Face Your Fears

A true warrior faces their fears. In the Empire Strikes Back, Luke is instructed to go into the Cave of Evil on Dagobah. Yoda says, “That place is strong with the dark side of the Force. A domain of evil it is. In you must go.” Luke Skywalker asks,”What's in there?” Yoda replies, “Only what you take with you.” Every day we are confronted by illusions which are created by our own fears. In the past, fear helped primitive people to survive because it prevented them from eating strange berries or venturing into dark caves. Fear has a way of creating illusions in our minds which tell us a story which may or may not be true. These illusions or stories keep us from experiencing our lives in a way that fulfills us or makes us happy. In Japanese, an illusion is “kinomayoi” (氣の迷い) or more literally that our “ki (氣) has been tricked.” Nowadays, we are more learned than our primal ancestors and we can use fear in our favor. For the most part, fear is just showing us which direction to go towards or as Marcus Aurelius is famously quoted as saying, “The obstacle is the way.” In training, with every roll, technique or throw, we are learning to face our fears and dispel those illusions which are holding us back. First it’s joining a dojo, then it’s rolling, next it’s stronger opponents or difficult techniques. Then, at some point, we realize that the only thing which is really holding us back is the “fear” that we created in our minds or the story that we have given into which is not the reality at all. The reality is that nothing is really all that bad and that most things are surmountable with practice. Once we get good at confronting that which confronts us in the dojo, we take that courage and focus its lens on other aspects of our lives. This is how training becomes a positive influence on our lives and makes every aspect better. Buddhist monk, Ryokan said, "When you have a problem, face it; when you are sick, face it; when death stalks you, face it.” The only way to know if something is an illusion in our minds or not is to face it. Fear is the way toward change and that’s why a true warrior faces their fears. 

Today’s goal: “Don't shrink. Don't puff up. Stand your sacred ground.” - Author Brene Brown

Watch this video to better understand standing up to your fears

Mountains

No matter how the wind howls, the mountain will not bow to it. - Chinese proverb

All warriors love mountains. From a martial arts standpoint, mountains (山) are a symbol of strength and courage, but mountains can also represent difficulty or challenge. Every day, and maybe even every moment of our lives, we find ourselves confronted by a mountain or a challenge. Training teaches us that we can either perceive these mountains as being blockades which are preventing us from being successful or we can see climbing them as the building blocks to our greatness. Therefore, mountains are all about perspective. A person who studies a martial art doesn’t see mountains or challenges as being negative. They see everything from the positive perspective of the journey of mastery where mountains are merely a test of our mastery or a lesson toward it. Some days, the mountain can be just making it to the dojo where just getting there seems like a herculean feat. On other days, the mountain can be just making it through class. Regardless of the mountain which confronts us, it is all relative as every person is challenged by their own mountain and each of us is struggling with ours. Only after we have overcome our mountain do we realize that they were only mountains in our minds. Diplomat Dag Hammerskjold said, “Never measure the height of a mountain until you reach the top. Then you will see how low it was.” With every mountain we surmount, we build strength and gain courage and thus in doing so become a mountain ourselves. On the meaning of life, Dostoyevsky once wrote, “To be a human being among people and to remain one forever, no matter in what circumstances, not to grow despondent and not to lose heart—that’s what life is all about, that’s its task.” Mountains, or the challenges they represent, help us understand ourselves and teach us the meaning of life and that is why all warriors love mountains.

Today’s goal: Every day, there is going to be some wind blowing. Be a mountain; don’t let it get to you.

Watch this video to better understand how the obstacle is the Way.

April Fools

騙されないで
Damasarenai de
Don’t get fooled

Don’t be an shigatsubaka (四月馬鹿) or an “April fool.” In T.S. Elliot’s The Waste Land, he opens the poem with, “April is the cruelest month.” April is supposed to be about renewal as crops are planted, flowers bloom and the snow begins to melt. In a “waste land” everything seems dead and none of these renewals are happening. A fool is defined as “a person who acts unwisely or imprudently.” Thus, an April fool is someone who doesn’t see the robustness of life which is happening all around them and therefore takes life for granted. Training in the martial arts is supposed to teach us about mujo (無常) or “impermanence.” As a warrior learns how to hurt or kill, they inadvertently learn how to live. They learn how to “live” by realizing the futility of violence and the reality that we are all going to die and so they try to make use of every moment of their lives. Martial arts training can seem quite foolish because most of us train for an eventuality which may never happen. Regardless, if an opportunity arises or not, we still have to approach our training with a sense of seriousness. Being serious gives us an edge and it is with this edge that we can come to realize the tenuousness of life and learn how to live and not foolishly waste our lives. There is a Japanese proverb: bakahashinanakyanaoranai (馬鹿は死ななきゃ治らない) which means “stupidity can only be cured by death.” The death we are talking about in a martial arts sense is the death of our egos. This is why in training we are supposed to “kill our egos” so we don’t take life for granted. Today, being the first of April, resign yourself to not be fooled into thinking that you are not good enough, that your life is worthless or that it has no meaning. Your life is very much not a wasteland and is full of purpose and meaning if you could only realize it as such. Don’t be an April fool! 

Today’s goal: Don’t be fooled into thinking that you are not good enough.

Watch this video to better understand not being April fooled

Throwback Thursday - 3 Types of Students

Throwback Thursday - 3 Types of Students

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on September 12, 2003.

Three types of students:

The first type tries to do as little as possible but still remain in the bounds of approval and acceptance.

The second group tries to do exactly as they are told, no more no less.

The third tries to do just a little more, taking that one extra step, going beyond what is expected of them.

If we are a hard laborer whose job requires much effort for little pay, then perhaps, we should be in the first group.

If we work for a big company with many people, maybe we are in the second group.

If we are an artist or someone seeking something more in Life than just physical or material comforts, perhaps we need to be in the third group.

It is hard to imagine any one with the mentality of the first or second group doing well in training.

Training is maximum effort for minimal return to achieve a state of minimum effort for maximum return. Of course, we are not speaking of the material world or the world of the ego here. We are talking about the effort to achieve something much more deeper and profound than just throwing people down. 

Watch this brief video of Furuya Sensei explaining Aikido in 1986

Don’t Get Distracted

泰然自若
Taizenjijaku
Having an imperturbable and calm mind.

A good martial artist never gets distracted. Kiutsuri (氣移り) and meutsuri (目移り) both mean “distraction” but they literally mean that our energy or our eyes become “moved.” Thus, to be distracted is to allow our mind, energy, or eyes to lose focus. When we lose focus, it can create a mental or physical opening called a “suki” (隙).  When an opening is created, our opponent might be able to seize upon that gap and defeat us. In training, we are often told not to look directly into our opponent’s eyes. One old school reason for this was that it was thought that a deft warrior could supposedly distract us or hypnotize us with their eyes and then seize the moment and attack. If you have ever had a niramekura (睨め競) or “staring contest” you might understand this. When we stare too long, our eyes dry out and this causes us to blink. Likewise, when we focus too strongly on not blinking, then we get mentally distracted and might miss our opponent moving in on us. Perhaps this could be the origin of warriors being able to “attack in a blink of an eye.” To guard against being hypnotized or distracted, we are told to soften our eyes and focus our relaxed gaze at our opponent’s shoulder line or to blur their face with our vision. This way of “looking” allows us to not get distracted and catch the smallest movements in our opponent’s bodies and then capitalize on the openings that they create and defeat them. Samurai, Adachi Masahiro said, “The imperturbable mind is the secret of warfare.” To have an imperturbable mind is to have a calm mind which is not easily swayed by distractions. In life and in the martial arts, we need to know which fights need to be fought and which wars have to be won. Martial artists train themselves to have an imperturbable mind and that is why a good martial artist never gets distracted. 

Today’s goal: In everything that you do, ask yourself, “Is this a distraction?”

Watch this video to better understand distractions.

Training Doesn’t Add up

“It takes a 100 times to remember the move, a 1,000 times to make them beautiful and 10,000 times to grasp their essence.” - Unknown

You cannot buy budo. The main question that people ask when shopping for a martial arts school is “How much does it cost?” Obviously, they are trying to figure out if they can afford training and are weighing its value from a cost standpoint. The problem is that from a cost-benefit analysis, martial arts training doesn’t add up. For instance, it takes the average person five years to reach shodan (初段) or “first degree black belt.” If dues for training were $100 a month, then the cost to get a shodan would be about $7200 but that is not the real cost because that price doesn’t reflect any other ancillary costs like gas, equipment or uniforms. That $7200 might be the monetary commitment for shodan, but there is also a time and energy commitment which, generally speaking, costs somewhere around 1000 hours of training. Therefore, if we were to present martial arts training to potential students as requiring an average commitment of five years, $7200 and 1000 hours and that sho (初) means “beginner” then most customers probably wouldn’t start because of the sticker shock. Some call this consumer based mindset shoninkonjo (商人根性) or the “mercenary spirit” where things are transactional and the tangible benefits outweigh the costs. However, martial arts training teaches us to have a bushikatagi (武士気質) or “warrior spirit.” The word samurai (侍) itself means “one who serves” and to be a warrior in the service of others requires that we be gijin (義人) or “selfless.” There is a great line in the movie Seven Samurai where Shimada says, “By protecting others, you save yourself. If you only think of yourself, you'll only destroy yourself.” If we have the mindset of a customer, then we will never be able to jump into the void and save another person. With that being said, today, every student begins as a customer. However, at some point, we start to see training less transactionally from what it costs us to what we are gaining from it self-developmentally and thus stop being customers and become students. There are so many intangible benefits to training in the martial arts which don’t add up on paper like having more self-confidence, getting into better shape, or becoming a better person to name just a few. Those intangible benefits completely outweigh the “price” of training and that is why training is a journey and not a destination. Therefore, we cannot buy the benefits of training, they are something that we have to work for and that is why we can’t “buy” budo, we can only strive toward it. 

Today’s goal: In everything you do, try to see the intangibles. 

Watch or listen to the Aiki Dojo Podcast’s episode where they discuss customers versus students

Watch the HIGHLIGHTS

Final Form

“It is not important to be better than someone else, but to be better than yesterday.” - Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo

A true warrior never stops developing themselves. The goal of human beings is to evolve. A true warrior is searching for their saishuhensei (最終編成) or their “final form.” Our final form is the highest level of development we can attain. For each person, that apex is different. We won’t know where our final form is unless we strive to find it. In the martial arts, the art is the vehicle that we use to develop ourselves and find our highest level or final form. In class, the teacher pares down the techniques in order to make them digestible. Once we have mastered that particular level, the teacher then adds another level, then another and so on and so forth. With each level or layer, comes new obstacles to overcome and new skills to learn. If we have the mindset of jikokeihatsu (自己啓発) or “self-development” then we will strive to improve ourselves. If we have the mindset of jikomanzoku (自己満足) or “complacency” then we will stop when we have attained any little amount of self-development. In battle, the worst place to be is rojo (籠城) which means “holing up in a castle during a siege.” When we are attacked, it’s better to fight to save our own lives than it is to wait and hole up in a castle as we stagnate and wait for others to save us. If our technique doesn’t evolve it will become stagnant, wither and maybe even get us killed. It withers because our bodies are constantly changing over time and with those changes, we cannot rely on the physicalness of our bodies as we lose strength, stamina, and speed as we age. However, even as we get older, we can still improve our technique. Someone once said, “technique and spirit will always beat strength and speed.” Obviously, wherever it is that we “stop” developing ourselves is where our final level will be. All that is required in not only Aikido but in life is that we just keep going no matter the adversity or obstacle. With this perseverance, we will sooner or later overcome ourselves and find our highest level or final form. A true warrior is striving to find their final form and that is why they never stop developing themselves.

Today’s goal: Have you evolved into your final form? If not, get to work!

Posture is Power

二枚腰
Nimaigoshi
Sumo term which means to have a posture in which the legs are firmly planted

A good martial artist always has good posture. Posture is defined as either “the position in which someone holds their body” or “an approach or attitude.” One correction that Furuya Sensei would often give us was “back straight.” Poor posture usually means that we are pushing or using our upper bodies too much or that our minds have become disengaged. In meditation, when we lose our posture, it usually means that our minds have fallen asleep. Poor posture then disables us from using our centers properly and generating our power to our fullest potential. In swordsmanship, it is thought that posture is important because proper posture and proper grip usually indicate a balanced center and an engaged mind. The proper posture or stance for a martial artist is shizentai (自然体) or “the natural body” stance. In Shizentai, we stand up straight and extend our spines which allow our shoulders to sit naturally. Therefore, good posture activates our power and enables us to use the energy from our centers. In Aikido, our center is referred to as the “one-point” or the chushin (中心) or hara (腹). When our centers are activated then our minds are calm but also engaged. In Japanese, many of the words like migamae, taisei, and goshi mean “posture” but like in English, posture can also mean “attitude.” Furuya Sensei used to say, “You can tell everything you need to know about a person by the way they do Aikido.” Thus, what he is saying is that our physical posture is an indication of our inner attitude. Leadership guru, Brian Tracy said, “You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.” When we stand nimaigoshi or “firmly with good posture,” we are saying to the world, “I am calmly ready for.” In Aikido and life, being “calmly ready” might be a physical posture but posture is power because it shows our attitude and our level of engagement. That is why a good martial artist always has good posture.

Today’s goal: Mind your posture because others are trying to figure out just how powerful you really are. 

Throwback Thursday - Value Your Life

Throwback Thursday - Value Your Life

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on January 18, 2004.

As Aikido evolves in this modern world, it is vital to maintain the teacher-student relationship. Without this system, the art cannot be transmitted to the next generation of students.

We like everything cheap, fast and easy. Do you think this is the way to enhance the quality of our everyday lives? If we think about it for a minute, we will easily see that it doesn't make any sense at all. A higher quality of life means to work hard and be honest - don't make your life a matter of economics and do not base your life on such low minded thinking.

A student of Aikido, like a warrior, must go through all kinds of trials and obstacles in order to understand what Aikido and Life truly are. If we think this can be made easy, we are very foolish and open to disappointment. Something of great value does not come easy, if we value our lives, we will understand that there are many hardships and disappointments to face.

What makes Aikido harder and most profound as a Way, is that in Aikido, there is no fighting and there is a strong value placed on respect. The fact that fighting, anger, hatred is not an option - our most easiest way out in most cases - means, by definition, that we are already living on a much higher plane. Please always appreciate this in your practice each day. Finally, it is for this reason, we bow and pay our respects to O’Sensei each day as well.

To value our own Life is the hardest realization of all. We think that people understand this but they do not! They know how to value money, power and their own pride and ego but this is not their own life, it is only their own awkwardly heavy mental baggage which they carry all around inside of their heads. If one truly values their own Life, they will live each minute with great honor and respect for others. Only in respecting others, will one understand how to respect one's self. Simply to hold ourselves dear above others, is not understanding - it is only greed and pride.

Temper your knowledge with compassion and faith. Strengthen your faith and compassion with knowledge.

Labor of love

奉仕活動
Hoshikatsudo
Labor of love 

The martial arts are a labor of love. The dark secret in the martial arts that nobody tells us is that every person has to put in the work regardless of their level. An often quoted but anonymous aphorism is “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” Naively, most think that this means that if we find something that we “love” then it won’t be work. No, it will still be work or the act of putting in the effort but it will be our work and thus a hoshikatsudo (奉仕活動) or “a labor of love.” At every step on the Way, we are confronted with obstacles. Some of those obstacles are physical but a vast majority, even if they seem physical, are mental. The normal person views “work” as something bad and associates it with suffering. Gordon Allport said, “To live is to suffer, to survive is to find meaning in the suffering.” Martial artists are different people and so they can see past the immediateness of work and embrace its toil because they understand its meaning in their self-development. At different stages and levels of ability, the work is different, but the perspective is all the same. Kendo legend, Moriji Mochida said, “It took my body 50 years to learn the basics of Kendo. After I reached 50, that is when the real training began. This is because I finally started to practice Kendo with my mind and heart. When you reach the age of 60, your legs and hips will weaken. You will learn to conquer this weakness with your mind and heart.” Understanding this, every obstacle which we face is the Way. The martial arts are a labor of love where each of us, master and beginner alike, must put in the work but we don’t see it as work. Every person has to work, but not every person sees it as suffering. A martial artist sees it as a labor of love and so it never feels like work. 

Today’s goal: Can you make everything that you do a labor of love? 

Be Dedicated

義兵
Gihei
A warrior dedicated to a righteous cause

The best warriors are dedicated. This week was the third anniversary of Steven Shaw’s passing and the 15th anniversary of Furuya Sensei’s. As I thought about Steve, the word which came to mind was gihei (義兵) or “a soldier who is dedicated to a righteous cause.” After Furuya Sensei had passed away, Steve would religiously come back from Colorado to attend his memorial service. In 12 years, the only one Steve missed was the year he passed away. In the beginning, many others were dedicated too, but over time, most others found new teachers to follow, better opportunities elsewhere or just simply forgot. I remember, one memorial when I went to pick up Steve at the hotel and he came down 10 minutes late. We were on a tight schedule, so I was a bit annoyed at his tardiness. When he got into the car, he casually apologized with his characteristic big smile and began to explain why he was late. As he explained, he beamed with pride as he told me about FaceTiming with his daughter who was showing him a piece of art that she had created. I remember him saying, “It was so cool” and ending it with “Man, I love my kids so much.” At the end of his explanation, he just said, “You’ll see” as he touched my arm knowing that my wife was pregnant and due in a few months. He was so happy and glowing with pride that I didn’t have the heart to be mad at him. I will always remember Steve as being a dedicated teacher, husband, and father. Steve’s memorial is in the same week as Furuya Sensei’s. Each year, it becomes harder and harder to remember them. The easy thing would be to just forget them and just “move on” with our lives. However, being dedicated means not forgetting which helps us to remember the lessons they were trying to teach us. Thus, like Steve, I strive to be a dedicated teacher, husband, and father. Remembering his life helps me to not to forget to live mine. When I think of Sensei and Steve’s passing, it makes me sad, but remembering them helps to remind me to be dedicated. The best warriors are dedicated long after everyone else has lost theirs. 

Today’s goal: What can you be dedicated to?

Throwback Thursday - Don’t Dwell

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on May 9, 2002.

We shouldn't dwell on death, yet it should never leave our minds. Being aware of the harsh reality that we can go at any time, should urge us to live our lives fully and meaningfully. It is hard to find the right Path for ourselves, but once we find it, like Aikido, do not leave it but pursue it whole-heartedly with all of our body and spirit. We think that we have all the time in the world, but, in reality, we do not. In the years that we are allotted, there is not that much time to do very much!

Nowadays, I see on the news that so many young people are doing stupid, wasteful things and throwing their lives away. We should not dwell on stupid or unnecessary matters and try to see our lives very clearly. Be practical and realistic and pursue your goals without reserve. Don't bounce around from here to there, back and forth. We may think that we are getting everything we can, but we will find out that we have nothing doing it this way. We may think that our lives are our own and we can do anything we please with it, but this is a silly view as well. We are all connected. At the same time, we fulfill our dreams, we should not cause sadness and grief to others around us. We do this without knowing, this is why we must be so careful in what we do and how we think. Of course, there is nothing we can do when our lives come to an end, but yet many people will be sad.

Read the Air

空氣を読めるよう
Kuuki wo yomeru 
“To read the air”
To be aware

The best martial artists are always aware. Aikido is a very sophisticated martial art on many different levels. On one level, we see its sophistication in its desire to not harm the opponent. Throwing someone down without hurting them or with the desire to show them compassion requires koseido (高精度) or a “high level of precision.” In class, part of our training is to show restraint and precision in not only not injuring people but also by not throwing people off the mats or into other people. In order to train with this level of precision requires that we have a sense of awareness. The other day, a few students and I went out to dinner. The restaurant required that we show a vaccine card or negative test to enter. During the meal, I saw someone sneak in the back door apparently to circumvent the covid vetting process. After eating, I asked if anyone had noticed this person. Everyone was busy having a good time and nobody did. What the students forgot is that our awareness doesn’t end at the edge of the mat or when the class is done. Our Aikido training teaches us to be aware at all times. In Japanese, the ability to be aware is “kuuki wo yomeru” (空氣を読めるよう) which means “to be able to read the air.” Awareness is about seeing or “reading” that which is not readily apparent. In this case, the guy could have been coming in through the back door to commit some sort of violent crime. Being a martial artist, we know that surprise is one of the best assets in warfare. Being able to read the air enables us to be aware and see things before they come and thus act appropriately and with composure. Awareness enables us to realize O’Sensei’s vision of non-violence and enables us to do Aikido while delivering the least amount of damage but at the same time being in complete control. Non-violence requires compassion and compassion cannot be achieved without precision and precision necessitates that we be aware. That is why the best martial artists strive to always be aware.  

Today’s goal: Can you be aware of your surroundings at all times?  

Never Forget

三尺去って師の影を踏まず
Sanjakusatteshinokage wo fumazu 
A student must never forget to honor their teacher.
-Japanese Proverb

The best warriors never forget. Remembering is about being able to recall something which is not in our immediate awareness. Never forgetting implies that we wish to keep something in our awareness and keep it in the forefront of our minds. It is thought that the average person forgets four important facts, items, or events every day and thus 1460 things can become “lost” in the recesses of our minds every year. Knowing that there is mental degradation over time, a warrior strives to not forget because they know that little things when forgotten can become bigger things in the future. This weekend we honor our teacher Rev. Kensho Furuya who passed away 15 years ago. After 15 years, it would be easy for Furuya Sensei, the person, to just become a picture on a wall that we venerate every once in a while. The reason why we should not forget our teachers is because the Way is perilous. The path is fraught with danger and with each and every step we can easily or unconsciously be led astray. Sensei used to say something like, “To step off the path even one step takes hundreds of miles to return from.” When we have lost our way then we may succumb to any vice, situation, or fear. That is why Furuya Sensei used to always say, “Always act as if your teacher is watching.” By pretending that our “teacher is always watching” we are much less likely to do something that would embarrass us, lead us astray or cause us to make a mistake. By acting as if our teacher is watching, we end up not forgetting our teacher and the lessons that we learned. There is a secret power that exists in not forgetting. I am not sure I can explain it well but every person who neglects the memory of their teacher or “moves on” from it, ends up suffering the consequences and loses most of the lessons that they struggled so hard to learn. For instance, there was a really diligent student who was a great person and hard working. When he quit, he ended up getting a divorce, going bankrupt and losing his professional license. In all of those mishaps, it seems that he did not act as if his teacher was watching. By never forgetting, we don’t forget what it is we should be doing and how we should be doing it and that’s why the best warriors never forget. 

Today’s goal: Act as if your teacher or your parents are watching. 

Grit

打たれ強い 
Utarezuyoi 
You have to be able to take a hit.

A good martial artist has grit. Grit is defined as “courage and resolve” or “strength of character.” In Japanese, one way to say grit is konjo (根性) which means “willpower” or “fighting spirit.” Someone on the internet said that GRIT is an acronym which meant “Growth, Resiliency, Initiative, Tenacity.” I thought that their explanation of grit was apropos for a martial artist. As a student or a teacher, we must be constantly seeking growth. Becoming better is a function of one’s growth internally and externally. We must also be resilient because growth is often accompanied by failure and failure is oftentimes the best teacher. Martial artists must also take the initiative or have the wherewithal to act because growth only occurs when we put in the work. Most of all, a warrior is tenacious and won’t back down no matter how big the goal or how bad the odds. Grit is having a versatile mindset focused on growth but also the temperament to be consistent and constant regardless of the situation. Unfortunately, grit is one of those things that teachers can’t teach us but we can learn on our own. Throughout our training, we are learning grit without even knowing it. For instance, one of the first obstacles that one must surmount in their training is learning how to roll comfortably. People can tell us how to do it and even show us but that still won’t make our rolling anymore easier. The only way the roll gets better is if we put in the work to make it that way. With consistency and constancy, our roll eventually becomes better and without even knowing it we have begun to teach ourselves grit. On a certain level, this is utarezuyoi (打たれ強い) or the learning “how to take a hit” method which teaches us to have grit. In life and in martial arts training, things will happen and many times it doesn’t go in our favor. The average person will give up at the slightest difficulty. However, a martial artist is not a normal person. Things will happen and sometimes they go in our favor and many times they don’t. Regardless of the outcome, having grit enables us to get up and try again. What makes a warrior good is merely having the grit or the mindset to get up, dust ourselves off and keep on going no matter what. 

Today’s goal: What things can you do to teach yourself to have grit? 

Watch this video to better understand Grit

Control Your Freedom

Today in Los Angeles, we can now train maskless indoors. Most of us have been rouchourenun (籠鳥恋雲) or “longing for freedom like a caged bird.” With any hope, this is the signal that the pandemic is coming to an end. With the mask mandate being lifted, many of us can now enjoy our “freedom.” However, what most people forget is that even with “freedom” there are restrictions. In Aikido, there is a lot of talk about jiyuwaza (自由技) or “free-flowing technique.” When we practice or demonstrate jiyuwaza, we are supposed to be demonstrating our Ki no nagare (氣の流れ) or “the flow of our Ki” which shows our level of mastery. Supposedly, when our Ki is flowing and in its most natural state, then we are in this free-flowing state as we throw our partner around easily and spontaneously. In Japanese, jiyu (自由) in literal terms is defined as “free” or “unrestricted” but in a more deeper sense it means “with complete mastery” or “in complete control.” When I was a student, our dojo used to have to do Aikido demonstrations every weekend during the summer. It was hot and hellishly tiring. I remember that Furuya Sensei used to do these great demonstrations where he would captivate the audience with his Aikido technique and entertain them with lively banter as he explained Aikido. One time, I asked Sensei why we would never see him rehearsing. He replied something to the effect that he used the demonstration as a gauge of where he was at in his training and that’s why he would always go in “cold.” In jiyuwaza, if our minds get caught up in conscious thought then it “stops” and so does our movement. In order to do jiyuwaza skillfully, we need to be in control. We have to have made the Aikido techniques second nature so that we can properly control our bodies and we also need to be in control of our minds in order to move spontaneously. Either way, our freedom comes from our ability to be in control of ourselves. Hopefully, as things take a turn for the better, we can resume our daily lives and enjoy our freedom. Remember, as a martial artist, our level is determined not by what we can do to others but by our ability to show restraint.

Today’s goal: Remember, freedom means being in control of what it is you choose to do. 

Watch former Navy Seal Jocko Willink talk about how discipline equals freedom.

Throwback Thursday - Seeing

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on April 30, 2005 

There is one talent that I think students who advance quickly seem to have, which is not really strength or agility but rather is the ability to “see" the movement and duplicate it in their own bodies. Observation and noticing the minute details of the movement is a great part of the learning experience in traditional Japanese arts. The word for learning in this case is mi-narau (見習う) or "learning by seeing."

Seeing, in this sense, is not simply “looking." I am speaking here of “true" seeing where we see without judgement, bias or interpretation but simply seeing things, the movement in this case, as it is and then imitating such movements.

Most students, I notice, cannot see the techniques “clearly." In my opinion, they see with too much judgement and interpretation. Their bodies move with the feel of "oh, I know that technique!” or "i've seen that before," or "that looks easy or hard."

Students see a movement in class, but can they duplicate it exactly as they saw it? In some cases, they see someone step forward, and then they step back. In other ways, they see the hand is high, but then move their hand low, or they see the hips twist and then don’t move their hips at all and on and on.

In class, students should try to observe the instruction without any mental comment, conversation or judgement. Just see it as it is and imitate it as it is, not as they think it should be - this is already an interpretation and judgement.

Students will find that the more clearly they see the movement and the more skillful they become in imitating the movement, then they will see how much more quickly they will begin to advance in their technique.

Please understand that I am not advocating blind imitation, what I am recommending here is “closer and more serious attention" to what is being taught. There is a big difference here which we must clearly understand in our heads each time we practice.

Sooner or Later

竹槍戦術
Takeyarisenjutsu
The sole reliance on simple determination when fighting an overwhelming foe 

A good martial artist believes in the power of sooner or later. After joining a dojo, the second biggest hurdle that every student encounters is learning how to roll and facing basophobia or “the fear of falling.” The interesting thing about rolling is that people can show us how to do it or exhaustively explain it to us, but we can only really learn it by doing it over and over. Rolling is just one of those things that just gets better with time and repetition. Initially, most of us just start rolling like a square and loudly hit our heads, bang our shoulders, or smash our hips. However, at some point sooner or later, our roll almost magically improves and becomes smooth and quiet and even somewhat enjoyable. This breakthrough moment kind of just happens one day and occurs not only with rolling but in every Aikido technique as well. The poet Rumi said, “Everything in the universe is within you.” One way to think about a breakthrough is based upon Innatism which states that “the mind is already born with ideas, knowledge and beliefs.” The knowledge of things like rolling are stored deep down inside and so a breakthrough is just the unlocking or release of our innate knowledge. Thus, how is our innate knowledge released? Through repetition and by believing in the power of sooner or later. The power of sooner or later states that as long as we keep going, then sooner or later we will prevail. Sooner or later is about having ishikengo (意志堅固) or “determination.” Determination which is the single greatest asset any warrior can have in life and in Aikido. Determination is one of those skills which cannot be taught but anyone can learn. How do we learn it? We learn determination by being steadfast in action and by adopting the mindset of sooner or later. Everything we need to know is contained inside of us and that’s why a good martial artist always thinks “sooner or later, I will prevail” and never gives up. 

Today’s goal: What in life do you need to apply the sooner or later mindset to?

Watch this informational video about how if you start to exercise, sooner or later you will get into shape.

Should Teachers Hit Their Students?

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

Recently, an Aikido teacher I know, wanted my opinion on the topic of corporal punishment or whether or not a teacher should hit their students. If we suspend judgement of the act, hitting a student should be looked at based upon ethics, morality, or effectiveness. In times past, there was an immediacy to training which was necessitated by the threat of war. At that time, it was thought that hitting a student was one of the fastest ways to create discipline and harden a student for battle. With the threat of death, morality and ethics took a back seat to speed and effectiveness. Nowadays, very few martial artists are going off to battle, so the speed that a slap or hit creates is not as important as the ethics or morality behind it. In contrast with the past, we have a better understanding of learning and have the opportunity to look at corporeal punishment longitudinally. Today, we understand that hitting a student to get them to adhere and to have discipline is very ineffective. For instance, there is a ton of research out there that says hitting children creates angry adults. Therefore, knowing what we know now, hitting isn’t good for a child’s long-term health nor does it follow the philosophy of Aikido. Look at it this way, O’Sensei said, “Aikido wa sono 99% ga atemi de aru” which means that “Aikido is 99% atemi.” However, today most atemi or “strikes to vital points,” have been evolved out the techniques. Atemi was evolved out because it is thought that stopping to atemi impedes one’s ki no nagare (氣の流れ) or “the flow of ki.” This topic lies at the juncture between old and new. If we look at it from the standpoint of tradition and the effectiveness at which it created some of the greatest martial artists of the past, then we might think about maintaining the practice of hitting students to awaken them or to create discipline in them. If we look at corporal punishment through the eyes of modern pedagogy, ethics, and morality, then hitting students is ineffective and immoral. In the past, I followed Furuya Sensei and would discipline my students corporally, but now because of age and experience, I refrain from doing so. I realized after 15 years of teaching that hitting students or punishing them physically is an ineffective way to teach and is not in keeping with O’Sensei’s philosophy of non-violence. It is my opinion that hitting students shows one’s weakness in not only teaching ability but in character. We, as teachers, should strive to be better than the teachers of the past and not just blindly do something just because someone else did it. The old ways have value, but are the old ways the only ways? That is up to each person to decide and don’t just do it or not because I said so. 

Today’s goal: Onkochishin (温故知新) or “Discover new things by studying the past”

Watch or listen to this episode of the Aiki Dojo Podcast where we cover this topic more extensively.  

Throwback Thursday - No Mind

Throwback Thursday - No Mind

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on September 27, 2004. 

When my Zen master, Kenko Yamashita was in his office during the normal course of the work week, he often practiced his calligraphy. He often wrote letters with a brush rather than with a pen just to continue his practice. Many people would keep these letters because they were examples of his wonderful calligraphy. Much of his calligraphy, he told me, was self-taught and only developed through many decades of practice. I always thought his calligraphy had a strength and nobility in which his character always shined through. One of the words he used to practice quite often were the three words coined by Dogen - hishiryo (非思量). How do you translate hishiryo? I don’t really know. It means literally, "thought without thought.” or "consciousness without thought." Hishiryo is our primal state of mind of pure thought and awareness without all the baggage, mental obstacles, distortions, illusions or prejudices. Thought without thought - we experience this all the time when we become absorbed in something we are doing and, at other times, when we are totally relaxed and doing something but not really thinking of anything. Generally, we are in a conscious state of the calculating mind or the money mind in which we continually calculate profit and loss, good and bad, yes and no.

In our Aikido practice, we should practice with the hishiryo mental state of total absorption - it is at this moment when we are 100% both mind and body.

It is not the mind of "I hate this person," or "when does practice finish" or "I am hungry" or "it is too hot and I am sweating," or “when will I become rich and famous!" It is the mind of being totally focused, not attached anywhere, but everywhere at the same time - this is total absorption. Sometimes, we call this "no mind," but people often get confused with this term. Maybe we should say, the "mind of no mind!"

In practice, lose everything! Let everything drop away, - even your own mind and body. When we can "let go," then, at that moment, we gain everything. This too is hishiryo.

Watch Furuya Sensei being interviewed on FSN/UPN1 in 2000.