A Warrior is Invincible

Being invincible is a mindset. Because we achieved it or built it with our own two hands, it is easy to become over confident enough to think of ourselves as being invincible. Being invincible in Japanese is kakkofudo (確固不動). Kakko translates as “resolute” and fudo refers to the Buddhist deity, Fudo Myoo who is the “immovable protector” of buddhism. It is easy in budo to become hubris enough to think of ourselves as being invincible and this myth is proliferated by movies, cartoons and legends. This feeling of invincibility usually happens in the beginning of training as we develop ourselves physically and begin to dominate others. We can see this especially in Aikido as our partners take ukemi for us and allow us to throw them in order to practice the techniques. Furuya Sensei used to say, “The way one practices Aikido reflects who they are inside.” That is why training can sometimes be an amplifier for not only our greatest strengths, but weaker ones too. When training brings out our arrogant or weaker traits the Japanese say that it is as if we “Gave a devil an iron club” or Oni ni kanabo (鬼に金棒). Physical invincibility is an illusion and it is something that we conjure up in our minds because our bodies are not impervious or impenetrable as it only takes 16 pounds of pressure to fracture a bone. Luckily, the more we train, the more we realize that being invincible is not a state of body, but a state of mind and that is why Sun Tzu said, “Being unconquerable lies within yourself.” A warrior cries, feels pain and can be killed, but they always get up when they are knocked down. It is the will to get up not the ability to get up which makes us invincible and that is why being invincible is a mindset.  

Today’s goal: We are all invincible, but which invincible are you? 

What does it take to be the TOUGHEST MAN ALIVE? Watch this video to find out! David Goggins is a retired Navy SEAL, and accomplished ultra-endurance athlete....

Throwback - True Meaning

Throwback Thursday

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on February 4, 2005. 

We must always seek out the true meaning of our practice and not interpret it so conveniently and easily through untrained eyes which can only see and judge everything in terms of politics, money and power. . . . .

2005 episode of East Meets West with Susan Hirasuna Rev. Kensho Furuya interview and Aikido and Iaido demonstration

A Warrior Acts With Composure

A Warrior Acts With Composure  

One goal of budo training is byodo (平等) or “equanimity.” To have an equanimous mind means that when something happens, the warrior merely observes and then mindfully acts with appropriateness instead of reacting mindlessly and possibly inappropriately. 

The Zen master Hakuin was praised as being someone who lived a pure life. One day, a girl from the village whose parents owned a restaurant discovered that she was pregnant. When her parents became angry, out of fear she said that the father was Hakuin hoping that his venerability would calm her parents down. With anger, the parents and villagers marched to Hakuin’s temple. After hearing the accusation, Hakuin replied contemplatively, “Is that so?” When the baby was born, they brought the baby to Hakuin and asked him to take responsibility. He again said, “Is that so?” and took the baby in and lost his venerable reputation. From that point, he took care of the baby and was often seen playing with him. Almost a year later, the grief stricken mother could no longer stand it and went to her parents and confessed that the true father was a young man from the fish market. Both families rushed to the temple to get the baby back and apologized and begged for forgiveness. Hakuin again contemplatively replied, “Is that so?” and returned the baby. Using the words, “Is that so?” allowed Hakuin to remain equanimous and maintain his composure because he knew that sooner or later the mother would confess. From the standpoint of budo, we can use the phrase, “Is that so?” whenever we are confronted to give us the space to also act mindfully and appropriately. Calmness and equanimity are habits that we cultivate in our training because a true warrior never acts rashly. The best warriors allow thoughts and attacks to flow by. They don’t let anything faze them because their minds are balanced and centered.

Today’s goal: Try using “Is that so?” before a thought or to interrupt a thought so that you can change the way you act in any given situation. 

A Warrior is Relentless

“We don’t rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” Archilochus

In olden times, the Japanese believed that the margin between life and death was very close and thus a person could lose their life very easily. Fighting was a common way of life for the samurai who regularly fought battles, duels or were regularly besieged by the trials and tribulations of everyday life. Understanding this margin, a warrior had to be ready at all times. Readiness requires training. Archilochus believed that one’s success was a function of how much that person developed themselves. Like Archilochus, Furuya Sensei strongly believed in training and he would often say, “The Way is in training.” To be effective in all martial arts requires seido (精度) or “precision.” Despite the absence of having to defend one’s life every day, precision is still necessary because the techniques that are being taught can be lethal and that requires responsibility and responsibility requires precision. In Aikido, the techniques may seem “gentle” but in fact they are quite lethal. Aikido’s perceived “gentleness” comes from its philosophy of non-violence. The budo of Aikido has evolved to the understanding that to dispense violence is easy and only shows our true weakness and that to give compassion is harder but shows our true strength. Anyone can destroy and on a certain level all it takes are a few terse words. The harder path to follow is to have the strength to not destroy despite the fact that the other person is trying to harm us. To be able to have the wherewithal to choose non-violence requires precision. Without precision a person might have to resort to violence. To achieve precision requires training and not just any training. Training to reach the highest levels require us to be relentless in our pursuit. We are relentless because we know we fall only as far as we have prepared ourselves.

Today’s goal: Match your preparations to the level of your expectations.

A Warrior is Superstitious

Before a battle, a samurai would sometimes write the word tora (虎) or “tiger” in the air hoping that they would fight with the bravery and tenacity of a tiger. A samurai writing tiger seems like a dichotomy because they are supposed to believe in jiriki (自力) or “self-power” and that by writing this they seem to be engaging in a form of prayer or meditation which is clearly a form of spirituality or outward power. We also see this same thing as many warriors decorate their weapons and armor with symbols of inspiration. We think it is a dichotomy because they are supposed to be self-determining and that their success is solely under their own power. However, the samurai might have known what physicists are just now coming to understand, which is that tangible matter or what is visible only makes up about 4% of the universe while the other 96% of the universe is invisible or dark matter/dark energy. Some people call this other 96% ki (氣) or “energy.” Understanding this, a warrior would need to get that 96% on their side and they do this by believing in intangible things like spirits, divinity, karma, or ki to name just a few. In other words, by being “superstitious.” Believing brings us into alignment with not only our abilities, but also our principles, philosophies, and faiths. This alignment is how we attain oneness and this alignment is really what makes us powerful or successful. In budo, they say, sonaearebaureinashi (備えあれば憂いなしなし) or that “If you fully prepare, you need not worry.” A warrior develops themselves to the best of their ability and they don’t need to worry about anything else because they believe. Work hard, believe in yourself and leave the rest to the divine. Thus, a warrior is superstitious.

Today’s goal: Find a symbol or some totem which helps bring you into alignment with that which can’t be seen.

A Warrior Cherishes Life

Remember when we used to just grab someone and throw them down? How about those times when we would just shake people’s hands or give them a hug? Ahh, the good old days before COVID seem so long ago – a bunch of cherished memories. It must be human nature to value things when they are at their end or are long gone. This attitude seems like such a waste. When something is pointlessly thrown away or wasted, the Japanese express regret by saying, “mottainai” (勿体無い). Author, Hitoshi Chiba explains mottainai, “We often hear in Japan the expression ‘mottainai’, which loosely means ‘wasteful’ but in its full sense conveys a feeling of awe and appreciation for the gifts of nature or the sincere conduct of other people. There is a trait among Japanese people to try to use something for its entire effective life or continue to use it by repairing it. In this caring culture, people will endeavor to find new homes for possessions they no longer need. The ‘mottainai’ principle extends to the dinner table, where many consider it rude to leave even a single grain of rice in the bowl. The concern is that this traditional trait may be lost.” Understanding mottainai and that there’s no guarantee of a tomorrow, a warrior cultivates a mindset that cherishes. Even our opponent who falls before us is mourned because their life sadly ended in waste. In Aikido, the uke sacrifices themselves so that we can achieve some sort of physical perfection. Understanding this, there is a regretful appreciation for their sacrifice and so their bodies and their efforts should be treated with care and not wasted. This too is mottainai. We miss our “old” lives, but do we miss it because we took it for granted? Or do we miss it because we cherished and savored every moment. Our lives are a gift and so we should use it to its utmost and that is why a warrior doesn’t waste. 

Today’s goal: Things may be different, but did you cherish those days or waste them? Today, don’t mottainai!

A Warrior Realizes Humanity

A warrior realizes humanity.

Within one cut, a warrior can realize humanity. A warrior always does the right thing at the right time. Through training, a warrior learns the eight virtues: respect, honor, loyalty, justice, courage, benevolence, self-discipline, and honesty. Through life experience those eight principles are weaved together as the warrior learns the ninth virtue which is humanity. Humanity are the qualities of what it means to be human like kindness, compassion, and forgiveness. True power isn’t the ability to destroy or wield violence; that is weakness. True power is one’s ability to be strong enough to be kind, compassionate and forgiving even when it’s not warranted. Sometimes, we learn humanity in defeat. Other times, we learn it through pain and suffering. Somewhere in our darkest moments, we come to learn the value of life; we learn the power of humanity. In budo, when we meet our equal on the battlefield, the line that separates the winner from the loser is often just merely luck. That person developed themselves to level to meet us on the battlefield and it was only luck which made them fall to us. Understanding this, our opponent deserves our humanity and not our brutality. The main character, Tsugumo Hanshiro in the movie Harakiri said, “What befalls others today may be our own fate tomorrow. When all is said and done our lives are like houses built on foundations of sand. A strong wind and all is gone.” The entire movie plot is about how the eight virtues must be obeyed reverently but practiced with humanity. Respect, honor, loyalty, justice, courage, benevolence, self-discipline and honesty lose their meaning without humanity. Respect without humanity can be an empty gesture. Honor and justice delivered without humanity can be cruelty. Loyalty without humanity is just sycophantism. Courage without humanity can be bravado. Benevolence without humanity is just self-importance. Honesty needs humanity because sometimes the truth hurts. Self-discipline without humanity can just be self-centeredness. There is always more to the story and humanity helps us see that. Humanity ensures that we are doing the right thing for the right reason rather than the right thing just because it is right.

Today’s goal: Look beyond what is right and see the humanity.

Listen/Watch Charlie Chaplin’s - A message for all of humanity

Actions Have Consequences

A warrior knows that their actions have consequences.  

It’s a myth that a samurai sword once drawn, cannot be sheathed until it draws blood. People often think of the samurai as being blood thirsty and loving death. This is far from the truth as a true warrior values life over death. Realizing the eventuality of death enables the warrior to savor life. In Iaido, when one draws their sword, the first 1/3 of the draw is supposed to be done slowly. This is supposed to give the opponent the opportunity to withdraw and to avoid a fight. The reason for this practice could be due to the old Japanese law koiguchi san sun (鯉口三寸) which meant that a sword was considered to be fully drawn when it is pulled out more than three sun (3.5 inches) from the koiguchi or “scabbard’s opening.” To a samurai, when a person draws their sword, it signals their intention and since a samurai has integrity then that can lead to serious consequences and unwanted bloodshed. This is possibly why people might ridiculously think that a sword must taste blood before it can be sheathed. Here is a Zen story which may help to understand a samurai’s motives. Once, Takeda Nobushige, a great general came to see the Buddhist monk Hakuin and asked, “Is there really a paradise and a hell?” Hakuin asked, “Who are you?” “I am a samurai,” Nobushige replied. Hakuin jokingly replied. “You, a samurai! What kind of lord would employ you? You have the face of a beggar.” Nobushige became so angry that he grabbed the handle of his sword. Seeing that, Hakuin said, “So you have a sword! Your weapon is probably much too dull to cut off my head.” As Nobushige began to draw his sword, Hakuin quickly remarked, “Here you open the gates of hell!” Hearing these words, Nobushige instantly realized the master’s teaching and sheathed his sword and bowed. To this, Hakuin said, “Here you open the gates of paradise.” We alone control our actions. A warrior knows that whatever they choose to do has consequences.

Today’s goal: Be mindful of your actions because they have consequences.

Watch this video to understand how our actions have consequences.

A warrior wields their power wisely.

Furuya Sensei once wrote, “There is an old Zen saying, ‘The peach grows and matures on its own power and when it ripens, everyone will come to admire its beauty and taste.’” In the martial arts and in life, how we use power is very important. Oftentimes we think of “power,” in relation to others and its use upon them. However, as Sensei asserts, our power is best used inwardly to improve ourselves. When we put effort into improving ourselves, it is referred to in Japanese as “jirikikousei” (自力更生). Power in this sense is the energy that gives us the ability to do something or act and that power can be used to better mankind or destroy it – the choice is ours. Voltaire said, “With great power comes great responsibility” and so understanding this, we train in the martial arts so that when the time comes, we can use our power wisely and appropriately. The underlying philosophy of Aikido is masakatsu agatsu or “gaining victory over ourselves.” Gaining victory over ourselves gives us the knowledge and power to not choose the path of violence which is usually asserted over others. Sensei used to constantly admonish us about there being “no time left.” Because there is really so little time left, do we wish to spend it fighting others or struggling to usurp them? Training teaches us that true power is not in the destruction we can create, but in bringing our beauty to the world. Everyone has power, but only a true warrior learns how to wield it and thus a warrior wields their power wisely.

Today’s goal: Look inward and ask yourself, “How am I wielding my power?”

To Be Discouraged

Throwback Thursday

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message July 18, 2005.

"To be discouraged. Sometimes we get discouraged because we feel that people have expectations of us which are too high and we cannot accommodate them. We do not like such responsibilities weighing upon us. If we think about it seriously however, that people have such high expectations of us is the greatest compliment of all. It is when people have no expectations of us and allow us to do whatever we feel like or do not care, is actually a great insult. The hardest part of life is meeting the responsibilities that Life continually imposes upon us. At the same time, this is also bringing great excitement and beauty to our lives."

Be Fearless

Dojo Message

大上段に振りかぶって

Daijodan ni furikabutte
Be fearless

A warrior knows that bravado isn’t bravery. A warrior is supposed to be brave, have courage, but never exhibit bravado. Bravery is a character trait and a person is “being” brave when they do something without fear. Courage is a choice and we “have” courage when we do something despite feeling afraid. A person has bravado when they do things with the sole purpose of impressing others. Some people are brave, others choose to have courage and some people only have bravado when others are around. Bravery and courage come from a powerful place deep within us. In swordsmanship they say, “daijodan ni furikabutte” which translates as, “raise your sword overhead,” but it is supposed to mean, “To be fearless.” A samurai is only supposed to draw their sword with the intention to kill. Thus, drawing one’s sword and raising it overhead to the jodan no kamae position is supposed to be the highest expression of this intention and so a person must be “fearless.” Bravado comes from our egos and a smaller place within us. When we don’t feel good about ourselves, we seek validation and we want people to like us, so we tend to boast, brag or show off to impress them. Acting this way only shows the smallness of our character. Anyone can talk a good game or show off, but only a real warrior can be brave or have courage. Furuya Sensei was fond of the expression, “rin byo to sha kai jin retsu zai zen” which means “The bravest warrior excels at the front of the battlefield.” Many times, the only person who will know if we are brave or courageous is ourselves. To overcome life’s obstacles takes more than empty words or gestures. A warrior doesn’t really know if they are full of bravado or if they can be brave or have courage. A person will only know who they are when the time comes, and their metal is tested.

Today’s goal: Ask yourself, “Do you know the difference between bravery and bravado?”

Read this post or other message posts here: Dojo Message http://www.aikidocenterla.com/blog

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Warrior Training Reveals One's Self

地鉄が出る
Jigane ga deru 
The steel appears or to reveal one’s true character

A warrior polishes themselves to reveal their true character. With every cut, a warrior reveals their true nature. In the making of a Japanese sword, it is the sword polisher which reveals the true beauty and sharpness of the blade. The polishing of a sword reveals its steel or “jigane ga deru” which the Japanese interpret to mean “to reveal one’s true character.” In warrior training it is the same, our true greatness is only revealed as we polish ourselves and remove our rougher outer layers. As we try to “build” ourselves we can accidentally become burdened by desire, stress, or other baggage because we believe that we need to add something to become complete. That is why the process of developing one’s self can actually be thought of like the beauty of a sword that can only be revealed by a process of subtracting all that which was unnecessary or irrelevant. In Buddhism and in budo, one goal is to return to a mindset of heijoshin (平常心) or the “original or ordinary mind” which was the mind that we were born with before conditioning and circumstances formed us. The bumps and bruises of life become that which clouds our true nature and so we struggle to develop ourselves, learn new things or act decisively. In practice, with every punch, cut or throw practiced, we are polishing ourselves by a process of learning to let go which in turn teaches to let go of that which is causing us to fail. Therefore, budo training is not a process of becoming or adding to ourselves because we are incomplete, but a process of taking away to reveal our true nature. Training enables the warrior to reveal their greatness and ultimately act with mindfulness, precision and efficiency. Practice not to attain, but to take away and reveal your true inner self.   

Today’s goal: What you are holding on to that needs to be let go of?

A Warrior Overcomes Adversity

雨降って地固まる
Amefuttechikatamaru
After rain falls, the ground hardens

A warrior overcomes adversity. Long ago in Japan during the Hogen Rebellion of 1156, there was an archer of great strength who supposedly sunk a ship with just one well-placed arrow. That archer was Minamoto no Tametomo and he was said to be the greatest archer in the history of Japan. Tametomo didn’t start out as a great archer. On the contrary, he was born with a genetic defect and people must have thought that he’d never amount to anything because of this irregularity. One of Tametomo’s arms was four inches longer and slimmer than the other, which was shorter, but much larger. This defect could have made his childhood difficult and possibly make him feel self-conscious. However, as the legend clearly shows us, Tametomo used his adversity to make himself great. In Japanese they say, “ame futte chi katamaru” or “After rain falls, the ground hardens.” In battle and in life, some are sinkers, and some are swimmers. No matter what we do in life, a little rain will fall. Adversity will always be there in some way, shape or form. The problem is not adversity itself, but the effect it has on us. Adversity has a way of showing us just who we really are. Training does the same thing as we are challenged sometimes by the technique while other times by the strength or speed of our partner. Regardless, adversity provides us with the opportunity to surmount challenges and grow. These trials give us an opportunity to show just how good we really are. Rise to the challenge, don’t allow yourself to sink. We don’t know what heights our adversities will take us. All we know is that it is showing us the way and that is why a warrior overcomes adversity.

Today’s goal: Where has adversity taken you to? Allow it make you and don’t let it break you.

A Warrior Practices Gratitude

艱難にいって友をしる
Kannan ni itte tomo wo shiru
In hardships, you know your friends.

“Fellow samurai must support each other. We are never so keenly grateful for the kindness of others as when we have fallen on hard times.” - Oishi, The Loyal 47 Ronin - Chushingura

I appreciate everyone who came out to train with us on our first day back. Thank you all very much.

A warrior practices gratitude. Battles are never won by just one person. Every great tale has a hero, but it also features a cast of characters who are working hard and sacrificing themselves so that the hero can be successful. Robin Hood had his Merry Men, Luke had Han Solo, Chewbaca, C3PO and R2D2, and there were 47 Ronin. Understanding this, success is only a function of each person’s selflessness and generosity or in other words how much they think of others. Thinking of others can be easily summed up as harmony. Harmony requires selflessness, kindness, generosity, graciousness, and forgiveness. As we develop ourselves, the beginning levels are mostly physical and because of that it is easy for our smaller self or ego to come out and thus we act selfishly or self-centered. However, as we evolve, we realize that the path towards our greater self requires us to think or put others first. In many ways, the coronavirus is teaching us about harmony and humanity and many of us are learning the true meaning of gratitude and appreciation and the real value of kindness. In Japanese it is said, “Kannan ni itte tomo wo shiru” or “In hardships, you know your friends.” It’s true that we only really know ourselves and who are friends are when we are at our lowest. A warrior realizes that the road to true inner peace is paved with gratitude and that is why a warrior practices gratitude. Thank you all for all you do!

Today’s goal: Do your best to show true gratefulness 10 times today.

A Warrior Only Seeks To Know Contentment

A warrior seeks only to know contentment. Martial arts training teaches us about how to employ leverage. Leverage means moving something with the least amount of effort which will bring the greatest return. Leverage is then about knowing what is sufficient and sufficiency is about balance or contentment. The famous samurai, Date Masamune once said, “Rectitude carried to excess hardens into stiffness; benevolence indulged beyond measure sinks into weakness.” Masamune’s quote is about striking a balance between strength and suppleness. When we train, we realize that the only real opponent is ourselves and so life’s real path is inner peace. At Ryoanji temple in Kyoto, there is a famous tsukubai or stone “washbasin” that was donated by the feudal lord Tokugawa Mitsukuni. On the face of the stone basin there are kanji characters which are surrounding a square 口. The ideographs alone don’t mean anything, but when combined with the square口 which means kuchi or “mouth”  the characters become 吾, 唯, 足, 知 which translates as “I only know contentment” or ware tada taru wo shiru. Through training, we learn that the only thing to strive for is inner peace and not the outside world of competition, acquiring and materialism. The more we train, the more efficient our movements become, but at the same time we become more at ease. We become more at ease because our desire for external gratification becomes less and our inner desire for peace or calmness increases. Thus, as Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Nobody can bring peace but yourself.” Warrior training is about learning to be content with what we have and who we are as opposed to having what we want. Therefore, a real warrior only seeks contentment.    

Today’s goal: Reflect on what you have done lately which created contentment.

Even Specks of Dust When Piled Up Can Become Mountains

塵も積もれば山となる
Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru
Even specks of dust if piled up can become mountains.

A warrior always strives for continuous improvement. It is thought that only about 8% of people ever achieve their goals and some statistics reveal that less than 2% people ever achieve a black belt. Most fail not because they themselves are bad or flawed, but because their methodology is poor. Some Japanese believe that the loftier the goal, the smaller the steps should be. Strolling towards one’s goals can sometimes be more effective. A Japanese method of continuous improvement is referred to as kaizen (改善) or “good change.” Kaizen is a systematic approach that is based upon common sense, self-discipline, order and economization and it can be summed up as the plan-do-check-act method. Here are the 10 principles of Kaizen:    

1. Continuously improve everything.
2. Challenge outdated concepts.
3. Make things happen not excuses.
4. Don’t assume that things will work just because they did before.
5. If something is wrong, fix it.
6. Empower everyone to take part in problem solving.
7. Get information and opinions from multiple people.
8. Before making decisions, ask “why” five times to get to the root cause.
9. Be economical with your time and money.
10. Remember that improvement has no limits. Never stop trying to improve.

Budo is a journey filled with ups and downs. If we become too attached with the ups, then any low point can sink our efforts. Thus, we should not measure ourselves by the big accomplishments, but by the smaller victories. In Kaizen, it is believed that little things can become big things. For instance, one kaizen weight loss advocate suggested that a person start by doing jumping jacks during TV commercials. Thus, if we start small and methodical, then we can create good habits which will snowball and eventually lead to success. With the kaizen method, even specks of dust can pile up and eventually become mountains and that is how a warrior can strive for continuous improvement.

Today’s goal: What small steps can you make toward achieving your goals?  

A Warrior Always Prepares Themselves

A warrior always prepares themselves. If somehow, we knew that today was our last and that when we closed our eyes that it would be for good, what would we do differently? A warrior would try and live every moment to its fullest. Warriors don’t love death. On the contrary, they learn how to live knowing that they are going to die. Embracing life, a warrior would spend a few moments affirming their day and planning it out. In the Hagakure, Yamamoto Tsunetomo wrote, “Rehearse your death every morning and night. Only when you constantly live as though already dead will you be able to find freedom in the martial way and fulfill your duties without fault throughout your life.” This is not unlike a speech given by Admiral McRaven who advocated that making one’s beds is the first step towards changing the world. He said, “By making your bed, you will have accomplished the first task of the day.” This supports the idea that by preparing ourselves for our day, we can fully live and ultimately be successful. He also said, that “If by chance that you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is already made, that you made, and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.” By being prepared, a warrior not only sets themselves up to have a successful day, but it also ensures that there will be a tomorrow. In budo, they say, sonaearebaureinashi (備えあれば憂いなしなし) or that “If you fully prepare, you need not worry.” If today is your last day, don’t waste it. As Alice Earle once wrote, “The clock is running. Make most of today. Time waits for no man. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” Whether we like it or not, our clocks are ticking and that is why a warrior always prepares themselves.  

Today’s goal: Today is the last day. What will you do?

Watch Admiral McRaven’s speech. The second one is the shortened version

A Warrior Appreciates Effort

神社を尽くして天命を待つ
Jinji wo tsukushite tenmei wo matsu
Do your best and leave the rest to fate

A warrior appreciates effort because they understand that nobody will ever see their toil. To reach the pinnacle in any endeavor, the hardest thing to do is to simply put in the work. The rest they say is up to the gods. The other day, I saw a video of a woman who is a one-woman band street performer. Usually, I would poo-poo something like this as being a waste of time and turn it off. For some reason, I watched the whole video and on a certain level I found myself enjoying it because I think I empathized with what it must have taken her to get to this level. I smiled as I thought about her toiling away as she built these instruments, learned to play them, learned a song, and then mustered the courage to perform it for the first time. This process is similar to the warrior who labors day in and day out honing skills that they may never get the unfortunate opportunity to use. The warrior believes that if a person does their best then they will be successful. In Japanese, the word for “effort” or “doing one’s best” is doryoku (努力) which literally translates as “the power to be diligent.” The more a warrior trains, the more they learn to respect another’s efforts. This is the same reason why a warrior respects their opponents. They realize and respect how much effort is required for their opponent to face them on the opposite side of the battlefield. It’s easy to see people’s shortcomings or when they fail but it’s much harder to see their efforts and know what’s in their hearts. A warrior creates their own destiny and so they know that anyone who puts forth the effort and puts themselves out there deserves our appreciation and respect.

Today’s goal: Good or bad, try to see another person’s efforts and understand what it took for them to get to that level.    

A Warrior is Free

Happy Fourth of July!

A warrior is free. In budo, one of the highest teaching is shinmu fusatsu (真武不殺) or that “true budo does not kill.” This might seem like a misnomer because most think that warriors train to kill. However, in reality the greatest teaching a student learns is how to not kill. Training is about exercising free will and we learn that hurting others is a choice. The word free in Japanese is jiyu (自由) and usually pertains to one’s will and being unrestricted in one’s choices. Freedom in Japanese is jiyujizai (自由自在) meaning “the right to act, speak, or think as one wants without restraint.” The word free is often mistakenly used in place of the word freedom, but the difference is that we may or may not have freedom, but we always have free will. We can go around yelling, “I am free” but that doesn’t give us the freedom to do as we please. Interestingly both words have the kanji (自由) which mean “one’s self” and “reason.” Being free and having freedom both come with some obligation and so as Voltaire said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” In the world of budo, choices have consequences and so the warrior must learn to control themselves. A warrior chooses their actions wisely based upon what the best course of action is given the situation and we call this decorum. That is why the Japanese say, “Yaiba ni tsuyoki mono wa rei ni suguru” which means that “the greatest warriors surpass all others in etiquette and decorum.” In budo, we can choose to destroy another person, but that doesn’t mean that we should or that we have the right to. Thus, being a warrior means having the ability to choose what it is we do and so the only free will we have is the control we have over ourselves and that is the reason why a warrior is truly free.

Today’s goal: Remember, think before you act. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.  

Hatred is Weakness

"Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." Yoda

A true warrior does not hate. Hate is a luxury that a warrior cannot afford. To hate is to have “a feeling of intense or passionate dislike for something or someone.” Anger and hatred have a way of clouding our minds and distorting our judgements. When we hate, our minds become incensed and we tend to react mindlessly instead of acting appropriately and mindfully. The two greatest motivators in life are fear and love. For the most part, hate is a product of fear. Hatred is born out of fear and we experience anger or hatred when there is a threat. When we are confronted and must act it is usually easier to act from a place of hate or anger than it is from a place of love. Love is more vulnerable and harder to express and so it is easier to put on the mask of rage, anger or hatred. In Japanese, to go after someone with hatred and kill them is referred to as sakki (殺氣) which means “blood lust” but literally translates as “killing energy.” One of the pinnacles of Japanese swordsmanship is satsujinken, katsujinto or “the sword which takes life and the sword which gives life.” Fighting and taking lives is not a clean business and so much negativity and baggage comes with it. When we are at a place where we no longer need to take lives then the life that we are really saving is our own. If our energy is imbued with hatred, then we cannot be mindful and so a warrior does not hate.

Today’s goal: Embrace that which you hate. Look around and see what things are making you upset. Realize that those things are just masking fear and whatever you do, don’t let your fear turn into hate.