Aiki Dojo Message: Fall Back Friday - Work Together
Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on January 12, 2003.
Definitely, Aikido is not a sport but if it was it would be a very unusual one! Not in the sense that it will be a competition of strength or skill and not in the sense that one will accumulate points. Aikido would be unusual because everyone, one and all, would carry the ball at the same time, not just the star player! Of course, I am only saying something silly, but the point is, sports only features the #l player or victor and hardly focuses on the team anymore. In Aikido, we are all in the same boat when it comes to our training. Thus, we have to work together.
Not only do we look out for ourselves and develop ourselves, but we must see to all the others around us. This great fundamental difference between Aikido and sports means that we do not focus on ourselves in a self-centered way, but we must think of everything and everyone around us and learn to work well together.
It sounds like an easy enough concept, and I am sure that we have heard it many times before, but, in reality, working together with others is probably the single most difficult skill to accomplish and always we are so vulnerable to frustration and disappointment. Today, it only seems to make sense that "only #1 comes first.” What a sad world this mentality creates. Why don’t we take a minute or two and take a good look around ourselves? No one accomplishes anything by themselves.
Sometimes this singular focus happens in a dojo too. People think it is like a supermarket, only getting what they want and then leaving. Smart ones leave the market quickly once the shopping is done so that they don't waste too much money or time. I suppose this is the smart way to be, but, again, I ask, “look at the world around you today!” A dojo is a different place - where we go, we all go together. Aikido is a different Art - no one can achieve its mastery alone. Please work well together.
Watch this video of Sensei discussing Aikido and daily life