Happy New Year - Looking Ahead

Shinnen Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu
Happy New Year!

Sign which hangs in the men’s dressing room

遠山の目付け
Enzan no metsu̥ke
Focusing your gaze on the distant mountain

Warriors are forward thinkers. Benjamin Franklin once wrote, “Chess teaches foresight, by having to plan ahead; vigilance, by having to keep watch over the whole chess board; caution, by having to restrain ourselves from making hasty moves; and finally, we learn from chess the greatest maxim in life - that even when everything seems to be going badly for us we should not lose heart, but always hoping for a change for the better, steadfastly continue searching for the solutions to our problems.” Replace the word chess with martial arts and Franklin adeptly describes what the martial arts are trying to teach - how to think ahead, remain calm when things are bad, find solutions to our problems and always remain hopeful. On average, most ardent chess players can see eight steps ahead, but the current World Chess Champion, Magnus Carlsen can see 15-20 moves ahead. A martial artist is always supposed to be several steps ahead of their opponent. This foresight enables the warrior to either not engage in a futile confrontation or to put themselves into the best possible position for success. Being steps ahead of our opponent is about strategy. By doing this or thinking that, we will hopefully bring about the best possible outcome. If we are optimistic, we can see many different possibilities and hopefully make the best possible decision. If we are pessimistic, we could get caught up in the story and end up not developing the best strategy. Thus, having a strategy prevents tragedy. 2021 can be what we make of it regardless of the coronavirus. Supposedly, there are still six months left of all this inconvenience. If we accept that as possible then how can we best use our time? How can we be 15-20 steps ahead? Prior to his death, Furuya Sensei used to constantly admonish us, “There is no time left.” The coronavirus illustrates that perfectly for us. We can wallow in misery, but a warrior knows that there is no time left and thus uses their time wisely. 

Today’s goal: Make a plan of action for the end of the coronavirus. What, where, or who will you be when the smoke clears? 

Throwback Thursday - Happy New Year’s Eve

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on January 5, 2003. 

I saw this poem inscribed on the tang of a sword the other day - what a beautiful poem befitting a samurai warrior!

Dozei no Momo mo Sakura mo tsuzuku beshi
Ichiban yari no ume no sakigake

You companions of Momo and Sakura follow after me
I the Ume are the first to ride into the enemy's line!

- Shokusan nin, the poet

In the traditional Japanese custom of New Year's, it is a time of renewal and a time to make a new start in one's life. For O'Sensei, it is a “sacred" time which literally goes back to the creation of the Universe.

Mircea Eliade, a renown professor of world religions, referred to this as "sacred time and space" or the "renewal of sacred time.” It is for similar reasons that we celebrate Christmas, to renew or to revisit a very sacred event of the birth of Christ. By "re-living" or recreating this important moment in time, we bring ourselves close to this significant religious experience. In similar light, we celebrate the New Year as also a recreation of a symbolic "birth of new life" with the New Year.

For the New Year, I have thought very seriously about the future of Aikido and as so many of us are anxious to move forward and create the Aikido want for ourselves. Before we can achieve this “sacred" privilege, it is our obligation first and foremost to understand and master what Aikido was first intended to be - a martial art brought to its ultimate level approaching a distant realm in which we can achieve a profound "spiritual" awakening within our selves which may not only deeply effect our own personal lives but transform the thinking of this entire world towards peace. 

Please train hard. 

Note: The plum is the first to blossom in the New Year, the cherry blossoms and peach blossoms come much later. . . . .

Mushin - Nothingness

"Emptiness which is conceptually liable to be mistaken for sheer nothingness is in fact the reservoir of infinite possibilities."

— D.T. Suzuki

Warriors aspire to nothingness. In Aikido training, we are trying to achieve a state of mushin (無心) or “nothingness” in our training. At this place, we can be equanimous where we observe instead of react. Often times people think that mushin means to not think, but that isn’t quite the case. The non-thinking part is the deactivation of the conscious mind while allowing the unconscious or subconscious mind to flow. When we reach this state, we are in the “flow of the ki” or ki no nagare (氣の流れ) and when this happens we are supposedly in accordance with the flow of the universe where “nothing” exists. D.T. Suzuki’s assertion implies that where we find nothing is where everything exists. 2020, the year of the Rat was supposed to be auspicious as it was the beginning of a new Lunar cycle in Chinese astrology. However, 2020 was quite a stinker of a year. When we think back about 2020, what will we think, feel or remember? As someone said, “2020 was so bad they named it twice.” Yes, but the question is, “What did you get?” For me, I didn’t get nothing. Oops, nothing? Nothing is defined as “not a single thing”, but nothing in this sense means that if I didn’t get “nothing” then I must have gotten something even if it was unintentional or unwanted. If you are like me, I mostly learned. I learned new skills. I learned new things about my body. I learned how important the little things are to me like my family and my friends. Yes, 2020 sucked on many levels, but it also brought me so much that I am grateful for. I, for sure, didn’t get nothing. I am forever grateful for all the people who read my posts and watched my videos. I look forward to 2021 with great hope and anticipation and I wish you all the best in the coming year! 

 Today’s goal: Be grateful. You may feel that you didn’t get anything that you wanted but I am sure if you dig deep enough, you can realize that you didn’t get nothing. ;)  

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

For a warrior, everyday should be Christmas. Christmas reminds us to be grateful and true gratefulness requires mindfulness. Mindfulness means that we are in command of our actions and aware of our thoughts but we also realize that the two are not necessarily 0ne in the same. It is said, “Every action begins with a thought,” but, the question is, “Is that thought true or real?” Recently, I read an article in Nature titled Acute social isolation evokes midbrain craving responses similar to hunger which discussed that in our midbrains, isolation and hunger act very similarly. Thus one could posit that when we are hungry, we might be lonely and when we are lonely, we might just be hungry. That made me think of Aikido. In class, before we begin training with our partner, we say, “onegaishimasu” or  “please”, bow and pause for a brief moment. In a sense, we are starting with mindfulness. When we start off on the right foot, those things tend to have a better outcome. Someone once said, “Well begun is half done.” Starting with an act of mindful gratefulness enables us to appreciate our partner’s support and sacrifice. If we don’t start mindfully, we run the risk of allowing our bad day to seep on to the mat and end up acting like a bully or hurting someone. Thus we need some way of separating our thoughts and feelings from our actions. Training enables us to mindfully discern what is really going on and separate the thought from the action. Thus, gratefulness enables us to be mindful which enables us to live peacefully. In Zen and the tea ceremony, a common adage is nichi nichi konichi which usually translates as “Every day is a good day” but it can also mean “Live meaningfully.” Realizing that every day is a good day enables us to live meaningfully and that begins with thankfulness. Thus, before we “eat our feelings”,  fall down the black hole of the internet or get mad at someone and do something we may regret, we should mindfully check in and see what is really going on. Christmas is a day which is supposed to remind us to be grateful, but warriors don’t need a reminder because they are always mindful of their thoughts and thus they are always grateful. Have a great and safe holiday. 

Today’s goal: Pause for a brief moment and take a breath in every time you wish someone “Merry Christmas.” 

Throwback Thursday - Merry Christmas [Eve]

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on December 25, 2002. 

Every year at this time, we all say the same things about Peace and Giving and Compassion, yet, we see the world has hardly changed and there is still so much fighting, war, violence and suffering. We are NOT doing a good job here on Earth. Wake up!

I was surprised this Christmas when I opened a few presents. One student presented me with a very unusual shaped package, all nicely wrapped, and told me that I would really like it and that the dojo could use it for many years. I was very curious so I opened it first. When I saw what it was, I was so surprised. It was a nice pair of scissors!

Actually, when I first saw them, I was shocked. In Japanese culture, we never give "edged" presents such as scissors or knives as a gift. It is considered unlucky. Scissors mean to “cut off” one's ties or friendship. So initially, I was surprised to receive such a present.

Actually, I shouldn't be surprised at all. Recently, at the Year End Cleaning, our cheap pair of scissors broke. Very nice present indeed! 

Still I was surprised at first and then I laughed when I remembered my Zen master. Many years ago, on his return from Japan, he brought all of us presents. When we opened them, we all got a pair of scissors and were shocked. What was our Zen master thinking? Was he leaving us? Such an inauspicious gift can’t be good!

He looked at our surprised expressions and began to laugh. He was up to his old tricks. He explained: "The scissors, of course, are bad luck so I wanted to see your surprised faces with my joke, but when you look at them from a different perspective, scissors mean "good luck," not bad luck.” We were all a little puzzled. He continued, "The scissors are only useful when TWO blades are connected and work together. Therefore, the scissors mean that we must stick together in order to do good. Indeed, the scissors is a symbol of good luck and friendship and not the end of it.

Merry Christmas!!!

Giving Tuesday

“The Art of Peace begins with you. Work on yourself and your appointed task in the Art of Peace. Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment. Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter.”
- Morihei Ueshiba

Hello!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is upon us. We, at the Aikido Center of Los Angeles and the Furuya Foundation, hope that all is well and that you are staying healthy. 

Today, we release Volume Four of Furuya Sensei’s Art of Aikido Video series. We hope that you enjoy his video series. 

If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap.
If you want happiness for a day, go fishing.
If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune.
If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.
 – Chinese Proverb

This holiday season, the cases in LA are surging and many small businesses are in need of help. Many of them are struggling. If you have the means, please steer your business to them this holiday season.

As part of Giving Tuesday, please donate to your favorite charity or social program. The Aikido Center of Los Angeles and the Furuya Foundation support these charitable organizations to name a few: 

Little Tokyo Service Center 

Terasaki Budokan

Zenshuji Soto Mission 

Higashi Hongwanji 

Nishi Hongwanji

The Art of Aikido Volume Four:

Karate-tori ryote-mochi - two hand grip

Ryote-tori - two hand hold

Practicing serenity 

Reigi-saho - etiquette in the dojo

Koshinage - hip throw

Words of a Zen Master

Words of Yamaoka Tesshu, swordsman

Winter Kindness

親切な言葉一つで三か月にわたる冬の期間
Shinsetsuna kotoba hitotsu de san-kagetsu ni wataru fuyu no kikan
One kind word can warm for three winter months

Welcome to Winter Solstice. The winters in Japan can be quite arduous. It the past, Japan was an agrarian culture and so if one did not prepare themselves properly, they would suffer and possibly perish. The country is small and the winters are harsh so the Japanese people have to work together. When we are in a bind, we need the kindness of others to survive. In Japanese, a popular idiom is “Nasake ni hamukau yaiba nashi” or that “There is no blade which can oppose kindness.” No matter who we are, how rich or powerful, we all need kindness. None of us would survive without it. In Aikido training, we rely on the kindness of our partner to not exploit the fact that we give them our bodies to train with. We throw our partners or pin them only with the adequate amount of power or strength. Without this care or kindness a person would surely get hurt in training. Nobody wants to get hurt and nobody wants to go home in an ambulance. Martial art training helps us to realize that anyone can be brutal or a bully - it is easy, but only a real person of character can be kind. The Japanese proverb, “One kind word can warm for three winter months” reminds us that every person is, on some level, dealing with some stuff. When we are wrestling with our own stuff we sometimes act inappropriately or without care or concern for others. Sometimes all a person needs is a kind word to help them get out of a funk. Our “winter” seems like it has been going on for more than nine months now and doesn’t seem to be letting up. Kind words are needed now more than ever. A true warrior’s weapon isn’t their sword but their kind words and benevolent actions. 

Today’s goal: Give someone a kind word when they least expect it. 

Did Han Shoot First?

Bushi no inochi wa gi ni yorite karushi 
A warrior deems life a light thing when compared to honor.

Did Han shoot first? That’s the question many have been trying to answer since the first Star Wars movie. In the scene, Han Solo is being confronted by Greedo and is forced at gunpoint to sit. Han readies his gun under the table as they talk about Han’s debt. Greedo says, “I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time.” Han replies, "Yes, I'll bet you have.” They exchange gun fire and Greedo is killed. At that point, people wanted to know if Han did in fact shoot first or if Greedo did but missed. Most think, “What’s the point?” To the ardent fan, it means everything. It is hard to say without actually asking Han, a fictional character, so we may never truly know. For a warrior, actions come down to intention. Warriors are never supposed to act with dishonor and is supposed to refrain from anything which is deemed dishonest, cowardly  or dishonorable. For instance, a samurai is never supposed to attack someone from behind or throw their sword because these acts are cowardly and dishonorable. These examples might enable a samurai to win, but they would lose their honor in the process. To a warrior, honor is one of those things which is hard to maintain and even harder or impossible to get back. For Han, shooting or not shooting first is about character development. From a budo perspective, if Han shoots first, he has go no sen (後の先) which means that he takes the initiative because he knows Greedo is going to shoot him. If Han has sen no sen (先の先), he shoots first because he reads Greedo’s body language and takes the initiative and shoots first. From an Aikido perspective, if Han senses that Greedo is about to shoot and shoots him then he has sen sen no sen (先先の先). Understanding the dynamics of shoot first, one can see that it is really about intention. A warrior acts based on their own intentions and thus always acts appropriately. So I think Han did shoot first but the question is did he do so with honor?

Today’s goal: Do your intentions drive your actions?

Watch this video to understand intention

Watch this videos to see for yourself if Han shot first

Throwback Thursday - The Sword Preserves Life

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on July 25, 2002. 

Although one may learn to cut with a sword, the mental attitude is critically important to understand first of all. "Cutting" with a sword is NOT a good thing. It is bad - because you must take a life. It is bad because it means "killing." It is bad because it means violence. There is no way to get around this, this is the reality of the sword. The sword is a necessary evil in an imperfect world. Please do not forget this. This is why we treat the sword with great respect and awe. This is why we treat the opponent with great respect and care. One must not WANT to cut or kill. One must immerse themselves, spiritually and emotionally and physically, with a strong and deep sense of righteousness, duty and compassion. This means that we should only think about doing right, protecting others and using the sword to create a better world at this moment. If we can perfect the ultimate goal of the sword - the sword would disappear with all the violence and fighting in the world at this moment. If we cannot do this, we have no right to use the sword at all. There is a saying in Japanese found carved on the sword: "Before you draw the tempered blade, first temper and purify your own soul." (Saki yakitachi wo nukeba, masu masu masurao no kokoro wo togu bekarikeri) This is the first step to understanding the sword. Without this idea, you cannot learn it and you must not learn it. Finally, you must understand that the sword "preserves Life" not "destroys Life." This is the highest teaching of swordsmanship and without this in our minds at every moment, we will never perfect our training.

Happy Birthday, O’Sensei

“The Art of Peace begins with you. Work on yourself and your appointed task in the Art of Peace. Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment. Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter.” - Morihei Ueshiba

On this day in 1883, the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba was born. On that day, a seed was planted which would eventually grow to become Aikido and that art form would go on to be a catalyst for change. O’Sensei often referred to Aikido as “The Art of Peace.” It may seem ridiculous to some that a martial art that by definition is designed to harm others could be a vehicle toward inner peace. What O’Sensei meant is that through training and self-cultivation, one can achieve inner peace. I, myself, am eternally grateful that O’Sensei did create Aikido. I am in no way enlightened nor have I achieved inner peace but I do have a path to follow. Every day, we are confronted and given a choice -  choose the easy way of fear, anger or hatred or the harder path of compassion and perseverance. One thing I have learned in my Aikido training is that each of us has the capacity to do great harm or great good and either way is but a single choice away. In 1930, upon seeing O’Sensei demonstrate Aikido, Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo said, “That is my ideal budo.” Some interpret this as envy or weakness, but I think, like me, Kano Sensei saw the path that he wanted for himself and for his students. Anyone can hurt or kill others, our jails are full of them. What separates man from beast is our ability to look inward, self-reflect and change. A tiger may not be able to change its stripes, but humans can change their minds and realize what is truly in their hearts. Training in Aikido enables us to become invincible. Aikido training teaches us how to achieve inner peace because we choose the path to “know” ourselves better and it is with this knowledge that we become undefeatable. That is why O’Sensei said, “fuhai no budo” (合氣道は不敗の武道) or that “Aikido is invincible.” Thank you, O’Sensei. Happy Birthday!

Solutions

失敗は成功の元
Shippai wa seiko no moto
Failures teach success

Warriors are solution-based people. When we have a problem, we focus on finding a solution rather than wasting time dwelling on the problem. While in college, Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, studied under Jujutsu teacher, Fukuda Hachinosuke. Kano had already been studying Jujutsu for four years and was quite adept and usually had no problem defeating most of the students. However, there was one senior student that he could never defeat named  Kanekichi Fukushima who was taller and outweighed Kano by 100 pounds. Kano became obsessed and he trained and searched day and night for a way to beat Fukushima. No matter what, he always came up short using traditional Jujutsu techniques. Searching for a solution, Kano trained with a former Sumo wrestler named Kisoemon Uchiyama hoping to find a technique that could fell Fukushima, but still he came up short. Doing research, Kano came across a western wrestling book and saw a technique that was called a “fireman’s carry” which he thought might work against a taller opponent. The next day, Kano started to experiment with it and to his surprise it worked on many of the other taller students. Once Kano felt he had mastered it, he challenged Fukushima to a match. To his surprise, he finally succeeded in throwing him. That “fireman’s carry” technique became kata-guruma or “shoulder wheel throw” in Judo. When we have a problem, it is easy to sit back and wallow in our own misery. Martial artists are proactive and don’t wait for other people to solve their problems or hope they will just go away. It is said, “A warrior creates their own destiny.” Zig Ziglar said, “When you focus on problems, you get more problems. When you focus on possibilities, you have more opportunities.” We can see that with Kano Sensei’s story and Ziglar’s assertion that in order to have a hand in controlling our destiny, we must focus on finding solutions to our problems. Those that can will; those that won’t don’t usually succeed. Warriors find their own solutions. 

Today’s goal: Check in, are you focusing on being part of your solution?

Photo/Video credit: Hiroshi Isoyama Shihan throwing kataguruma at the 57th All Japan Aikido Demonstration taken by Guillaume Erard Sensei 

Watch the first video of Brian Tracy talking about solutions and Hiroshi Isoyama Sensei doing kataguruma.

Throwback Thursday - Study

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on September 13, 2002. 

Once, my Zen master told me this story one day. He told me about his friend who was considered very uneducated and even considered stupid by some of their friends. The fact that he could barely speak any English, only Japanese, only compounded his predicament. Apparently, in order to improve himself, he asked some advice from a friend. His friend simply told him that one way to educate himself easily was to study an English dictionary. My Zen master said that this old man studied this dictionary every single day from morning to night. He remembers his friend carrying around this dictionary that had become just a pile of ragged, dirty pages because of so much use and study. After many years, my Zen master relates, when this poor man passed away, he was known as one of the smartest, most wisest people around!

 Study is not merely the collection of information and being smart. Study is a matter of devotion, commitment and love - without these, there is no study. . . . . not at all.

 It is from these stories and stories I heard of O'Sensei's devotion to practice that I learned the meaning of what "study" is. This is my little present to you for today. . . . . Many thanks!

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.