuances that we were trying to hide from the outside world. Sometimes those truths can be hard to bear. For instance, a person who is suppressing anger might become frustrated and rough with their training partners. Whatever feelings or emotions come up, training teaches us how to deal with ourselves. That is why O’Sensei believed in masakatsu agatsu (正勝吾勝) or “the true victory is self victory.” We cannot defeat ourselves if we hide our weaknesses.
The Japanese say, choutanichimi (長 短一身) or “Strong point, weak point, one body.” What this means is that we are all an amalgamation of both strengths and weaknesses which cannot be separated apart. To the ardent, weaknesses are way more stronger than strengths because every strength is rooted in weakness. Therefore, if we hide or aren’t aware of our weaknesses, a weakness can never become a strength. Understanding this, that is why the best Aikidoists always use their weaknesses to their advantage.
Today’s goal: Realize that those weaknesses you are hiding are really just strengths in disguise.
Watch this video to better understand strengths and weaknesses.