Throwback Thursday - Thought and No Thought

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on October 23, 2004.

Sometimes, when I am sitting at my desk working, I stop and think to myself, "Am I happy?"

When I think about it, my answer, like most people, is "No, not really." Like most people, I wish I could have more money, more this or better that. As I compare my life to what I "think" or “conceptualize" happiness to be, of course, my life doesn't hold up at all. I could have a better car, nicer house, and on and on and on or the things we “define" as to what happiness is.

However, if I don't think about whether I am happy or not and if I don’t compare myself to the "ideal" stuck in my head of what happiness is - I am actually quite happy after all.

Perhaps, happiness is something that we “are” and not something we “think.”

Practice is like this too, as are many things in life; we cannot hold them up to conceptualization by our calculating brains but must just realize them in life as a part of life and that is all.

This is what is meant in Zen, I think (haha), by mushin or "no mind."

We cannot practice blindly and thoughtlessly and indulge ourselves. We must not think and be more like the old adage, "Before entering the dojo, cut off your head and leave it outside." How true! How true!

Please try to be happy instead of thinking about happiness and achieve, "thought with no-thought" in your practice and in your daily life.

El Budoka: When the teacher is the greatest adversary of the student

When the teacher is the greatest adversary of the student

In the past, it was thought that the best teachers were the ones that were the most unreasonable. Regardless if the teacher was “good” or not, being unreasonable forces the student to have to work harder. This is why, in olden times, teachers prided themselves on being shakushijougi (杓子定規) or “strict.” In Japan, it is thought that students have iji (意地) or “obstinance” and that without training that willful spirit would cause them to be unsuccessful. Thus, it was the teacher’s duty to transform that willfulness into konjo (根性) or “fighting spirit” so that they could be successful. Therefore, in order to transform the student the teacher needed to be strict with their standards and unreasonable in their expectations. 

My teacher was Rev. Kensho Furuya Sensei who attained the rank of 6th Dan in Aikido and a 6th Dan Kiyoshi in Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido. When Furuya Sensei passed, he had been studying martial arts for over 50 years. Furuya Sensei was a Zen priest, scholar and traditional Aikido and Iaido teacher who valued and embodied the old ways of budo. 

When I was a student, one summer I started washing  Furuya Sensei’s car in exchange for monthly dues. Every Saturday after class, I would wash and wax his car in the alley in front of the dojo. Despite having washed his car a dozen times, he never commented on whether or not I was doing a good job. I was fine with that because just about every time I spoke with Furuya Sensei, he rebuked me about something like my haircut or my choice of t-shirt logo. Washing his car in the summer was great. I saved $100 dollars a month and it only took me an hour. Then winter rolled in and that was painful. I am not sure how many days the weather was bad, but there was one fateful day that I remember which taught me a great lesson. 

I came to the dojo on a Saturday as usual and took all the classes but this particular Saturday it was raining very hard. I remembered thinking, “Yes, I have the day off.” As I walked down the stairs, Furuya Sensei was sitting at the bottom talking with students as they left the dojo. I remember that I was happy and had a bit of skip in my step. I said, “Bye Sensei, see you tomorrow” as I walked out the door. All I heard was “No, no, no. Don’t you have a job to do?” I froze standing there waiting for him to laugh. But he didn’t laugh and everyone else stood their frozen witnessing my demise. Furuya Sensei said, “Aren’t you supposed to wash my car?” In that moment, you could have heard a pin drop. I said, “But, Sensei, it’s raining outside.” He said with a stern look, “A deal is a deal.”

As I began to wash Furuya Sensei’s car in the pouring rain, he and one of the students left for lunch. As they drove away, there was a bolt of lightning which to me seemed like an ominous sign because at that moment I was thinking about cheating and not washing his car and just saying I did. For what seemed like forever, I waffled back and forth as to what to do. All I could think about was that he was testing me and watching me from one of the restaurants or apartments around the dojo. I thought that it might be a test and that he was trying to catch me cheating. 

So I decided that since I was already drenched that I would just wash his car as usual. I must have looked like a crazy person as I stood in the rain washing a car only wearing a throughly soaked t-shirt. Just as I finished waxing Sensei’s car (yes washed and waxed was the deal), he pulled up, didn’t say a word and hurriedly went inside the dojo covering his head from the rain. Someone else waited at the door until I was done to get Furuya Sensei’s keys and put away all the equipment. Tired and soaking wet, I got into my car and went home. 

Furuya Sensei never said a word about that day to me, but I learned a great lesson - a deal is a deal. In Japanese, they say, “Bushi no ichigon kintetsu no gotoshi" which roughly means that “A warrior's word is gold.” If I say that I am a martial artists then I must act like martial artist. 

A month or so later, I could afford dues again and so I didn’t have to wash Furuya Sensei’s car anymore. I still did it sporadically for many years after, but never again in the rain.  

In the old days, the teacher what supposed to be the student’s greatest adversary. The teacher’s harsh treatment was supposed to light a fire inside of the student so that they would do whatever it took to defeat them. The teacher was not supposed to be a friend. If the teacher was friendly to you then it was thought that they weren’t interested in developing you. That was because in order to create change in the student, the teacher was going to have to be willing to hurt the student’s feelings as they pushed them out of their comfort zone. When talking about this, Furuya Sensei would often say, “In order to make an omelet, you are going to have to  break some eggs.” Teachers in the olden days were preparing students for war and the rigors of battle. That immediacy necessitated that the teacher be harsh and almost unfair or in other words unreasonable.

I studied with Furuya Sensei for 17 years and one day. That one day extra day after 17 years was the true test of all of his teachings. It was the final exam. Did his unreasonableness make me or break me? Did his teachings sink in and put me on the right path? Would I do whatever it would take to keep the dojo open? Only time will tell. Only now after 15 years since Furuya Sensei’s passing do I realize what a gift he gave me when he made me wash his car in the rain. By being unreasonable, Furuya Sensei forced me to make a decision about who I was going to be - a warrior or cheater. When we say we will do something or say that we are someone, then we have to live up to those words. Now today, decades later I understand. Many times throughout my training, he taught me some hard lessons with his unreasonableness. I can say without a doubt that without Furuya Sensei’s unreasonableness I would not have become the person that I am today. 

Seize the Opportunity

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

A martial artist seizes an opportunity when it arises. Suki wo mitsukeru (隙を見つける) means “To seize an opportunity when the opening arises.”  When the mat is crowded, students often stand around waiting for their ideal place to throw their opponent down. Strangely, there is a higher likelihood of being injured when idly standing around then when we just throwing the person down wherever a spot opens up. I think that this weird phenomenon happens because of kyojitsu (虚 実) which means “truth and illusion.” Kyojitsu refers to one’s state of mind. In swordsmanship, we strike our opponent when we are in a subconscious instinctive mindset or jitsu and they are in a kyo or reactionary state of conscious thought. Thus, when we are moving, there is no time to think and we must use our honno (本能) or our “instincts” and get out of harm’s way. When we are throwing, we have to adjust our movements based not only on how our opponent moves, but also based upon any and all impediments around us. We will have to make our movements smaller if there is less space, bigger if there is more space or adjust our movements if our opponent is larger, smaller, older, younger, more skilled, etc. Each presentation will have a different mechanism which makes the throw “work” and we are responsible for knowing every single one. Once we know each one then we have to go about practicing them until they become instinctual. To live our lives by our instincts is referred as teiyo (羝羊) or like a “ram.” We do this so that when the time comes, we can have the killer instinct like a ram to seize the opportunity. If we are caught thinking we will miss the suki or (隙) opening when it arises. The founder of Honda, Soichiro Honda said, “Raise the sail with your stronger hand.” What that means is that one should go after opportunities that arise in life that they are the best suited for. In budo, we train for every eventuality so that we can take advantage of every opportunity afforded us. In training and in life, we have to have the training and the instincts to seize any opportunity that arises.     

Today’s goal: Be prepared and don’t let a good opportunity pass you by. 

Loyalty

The true martial artist is loyal. The seven virtues of bushido are: Justice (義 gi), Courage (勇 yu), Benevolence (仁 jin), Respect (禮 rei), Honesty (誠 makoto),  Honor (名誉 meiyo) and Loyalty (忠義 chugi). Loyalty is the last trait because it is the trait which proves all others. It is said that a martial artist is supposed to have chuyumuso (忠勇無双) or “peerless loyalty and bravery.” The character for loyalty is 忠 and is made up of the characters for inner (中) and heart (心). One can posit that true loyalty is something which reveals one’s true inner heart. Loyalty is one of those things that everyone claims to have but will only be truly revealed in times of hardship. The famous Noh play Hachi no ki (鉢木) is based upon loyalty. The story begins with a monk who is lost in a snowstorm and happens upon the meager residence of Tsuneyo Genzayemon who was formerly a samurai employed by the Shogun but lost his position because of a relative’s embezzlement. Tsuneyo and his wife are hesitant but end up offering the monk their meager accommodations and give him a poor peasants’ meal of boiled millet. To provide heat, Tsuneyo, with Buddhist resignation, burns his last three potted bonsai trees. The monk listens silently as Tsuneyo tells his story of suffering and poverty, and his long-held loyalty to the shogunate and his willingness to rush to Kamakura to fight for the Shogun in the case of an emergency if need be. Six months later, we find that the monk actually had been Tokiyori Hojo, the retired Shogun who had been traveling in disguise. Impressed with Tsuneyo’s kindness, and wanting to test his claims of loyalty, Tokiyori spreads a rumor from the capital city of Kamakura that war is imminent and puts up a conscription notice. Many soldiers assemble ready to protect the Shogun mounted upon fattened steeds with grooms beside them. Tsuneyo is there also, by himself, in worn-out armor with a rusty sword, and leading an emaciated horse. Moved by the old man’s proven loyalty, Tokiyori rewards the impoverished samurai by restoring him to his former position and giving him back his lands. Loyalty is the trait which proves all others because true loyalty, like in Tsuneyo story, is only really revealed in hardship. The virtues can all be faked up to a certain point, but loyalty requires a hard choice. We can take the easy route and choose ourselves and cut and run or choose the harder path like Tsuneyo and stay and fight. Who are we when we think that nobody is looking or when we think that nobody will find out? In the end, hardship will reveal what is truly in our hearts and that is why a true martial artist is loyal.

Today’s goal: When nobody’s looking, what do you choose to do?  

Watch this video interview with Santiago Almaraz Sensei of Salamanca Aikikai - Kodokai dojo. Almaraz Sensei is Furuya Sensei’s most loyal student.

Throwback Thursday - Simple Teachings

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on October 10, 2003.

The most profound teachings are the most simple

I think that people often look for the strange and the exotic in the teachings and love to conjecture about this and that in Aikido endlessly. But from my own experience, I have found that Aikido as well as many other disciplines only have very simple "mysteries" or "secrets."

Once, a student asked the master of tea, Sen no Rikyu, "What is the great secret of preparing tea?" The master said, "Simply make the best tea possible for your guest."

After many years of training under one Zen master, a student finally complained, "I cut the wood every day, prepare your meals and wash your clothes, but you have never once taught me anything about Buddhism, why don't you teach me something?” The Zen master replied, "When I see you in the morning, don't I say 'good morning?'" When I receive the meals, don't say, “'thank you?'" "That is all there is to Zen!"

When I first was studying Buddhism a long time ago, I read that the Buddha said, "Buddhism is only to think good thoughts, do good acts!” I thought to myself that that seems easy enough - oh how difficult it is and I struggled with this for many years and still have not mastered this today.

The late Kisaburo Osawa Sensei also would often say, "Do good Aikido!" How difficult this is! Especially when we try to apply this to our daily lives and to our practice.

Our intellect always wants to convince ourselves about how clever we are. Until we master the simple, there is no need to approach the difficult.

Aikido itself is very easy - simply don't fight the opponent - what we bring into Aikido ourselves, makes it so difficult to understand.

Read the Air

A good martial artist needs to be able to “see.” We need to be able to see any threat and any suki (隙) or “opening” in our opponent’s defenses. Our opponents hide their intentions and weak spots, so we need to develop our ability to see them. In order to “see” them we need to develop our minds and our kan (勘) or “intuition.” Martial arts training is as much about seishinshuyo (精神修養) or “mental training” as it is about physical training. When the Japanese talk about “having intuition” they say, “Kuki wo yomeru” (空氣を読める) or that you must be able to “Read the air.” To illustrate this, there is a famous story about O’Sensei and a pickpocket. Once, O’Sensei and Gozo Shioda were riding on a train. A man came and sat down next to O’Sensei and immediately stiffened up with a look of fear on his face. Shioda Sensei thought that maybe he recognized O’Sensei. At the next train stop, O’Sensei told the man to get off and the man ran off the train. Shioda Sensei asked O’Sensei if he knew him. O’Sensei said, “No, he was a pickpocket.” O’Sensei said that when the man sat down that he knew he was a pickpocket and before he could reach into his pocket, he touched the man’s wrist immobilizing him. There are several different accounts of this story ranging from O’Sensei wrist locking him to actually throwing him off the train. Regardless, O’Sensei was able to discern that this man was a threat before he could act. As martial artists, we need to be able to perceive any possible threat as well as see any opening in our opponent’s defenses. These threats or openings are not very distinguishable to the average person’s perception and thus require training. The more developed our intuition is, the earlier and better we are able to act and that only comes with practice. Looking and seeing are two different things in the martial arts. To “see” means to be able to discern even the smallest detail and use that knowledge to our advantage. That is why the best martial artists can “read the air” and see what can’t be easily seen. 

Today’s goal: Look past what is apparent because there is so much more out there. 

Thresholds

“The basic difference between an ordinary man and a warrior is that a warrior takes everything as a challenge while an ordinary man takes everything as a blessing or a curse.” - Carlos Castaneda

The mind of a martial artist sees everything as an idomu (挑む) or “challenge.”  The martial arts culture is one of thresholds where each individual person is looking for and is trying to challenge their genkaiten( 限界点) or “breaking point.” Every person has a genkaiten but the ordinary person doesn’t typically care where their threshold is and thus isn’t interested in challenging it or changing it. Martial arts training is simply nothing more than figuring where one’s breaking point is and learning how to manage that point. Thus, the warrior’s mindset is to see everything as challenge and then ousen (応戦) or “accept that challenge.” Martial artists believe what Greek poet Archilochus was advocating when he said, "We don't rise to the level of our expectations; we fall to the level of our training.” Years ago, a student named Steve thought that he was qualified to take the first degree black belt test. After all, Steve regularly came to class and thought that he was on pace to take his exam in the next testing class. One day, Furuya Sensei put up the list of names for everyone who was a candidate for testing and Steve’s name wasn’t on the list. Despondent, Steve went home and thought about quitting. He sulked and took a few days off. When he came back to class, all of his friends had started training to take the test and he felt left out. In that moment, Steve began to feel sorry for himself but one of his friends came over and asked if he’d be his uke or “partner” for the test. That would mean he’d have to do all the things that all the candidates would have to do to prepare for the test. In that moment, Steve realized that he could use this time to train for the test even if he wasn’t going to be taking the test. That way in two years when it was his turn, he would be more than ready to take the test. For the entire year, he worked hard to help his friends take the test while secretly training himself. Two years later, after Steve had taken his test, Sensei said, “That was the best test he had ever seen.” Shakespeare once wrote, “There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so.” Feeling sorry for himself, Steve reached his breaking point but instead of giving up, he chose to accept the challenge and make himself better. The martial artist’s mindset is to see everything and everyone as a challenge. To see things as a challenge enables the martial artist to use it to their advantage so that they can reach their highest level.   

Today’s goal: Where is your breaking point? Realize it and push it back. 

Throwback Thursday - Connecting

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on October 20, 2004.

Connecting with the opponent is not simply at the moment of attack or throughout the technique but one must consider the connection one makes before contact and after the throw is completed. Initially, people make the mental connection with the opponent too late - at the moment of attack - no, this connection begins much, much earlier at the first encounter when one's ma-ai is established.

Once the opponent is thrown, I often see people turn away from their opponent again losing this connection. Not only does one lose this connection but one exposes themselves to counter attack by the opponent. Luckily, in polite Aikido practice, the opponent will never counterattack. Of course, this causes us to be laxed, open to attack and able to be caught unaware. This is not martial arts but only play.

Our techniques can only develop if we continually study them from the standpoint of a martial art. When we approach it as an exercise or dance, these techniques lose their depth and become so limited in scope. Although no one wants to admit that it is just an exercise, more often than not, we practice the techniques as just an exercise or dance. How can we know this? Because in the martial arts, we never let our focus or connection lax so that we are open and exposed to our opponent’s attack. 

Please study this "connection" very well and apply it to all aspects of your training.

Insatiable

昨日より良い
Kino yori yoi
Better than yesterday  

“Strive to be better today than you were yesterday.” - James Gordon

The warrior’s mindset is insatiable. A person who studies a martial art is supposed to be the type of person who is akunaki (飽く無き) or is “insatiable.” Warriors hate complacency and thus their thirst for self-discovery should never be quenched. When talking about personal development, Furuya Sensei used to say, “I do __ as part of my training.” Or when Sensei would admonish us, he’d say, “You should do this as part of your own training.” As a martial artist, we are supposed to be constantly doing things to develop ourselves and push our boundaries. The best students know that training doesn’t begin or end at the edge of the mat - they know that training is an all the time thing. Sometimes, I used to drive Sensei on errands and driving him could be very stressful because he would always comment on how carelessly I drove. Once we were driving up this long street that had a lot of streetlights and out of nowhere, he yells out, “Drive faster!” It caught me off guard because he was always telling me to drive slower so I froze and slowed for a yellow light. Sensei groaned, “Ugh, now we’re going to have to stop for every light!” He chastised me, “If you would have driven faster, you could have timed the lights and we we could have gotten home faster.” At every light when we stopped, I would look at him and he would just glare at me and shake his head. Years later, I overheard Sensei telling someone how he always tries to time the lights on San Pedro “as part of his training.” Training teaches us that we should never be content with what we have attained and that there is always something else that we can learn or improve upon regardless of age, ability, or rank. Henry Ford said, “If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten.” The best warriors are always working on something. The warrior’s mindset isn’t about perfection but rather to simply be “Better than yesterday.” 

Today’s goal: What can you work on as part of your own training? 

You Are a Teacher

百戦錬磨
Hyakusenrenma
Veteran of many adversities in battle

In a dojo, every person is a teacher. The word sensei (先生) means “teacher,” but the kanji characters literally translate as “One who comes before.” A teacher is then the one who comes before us and guides us based on their past experiences. They use their past experiences in many hard fought battles to guide us so that we don’t make the same mistakes and our journey is easier. With that being said, every person in a dojo can be a teacher to another person. In a dojo, it is the responsibility of the sempai (先輩) or “senior” to take care of the kohai (後輩) or “junior.” That is why it is said that, “Everything in the dojo is your responsibility.” Years ago, we were cleaning the dojo and needed to dust behind the pictures. Usually, we take them down, dust the pictures and their spots, and then put them back up. This time, I wasn’t paying attention and a student took a short cut when dusting a picture of 2nd Doshu. Instead of taking the picture down, he just vacuumed behind the picture, and it fell off and shattered. Furuya Sensei came out of his office and got furious when he saw the picture of 2nd Doshu smashed on the ground. Angrily, he demanded to know who broke the picture. I saw the fear in the student’s eyes, and I said, “I did it.” Sensei took me into his office and threateningly said, “I know it wasn’t you, tell me who did it!” I replied, “I am the senior. I am in charge, and it is my fault.” Sensei looked at me with an angry frown and said, “Clean it up. I don’t want to step on any glass.” Then he slammed the door in my face. Every person is senior to another person in some way, shape or form. Being someone’s senior doesn’t mean that we get to lord over them and boss them around. To be someone’s senior is to take the responsibility to teach them and care for them. We may not be the teacher, but when we act as if we are a teacher, we take responsibility for everything and every person around us. To be responsible is to care and thus every person can be a teacher. 

Today’s goal: Be responsible and take care of the people in your life.

Watch the latest episode of the Aiki Dojo Podcast: The Role of the Teacher

Throwback Thursday - The Student's Life Is Very Special

Throwback Thursday - The Student's Life Is Very Special

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on  September 10, 2004.

To sweat and work so hard on the mats, to try to live a simple life of self-reflection, to think of the higher things of Life and try and follow O'Sensei's teachings really goes against all that we find popular and attractive in the world today.

Most people will not admit it, but we like to fight, we like to compete with others. We like to win! Actually, we like violence - there is an attraction of power and ugly grotesqueness here that, as much as we hate to admit it, we love it and are fascinated by it. This is why there is so much violence in the world. And when and where there is no violence, we invent it in games, movies, and tv, and in our interrelations with others.

We love money and things and possessions and getting one better on others. We like to outshine others and show them up. We want fame and respect and recognition and constant proof and affirmation that we are better than others.

We don't get this in Aikido practice, or at least, in pure practice, although some today are even trying to change Aikido so that these pleasures are provided in full force. Some use Aikido as a vehicle for fame and power and we think that it is an easy way to make a fast buck. We use rank and position to show off to others and prove that we are better than everyone else. 

But for the most part, all of the worldly "ideals" do not come easily in Aikido. In fact, Aikido rather shuns the modern worldly values, or at least the current world view of "me, me, me," for something “higher" or "transcendent" or "good" like harmony, peace, and on and on. How unfulfilling! How boring!

An Aikido student's life, because they pursue these higher values by sweat and hard work - as boring as they may seem to others - is very, very special. It is not an easy Path and it is not a popular one and seems to contradict or, at least, go against the grain of popular motivations today. This Life is not easy and because it is not easy - it is very special and very good.

Read the Kick Magazine article about Furuya Sensei

Interconnectedness

縁の下の力持ち
Ennoshitanochikaramochi 
The unsung heroes who do thankless tasks

Warriors know that we are all interconnected. Years ago, when I was in Japan I saw a documentary about the brothers Takanohana and Wakanohana who both became Sumo Yokozuna grand champions. I was fascinated by all the things that their mother did to train them to eventually become Yokozuna. One thing which stood out was that their mother used to make them sit in seiza on their knees whenever their father, who was also a sumo wrestler, was wrestling on TV. Her rationale was, “Sitting up straight and paying attention is the least we can do as father is sacrificing himself for our family.” One way to look at this is that it is about giri (義理) or “indebtedness.” A simplistic way to think about giri is that it is transactional where someone does something for us and we owe them something in return but giri also has a feeling which accompanies the action. Giri means that we act in turn more out of appreciation and gratitude than we do out of obligation. An act of kindness is not something that someone must remind us of, but it is something that we hopefully never forget. Ideally, someone thinks of us and we in turn think of them - this is giri. In a dojo, as we focus on our training, it is easy to overlook all that is taking place around us. As students, it is easy to forget what others do for us so that we can have not only a place but an environment to receive Aikido instruction in. Conversely, for teachers, it is easy to overlook what it might take for a student to come to the dojo to train. Training is supposed to teach us to become more aware of ourselves and others so that we can realize everything that is happening around us. Realizing that we are all interconnected, we learn to appreciate the sacrifices and efforts of others on and off the mat and others in turn appreciate our sacrifices and efforts. A famous tea ceremony teacher once said, “With those who you find yourself with, give them every consideration.” The best warriors realize we are all interconnected and thus never take others for granted.

Today’s goal: Try to see and be grateful for all the interconnectedness that is happening around you. 

Watch this video to better understand Interconnectedness

Throwback Thursday - Practice Hint: Morning Dew

Throwback Thursday - Practice Hint: Morning Dew

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on September 15, 2003.

It might help you when you practice Aikido, to try to “think" like Aikido, and not look at Aikido too much from your own personal ideas. Sometimes, we just have to put ourselves into the "Aikido mindset” in order to understand what is going on. This is particularly important in the beginning stages of our training. As we develop more skill and experience in Aikido, our own ideas will begin to emerge naturally and we can further question these (or answer them) in our training.

The perfect training mind is a free and open mind. In Aikido this means an "empty" mind - an empty vessel to receive all things.

Please be careful here - some people interpret this as “garbage pail" to receive anything and all things - even trash. 

It is like our own drinking glass - maybe we put in purified water, or tea or some soft drink - but we would never put in anything dirty or unhealthy. Like our minds too, it is open and free - but still it is not the place for garbage, trash or unhealthy things. This seems like a pretty simple concept to understand, I think, but how many people aren't aware of this!

In Japanese, there is a saying, "Aka to majiwareba, akaku naru.” Or, "if your play with red, you will eventually turn red." 

Confucius described this as walking through a garden in the early morning - your sleeves will naturally touch the leaves and pick up the morning dew. You cannot help but make your sleeves moist. Just as we make acquaintances with good people, we cannot help but be influenced by them. Just as we practice good Aikido, we will eventually become good at Aikido.

The wonderful Aikido master, the late Kisaburo Ohsawa Sensei always said, "Let's practice good Aikido." Such an easy idea - but so hard to do!

Sometimes we may think that Aikido is very difficult and too hard to understand - it is not. It is open and makes perfect sense, there is no contradiction or weak points in Aikido. Everything we need is there on the mats for us to discover. What is the difficult aspect of mastering Aikido is within our own minds and spirits. As O'Sensei said, "It is a matter of purification. . . . ." 

Aikido is not a "technique" like learning how to peel a potato, making a martini or building a table. Aikido is an art and therefore it is a lifetime study. There may be a limit to the study of a technique, but there is no end to the study of one's self

Even Confucius was thinking about his studies and practice - while walking in the garden so early in the morning when he saw the morning dew upon the leaves. How much more do we need to practice ourselves?

And please remember, just as Confucius' long flowing sleeves will naturally pick up the dew on contact, there is no strain here or anything forced here as it should be with your own Aikido practice.

Prevention and Intervention

“The Way of the Warrior has been misunderstood. It is not a means to kill and destroy others. Those who seek to compete and better one another are making a terrible mistake. To smash, injure, or destroy is the worst thing a human being can do. The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent such slaughter — it is the Art of Peace, the power of love.” - Morihei Ueshiba

We often think that the martial arts are for our own protection. Up to a certain level this is true, but as we become more developed, we realize that the study of budo is as much about protecting others as it is about protecting ourselves and this protection isn’t just physical. Training is supposed to teach us how to read our opponents. In reading our opponents, we ascertain things like what style they might be employing, if they have any injuries, or what their strengths and weaknesses might be. In the beginning, we use this information as a means to destroy others, but later it becomes a way to care for others. As O’Sensei stated, “The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent such slaughter.” When a martial artist sees something is amiss, they feel compelled to aidanitatsu (間に立つ) or “intervene.” Aidanitatsu literally means “to stand in between.” Someone once said, "If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” Interestingly, we are starting to see O’Sensei’s philosophy starting to play out in athletic competitions. More and more people are starting to “speak up” when things are not right. When Colin Kaepernick takes a knee for social injustice, Naomi Osaka pulls out for her mental health or Simone Biles pulls out for her own safety, they may not realize it but they are helping others. O’Sensei wasn’t an advocate for competition because he believed it brought out the worst in people and judging from all the criticisms of Kaepernick, Osaka and Biles, he was right, but we can also see how certain aspects of competition are starting to benefit others. The question becomes, “What are we supposed to do when we see something is wrong?” The real Way of a Warrior is to prevent slaughter. Thus, the true warrior protects others. If a warrior sees something is amiss, they should have the fortitude to intervene.

Today’s goal: Be willing to stand up for others regardless if others think it is wrong or right.

Willingness

The Road Not Taken
By Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

運命は勇者に微笑む 
Unmei wa yusha ni hohoemu
Destiny smiles on the courageous

Miyamoto Musashi said, “Shinbutsu wo tattobite, shinbutsu wo tanomazu” (神仏を尊びて神仏を頼ず) which means, “Respect Buddha and Shinto gods, but do not ask them for anything.” He said that because warriors are self-made people. Everyone has potential, but only self-made warriors have willingness. Willingness is one of those things can’t be taught be but can learned. Someone once said, “Talent is nothing without hard work.” It’s true. Everyone has senshinryoku (潛心力) or “potential power,” but that potential is nothing without the willingness to do the work. Yaruki (遣る気 ) or “willingness” means having the determination, eagerness or motivation to reach our highest level. Yaru can mean “to do,” but it also can mean “to harm or kill” and ki means “energy.” Thus, yaruki can be about the potentiality to use our energy or destroy it. In Robert Frost’s The Road Not Taken, he wrote, “Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” The path of the willing is fraught with obstacles but as Frost alludes, “It will make all the difference.” On our path, we can see each obstacle as a barrier or we can see it as a test of our mastery or a lesson toward it. Musashi didn’t ask the gods for help because he was his own person and, as a self-made warrior, he knew that there is something satisfying when we make it on our own. Maybe, gods decide the winner but gods don’t put in the work to win. What does it take to achieve our dreams? First and foremost, willingness. How willing are you to participate in your own life? Faith guides us, willingness puts on the path, and hard work keeps us there, but in the end, we can only rely upon ourselves. I know it was hard, but I am incredibly happy that you chose this path. Keep being willing to do the work - it will pay off in the end. Destiny does smile upon the courageous.  

Today’s goal: Be willing to put in the work and don’t stop for anything or anyone. 

Throwback Thursday - Student & Teacher

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on June 9, 2005.

I think if the student has the time, interest and commitment to their training, they should spend as much time as possible with their teacher. There is so much to learn, to share and to hear from your teacher - but it can’t all happen on the mat. Training takes place both on and off the mat or wherever and whenever you are with your teacher.

I am not talking about teachers who simply want to show off their skill and knowledge nor those who are business people, but the true teacher.

Of course, a good teacher is not easy to get close to - most of the time they are running away from their students - especially those students who are not really interested in learning but want to show off to their teacher or just curry their favor. How does the teacher determine those who are earnest in their studies? It is how each student behaves on the mat and how earnestly they are trying to learn.

Today, we want the teacher and student to be equal or "good pals” but most people only interpret this in a self-serving way. Of course, the teacher and student are equal as human beings and as training partners on the mat. But, it is the student who seeks knowledge from the teacher and in this respect, it is not equal at all. We can't understand this in the way we live and think today in this modern world - we must understand this from the perspective of the age old quest of the those seekers of knowledge of so long ago.

Today, it was such a beautiful day that I realized that it is all a gift that we receive in this world. This is why we must be grateful for everything.

Trust

“Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst, and unsurprised by anything in between.” - Maya Angelou

It takes trust to learn Aikido or anything else for that matter. However, a warrior isn’t supposed to be the trusting type. There is an old saying, “Bushi wo mitaradoroboutoomoe” (武士を見たら泥棒と思え) which means “Warriors always assume the worst in people.” On a certain level, this could be true because it is commonly thought that the most effective technique is the damashiuchi (騙し討ち) or “surprise attack.” Our opponents study us and wait for the right moment to attack when our guard is down. Not wanting to be caught off guard, the warriors of old were always supposed to be vigilant and ever suspicious. This type of mindset is called negative bias or one that assumes the worst in people. In the beginning of our training, it is easy to cultivate an adversarial mindset because people are throwing us down and we can mistakenly think it is malicious. Thinking that everyone is out to get us makes it hard to shinnin (信任) or “trust” others. However, with time and training, we come to realize that Aikido is less about fighting others and more about overcoming ourselves. O’Sensei once said, “Aiki is not a technique to fight with or defeat an enemy. It is the way to reconcile the world and make human beings one family.” This is where we start to shift from having a negative biased mind to one that is positive biased where it is more about abundance and trust and less about lack and deceit. With experience, we learn to take care of others on and off the mat. We realize that our partners are trusting us by giving us their bodies to use and that we shouldn’t abuse that trust and with this awareness comes shinraikankei (信頼関係) or a “relationship of mutual trust.” It is easy to lose our trust in others and assume the worst in people. With Aikido training, we learn to soften our negative minds, see the world in a more abundant light and trust that life is not a burden but a gift. While the warrior of old may not have trusted others for good reason, the warrior of today has the opportunity to live a different life. With trust, we can learn anything and become anyone we want to be.   

Today’s goal: Trust that the world is abundant instead of seeing it as lacking. 

Aiki Dojo Message - Throwing Rock

When playing Rock Paper Scissors, a warrior never throws rock. In the Japanese version called Janken pon (じゃん拳ぽん), the hand gestures refer to the Japanese onomatopoeia or sounds that the hand movements are making. Guu is the sound of squeezing the hand, choki is the sound scissors make, and paa is the sound of the hand opening. Throwing rock is referred to as guu but guu is also the Japanese onomatopoeia sound that one makes when they are being choked or suffering under adversity. So, the warriors of old never threw rock in Janken pon because of the superstition that it might make them fail. Today, we call this subconscious programming or as someone once said, “How you do anything is how you do everything.” Superstition and subconscious programming alike both dictate that even the smallest detail can convey who we are and what we desire. In the book Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa which is a fictional story of Miyamoto Musashi’s life there is an example of this. At one point, Musashi has become Japan’s most prolific swordsman and he is challenged by Sasaki Kojiro and his famous sword monohoshizao or “The drying pole.” Kojiro and Musashi meet on the beach of Ganryu Island to fight their fated duel. As Kojiro draws his sword, he throws his sword scabbard into the ocean. Musashi sees this and says, “You are already dead.” I’d imagine that Kojiro’s act was to symbolizes that he was ready to die but to Musashi it meant that he was resigning himself to die. Both have similar meanings but a completely different emphasis. Sure enough, Musashi cuts Kojiro down with one cut from his wooden sword. Thus, symbolically like Kojiro, by throwing rock or guu, perhaps we are subconsciously setting up our minds to suffer or “choke” under the pressure of the situation. Also statistically, 35% of people throw rock while 29.6% throw paper so maybe based on the percentages a warrior should just throw paper anyways. A warrior understands the symbolism of “How you do anything is how you do everything” and that’s why a warrior never throws rock.    

Today’s goal: What ways are you setting yourself up subconsciously for success or failure?

Watch Furuya Sensei discuss the deeper meaning of the Japanese sword.

Creativity

In the martial arts, it is commonly thought that one should only be “creative” after a certain level of training. In Japanese traditional arts, it is believed that there are three levels of learning referred to as shuhari (守破離). Shu is the beginning stage where gross or rote learning occurs. In this stage things are memorized exactly as they are with no variation. Ha means “to break” and thus the things we learned in the Shu stage are broken down into their fine points. This stage is where we attempt to understand rather than memorize. Ri is the final stage where we transcend or leave the form. This is the final stage of mastery where most think creativity lies. I would posit that all levels of learning have creativity but just in different contexts. In the Shu and Ha stages, we are not supposed to be “creative” with the form, but we can be creative with our approach as to how we memorize and understand the form. However, with that being said, we still have to manage how much creativity or freedom we apply when approaching the black and whiteness of form. The words nyoijizai (如意自在 ) and jiyuujizai (自由自在) both can be used to mean “free” or “to do as one pleases” but they also can be read as “to be in complete control.” Thus, when we are doing as we please or are being free, we must still be in control or aware of the boundaries of propriety. When I was a student, there was a senior who was really innovative with his approach to learning. After Furuya Sensei would point out a mistake in his movement, he was really good at figuring out a way to fix it. For instance, Sensei pointed out that while cutting he would drop the tip at the top of the cut. So he rigged up a wire at the exact height where he dropped the tip. If he dropped the tip, then the sword would hit the wire and make twang. He then trained his muscle memory while doing suburi or “cutting practice” to not hit the wire. He didn’t change then form. He just creatively came up with a way to memorize a detail in the form. The form is black or white and must be memorized exactly, but that doesn’t mean that we should limit our creativity around learning that form. Be creative but just in the right way and in the right context.   

Today’s goal: How can you find a way around what is in your way today? 

Watch this week’s episode of the Aiki Dojo Podcast: The Role of Creativity in Aikido

Throwback Thursday - Warriors

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on May 26, 2003.

People today are taught to only think about themselves so we are creating such a cold, isolated and selfish world. It makes me sooo sad.

We practice Aikido and many of us like to think of ourselves as warriors. But what is a warrior, do you think? We only think that a warrior is good in martial arts, strong and tough. No, we are just thinking of the picture that movies and comic books paint for us. A true warrior is one who has gone beyond life and death. Can you give up yourself for the sake of another? This is the ultimate question that a warrior must solve for themselves. In the Hagakure, the opening famous line is: “The Way of The Warrior, is, after-all, to understand one’s end. . . . ."

This, please understand, is not a negative view of life. It is the ultimate good. To recognize others above our own selves and our own selfish interests. This is a very unpopular or unknown idea nowadays. But the honor and greatness has never changed and never will. It is just that there are fewer of us who can really and truly call ourselves warriors.