Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on May 10, 2003.
In our view, we tend to think “knowing” and “doing” are the same functions but in Japanese traditional martial arts, they indeed are not. "Knowing" something does not mean we can “do” it, and vice versa. We understand them separately and eventually bring them together to create “true knowing.” “Knowing” something, but not being able to accomplish it (“do”) is not considered “knowing” it at all.
Yaiba ni tsuyoki mono wa rei ni suguru
The best warriors surpass all others in decorum
The word samurai (侍) means “the one who serves.” To truly be of service is to be selfless. Letting go of the self is supposed to be one of the highest teachings or levels in budo training. Furuya Sensei had to leave Japan and return to the US when he heard that his grandfather was terminally ill. When he arrived home, his grandfather was on his hands and knees changing out his grass for Dichondra which is a green plant that looks like grass but never needs to be mowed. Sensei asked him “why”and his grandfather replied, “Dichondra is easier to take care of than grass and I don’t want your grandmother to have to work too hard when I am gone.” Sensei recounted this story and thought that it was “very samurai” because on the eve of his grandfather’s passing, he thought of someone other than himself and did not want to burden anyone after his death. Sometimes, a samurai would burn incense in their helmet before a battle. It was customary to cut the head off of a downed opponent as proof of one’s participation and prowess on the battlefield. Cutting someone’s head off is a messy business and so the smell of incense was a gift or moment of pleasantry among all the messiness of an unpleasant act. The reason why a samurai tries to be “of service” is to teach themselves selflessness because as the unknown authored quote goes, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” That’s one of the theories behind Aikido practice. Each person takes a turn being uke or “the one who receives the technique.” Acting as the uke, our partner acts as the opponent and willing gives us their body to train with. In doing so, they practice and reinforce this idea of non-violence and selflessness. Warriors are people of character who always think of others first. Anyone can be selfish or self-centered, but only a strong person can be selfless and serve others.
Today’s goal: Be strong. Don’t make it about you, make it about the other person.
“We learn little from victory, much from defeat.” - Japanese Proverb
Warriors love mistakes, everyone else hates them. Shoshitsu Sen XV once wrote, “When you follow the Way of Tea, no matter how you think you may disgrace yourself, it will not be taken as disgrace or shame. Make mistakes, be rebuked, stand corrected and learn.” The grandmaster’s words ring true for budo as well. Mistakes are just errors in judgement and most of them are benign and hopefully don’t result in catastrophe. Teachers are supposed to point out where we have made mistakes so that we can improve. The problem with making mistakes and being corrected is that most people take it personally. In the past, training was supposed to help students develop thick skins and desensitize them to the pain, hardship and cruelty of battle and life. If they could endure the training, many students realized their own potential and became successes in their regular lives. I remember one student who drove a taxi and after achieving black belt under Furuya Sensei, he realized that he could do anything he set his mind to and went to medical school and became a doctor. Later, he became resentful of Sensei’s strict discipline and left not realizing that learning to deal with Sensei’s strictness was the reason why he became successful in the first place. Nobody wants to make mistakes but warriors know that mistakes can show them where they need to put in the work and that’s why Sensei always used to say, “Cry in the dojo, laugh on the battlefield.” Learning to not take it personally enables us to make mistakes constructively which enables us to grow and improve and ultimately become successful. Taking things personally only makes us resentful and prevents us from using mistakes as guides in our training. Thus, it’s not about making mistakes, but in how we deal with them that is important. Mistakes are just mistakes. Make mistakes, learn from it and use them to make yourself better. Warriors learn from mistakes.
Today’s goal: When you make a mistake, don’t take it personally - just learn from it.
The other day, someone asked me to explain about how one would take their opponent’s center and how they could use their opponent’s ki (氣) or “energy” against them. I politely explained that before all of those “advanced” things, they should first master the basic movements or “kihon-waza.” I don’t know if he understood me or not. The reason why students should master the basic physical movements first is because those movements form the basis of being able to “use” their opponent’s ki or “take” their opponent’s center. If we don’t master the physical movements then we will only be using physical strength or speed which will eventually fade as we get older and thus we will always succumb to someone younger, stronger or faster. Discussing Kendo as one ages, Moriji Mochida, Kendo 10th Dan said, “It took my body 50 years to learn the basics of Kendo. After I reached the age of 50, that’s where the real training began. This is because I finally began to practice Kendo with my mind and heart. When you reach 60, your legs and hips begin to weaken. You learn to conquer these weaknesses with your mind and heart. At age 70, your entire body begins to refuse to moving. This is when you learn how to not use your mind or heart. If you do not use your heart, your opponent’s heart becomes a mirror of your own.” Reading this, it seems that different physical difficulties arise in each decade and so before we reach a certain age, we need to have mastered certain things. If we don’t, those things will echo into our future and cause us trouble. That’s why we should strive to master the physical movements first before we get into the more advanced techniques. Just like painting or cooking, everything in life is a process and like all processes we need to follow the steps in order to achieve mastery. That is why the best warriors first master the basics.
Today’s goal: If you find that you are having a hard time, just go back to the basics.
This video begins at the 8:00 minute mark where Tada Sensei discusses mastering the basics. This is a 3 part interview that everyone should watch.
Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on April 4, 2003.
There is nothing more blessed than to live a simple life, work hard and have a few good friends. This is the way I think nowadays. Maybe it is my age and I am getting old, but looking over everything I have done - I think this is what I value the most. We can make ourselves very busy and try to do everything we can but we only get weary and bored. If we don't work hard we cannot even realize our smallest dream. People always come and go in our lives but it is those friends who are always there by our side that make the biggest difference of all. We focus on money - one day we are rich and the next day we are poor. We focus on fame - but people soon forget who we are as soon as we can no longer entertain and amuse them. Our fancy car gets scratched and old and is soon worth nothing. What do most people want in this life? I think most people do not know for themselves. In Zen, there is an old saying, "The treasure sword is in your hand." We hold a great treasure without even realizing it!
Warriors are adept at finding weak points. One of the things training teaches us is to recognize patterns. Within patterns are rhythms and like all rhythms there are highs and lows. The high is where the opponent’s defenses are the strongest. The low is where there is a suki (隙) or an “opening” because the opponent’s defenses are the weakest. The repetitiousness of training allows the student to get into a flow state which is akin to a meditative state and when this happens the brain begins programming the techniques into their subconscious. Subconscious or unconscious programming is used to create what we would call kan (勘) or “intuitive”movement in Japanese. We use kan to deal with an attack but it’s also used to intuitively recognize when there’s an opening to attack. With subconscious programming, our bodies learn to move without conscious thought which is supposed to be faster. To illustrate this point, on average conscious action takes 500 milliseconds and subconscious reaction takes 12 milliseconds. The more repetitious training we do, the stronger our subconscious reaction becomes. At some point in training, we get adept at reading our opponent’s patterns and using that information to defeat them. With experience, we also begin to realize that the true enemy lies within and then we then turn our discriminating eye inward so that we can see the patterns which are holding us back. Each of us do things consciously or unconsciously which are helping us and hurting us. The trick is in knowing the difference and breaking the habits that are keeping us from being successful or happy. O’Sensei referred to defeating ourselves as “masakatsu agatsu” or “The truest victory is over one’s self.” Warriors are good at finding weak points but, in life and in training, the real weak points that we are searching for are our own.
Today’s goal: Look for your habitual patterns or weak points and change the one’s which are holding you back.
“The lines of the posture thus formed express calm dignity, balanced stability, passivity, unconcerned ease, peace and tranquility, known in philosophical terms as ‘action in inaction,’ full of potentialities.”
- Gunji Koizumi, Judo 8th Dan
How we stand says a lot about us. The source of our ki (氣) or “energy” is located in our hara (腹) or “abdomen” which is the lower one-third of our abdomen. When we stand up straight with good posture, we assume shizentai (自然体 ) or a “natural body” and it’s with this posture which enables the energy from our center to travel up our spines and move throughout our bodies. From this “balanced” place, we can efficiently deal with or redirect any incoming force. In the martial arts, we are always trying to defend our seichusen (正中線) or “centerline” and attack or control our opponent’s. Controlling the opponent’s centerline means being able to dictate their posture and affect their balance which will inhibit their body’s ability to use energy efficiently or appropriately which will cause them to fail. Defending and controlling our own center enables us to remain calm and appropriately deal with any attack and ultimately be successful. Anyone who has given a piggyback ride to someone who was too heavy which caused them to fall down understands this principle. When talking about posture, Furuya Sensei said, “Sometimes, we forget that Aikido is training the mind and spirit, as well as the body.” Standing up straight and moving with good posture usually means that our bodies are balanced and our minds are calm. We can change the orientation of our power just by focusing on how we stand. Likewise, we can change how our day is going just by sitting or standing up straight, lowering our shoulders, balancing our hips, lifting our heads and taking a breath. We change because our posture changes. Understanding this, we can see that how we stand is a reflection of our inner state.
Today’s goal: When things go sideways, focus on your breathing and your posture.
“I am not a teacher, but an awakener. “ Robert Frost
One of my favorite scenes from the Karate Kid is when a tired and frustrated Daniel-san confronts Mr. Miyagi after doing all of his chores like washing his cars, sanding his floors and painting his fences but then realizes that he had been learning Karate the whole time. The look of wonderment on Daniel-san’s face as he walks away is priceless. The question becomes, “Why did Mr. Miyagi have to trick Daniel san?” Obviously, we will never know the true reason, but one could surmise that Mr. Miyagi did it so that Daniel-san would have an “aha” moment which would create a sense of wonderment and value towards Karate and also disassociate the pain and tedium of training from training so that now he only sees its benefit. Daniel-san now loves Karate and is inspired to train hard. A teacher’s job is to inspire their students. Anyone can instruct, but only a true teacher can inspire. Inspiration is about timing. Too much inspiration or too early can lead to a false inspiration which can lead to a painful realization later. Too little or too late and a student can become discouraged and quit. Mr. Miyagi had to hope that Daniel-san’s realization would come at the exact right moment before he reached the tipping point and quit. True inspiration can be life changing and last a lifetime. One might argue that passion is better and longer lasting. A teacher can be passionate, but they cannot give someone passion but they can give them inspiration. The theory is that inspiration will encourage our passion which will in turn lead to our perspiration. We will only reach great heights because we are inspired to do so. Teachers are supposed to bring out the best in their students and they do this by inspiring them. Every teacher wishes that they could instill a sense of love for their art in their students which could change the course of their lives because it motivates them to train hard so that they can reach their great heights.
Today’s goal: How can you Mr. Miyagi yourself? What can you do to create inspiration?
Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on July 9, 2005.
In practice, everything we do may be filled with shame and embarrassment - what is wrong with that? To know what is wrong is equally important as to know what is right because both right and wrong direct us in the same way in our lives - to make ourselves better people.
“To be discouraged is part of training.” Rev. Kensho Furuya
Budo can be thought of as the ability to weather storms. Sometimes, when I look down the barrel of the coronavirus, it can be daunting. Every day, more and more dojos, like other small businesses, seem to be struggling and some even go out of business. From a business outlook, it’s overwhelming but from a training standpoint it’s just weather. Being an Aikido teacher, I understand this, but I still have a hard time putting it into practice. When times get bleak, it helps me to remember one of the title chapters from Furuya Sensei’s book, Kodo: “To be discouraged is part of training.” Progress in training can be so incremental that most times it seems like we are standing still. We struggle because we think that we “should” be doing better or because we compare ourselves to others who are seemingly “hitting it out of the park.” Life, like training, is filled with just as many downs as there are ups and it’s easy to yearn only for the latter. Shakespeare wrote, “Nothing is right or wrong, but thinking makes it so.” Training teaches us equanimity and we learn to allow both good and bad to come and go. We don’t try to control the weather and thus we just accept it until it passes. In Aikido, this process of weathering is called“harmony”where we learn not to control but to harmonize with our opponent’s advances. When we are striving for an ideal and it doesn’t show up, we become discouraged. Understanding that all things have their place, we learn to accept things as they are and in turn harmonize with them. Discouragements will come and go but we only struggle with them when we forget that they are a valuable part of our training because they teach us just where we need to work. The Way is so ephemeral that it’s easy to lose one’s way and become disillusioned. Don’t give up, it’s just part of your training, or as Sensei used to say, “Cry in the dojo, laugh on the battlefield.”
Today’s goal: It’s ok to get discouraged, just don’t give up.
Warriors Aren’t Robots
"The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that man may become robots." ~ Erich Fromm
On a certain level, robots can replace humans and automation is a fear in almost every industry. Robots can replace the work of warriors, but they can never be warriors. The greatest asset a warrior has is their humanity or their ability to think, reason and care. Robots are incapable of all of those things because they are not conscious or sentient. In 2015, the Yasakawa corporation created the Yasakawa Bushido Project which pitted a robot, the Motoman-MH24 versus the famous Iaido swordsman, Isao Machii. Scientists studied Machii and created a computer program to mimic his sword cuts. The contest was to see who could cut 1000 wara or “rolled tatami mats” the quickest. When they faced off, it seemed that Motoman was able to match Machii cut for cut and it appeared that the contest ended in a draw. It was hailed as a huge success that a robot could be as good as an experienced swordsman. Upon closer look, I wouldn’t say that the robot was as good as Machii. For one, the robot could only cut targets in front of it while Machii cut targets in front and back of him. Secondly, Machii also had to help set up and calibrate Motoman. Finally, at 4:20 of the video they showed an overview of both cutting spaces. Look at how uniform Machii’s cutting area was and look at the sloppiness of Motoman’s cutting area. Motoman could copy Machii’s movements but it couldn’t perfect it. Fromm’s quote is perhaps a warning to humans to not become robot-like and lose the autonomy to think, reason and care. Warriors aren’t just killing machines. They care not only why, but also how they do things. Robots don’t get to care or choose. Being a warrior means consciously choosing to live one’s life mindfully at a higher level. In other words, for lack of a better phrase, warriors give a f*ck.
Today’s goal: Don’t be a robot. Give a sh!t and think, reason and care.
“Life is a hailstorm of distractions. It’s not the monster that stops us, but the mosquito.” Robert G. Allen
Warriors don’t let themselves get distracted. Sun Tzu said, “All warfare is based on deception.” Tacticians strive to mislead their opponents and get them to misread the situation and make a mistake and lose the battle. One of the best ways to mislead an opponent is with a distraction. In Japanese, kiutsuri (氣移) means “distraction” but it translates as “moved ki.” Thus, we are felled because we lose our focus when our ki becomes distracted. Distractions cause us to lose focus on the task at hand. Martial arts training tends to be very repetitious and the reason for that is to not only create subconscious muscle memory but also to teach us how to focus quickly or “get into the zone” when attacked. Distractions are the thieves of dreams because we won’t be able to achieve great things if we get too caught up in the minutia of the little things. Likewise, if we let ourselves be bothered by the little things, then we’ll be destroyed by the bigger things. In battle and in life, people mostly fall for distractions because they are easy and less daunting. Generally, the more the daunting situation, the more tempting the distraction. Distractions are the easiest way to activate the “reward system” in our brains and get a dopamine hit. Today, with all of our technologies, there are more dopamine distractors than ever before and it’s easy to just “escape” from reality. Regardless of the distraction or the reason, distractions are about temptation. We give in to the temptation which causes us to lose our focus or mindfulness. The best warriors are the ones who have the strongest wills and are able to recognize when something isn’t important and merely a distraction. A warrior is focused and strong willed and that’s why they aren’t bothered by flies.
Today’s goal: When you get into something, ask yourself “Am I just distracting myself?”
A Warrior Doesn’t Judge
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” - The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Neibuhr
How we hold the handle of the sword is akin to how we handle ourselves. In Japanese swordsmanship, gripping the sword is referred to as tenouchi (手の内) and they say it should be done as if we are “holding an egg.” If we hold an egg too strongly, it will break. If we hold it too weak, it will fall out and break. The strength of one’s grip has to be balanced to hold it properly and transmit its power appropriately. This teaching can be applied to life as well. By far, the greatest villain in life is self-judgment. In striving to grasp on to an ideal, we often go to war with ourselves and stress out about things, people and circumstances which aren’t within our power to change. This mistaken perspective can cause undue stress and lead to us quitting. Sometimes, this incorrect mindset about self-improvement comes about because of how dojo’s are designed. Typically, most are geared towards forging our spirits and bringing out our best, but this generally means that someone is pointing out all of our mistakes and weak points so that we can improve upon them. The problem is that we can accidentally take these external criticisms and turn them into internal judgments. As an anonymous person once said, “We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are.” Thus, like gripping the sword carefully, maintaining perspective and not taking things personally enables us to not judge ourselves and without judgment we can begin to move through life well. Budo training isn’t about attaining perfection - it’s about the movement of change. Going with the flow teaches us to change the things we can and let go of the things we can’t and that’s why a warrior doesn’t judge.
Today’s goal: Don’t beat yourself up. Change the things you can and let go of the things you can’t.
Throwback Thursday - The Most Important Thing In Life to Learn!
Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on February 2, 2004.
If you learn anything in life, learn your manners, meaning how to act properly and nicely towards others in each and every situation.
If you get very strong, some people may admire you and some people may fear you, but no one will really respect you. Some might even laugh at you behind your back…
If you become very rich, some people will pretend to like you and some will even think that they are your friends just because you have so much to offer. Ultimately, some may try to fool you…
If you become very wise, many people will come to you for advice and say, but ultimately they will hate you because you will make them feel stupid or inadequate…
If you become very powerful, people will flock to you because everyone loves power and prestige, but no one will ever like you for yourself…
Just be nice and well mannered. It will not matter if your are rich or poor, powerful or weak, famous or a nobody. Everyone will always like you and eventually respect you thinking that you are truly rich, powerful and have great prestige!
Outside the dojo, the thing I notice most about people is that they have no manners or are not as polite as before. Everyone is in such a hurry, and everyone thinks too much of themselves. Sometimes I think they are acting worse than animals - this is not Aikido at all.
Always think about what you want written on your tombstone. "Here lies a very arrogant and snobby person.” "Here lies a very rich person whose money we can all enjoy now that he is dead.” "Here lies a bully who thought he was so strong!” "Here lies a very nice person, whom we will always miss forever and forever."
It doesn't cost anything for you to be nice to others, but the returns are great. Treat others with disrespect and impoliteness, and see what you finally end up with…
“Do not think about your death too much, it’s too depressing to keep this in your mind and it’s not a healthy way to develop yourself. But always keep your death in front of you like a true samurai warrior and you will never waste even one minute of your life again! Please understand this well and think about this seriously.” Rev. Kensho Furuya
The samurai believed in mujo (無常) or “The transience of life.” Given their profession, a samurai knew that at any moment they could be cut down. Rather than become fearful, angry or pessimistic, they learned to value their lives because they knew they were going to die. The word mujo actually directly translates as “nothing extraordinary.” In the west, when things are “nothing extraordinary” then we tend to devalue them. However, the Japanese see “nothing extraordinary” as being the highest level of aesthetic expression because it’s so hard to just be normal and when things are not extraordinary then they are overlooked and can be easily thrown away and there’s a beautiful sadness to this fact. Trying to teach us to not waste our time, Furuya Sensei used to say, “There is no time left.” His death, like Kobe’s, Chadwick Boseman’s and now Eddie Van Halen’s, teaches us all that no matter how wealthy, accomplished or boringly normal we are, death stalks us all. Each day, somewhere around 150,000 people die worldwide. How many of those people lived the samurai ethos of living each moment to its fullest? The samurai understood death because they believed that the only thing of value that they truly possessed was their lives. Sensei admonishes us to “keep our death’s in front of us” to remind us to live our lives to the fullest and to the best we can. Likewise, people pass away to remind us to live and value what little life we have left. I am sad to hear that Eddie Van Halen passed away, I am a fan. May he rest in peace.
Today’s goal: Live your life because there may not be a tomorrow.
A Warrior Leaves No Room For Doubt
“The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who doesn’t ask is a fool for life.” Confucius
Having utagai (疑い) or “doubt” comes from being uncertain of one’s self which creates an opening for an opponent to attack. It’s said, “A good student does the right thing at the right time.” We learn to do the right thing at the right time by asking questions. When we don’ know something, we ask - it’s that simple. The simple things are often the most difficult. Asking can be embarrassing as it illustrates the fact that we don’t know something and that touches on our fear that we aren’t good enough. Asking is also an exercise in assertiveness as we learn to stand up for ourselves. Without knowing it, asking questions is the ultimate budo exercise. In the beginning, we learn to close all of our suki (隙) or “openings” so that there is no doubt which our opponents can’t use defeat us. Later on, we learn to create a controlled opening or vulnerability to control our opponent’s attack and defeat them. Asking questions is budo because it’s not about winning or losing but uncovering our weaknesses and having the courage to confront them and improve them. O’Sensei called this masakatsu agatsu or “The truest victory is over one’s self.” When a student can ask an honest question, not just to make conversation or suck up, then they will have become a person of conviction and thus reached a high level of training. Brene Brown said, “Vulnerability isn’t winning or losing; it's having the courage to show up and be seen when we have no control over the outcome. Vulnerability is not weakness; it's our greatest measure of courage.” Being truly vulnerable is the easiest most difficult thing one can do and we demonstrate that by asking questions when we don’t understand and only ask when it’s the most opportune time. By being vulnerable enough to ask questions, a warrior leaves no doubt.
Today’s goal: Don’t leave any room for doubt, ask a question.
人類だけが火の使い方を知っている
Jinrui dake ga hi no tsukaikata wo shitteiru
Only man knows how to use fire
Charles Darwin said, “The art of making fire is probably the greatest discovery, excepting language, ever made by man.” From Darwin’s statement, we can infer that using fire and language marked the beginnings of human civilization. Fire symbolizes one’s passion or “self-power” or jiriki (自力) in Japanese. In swordsmanship, when we raise the sword overhead, we assume the jodan no kamae (上段の構え) stance or “overhead stance,” but this is also known as the hi no kamae (火の構え) or “fire stance.” The use of the word fire in this sense refers to the courage and fortitude that one must have to raise the sword overhead and cut someone down. When they say, “Only man knows how to use fire,” they are implying that the technology of fire is what makes humans superior to animals. From the standpoint of swordsmanship, I would argue that it is not fire, but a human being’s ability to be discerning and channel their fire which makes them superior. Fire and language might be the beginnings of civilization, but the pinnacle of civilization is in our ability to choose to be hibouryoku (非暴力) or “nonviolent.” Examining the kanji for budo (武道) we see that bu (武) or “military” is made up of the radicals for stop (止) and spear (戈). Although, our training may begin with the desire to destroy, it ends evolutionarily in jiriki where we let go of that desire and this happens symbolically as we put the sword down and choose non-violence. We can conclude that the highest teaching in the martial arts is non-violence and that’s why they say that “True budo does not kill.” It’s not the fire, but the knowing which makes us civilized and thus makes us human. Humans get to choose what they want to do, when they want to do it and why or in other words a warrior gets to choose how to use their fire - animals do not.
Today’s goal: How will you choose to use your fire today?
Be that person… That person who is willing to stand up for what is right even when it is not popular. That person who will willingly put their life on the line for another person. That person who stays late even when everyone else has gone. That person who gets there earlier than anyone else. That person who wakes up early even when they don’t want to. That person who does what is necessary before they are asked. That person who eats last so that everyone else gets fed first. That person who willingly sacrifices for others. That person who does the things that nobody else will ever know. That person who is someone that everyone depends on. That person who never brags and would rather shine a light on others. That person who leads by example. That person who always tells the truth and never lies even to their detriment. That person who always follows through. That person who gets tired, but never quits. That person who will always be there when you need them. That person who is always dependable. That person who runs toward the fire. That person who is always by your side. That person who will sit with you at your deepest darkest moments. That person who is kind, compassionate and forgiving. That person stands alone… Nobody knows that person until the time comes. Training teaches how to be that person. That person can never be beat. A true warrior is that person and that is the person I want to be.
Today’s goal: Be that person.
Watch this video of Edgar Albert Guest’s poem, The Proof of Worth
“We all are men, in our own natures frail, and capable of our flesh; few are angels.”
― William Shakespeare, Henry VIII
A warrior’s flaws are what makes them great. Someone once told me, “There are only two perfect people in this world: the devil and liars.” The Japanese believe in the aesthetic of wabi-sabi (侘寂) or that beauty comes from being “imperfect, impermanent and incomplete.” We see this idea of wabi-sabi in Hagi-yaki (萩焼 ) tea bowls whose beauty dates back to the 17th century. These bowls are famous for their translucent glaze and somewhat humble form. Hagi-yaki tea bowls are the epitome of beauty and would be “perfect” if it were not for a purposeful chip on the foot of the bowl. The chip was placed there by its maker so as to mar its beauty and taint its perfection and it was supposed to balance out the bowl’s beauty and signify the humbleness of man or rather that it was made by an imperfect human being. Probably one of the hardest things to accept in martial arts training is that nobody, not even the teacher, is perfect. Perfection is a disease that is at the root of so many difficulties in training. Some give up because they can’t be perfect. Others struggle against the standard of being perfect. Most times, our need to be externally perfect is driven by internal feelings of not being good enough. One of the great things about Aikido is the flow of the movement. The only way to flow is to go with the flow and the only way to go with the flow is to be in harmony with the imperfect. It’s the same in life. Our beauty, like the tea bowls, lies in our flaws. Human beings are fallible and thus we make mistakes. Budo training is the process of polishing one’s imperfections, but not to remove them but to allow the flaw to bring out one’s true beauty. Warriors accept their flaws and use their flaws to realize their true beauty and humanity.
Today’s goal: Don’t be so hard on yourself. Nobody has it all figured out.
花は人は武士
Hana wa sakura, hito wa bushi
Cherry blossoms among flowers, the warrior among people
Samurai movies or chambara are always filled with wonderful fight scenes. In those scenes, there is always a series of showdowns as the hero gets surrounded and kills dozens of henchmen before facing off with the movie’s villain. Besides the fact that it doesn’t make for good cinema, have you ever wondered why all the bad guys don’t just attack all at once and score the victory? One reason could be culturally as a samurai was always supposed to act with honor and courage. It is said, “Doko no karasu mo kuroi” or “Everywhere the crows are black.” This proverb was supposed to mean that all humans act the same, but warriors are supposed to be a cut above and always act with honor and decorum. To fight with honor means to be brave and so attacking someone from behind is seen as dishonorable and cowardice. During these altercations, there is always someone who does attack from behind and the hero always handedly dispatches them in dramatic bloody fashion to punish them for their indiscretion. Even if one does score the victory from behind, they would still be seen as a coward and thus their stock would fall amongst their peers. In the old days, when you confronted someone, you always stated your name, clan or school, style of fighting, teacher or lord’s name, and the reason for attacking. The samurai didn’t take death lightly and we see this in how much they valued life by all the honor and etiquette that surrounded the possibility of death. Life is like that too; because we care, we must always face our problems head on with courage and dignity. Anyone can act despite being afraid, but what separates the warrior from all others is that they do it with honor and dignity. We all want to win, but at what cost? Warriors take pride in their honor and so they fancy themselves a cut above all others.
Today’s goal: Things happen, but can you respond with dignity and grace?
Watch the clip of the movie Ame Agaru to see what samurai movie fight scenes look like and how to conduct yourself as a warrior with honor. Also, watch this motivational video about being dignity.
