Understand the Meaning

“To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” - Nietzsche

Martial arts training teaches us to find meaning in everything that we do. Training then become, in a sense, jibunsagashi (自分探し) or “A journey of self-discovery.” The problem with a journey toward self-discovery is that it can be fraught with suffering as we surmount our inner obstacles. Every person’s suffering is relative, but it is still suffering none the less, and thus it can be hard to bear. What helps ease the burden is to put that suffering into perspective. Nietzsche said, “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” This idea that suffering becomes more manageable when it has meaning is the central idea of Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Ultimate Search For Meaning. Frankl was a neurologist, psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor and in his book he wrote, “We have freedom to find meaning in what we do, and what we experience, or at least in the stance we take when faced with a situation of unchangeable suffering.” This idea that suffering is made more bearable with perspective is an oft quoted narrative in martial arts training. Currently, there are many people in our dojo preparing themselves for their next rank examinations which will be coming in the next few months. I watch them come in on their own time, come early and stay late so that they can get in some extra training and I know that for many of them it is not only physically hard but also a hardship to make the extra time. Often times, when I talk with some of my seniors in Aikido they are so natsukashi (懐かし) or “nostalgic” for the good old days as they reminisce about how hard it was. Only now with time and experience do these old timers have the perspective or understand the meaning of their suffering and many don’t see it negatively as suffering anymore but positively as a process of growth. Thinking about this, what if we could understand the meaning and have the right perspective before we entered into a situation? If we could understand the meaning behind our suffering then we might not see it as suffering but as growth and perhaps be able to manage it in a better way and maybe even enjoy it a little too.

Today’s goal: Can you find meaning in that which confronts you? 

Watch this video of Viktor Frankl explain how to find meaning in suffering.

Be Merciful

“The sword shows no mercy.” - Old samurai saying

The sword is merciless, but the warrior is merciful. The highest teaching in the martial arts is shinmu fusatsu (真武不殺) or that “True budo does not kill.” This maxim goes along with the idea of bushinonasake (武士の情け) or “Samurai compassion.” Most don’t think of the samurai as being all that compassionate or merciful since their job is to kill. The word samurai (侍) means “One that serves.” Technically a samurai’s job is not to kill per se but to give their life, if necessary, in the service of their lord and that could mean having to kill or getting killed. Thus, the samurai’s job wasn’t all that glorious because it deals with death. A samurai kills instead of maiming their opponent because it was the most merciful thing to do given the unsavory situation that they both find themselves in. It was merciful because to be maimed could be worse than being killed for a samurai. Being maimed could cause a samurai to lose their usefulness and be cast out of their clan which could cause their family to become destitute. However, if a samurai lost his life in a battle, his lord could see it appropriate to keep their family in the clan as a reward for his ultimate sacrifice. A samurai understands that both combatants are in the same quandary because what it takes for one to be a samurai on one side of the battlefield is the same as what it takes their opponent to be a samurai on the other side of the battlefield. In honor of the sacrifice of what it takes to be a samurai, they train to mercifully cut their opponent down with one cut instead of hacking away at their dying opponent which is cruel and causes them to needlessly suffer. The samurai are a sad lot who find themselves employed to do what society deems to be its most abhorrent act. The samurai does what needs to be done but it can still be done with dignity, so they develop themselves to perfect one cut, one kill. The sword that "preserves life" not "destroys life” is the highest teaching in the martial arts and the difference between the two is a mindset driven by compassion and mercy. This could be one interpretation of  katsujinken satsujinto (活人剣殺人刀) or “The sword which gives life or the sword which takes life.” The sword alone is an inanimate object and is designed to kill but in the hands of the one who wields it, it can become a sword which gives life. The life in this sense that we are saving is our own because we learn to be compassionate and merciful in a world filled with chaos. That is why the sword is merciless, but the warrior is merciful.

Today’s goal: Regardless of the situation, can you still be merciful? 

Watch the latest episode of the Aiki Dojo Podcast to better understand weapons training in Aikido.

Throwback Thursday - Ma-Ai/Spacing

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

I was taught mai-ai (間合い) or “spacing” early on in my training. In very traditional Aikido, one respected Aikido teacher taught that ma-ai is the distance in which we can see our opponent straight on but still see their feet and arms (lowered at their sides) in our peripheral vision. If we are standing slightly too close to our opponent, their feet and also their hands will disappear from our vision. Of course, if we are slightly too far from our opponent, it is possible to see their whole body easily, but then we are at a distance in which they are not compelled or inclined to attack and we also cannot effectively apply our technique either. At the proper distance or mai-ai in this case, the opponent does feel inclined to attack. In addition, this teacher also taught that one takes kamae in such a way as to very subtlety control how the opponent may attack us. Or briefly, positioning one's self so that they are inclined to attack us with their right as opposed to their left hand, etc. This is also a part of ma-ai, according to him.

Another teacher taught that ma-ai is the special spacing or "angle" in which you can strike at your opponent but they cannot strike you. Or, the spacing in which we are protected against our opponent's immediate counter attack while still maintaining a position to easily apply our own technique.

Another teacher taught that ma-ai is the spacing in which the technique can be executed at its optimum level. If we are too close to our opponent, we are open to their counter attack and/or the possibility of them jamming our technique. Of course, if we are too far away from our opponent, the technique cannot be applied properly at all.

Another Aikido great taught that the ma-ai must constantly be adjusted to neutralize or adjust the speed and strength of the opponent's attack by closing in or creating more distance between one's self and the opponent.

I consider all of this in my study, practice and execution in all of my techniques.

Hardship Reveals

盤根錯節に遇いて利器を知る
Bankon sakusetsu ni aite riki wo shiru
A hero is revealed by hardship 

Every martial artist has and will struggle. Hardship or struggle is what reveals our true selves. Each of us will have some, if not many, kusen (苦戦) or “hard fought battles” on and off the mat. These struggles, albeit uncomfortable, will be where we will grow the most. It is said that martial arts training is a shito (死闘) or “A struggle between life and death.” Obviously, at its most superficial level that struggle is physical as we fight with our opponents. However, at its utmost level, the life and death struggle we are speaking of is between the death of one’s old self and the birth or life of our new selves. That change begins when we run out of saino (才能) or “talent.” We all have talent, but no matter who we are, at some point, it will run out and we will struggle and have to put in the work. Where we struggle is typically where we need to put the work in. I have seen new students reach their struggling point right away, but I’ve also seen seasoned blackbelts reach their struggling point only after years of training. Regardless, of one’s level or experience, every person will struggle sooner or later. If something is easy for us then we are still functioning within our talent range and haven’t reached the end point where our talent has run out and the true growth begins. Motivational speaker, Eric Thomas said, “Where there is no struggle, there is absolutely no progress.” The other day, I was talking with one of my students and he said, “Wow, you are so disciplined to wake up every day at 5:00 AM.” I replied, “Not really, waking up at 4:30 would be real discipline.” What I meant is that I wake up at 5:00 Am without an alarm clock so it is easy and within my natural ability but to wake up at 4:30 would be more of a struggle and require me to be more disciplined. It is said that the normal person is a wakoudoujin (和光同塵) or “A person who is blissfully unaware of their innate power or talent.” A martial artist is not normal because they want to improve and so they continually seek out opportunities to push themselves out of their comfort zone. To train in a martial art is to struggle and that struggle is the sign that we are undergoing the process of unleashing our true inner power. Every martial artist has to struggle so that they can grow and unleash their true inner power.

Today’s goal: Seek out opportunities to struggle and unleash your true inner power. 

Watch the Rock talk about how his struggles have made him who is today.

No Disharmony

We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are. - Anaïs Nin

In a true budo mindset, a warrior knows no disharmony. However, a martial artist is supposed to always be kigamae (氣構え) or “prepared” and ready for an attack. Typically, a prepared mindset is one that is good at negative bias or one that only sees the bad. Our opponents try to conceal themselves from us so we need to be hypersensitive to the smallest detail which can reveal our enemy’s true intentions and those elements are usually negative. The problem with having negative bias is that the world tends to fade into a vast wasteland of disharmony that is hard to transcend once we are immersed into it. The goal of Aikido training is not to become a better fighter but rather to attain uchinaruheiwa (内なる平和) or “inner peace.” However, harmony is not an attainment but a practice that must be continually reinforced. When Furuya Sensei was a student at Hombu Dojo, one of his duties was to stock the vending machine and count the money. One day he started to notice that people were paying with fake coins. Not wanting to embarrass anyone, the first few times he just replaced the fakes with his own money. At some point, it became too expensive, and he thought that he should bring it to 2nd Doshu’s attention. After explaining the situation and showing Doshu the fake coins, he responded, “No, an Aikido student would never do that. It must be someone coming from the outside.” At first, Sensei thought that Doshu was just being naive but later realized that Doshu’s true greatness came from how he chose to see the world. We can choose to see the bad in the good or the good in the bad but regardless of the choice that perspective can become our worldview. Anaïs Nin said, “We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.” Fear, anger, hatred, etc are all functions of disharmony while kindness, compassion and grace are perspectives of harmony. Understanding this, we can see how Doshu chose to see the good as a way to practice inner peace. Gandhi is falsely attributed with this quote, but it is still apropos, “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” We change because we change the way we see the world and thus a true martial artist knows no disharmony. 

Today’s goal: Don’t look for disharmony. See the world as you wish to become. 

Watch this video of Michael Caine reading and discussing Rudyard Kipling’s poem If.

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.