Win the Day

“If you win the morning, you win the day.” - Unknown 

How do you start your day off? Aristotle said, “Well begun is half done.” What he is alluding to is that the key to having a successful day is to begin it the right way. Most of the prolific martial artists of the past started their days off right by having a daily practice or morning ritual. Torao “Tiger” Mori, the Kendo and Iaido great, started each day off with 1000 suburi or “overhead cuts” and was so serious about his morning practice that his family knew never to disturb him before he was done. Furuya Sensei said that his Iaido teacher, Takeshi Mitsuzuka did shohatto or the first kata in Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido 100 times each morning and claimed that he would be happy if he could do at least one “perfectly.” According to Gaku Homma Sensei, O’Sensei woke up at 6:00 AM every morning  and prayed for 25 minutes after bathing, rain or shine. Morning rituals are not just for martial artists. Some of the most successful business people and self-development gurus also start their day off with a routine. The author of the 4-hour Work Week, Tim Ferriss’ morning routine is to make his bed, meditate for 21 minutes, hang from a bar to decompress his spine, drink Pu-erh tea and journal. Tony Robbins’ morning routine is 1 minute of breathing exercises of 3 sets of 30 breathes, he focuses his mind on three things to be grateful for, prays for 3 minutes and ends with 3 minutes of focusing on things he wants to thrive in his life. Each of us are busy and every day an unfathomable amount of things and people need our attention and it is easy to succumb to the distractions of daily life. Having a daily practice or morning ritual enables us to start the day off right because we focus solely on ourselves which helps us to remind ourselves who we are and what we want in life. Warriors know that if we win the morning, the chances are that we will win the day as well.

Today’s goal: If you don’t have one, start a morning ritual to start your day off right

Throwback Thursday - Everyday Mind

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on December 30, 2002. 

Each student will feel some kind of awakening in their practice but it is important to simply continue as if nothing has happened. Of course, making our practice too routine will create boredom as well, but making certain moments of practice too special will create a disturbing disappointment later within our minds.

In every moment of our lives, it is important to maintain the proper state of mind and proper direction of focus. It is too easy to get lost or be misled. In Zen, this is called the “everyday mind."

Giving Tuesday - We are releasing Furuya Sensei's DVD Volume 1 for free

Happy December 1st!

Today in Los Angeles, we start a three week Stay-at-Home Order to combat the rise in COVID-19 cases. As part of Giving Tuesday, the Aikido Center of Los Angeles and the Furuya Foundation will be releasing one volume of Rev. Kensho Furuya’s Art of Aikido Video series on Youtube every Tuesday for the next nine weeks. 

Please donate to your favorite charity to social program.

Today’s goal: Give one person generosity today. You don’t have to do something large like buying someone’s groceries, but you can do something small like tip extra at Starbucks. All that matters is that you do something generous that you wouldn’t usually do. 

Keep the Connection

継続は力なり
Keizoku wa chikara nari
To continue is power

Warriors strive for connection. The thing which bonds all relationships and intertwines two or more people together is something called en (縁) in Japanese. It’s kind of metaphysical and it seems mystical but it’s something that we’ve all felt. This “connection” is something we have all felt with family or friends, but en can also be used when talking about one’s fate or destiny. In Aikido training, this idea of connection is cultivated in two regards: the connection with one’s partner and with one’s teacher. In training, the uke or the “one receiving the technique” and the nage or tori or the “one who does the technique” are both try to keep the physical and energetic connection with their partners. When one is able to stay connected, there is an almost sticky quality to their movements as they are both able to utilize or feed off the energy or power of the other person. When we see this, it’s almost magical in the way that the two people are able to work together and stay in sync. This connection is also something that one is trying to develop with their teacher. On some level, it looks like a high degree of anticipation as the subordinate is almost able to kuuki wo yomeru (空氣を読める) or “read the air” and anticipate the needs or movements of the teacher. This connection is also ishin-denshin (以心伝心), or “When two people’s hearts/minds are linked.” The reasoning for learning to develop this connection with others is so that a student can then take this ability to the battlefield and use it to anticipate and ultimately defeat their opponents. In Aikido, when we translate ai (合), we say “harmony,” but its literal meaning is “To meet.” In order for two things to harmonize, they need to come together and this can only happen through the power of connection. We all need connection because the world can be a lonely place. Today, more than ever, the world needs to come together. To be connected and continue is power, to be divided is to be conquered.   

Today’s goal: Don’t give up. Stay connected. Remember, continuing is power.

Warriors and the Way

“The Way is hard.” - Unknown 

The Way (道) is a personal belief system which dictates how we live our lives. Furuya Sensei used to always say, “The Way is hard.” To be completely honest, this is the first year that I ever truly believe him. Before, I was young and stupid and things came to me easily. Now that I am older, I feel like I have to work so much harder to work, stay in shape and if I even look at ice cream, I gain weight. The old adage, “Youth is wasted on the young” seems truly apropos. Following “the Way” is personal and no two people have the same journey. Each person’s journey is fraught with ups and downs and everyone has something that they need to work on. Each journey is similar only in that we are the only person who cares about our journey and the work that it requires is our own. If we say to ourselves, “this is who I am” then we have to follow those beliefs otherwise why apply those rules to ourselves in the first place? Beliefs dictate actions and actions demonstrate our character. In this sense, the Way is straight forward. If we say we don’t litter, we don’t throw trash on the floor. But, it’s usually the simplest things which are the hardest because it is in our nature as human beings to look for the shortest route, easiest task or most comfortable option. The Way is about sacrifice, but sacrifice isn’t quite the right word. For something to be a sacrifice, something of worth has to be given up. So the question is, “Do I really love ice cream and is giving it up really a sacrifice?”  Perhaps instead of sacrifice we say “choose” because we choose to be this way. Thus, following the Way is only hard because we have to be who we say we are. In budo, they say, “Living is hard, dying is easy” because living our Way requires work, regardless of the Way we choose. Martial artists choose to follow the Way even if it does seems harder because the only true goal of a martial artist is to be better than they were yesterday. 

Today’s goal: Think about who you say you are inside and see if it matches the person you are on the outside. 

Watch this video of Edmund Vance Cooke’s poem, “How Did You Die?”

Warriors Don’t Judge

Warriors don’t waste time judging 

“Don't judge too harshly, for if your weaknesses were to be placed under your footsteps, most likely you would stumble and fall as well.” - Richelle E. Goodrich

There is no time for judgement on the battlefield. Warriors are supposed to be mindful of their thoughts and aware of their actions. Most people are not and accidentally believe that their thoughts are real and painstakingly act upon them. Yesterday, I read an interesting article titled Acute social isolation evokes midbrain craving responses similar to hunger which appeared in the journal, Nature. This article described how isolation and hunger act very similarly in our midbrains. Thus, someone could mistaken hunger for loneliness and loneliness for hunger and because they don’t know themselves, they could mistakenly act upon that thought thinking that it is real. This lack of awareness could be the reason for all the pandemic hoarding, bullying, selfishness and insidious weight gain. In training, someone once said, “Students bring their stuff to the mat” which means that we are all working on our baggage and sometimes it comes out in training. When this happens, it helps the student realize what things they need to work on. O’Sensei said, “Be grateful even for hardship, setbacks, and bad people. Dealing with such obstacles is an essential part of training in the Art of Peace.” Joseph Campbell said, “[Life] brings us trials and revelations. Understanding their assertions, we can appreciate that every person is wrestling with their demons and how dealing with our stuff is a part of training and life and so we shouldn’t judge them. We shouldn’t judge others in their struggle because we don’t really know where they are in their process but also because when we are struggling, we don’t want to be judged either. Ian Maclaren said, “Be pitiful, for every man is fighting a hard battle.” So true indeed. Today, be kind because there’s a lot of stuff going on in the world. Have a great and safe Thanksgiving holiday if you live in the US. 

Today’s goal: Try and catch yourself if you’re judging others, but especially if you’re judging yourself. Be kind!

Warriors Take Care

油断大敵
Yudan taiteki
Carelessness is our greatest enemy 

Nobody really knows what may happen and so a warrior has to always be careful. Long ago, I was working at an antique dealer and an old man took me aside and gave me some unsolicited sagely wisdom. He said, “Wear a hat when you go outside and take care of your teeth.” I was 25 and thought this guy was crazy. Now that I am older, I totally see what he was saying. His admonishment was that it doesn’t tend to be the big things that get us in the end, but rather the little things that we neglect like not brushing our teeth or wearing sunscreen. In Aikido training, it is the same. Each technique has a set of specific steps or rules that every student must follow. When they follow the steps carefully, then they will generally be successful. If we do find ourselves in a bind, it is those same rules that will help us recover and find our way back. Our health follows the same line of thinking. The equation for good health is regular check ups, staying active, eating healthy and not sitting for too long. During this pandemic, it is easy to sit back and become out of shape. Even before the coronavirus, an average of 300,000 people died per year in the US from complications due to inactivity and poor diets. I wonder if that number will increase or decrease as a result of being quarantined. It has been almost nine months since the beginning of the coronavirus. As we all scrambled to hunker down and stay safe, it was easy and understandable that we might have neglected our outer health as well as our inner health. Now as the holidays are upon us and as we creep towards being quarantined for a year, we need to be extra careful about our health to ensure that we don’t create any longer term damage. As the Roman poet, Virgil said, “The greatest wealth is health.” Keep your guards up because bad habits and sedentary lifestyles have a way of sneaking up on us. Carelessness is our greatest enemy. 

Today’s goal: Take steps to ensure that you are taking care of your inner and outer health. “There’s no better time than the present.” 

Sometimes, it is good to be cornered

一本槍
Ippon yari
One single spear

Sometimes, it is good to be cornered. Sun Tzu once said, “When you surround an army, leave them an outlet to escape.” He thought that if an army was cornered with no escape, then they would fight with “The courage of despair” and thus they would fight to the death and be harder to defeat. We saw this idea almost play out prior to the end of WWII when the Japanese people readied bamboo spears in anticipation of being invaded. “Ippon Yari” or “One single spear” was the slogan used to inspire the Japanese people to give one last great effort and fight to the death. Today, we aren’t engaged in desperate battles, but we can still use this “courage of despair” to our advantage. When our opponent backs us into a corner thinking that we will wilt, we come out guns blazing or swinging for the fences because we have no other choice but to put in an all out effort. My brother called this, “forced success” because there was nowhere to go but up. In Aikido training, we are supposed to seek out stronger or more experienced training partners. The reason for actively seeking out difficulty is because those people who are above us are supposed to give us a hard time and push us outside of our comfort zones. This gentle “push” is what forces us to improve. There is an old Chinese proverb which supports this: “Without struggle, there is no growth.” When we are cornered, we will have no choice but to desperately fight to the bitter end. Being cornered forces us to improve just as fire forges swords, mud produces lotuses and pressure makes diamonds. If a student is pushed to the edge of their comfort zone or ability with the intention of improvement, then they will have no other choice but to improve. The feeling of being cornered with no way out forces us to fight with all our hearts to win or find a solution to our problems. Thus, sometimes, it is a good thing to be cornered. 

Today’s goal: The universe unfolds as it should. So, if you need some help making a change, maybe you should paint yourself into a corner.

Throwback Thursday - Perspectives

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on June 10, 2002. 

In Aikido and in all things, we understand our own perspective well enough and we may even be so bold as to assume that everyone else in the world abides by our own world view but this doesn't get us very far. What does the old adage say about walking in another's moccasins? In the art of Aikido, it is important to see all sides, meaning that it is important to see not only the position from the standpoint of the techniques but also the position of the mind and spirit of the other person as well.

Warriors are Pliable

柔よく剛を制す
Ju yoku go wo sei shi
Softness conquers hardness

Warriors may bend, but they never break. With martial arts training, a physically weaker or smaller person can defeat a larger or stronger opponent. To explain this idea, teachers often use the analogy of being like “a willow blowing in the wind” or  yanagi ni kaze (柳に風). The idea is that the willow moves with the wind and not against it. Yamaoka Tesshu, the great swordsman advocated this when he said, “The great essence of swordsmanship is the willow blowing in the gentle breeze.” In Aikido, we strive to understand the analogy of being like the willow as we harmonizing with our opponent’s attack. In striking, the strength of the strike follows an arc that goes from weak to strong to weak. Supposedly, when the arm is at 70% extension, it is at 100% power. Understanding this, an Aikidoist tries to time their movements to not only go with their opponent’s power but to also take advantage of it when it is at its weakest point. Thus, harmonizing is not really mindlessly yielding but mindfully using softness to conquer hardness. This idea of softness conquering hardness comes from Lao Tzu, the Taoist philosopher who said, “The soft overcomes the hard; and the weak the strong.” Aikido, like life, is about maintaining a balance between hard and soft or strong and weak. There has to be a balance as strength is unusable without flexibility and flexibility is meaningless without strength. The analogy of the willow teaches us to harmonize - when times are good, we should stand tall and be proud but when times are bad, we should also be patient and pliable. Being pliable doesn’t mean to be spineless. On the contrary, being pliable means having the fortitude to bend but also the strength not to break. Today, it seems that we are all reaching our breaking points. Please have the fortitude to bend and not to break.

Today’s goal: Be kind. Pliability is about being kind to yourself and others. Remember, everyone is suffering on some level. 

A Warrior Strives to Live the Way

鷹は飢えても穂を摘まず
Taka wa uete mo ho wo tsuibamazu
The hawk, though hungry, will not peck at the ears of grain

Warriors train themselves to live their lives ethically. We decide and care about how we get to live our lives and so it’s our job alone to see it through. Usually, nobody really cares whether we are good or bad or honest or dishonest. Martial artists care because they know that actions demonstrate character. 10 years ago, a golfer named Brian Davis was in the running to win the Heritage Classic golf tournament. Davis had been runner up four times before and this would have been his first tour title win in 169 tries. With extraordinary play, Davis forced a sudden death playoff. Playing out of a hazard it is illegal to move any loose impediment. As Davis readied himself and sized up his shot, he accidentally moved a loose reed in his take back. Nobody knew it and Davis might have gotten away with it but instead he called himself for a penalty and lost the match. It’s said, “Integrity is the trait that ensures all others.” Nobody would have known, but Davis would know. Every day in training, we get the opportunity to improve our character. Showing up for class, not giving into fear, standing up for ourselves or being honest demonstrates some aspect of our character. Likewise, being a bully, being selfish or being dishonest speaks to our true character as well. When discussing budo, Furuya Sensei once said, “Although I’m just a human being I want to model myself after the sword, always straight, always true and very decisive. Something that doesn’t have an outer obvious strength that we look for today, but something that has an inner strength which is hard to see unless you really know it and really can appreciate it.” Martial artist training teaches us how to take the higher road even if it’s harder. The hawk doesn’t give up its dignity despite being hungry. Similarly, a true warrior has honor and would rather die than live dishonestly.  

Today’s goal: White lies become big lies and lead to failure. Can you be completely honest today? 

Throwback Thursday - One Step

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on January 24, 2002. 

Have you ever tried to do something impossible? One student wrote to me the other day that he thought he could never do well in Aikido because it is too difficult. Of course, no one in their right mind will admit that Aikido is easy. It is definitely not. Yet, because Aikido is such a great challenge doesn't not mean that it is hopeless to pursue it. In Chinese calligraphy we must master writing literally thousands of characters. If we think that each character can be written in many different styles and methods, the numbers are almost infinite. Yet, despite the incredibly horrendous task ahead of trying to learn calligraphy, we still pursue our study by practicing one character at a time. There is an old worn-out saying about how a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Such a cliche but how true it is!

A Warrior Has Unity

One goal of budo or martial arts training is to cultivate unity. Unity in this sense is the unification of one’s body and mind. In Japanese this unity is called reinikuitchi (霊肉一致) which translates as “The spirit and the body doing as one.” In the beginning of a student’s training, they are asked to turn off their minds and forge the basic or kihon-waza techniques into their bodies (aka “The please don’t think stage”). This stage is referred to as shu (守) in budo training. Later, after they have mastered the physical movements, we ask that students begin to delve deeper into the details of the movements and begin to think or understand the movements both physically and mentally (aka “The please think stage”). This stage is called ha (破) or the “breaking” stage as students break up the movements into their most intricate parts. When a student has cultivated the physical knowledge and the mental understanding, then they will have achieved the last stage of learning or ri (離) where they “transcend” the teachings. This transcendence is a result of the unification of one’s mind and body. If students only focus on training their bodies, then they will become too calloused and harsh. They will be defeated because they never cultivated their minds nor the understandings of the deeper meanings of life or the techniques. If a student only seeks to “know” with their minds and not with their bodies, then they will be easily defeated because they will only have a theoretical understanding of the art. Furuya Sensei referred to this balance as, “Saikan Kobai [sic] or the elegant apricot flower and the strong plum blossom. To focus too much on war makes us rough and crude while the emphasis on too much beauty makes us weak.”  The best warriors understand the need for balance and that comes from a unity of their minds and bodies. Today, more than ever, we all need unity and balance. 

Today’s goal: Have you focused too much on one side and neglected the other? How can you create unity in your life? 

A Warrior Values Life

情けに刃向かう刃なし
Nasake ni hamukau yaiba nashi
There is no sword which can oppose kindness 

A warrior understands the true value of life. Life, like budo, can seem like a singular pursuit because after all, we are on our own journeys. In budo, one of the most prolific realizations that a person can have is that everyone suffers. A year ago today, we got to learn this lesson painfully when one of our students, Michael Stinson, took his own life. Sadly, most of us never knew the extent to which he was suffering. Michael was one of those behind-the-scenes types of guys who was always friendly, respectful and kind. Most people don’t know that Michael designed a lot of the things for the dojo like our website and newsletter. It’s easy to get caught up in our own BS and overlook the people around us especially when they are accomplished. Training is supposed to teach us to be in the moment and to be mindful of ourselves and others. Michael’s passing teaches us first hand that we aren’t alone in our suffering. The antidote to suffering is kindness and compassion and they are more powerful than any weapon. Michael needed to know how much we all valued him and how important he was to so many people, but isn’t that all of us? Most of us take for granted the impact that we have on other people’s lives. Aikido training teaches us how to “care” for the wellbeing of our opponent, but this care doesn’t end at the edge of the mat. Every person suffers and because of that fact, they all deserve kindness and compassion, just as we do when we are suffering. We treat each other with kindness not because we are weak, but because it’s a demonstration of our true inner strength. Michael lives on in our memories and his passing teaches us to be kind to one another because we are all suffering and because all life is precious. 

Today’s goal: Be kind because everyone is suffering on some level. If you’re struggling, you don’t have to suffer alone. Get help, we’re all in this together. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

Watch this video of David Foster Wallace’s excellent Kenyon College commencement speech about suffering.

Warriors Enjoy Being Sore

昔の剣今の菜刀
Mukashi no tsurugi, ima no nagatana 
Once a sword, now a vegetable knife

Warriors aren’t complacent. Short-term soreness is a sign of growth as the muscle micro-tears and is reborn stronger and healthier. Warriors love to be sore, but this soreness isn’t masochism.  This soreness is the soreness that comes after a good training session. Normal people don’t like pain, but martial artists aren’t normal people. Martial artists are people of character and they believe in the power of doing. Soreness is a sign that we cared enough about ourselves and our craft to put in the work. The only people who don’t get sore are those that don’t really apply themselves. When a person gets out of shape, they lose their effectiveness and when that happens, the Japanese say, “Once a sword, now a vegetable knife.” Regardless of who we are, with age, our mind, body and skill are in a steady state of decline. I once read a study that a professional athlete begins to lose conditioning after 10 days of inactivity. The average age of a professional athlete is 33. I wonder how quickly a person who is 50 or 60 begins to lose conditioning or how easy it is to become a vegetable knife. In class, we are supposed to push ourselves to our physical limits so that we can grow. If we are not pushing ourselves, we are not growing. We push ourselves so that we can be effective when the time comes and that comes with a bit of soreness. Furuya Sensei used to refer to this mentality as, “Cry in the dojo, laugh on the battlefield.” Soreness is what a martial artist uses to temper the sword of their character. A regular person can procrastinate, but a warrior doesn’t have the luxury of tomorrow. The only true path is paved with effort and the reward for that work is soreness. Soreness brings us back to the now and reminds us that we are still alive or that we are still a sharp sword. Warriors enjoy being sore because they won’t accept complacency.  

Today’s goal: Don’t accept complacency. Realize that soreness is a privilege only afforded to the living. Enjoy it, it’s a sign that you are still alive. 

Throwback Thursday - Our Lives

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on October 19, 2003. 

In Aikido, we talk so much about balance but realize very little what a truly profound concept this is and how important it is in our Lives. In Aikido, we chit-chat about ki (氣) but do not realize how important it really is to feel and appreciate it in every action and thought in our Lives. We talk about harmony all of the time but do not realize how vital this is to our Lives and the world - take a look at what is going on around the world today with all of the war and destruction. There is a lot more in our Aikido than we realize at first. Study and practice hard to unveil all of its mysteries.

Warriors Surround Themselves with Greatness

一将功成りて万骨枯る
Issho ko nari bankotsu karu
1000 die to raise one hero to fame 

Warriors know that greatness is not achieved in a vacuum. There’s a saying in Japanese, “1000 die to raise one hero to fame.” One meaning of this proverb is that no one can achieve mastery by themselves. In the dojo, there are two unwritten principles: you must train hard and everyone must work together. The first rule is obvious as budo is supposed to be egalitarian and so those that put in the work will get good. Secondly, a dojo is a community where we are taught to set ourselves aside and put others or the greater good first. We see this regard for others in the daily cleaning of the dojo. We also see this other mindedness when we assume the role as uke (受け) or “the one who receives the technique.” In training, the uke voluntarily gives their body to their partner so that they can attain mastery. The act of giving enables us to practice selflessness. The act of receiving also enables the nage (取り) or “doer” to practice compassion, kindness and self-restraint. People training hard while putting others first creates a powerful symbiotic community of change. If a person wants to change their circumstances, the fastest way to do that is to change their community. In Japanese they say, “When the character of a person isn’t clear, look at their friends.” Who we choose to surround ourselves with says a lot about who we are. The adage, “one bad apple spoils the bunch” works both ways as the people with whom we surround ourselves with can either help us or hurt us. In my experience, those who became the best were those who put others first. Budo understands that we are all in this together and so in order to “be the change that we want to see in the world,” we have to first surround ourselves with those who are modeling that change. The paradox of budo is that the only way to true mastery is through helping others and that’s why it takes 1000 people to help us achieve our greatness and that’s why greatness isn’t achieved in a vacuum.  

Today’s goal: Who are you choosing to associating with? Are they helping you or hurting you?

There’s No Place Hate in Budo

“In order to establish heaven on earth, we need a budo that is pure in spirit, that is devoid of hatred and greed.” Morihei Ueshiba

The goal of budo training is to cultivate sei (靜) which means “inner peace” or “serenity.” To have this inner quietude we need to understand hatred. Yoda once said, “Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.” Understanding this, the best warriors train themselves not to give into hate. In the old days of budo or “martial arts” training, hate and anger were acceptable means of motivation because training was supposed to prepare warriors for the harshness of battle. Thus, in the short term, anger and hatred can be very quick and effective means of motivation. The problem is that sooner or later hatred and anger become toxic and we end up succumbing to them. There’s a Chinese proverb that is apropos, “Hatred corrodes the vessel that carries it.” Anger and hatred are really just outlets for dispersing fear. Psychologist, Carol Tavris said, “Depression is not 'anger turned inward'; if anything, anger is depression turned outward. Follow the trail of anger inward, and there you will find the small, still voice of pain.” Reading this, we realize that hatred and anger are really forms of self-violence, but we also understand that we cannot be truly at peace if we are filled with anger and hatred. We only hate others because we hate ourselves and that’s why we train to cultivate inner peace. Likewise, if we have inner peace then naturally we are at peace with ourselves and others as well. Training teaches us how to dispatch our opponents, but the real opponent that we are defeating is ourselves. The more at peace we are, the better we are at dealing with that which confronts us. Training educates the warrior to not fall into the trap of hating others because they know who the real opponent is and that’s why we train to cultivate inner peace.

Today’s goal: Cultivate inner peace and be the change you wish to see in the world - get out and vote!

Watch this video of Yoda’s wisdom to understand inner peace.

Even Warriors Have Bad Habits

完璧無欠な人はいない
Kanpeki muketsuna hainai
Nobody’s perfect 

Warriors “strive” to be the best. Being the best isn’t a destination but an idea. It’s an idea because there are varying degrees of what makes something or someone the best & so “best” is merely a qualitative state. Being the best doesn’t mean being perfect or without fault & oftentimes what makes something the best sometimes lies in its imperfection or wabi-sabi in Japanese. This idea of embracing imperfection is something that we learn & is reinforced in training. The teacher demonstrates an ideal, students “strive” to perfect it, teachers correct them & the cycle goes round & round. At some point, hopefully, the student realizes that there’s no way to truly make the technique perfect & they learn to accept what they can do & what they can’t. To be good at budo lies in simply doing one’s best - not in being perfect. Voltaire said, “Perfect is the enemy of good.” In Kendo, one’s gaze is supposed to be enzan  no  metsuke (遠山の目付け) or “Focusing your gaze on a distant mountain.” Thus maintaining our focus on the ideal rather than achieving it is what leads us to mastery. To be the best, we must “focus” on being the best. Focusing enables us to not get hung up on the mishaps or being perfect. Perfection only leads to burnout, frustration or quitting. Allowing or accepting our bad habits enables us to accept ourselves for who we are. Our bodies may not move exactly like the teacher’s but we can still move with a sense of confidence, fluidity & grace & this is achieved with acceptance. This isn’t to say that we just go crazy & give into every vice. We still have to keep our feet on the ground & our gaze on the distant mountain. No one can be the best 100% of the time. Being the best lies in accepting ourselves - the good & the bad. Even warriors have bad habits, but despite them they still focus on being the best. 

Today’s goal: Habits make you, you. Don’t be so hard on yourself - nobody’s perfect.  

Watch this video to better understand habits.

Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure” is an example of how two people’s explosive personalities can create something great. Click here to read more about the making of this song. FYI Bowie and Queen never performed this song live together this video is a mix.

A Warrior Stands Their Ground

抜いたら最後
Nuitara saigo 
Draw your sword because this is the end 

A warrior stands their ground. When I was a student, I felt like Furuya Sensei was overly strict on me and I always felt singled out. To me, training in his strict dojo was a gaman taikai (我慢大会) or “test of wills” and for many years, I felt discouraged and wanted to quit. Training is supposed to teach us character and how to stand up to what’s confronting us. There’s a saying in Japanese which is apropos: Nanakorobi yaoki (七転び八起き) or “Fall down seven times, get up eight.” Every day in Aikido class, we get to practice getting back up after being thrown down. We aren’t supposed to get mad or take it personally, but just get up and get ready to be thrown again and hopefully do it with a smile. In theory, it’s easy, but in practice when someone just crushed us it can be much harder. When things get tough and things aren’t going our way, it’s easy to just quit and look for something more palatable or less ego crushing. It’s much harder to draw our sword and stand our ground. When we are cornered and up against insurmountable odds, we are supposed to fight with all our might and never give up. Fearing that warrior spirit, Sun Tzu advocated, “Never put your enemy into a corner.” Many students with great potential have come into the dojo, but sadly leave because they didn’t have the warrior spirit to stay the course when things got tough. In the dojo and in life, our trials and tribulations are testing our conviction and character and they are supposed to be hard because they forging us. Instead of automatically quitting, we should take some time, rest and look inward and reevaluate. This respite will give us the wherewithal to either leave or stand our ground. How long we hold out, especially when things aren’t going our way, speaks volumes about our integrity, character and commitment and that’s why a warrior stands their ground.  

Today’s goal: The artist, Banksy wrote, “If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.” Don’t give up, stand your ground.