Don’t Make it Personal

A true warrior doesn’t take anything personal. To take something personal is to internalize another person’s actions and become offended or upset by it. When we take something personal, we are allowing something from the outside to affect how we feel on the inside. Becoming agitated or losing focus creates a suki (隙) or an ideal opening for our opponents to attack and defeat us. That is why one of the highest goals in swordsmanship is said to be equanimity or the ability to mindfully act and not mindlessly react to an attack. Epictetus said, “It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” Therefore, we should look at attacks from the standpoint of our internal stamina or self-esteem versus self-compassion. Self-esteem is something that we have to build up like the main wall of a castle. Self-esteem is our overall opinion of ourselves or “the confidence in one's own worth or abilities; self-respect.” We build up a strong immovable barrier to stave off any attack but once that rampart breaks, we have to start all over again and build up our defenses up from zero. However, in the meanwhile we also have to come back from total personal devastation. If self-esteem is a wall, self-compassion is a process. Self-compassion is not so much a strong barrier to repel invaders but a way to deal with the attacks as they come. Author Kristin Neff has defined self-compassion as being composed of three main elements of “self-kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness.” Aikido is the art of compassion. We are, just like our attacker, a human being and human beings by design are fallible. Understanding this, Aikidoists realize that every person is suffering and because of this, we give them compassion instead of destroying them. The true goal of all martial arts is to achieve mindfulness in action. When we are mindful and give ourselves compassion, we realize that an attack is not personal but only a way for a suffering person to incite us to create an opening to attack. O’Sensei said, “In our techniques we enter completely into, blend totally with, and firmly control an attack. Strength resides where one’s ki is concentrated and stable; confusion and maliciousness arise when ki stagnates.” Thus, an Aikidoist harmonizes and never allows the external to influence the internal and that is why a true warrior doesn’t take anything personal.

Today’s goal: Realize that person is suffering so don’t take anything personal.

Watch this video to better understand taking things personal

Throwback Thursday - Finding Happiness

Throwback Thursday - Finding Happiness

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on August 14, 2005.

We think we will find happiness in freedom but most people do not know what true freedom is and therefore happiness becomes another illusion for most, only in their heads. We think that doing anything we please is freedom but we do not know where the line exists between such carte blanche activity and simple self-indulgence.

Of course, we are self-indulgent, it is a part of our Nature as human beings but it is not the key to freedom. Freedom only comes through self-knowledge acquired through our relationships with others. I have to make this qualification because, more often than not, most people, in thinking that they have found freedom, have only replaced one self-indulgent activity with another.

When I see my students all practicing hard on the mats - I feel like I don't need anything else in Life - I don't even feel like eating, I am so happy. It is the simple things in Life which mean something to us that will make us happy.

There are really no (natural) rules between one person and another, we make them up to express our ideals of what human relationships should mean to us. These should be the highest ideals nurtured through wisdom and experience. In this context, we are coming closer to the true meaning of Aikido and now we are getting closer to true happiness.

MacGyver

Aiki Dojo Message - MacGyver

Every good martial artist is a MacGyver. MacGyver was a hit TV show in the 80s/90s where the titular character would get himself out of tight spots by making or fixing something with whatever he had on hand. MacGyver is part of the lexicon now and is defined as “making or repairing something in an improvised or inventive way, making use of whatever items are at hand.” To MacGyver from a martial arts sense is to find a way to work around whatever problem or situation that we have which is confronting us. In MacGyvering there is no blueprint, so it is really a mindset. A good martial artist knows that there will never be a moment when everything lines up and things go perfectly. Most times, we have to make do with what we have and find a way to work around it. The Japanese equivalent to MacGyver could be gaman (我慢) or to “persevere” but perseverance is too simplistic of a definition. Someone defined gaman as “enduring the seemingly unbearable with patience and dignity.” Gaman is a really a mindset where a person keeps on going no matter what happens. To gaman is to find a way and not let anything hold us back from accomplishing our goals. Every day in training we are learning how to gaman or MacGyver challenges and overcome them. Sometimes the challenge is just getting to class while other times it is having to train through an injury. For instance, when I was a student, one of the students lost his keys when he was taking Furuya Sensei around on errands. Hearing about what happened and how much Sensei scolded him, I taped an extra key to the underside of my car just in case. Then one day, I was on a date and lost my keys, but my hide-a-key saved the day. Each person will have to figure out a way around their own problems and each time we do surmount an obstacle, we become a tiny bit stronger. The Japanese say, “chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru” (塵も積もれば山となる) or “Even specks of dust if piled up can become a mountain.” Thus, the incremental changes over time are what mastery is built upon. No matter who we are or what we have accomplished, at every stage in life and in training, we will be confronted by something that we will have to overcome - no one is immune to this. Training teaches us how to have a mindset which doesn’t give up and to find a way around our obstacles. That is why a good martial artist is a MacGyver.

Today’s goal: Think, “What would MacGyver do?” He’d make it work somehow.

Watch this video of the creator of MacGyver explaining how to think like him

Throwback Thursday - Reality

Throwback Thursday - Reality

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on August 16, 2004.

Things are what they are. It is our choice to make it good or bad for ourselves. Even a sword can become a great saver of lives, instead of a weapon of destruction. Even a bad deed can be turned into something good - this is the power we have over the world - please use it wisely and for the good.

As if

神社を尽くして天命を待つ
Jinji wo tsukushite tenmei wo matsu
Do your best and leave the rest to fate

The best martial artists always act as if. Starting in the 1970s, it became popular to say, “Fake it until you make it.” “Fake it until you make it” suggests that by pretending to be confident or competent, a person can cover up their shortcomings and attain some semblance of success until they actually realize those qualities in their real life. The problem with “faking it” is that it carries with it an air of dishonesty and martial artists are never supposed to act dishonestly. Long ago, there was a master of the tea ceremony who was challenged to a duel by a samurai. The samurai wanted to make a name for himself and accused the tea master of touching his sword which was a common way to challenge someone to a fight known as saya ate (鞘当て). Not being a trained fighter, the tea master consulted his master who was a samurai of importance. His master said, “When you cross swords, just act as if you are going to serve this samurai a cup of tea.” When he met the samurai the next morning, the tea master drew his weapon and steadied himself with the same spirit as if he was going to serve this samurai tea ceremony. Touching swords, the samurai felt the composure and calmness of the tea master. This either meant that the tea master was a trained swordsman or that he was ready to die. Regardless, it scared the samurai and he immediately bowed and ran off. Usually, we have to fake it because we don’t feel good enough about ourselves at our given level. Therefore, instead of faking it, I suggest that students act as if. Acting as if is a positive way to overcome our feelings of not being good enough. By acting as if, we can be honest and comfortable with doing our best regardless of our level or the outcome. All that we can do in the martial arts and in life is meet adversity with calmness and put forth an effort which is sincere and honest. Therefore, don’t fake it until you make it but rather do your best and leave the rest to fate. The best martial artists always act as if.

Today’s goal: What in your life can you change from faking it to acting as if?

This post appears in a slightly different form @ www.aikidocenterla.com/blog

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Bonus Rounds

“Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” Sun Tzu

A good martial artist knows how to get to the Bonus Rounds. In video games, the Bonus Round is a special level within the game which is designed to reward a player with extra points, special powers, or valuable information. In the martial arts, the Bonus Rounds are where we make the most significant gains in our training. In a video game, a player has to play long enough or well enough to get to the Bonus Round. It is the same in martial arts training as the keys to getting to the Bonus Rounds are constancy and consistency. To achieve constancy and consistency, each of us tries to maintain a “regular” training schedule. In the martial arts, we reach the Bonus Round whenever we go to class outside of our regular training schedule or when we stay late or come early in order to get some “extra” training in. Basketball legend, Jerry West said, “You can't get much done in life if you only work on the days when you feel good.” Thus, those days when we really don’t want to go to class or when going to class is a struggle, those days are considered Bonus Rounds as well. The Bonus Rounds are where we find that extra little something that when applied to the momentum of our regular training helps to push us over the edge toward mastery. In Sun Tzu’s Art of War, he writes that “Opportunities multiply as they are seized.” Sun Tzu’s quote is about momentum and that the more we do something, the more that thing multiplies. Greek Philosopher Seneca once said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Therefore, we are successful as a result of the momentum that is acquired through regular training and that momentum is multiplied whenever we do something outside of our regular training. With that being said, if we aren’t regular with our training, we can never get into the Bonus Rounds and making gains will be much harder to achieve. In life and in the martial arts, success comes to those who have prepared themselves and are ready to seize upon opportunities as they arise. A good martial artist knows that in the Bonus Rounds opportunities multiply as they are seized.

To help students get to the Bonus Round, we are expanding our schedule June 1st back to seven days a week. There is one change to the already published schedule which is that Saturdays at 10:15 AM will be Regular instead of Advanced.

Today’s goal: In what ways can you get to the Bonus Rounds?

Watch this video to better understand putting in the work.

Restraint

The best martial artists know how to exercise jishuku (自粛) or “self-restraint.” For the most part, Japanese culture is built upon this idea of restraint. We see this idea of restraint in not only Budo, but in Japanese art, culture, and daily life. One of the most widely unspoken words in Japanese is enryo (遠慮). To enryo means to hold back or refrain from doing something out of consideration for others. Restraint is the basis of most Japanese aesthetics, and we see it in things like wabi-sabi, mono no aware and shibui to name just a few. In Japanese culture, it is thought that a person who lacks self-restraint also lacks shuyo (修養) or “self-discipline.” The techniques in the martial arts can cause injury and even death and because of this lethalness, it needs to be tempered with discipline and restraint. That is why the martial arts is based upon self-restraint and self-discipline rather than indulgence. Joseph Campbell told this story about samurai self-restraint. He said, “Once, there was a samurai who was tasked with avenging the murder of his lord. After many years, he finally found this person and was ready to complete his task. As he drew his sword, the man spit in his face. The samurai became angry and realizing this, he sheathed his sword and walked away. The reason he spared the man’s life in that moment was because he was bound by oath to kill this man and killing him because he became angry would mean that he was only fulfilling himself in that moment.” In the martial arts, we learn restraint through etiquette, decorum, and kata. In class, students must show restraint by how much power or force they put into the technique. For teachers, what and how they teach needs to be balanced with self-restraint and self-discipline as well. By routinely practicing restraint, when the time comes, we can demonstrate restraint and show our true level. Regardless of the situation, everything in life and in the martial arts should be balanced out with restraint and self-discipline. At the highest level, the best martial artists demonstrate restraint, not indulgence. Just because we can doesn’t mean we should.

Today’s goal: In which ways can you exercise restraint today?

Watch this video to better understand self-control

Bring Order to Chaos

混乱を静める
Konran wo shizumeru
To bring order to chaos

The best martial artists are tegusunehiku (手薬煉引く) or “ready for anything.” The other day, I read a news story about a teenage girl who fought off a person trying to abduct her. As she was waiting for the bus, a man tried to pull her into his car. At the last second, she grabbed a nearby fence. Holding on for dear life, she kicked, and screamed and made her assailant give up and run away. The authorities think that one reason why she was targeted was because the bus was late. A clever opponent will lie in wait and attack us in times of chaos when they think we are the most vulnerable. In warfare, damashiuchi (騙し討ち) or a “surprise attack” is one of the most effective techniques. Chaos is a force multiplier and it greatly improves the effectiveness of any surprise attack. It is said that “The martial arts bring order to chaos.” What that means is that through the practice of martial arts, we establish order within ourselves. On a physical level, order means that we practice kata (形) or “pre-arranged movements” so that they become naraisho (習い性) or “second nature.” When a technique becomes second nature it comes out spontaneously and without thought which enables us to do the right thing at the right time. In training, in addition to dealing with physical attacks, we learn to deal with shikai (四戒) or “The four diseases.” The four diseases are: kyo (驚), ku (懼), gi (疑), and waku (惑) or “surprise, fear, doubt, and confusion.” Thus, order on a mental level is the ability to stave off the four diseases and have shitsuitaizen (失意泰然) or “the ability to remain calm in the face of adversity.” Creating order within ourselves greatly improves our chances of success not only when we are being attacked but in every aspect of our lives. Order enables us to stand up to that which confronts us and meet that adversity with a sense of calmness and with the ability to come out unscathed. A martial artist trains because when the time comes, they know that they can’t be getting ready when they are already supposed to be ready. A martial artist brings order to chaos and that is why the best martial artists are ready for anything.

Today’s goal: Get ready before you need to be ready.

Watch this video to better understand how to bring order to yourself by making your bed.

Potential

A true martial artist is a person who is striving to realize their fullest potential. The teacher is not a guru, the dojo is not a church and Aikido is not a religion, but it is the training which changes us and helps us to realize our fullest potential. Once, I was having dinner with another Aikido teacher and his student. During the course of the conversation, we started talking about another student who the other teacher thought had the potential to be very good. The student having dinner with us asked, “Do I have potential to be good?” The other teacher replied, “no” and as a concession said, “but, you could be a good teacher.” The student turned to me, and I said, “You have the potential to be good as long as you apply yourself.” What that other teacher got wrong is that every person has senshinryoku (潛心力) or “potential power.” President Calvin Coolidge said, “The most common commodity in this country is unrealized potential.” Thus, the real problem is that we have lost the awareness and ability to use our power, but training is how we re-discover our power. I am not sure what it is but there is something about the training which helps us to unblock our energy and then enables our power to start to flow. This flow is known as ki no nagare (氣の流れ) or “the flow of ki” and this is where we get the power to accomplish our goals. Prior to getting a black belt in Aikido, I had never accomplished anything before in my life. After training hard and passing the black belt test, I realized that anything is possible as long as I applied myself. I then applied the template of training over other aspects of my life and used those lessons to accomplish things off the mat. It is never too late for a person to realize their potential. Some realize it early while others realize it late. It doesn’t matter when as long as it is realized. Every person has jiriki (自力) or the “self-power” to change themselves. Training teaches us how to do it. The normal person is satisfied with their lot in life, but a martial artist is not a normal person. Former Navy Seal, David Goggins came up with the 40% Rule which states, “That when our mind is telling us to quit, that our body has actually only used up 40% of its potential.” A martial artist understands this and therefore wants to see where the limit to their potential power lies. That is why the true martial artist strives to realize their fullest potential.

Today’s goal: Let go of what you “think” is holding you back from realizing your fullest potential.

Watch this video to better understand potential.

Throwback Thursday - Complete Training

Throwback Thursday - Complete Training

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on May 27, 2002.

The scroll that I placed in the dojo tokonoma reads: Seichu no do (動中の静) or "Movement in calmness." This comes from the complete saying: Seichu no do, Do chu no sei (動中の静 静の中動) or "Movement in calmness, calmness in movement." This calmness does not come from a mental other-worldliness or from a psychological denial of what's going on around us. It is a calmness which is derived from “complete training” which allows us to think and move freely at will.

As we develop awareness of ourselves or the technique through training, we should also be aware of our mental state - how we are aware, how we are focusing our energies and how we are concentrating our energies towards the action. In incomplete training, as soon as one issues speed or strength, they immediately lose their balance or timing. When we try to only develop strength, we end up only becoming stiff and inflexible, this is not complete training. When we try to go faster, and break our posture or get confused and lose our focus on what we are doing, this is not complete training. When we try too hard, and cannot blend with the opponent, this is not complete training. The technique should be strong and well balanced, without being forced, stiff or awkward. We are moving quickly but not rushing things. We should be strong but at the same time not muscling it either. Within the technique, we should feel the time and space but at the same time we should also be able to see and be aware of everything else around us - this is calmness in movement. Within our technique, we should always feel balanced and at ease with ourselves, without any idea to show ourselves off or demonstrate our strength, this is movement in calmness - this is complete training.

There is no end to Aikido training. As we train, the spiritual aspects of the art only get deeper, wider and more profound.

Resolve

A good martial artist has to have hara wo kimeru (腹を決める) or “resolve.” Resolve in the Japanese sense means “to decide in your abdomen” or in other words have “guts.” Having guts means that we have the intestinal fortitude to see something through until its end. Long ago, a young samurai and his bride-to-be were taking a walk through the forest when they were attacked by a tiger. The samurai fought fiercely trying to protect his bride-to-be from the tiger. However, at one point, the tiger lunged at the bride-to-be and the samurai wasn’t able to save her. After her death, the samurai was overcome with sadness and vowed revenge and was resolved to seek out the tiger and kill it. Once he recovered from his wounds, he took his bow and arrow and went hunting for the tiger. After months of searching, the samurai finally saw a sleeping tiger whose stripes looked like the tiger that had killed his bride-to-be. Quietly he snuck up on the tiger, focused his mind, took a deep breath, and drew his bow. With great determination, he pulled the bow back stronger than he had ever had before. He released the arrow and it hit the sleeping tiger directly in the heart. Even as the arrow pierced the tiger, it didn’t move at all. As he slowly approached his bride-to-be’s killer, he realized that he had shot his arrow deeply into a striped colored rock which happened to look like a sleeping tiger. Hearing his story, everyone in the village began to talk about how strong he was because he could pierce stone with his arrow and people wanted to see him do it again. However, no matter how many times he tried, his arrows kept bouncing off the rock. In the past, the samurai’s resolve to avenge his bride-to-be’s murder had been so profound that he was actually able to physically pierce a stone with an arrow. However, now that he knew it was just a rock, he was unable to repeat the same feat. Martial arts training will have its ups and downs - no person’s journey is immune to this. Without resolve, every little obstacle could cause us to quit and nothing in life will be achieved. With the power of resolve, we will eventually succeed at whatever it is we set our minds to and that’s why a good martial artist always has to have resolve.

Today’s goal: Be resolved - don’t let anything stand in your way.

Watch this video to better understand resolve

Happy Friday the 13th!

Therefore since the world has still
Much good but much less good than ill,
And while the sun and moon endure
Luck's a chance but trouble's sure,
I'd face it as a wise man would,
And train for ill and not for good.
- A E Houseman

Happy Friday the 13th! The Japanese are engiwokatsugu (縁起を担ぐ) or “superstitious.” The Japanese are superstitious about Friday the 13th but no more than any other unlucky day. The Japanese love puns and homophones and many are used in superstitious beliefs. For instance, the Japanese don’t like the word shi (死) because it is a homophone which means “to die” and that’s why the word for the number four or “shi” is often substituted with yon. Another example of Japanese superstitious belief is that a person's name should not be written in red ink because that is how it is written on graves. Should martial artists be superstitious? That’s up to the person. I don’t know if the prolific swordsman Miyamoto Musashi was superstitious or not, but he 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.” Why would he respect them if he wasn’t at least a little bit superstitious? It is not that martial artists should be superstitious or not but like Musashi, warriors should rely more on themselves than on the divine. The line in A E Houseman’s poem “train for ill” illustrates this mindset and it reminds me of the Stoic proverb of “Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.” In this world, the only thing we can rely upon is ourselves and like Archilochus said, “We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” Friday the 13th is just a day like any other day. Don’t get too caught up in the Friday the 13th hype but at the same time don’t tempt fate either. At the very least, it’s Friday!

Today’s goal: Why not do something kind for a stranger on this superstitious day.

Watch this video to better understand believing in yourself.

Throwback Thursday - Mindfulness

Throwback Thursday - Mindfulness

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on May 2, 2002.

Mindfulness means to "pay attention," - paying attention carefully to everything that we do and think is paying attention to the world at large. . . . .

In a dojo, practice to be aware of everything around you. Practice paying attention to ourselves and what we are doing and thinking in every moment. Then practice paying attention to what our spouse or significant other is saying very carefully and what our children are doing and saying to us. Then pay attention to our co-workers and boss at work and everyone around us. Then pay attention to everything, everywhere in every moment, when walking, sitting, working, eating, talking and even sleeping. I feel that as a student gains a strong sense of awareness or sensitivity to themselves and everything around them in every moment, this profound and wonderful concept of harmony in Aikido will emerge and become clear to them. This idea of harmony which is the single principle and the basis of all Aikido movement and techniques.

Watch this vide of Furuya Sensei demonstrating in 1991

Pay Attention

The best martial artist knows how to pay attention. In Japanese, “to pay attention” can either be mewotomeru (目を留め) or kinitomeru (氣に留める) which literally means for one’s eyes or energy “to stop.” Learning in all traditional Japanese arts is referred to as minarai keiko (見習い稽古) or “To watch and learn.” It is said that the teacher only teaches us 50%. The other half, we have to learn on our own. In order to learn the other half, we have to learn how to learn and part of that is learning how to pay attention. Minarai literally means “to learn how to see.” Learning how to see is a euphemism for paying attention. A person who can pay attention is able to see or ascertain the subtlest details which they can then use to create minor changes which yield much larger benefits. There are four levels of paying attention: unawareness, hyper-focus, awareness, and mindfulness. Most normal people live in unawareness. Hyper-focus is next to unawareness because to be so focused that we are unaware of our surroundings is dangerous and it is also partly based upon ego and that is why it’s just as bad being unaware. In order to improve, we have to become aware of ourselves and that means learning to care enough about what it is we are doing to want to improve. Awareness is the gateway to change. When we get good at being aware of ourselves, others, and our surroundings, that leads us to mindfulness. Being mindful is a state of awareness where we can see the smallest and seemingly insignificant detail and understand how it figures into the big picture but at the same time, we are still aware of what is going on around us. Mindful.org defines mindfulness as “The basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.” When we have mastered mindfulness or the ability to see, every person and anything can become our teacher and at that point we can begin to fulfill that other 50% of learning. That is why the best martial artist knows how to pay attention. 

Today’s goal: Don’t sleepwalk through life. What can you pay better attention to? 

Watch this video of Sesame Street teaching the art of paying attention

Self-praise

The best warriors are jisan (自賛) or “good a praising themselves.” Japan’s greatest swordsman, Miyamoto Musashi advocated, “Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.” One way to look at pleasure is from the standpoint of praise and compliments. Every once in a while, it is nice to get a bit of praise or receive compliments. However, we can also become addicted to the dopamine hit of praise and begin to live our lives searching for it. Once that happens, we become a slave to it and live our lives searching for it. Normal people are externally motivated. An externally motivated person searches for motivation or praise outside of themselves. If we search externally, we run the risk of coming up short when we don’t get the amount of praise that we were searching for. Most times when this happens, we double down on our efforts and try harder to get more and more praise. The problem with this type of thinking is that no matter how much praise we get, it will never be enough. A martial artist is not a normal person, and we are supposed to be internally motivated. An internally motivating person is supposed to be good at self-praise. Internal motivation is a closed loop system where nothing external is necessary to keep it going. Thus, through the highs and lows, we are able to self-motivate, self-reflect, and self-correct. Why this is important is because if we are able to do this then we cannot be swayed by things, people or events. This is the basis for true inner strength. Musashi also 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.” We should respect all gods and all people, but not look to them for anything, especially praise. A normal person is constantly at the will of things, people, or events. Warriors are supposed to be steadfast and internally motivated and that’s why the best martial artists are good at self-praise. 

Today’s goal: Don’t live your life for others. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake. Live your life for yourself. 

Watch this video to better understand self-praise

Throwback Thursday - A Dojo

Throwback Thursday - A Dojo

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on July 15, 2005.

Although a dojo needs four walls and a roof, it is the students and members within which make a dojo. The greatness of a dojo is determined by the spirit of the dojo and how well everyone works together. A dojo is not a business nor is it a religion. Spirit is cultivated by proper reigi-saho or “etiquette” and manners. How everyone can work together in harmony and in good spirit is the greatest accomplishment of all - even great countries and governments in the world cannot achieve this so easily.

Fighting, pettiness, jealousy, power struggles, small mindedness and selfishness are typical and common - anyone can do this, it is not an accomplishment at all. None of this “pettiness” leads to greatness of spirit or accomplishes anything good. Being small only shows one's mediocrity and a lack of understanding of the true spirit of Aikido and practice.

In real Life, we often have to put ourselves first above anything. In practice, we put the other person first. It is in putting others first that we can refine ourselves and develop a sense of nobility and bring beauty into our Lives. This is the spirit of a dojo. 

Watch this video of Furuya Sensei from the summer of 1991

Integrity

武士に二言なし
Bushininigonnashi 
Warriors never go back on their word
- Japanese proverb

Happy Birthday, Michael Stinson! Michael was a student at our dojo who passed away just prior to the beginning of the pandemic. Yesterday, we were finally able to gather and spread Michael’s ashes into the ocean and lay him to rest. I use Michael a lot as a teaching tool to help my students understand things like being present, having awareness, or how to better understand mental health. As I drove to the beach, I reflected about not only his life, but his passing as well. Then it struck me, “Do I really live all the lessons that I say about him?” Sometimes as teachers, we lecture about things like being present to help students deepen their training experience but then turn around and do just the opposite. Acting contrary to what we are teaching isn’t usually malicious; it’s just human nature to forget but how much we are living our integrity demonstrates our true level. A warrior on the other hand isn’t supposed to forget and is supposed to have integrity which means never allowing for gaps between what they say and what they do. In Japanese, the proverb which supports this is bushininigonnashi (武士に二言なし) or “Warriors never go back on their word.” This is integrity. Someone once said, “Integrity is the value which insures all others.” When we act with integrity, what we say will be congruent with what we do or how we act. Sometimes, we are just talking to talk, talking to fill a void or just saying things to get people to like us. A true warrior does none of these because they know that they will be held to their word. Living with integrity is not an overnight thing. Like almost all the concepts in the martial arts, they are difficult to live and take years of practice in order to fully inculcate them into our lives. Michael’s life was cut short because he wasn’t able to see how much he meant to so many others around him, but isn’t that most of us? Michael’s passing also teaches us that life is short and not to waste ours, but don’t we all take our lives for granted? Warriors don’t have the luxury of duplicity and going back on their word. Living with integrity means that I must not forget to live the lessons that Michael’s life and passing have taught me. Bushininigonnashi. Happy birthday, Michael. 

Today’s goal: Live your life with integrity - follow through on the things that you say you will do.

Watch this video to better understand integrity

To Care

“If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” - Anonymous

The best martial artists care. The not-so-secret to success in the martial arts is to care. Nothing more, nothing less. Success comes to those who care enough to do a good job. In Japanese, kikubari (氣配り) or kokorogake (心掛け) both can mean “to care” but they also literally mean to put one’s “energy” or “heart” into something. An anonymous person once said, “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.” To fall in a colloquial sense means “to be tricked” but in a martial arts sense, it means “to be cut down.” As a martial artist, everything we do must begin with care. If we care about the outcome, we must put care into its preparation or as Archilochus put it, “We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.” If we care, then we will pour our energy (氣) or our heart (心) into it and eventually we will succeed. Care is one of those things like self-discipline or willpower which cannot be taught but can be learned - it is an internal thing. The more we train, the training somehow teaches us how to care just as it teaches us to also have self-discipline or willpower. Aikido is a very technical and precise martial art. Learning Aikido is kind of like learning the language of movement. Once our bodies learn the details of the language, it can flow just like in a conversation. However, to learn the details requires care and consideration on our part. James Redfield said, “Where attention goes energy flows; where intention goes energy flows.” Thus, to care begins with a choice. We must deliberately choose to want to care. This is a threshold that every student must come to on their own. When we make the choice to care, it opens up the doors to great things not only in Aikido but in life as well. Emily Dickinson once wrote, “If you take care of the small things, the big things take care of themselves.” Nothing great is achieved without care and consideration and that’s why the best martial arts always care. 

Today’s goal: Remember, “We don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training.”

Watch this video to better understand caring

Throwback Thursday - One Mind

Throwback Thursday - One Mind

Furuya Sensei posted this to his Daily Message on March 27, 2003.

The martial arts have always been related to warfare from times past but, in this day and age, as we enter a state of war, we see that it is quite a bit different from what we do on the mats in the dojo. This is a result of the great transformation of Japanese martial arts in the 17th century.

It does not mean that our martial arts are too primitive or outdated, it means that our goals and purposes are so much different now. We practice a martial art to "save lives." Despite the new technology and science of warfare today, it is still a method, however advanced, to “destroy lives." We must always keep this in mind.

I think one must also keep in mind that it is much harder to create life, than it is to destroy life. Destroying life is quite easy - it only requires a little strength and violence. Creating life or preserving life is a much more complex, time-consuming, and continually on-going process which we experience every single day and moment of our lives.

In war, we must prepare ourselves to witness and experience many, many horrible things. This is war, and there is no way to avoid this. It is already happening now as I read the newspapers and listen to the daily news. War will never change, until we change. But this means that it will be in a time when we have all forgotten about the idea of "us and them.” How long do we think it will take until we will all begin to realize this?

Please continue to practice hard. As long as we think of ourselves as “you and yourself" or “me and myself," there will never be an end to war or violence. Please train to realize that you and the world around you are one and the inseparable same entity, integrated and whole and indivisible. I think this is part of O'Sensei's message to us - which we can only discover for ourselves in our practice.

Make Mistakes Wisely

A good martial artist makes mistakes wisely. The crux of learning is to make mistakes - no one is above this maxim. If we are not making mistakes, then we are not trying hard enough to succeed, or our goals are not lofty enough. Also, if we are not making mistakes, then we are not growing either. Growth is a function of shikosakugo (試行錯誤) or “trial and error.” Mistakes pave the way to achieving our goals. All martial arts techniques are based on kata (方) or “a set of predetermined moves.” Many, if not all kata, were born out of trial and error where someone needed to find a solution to a problem and through the process of trial and error came up with a solution to their problem. For instance, in the 1870s, Jigoro Kano studied Tenjin Shinyo-ryu Jujutsu while in college. One of Kano’s seniors, Kanekichi Fukushima routinely defeated him. Kano became so consumed with defeating Fukushima that he thought about it day and night. Kano tried everything from unorthodox Jujutsu techniques to Sumo techniques, but nothing worked on Fukushima. The more Kano studied and tried, the more he failed and sometimes failed miserably. Then one day, Kano happened upon a book about western wrestling in his college library which showed a throw called a Fireman’s Carry. Kano worked out how to use the Fireman’s Carry in Jujutsu and practiced it all night. The next day, when the time was right, Kano sprung it on Fukushima, and it worked. Jigoro Kano went on to create Judo and that throw became known as kataguruma or “shoulder wheel” throw and is still a part of the Judo repertoire today. A mistake is only bad if we either continue to repeat it or if we don’t learn from it. Mistakes aren’t personal - they are just part of the process. Whenever I make a mistake, I try to remember a quote I read in a book on tea ceremony: “Be rebuked, stand corrected and learn. This is the basis of a successful life.” Everyone makes mistakes, but only a good martial artist makes them wisely.

Today’s goal: Go out and make some mistakes but try to learn from them as well. 

Watch this video to better understand mistakes