Budo

Back on the Mat

2010-01-27T00:12:00.002+09:00

I have been off the mat lately, unfortunately, for many different reasons. I have now bowed back in if not physically, then spiritually, and I am looking forward to practice.

Quotes from Kisshomaru

2009-03-31T00:28:00.003+09:00

I just wanted to transcribe some thoughts from Kisshomaru Ueshiba, the founder of aikido's son, from his book "The Spirit of Aikido". I feel these selections are very important to understand and practice. We should contemplate on these every day in everything that we do:

"Some women (as well as men) may feel resistance to the repetitious practice of basic postures, but this is a necessary preliminary to learning technique Learning proper distance (ma-ai) in facing an opponent may prove unexpectedly difficult, as may performing footwork movements in a smooth, sliding manner as found in Noh dance.* The cultivation of ki, originating in the centrum and extending through the arms and hands, may initially pose a problems for others. The mastery of ukemi, taking falls, while always maintaining one's center and balance may have to be practiced over and over again. The difficulties encountered by beginners, including confusion, perspiration, and occasional bruises, do not seem to deter them. According to them, the difficulties are a challenge rather than a discouragement and actually strengthen the motivation to master aikido."

And another selection from the same book:

"A common stereotype of the martial [artist] is of the rugged, macho type, with the swaggering gait. But a display of bravado is a display of ignorance concerning real budo and is, in fact, a childish attempt to conceal a lack of confidence. Those having a true knowledge of budo are relaxed in bearing; they give the impression of being soft and gentle. Those with confidence in budo never swagger or brag, and their demeanor is always pleasant and joyful. Outwardly they manifest gentleness; inwardly there is great strength. In daily life, they are unpretentious and modest, and their actions are natural, never forced. They show themselves as they are, living life naturally and spontaneously. This is the picture of the true student of the martial arts."

*Noh (能, Nō?), or Nōgaku (能�S?) is a major form of classic Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century]spontaneously. This is the picture of the true student of martial arts."

These quotes capture the true essence of budo and I highly encourage all to practice in this way.

Levels

2009-03-31T00:20:00.001+09:00

There are two levels to a martial artist's practice. The first level is practical, physical, and readily demonstrated and observed. This is usually what draws someone to learn an art in the beginning. Whether it is the flash of fancy technique or the need for practical self-defense, people usually come to an art because of technique. The second level is deep, difficult, and not readily grasped. This is the spiritual level of which all developed and mature martial artist speak and to which some others are drawn to practice an art. It is not easily understood through words and must first be experienced to be fully understood.

There is no dishonor in practicing just for technique. Just ensure that as proficiencies in technique are achieved, an ethical foundation is built to ensure their proper use. This is simple to say, but many will feel tempted to show off their newly found skill. This temptation is very dangerous. If one is practicing just to gain proficiency in technique, they must be constantly aware of this dangerous, ego-driven potentiality to use their skills in a manner that is at best inappropriate and at worst very dangerous.

For those who wish to seek the deeper levels of understanding which the arts offer, then rigorous, daily practice and refinement of technique is needed to build a solid foundation in the art. Dedicated and hard work is required. Gaining technical proficiency will take time and challenge the patience of most students. Some will quit, disillusioned with what they thought would be a rather easy path to some sort of mystical knowledge or understanding. But great and deep understanding requires dedication and hard work. There is no short cut even in this day and age of "fast" everything.

As one progresses in their physical training, they will begin to understand that an equal amount of dedication and hard work needs to be put into mental training. Daily meditation and contemplation is needed to complement and to continue to develop a person's physical skills. Meditation should be practiced to learn how to capture and still our easily distracted minds. Once the mind is stilled, contemplation into one's self is then practiced to identify weaknesses and flaws of
character so they can be rooted out and eliminated. To become aware of one's flaws is the first step to their elimination. The second is to become aware of the behavior those flaws initiate and to then begin to change that behavior over time. Patience and diligence is needed as behavior will not change overnight and old habits we desire to eliminate will creep back into our daily behavior if we are not diligent in watching for their emergence.

How to conduct and be patient with this process of iterative personal refinement we learn through the process of iterative technique refinement while we are on the mat. The frustrations you face with yourself on the mat while trying to master a technique are the same frustrations you will face in your daily life. Through rigorous daily practice, we develop the strategies we need to eliminate these frustrations and to eventually become "frustration-less" by blending with every situation that faces us and resolving it easily to the benefit of all involved. This is the ultimate goal of our practice. Not only will you gain a deeper insight into yourself, you will gain a great and deep appreciation and understanding of the interconnectedness of yourself to others and the world as a whole. This is a very powerful and penetrating personal insight and leads to a feeling of immense
personal responsibility for your actions and their consequences. This level of understanding of the world is immensely
gratifying to finally see.

I challenge every student to strive for this deeper level of understanding. Its worth cannot be overestimated.

Mental Training

2009-03-31T00:14:00.004+09:00

Mental training is just as important as physical training, if not more. Training the mind is not something that we usually consider, but proper mental training is vital to our physical training and helps us, in some cases significantly, progress along the path of budo. All professional athletes use mental techniques to train the mind and body and there is no reason why we should not do the same.

True budo involves facing and overcoming interpersonal violence and all of the emotional states that come with it. Many people have never been in a fight, seen combat, or had a gun pointed to their head. But we all know that these situations are dangerous and could lead to physical injury, pain, or even death. This causes us to avoid these situations at all cost or, in many cases, when faced with them, freeze due to emotional paralyses from fear.

To become a true practitioner of budo, we must train ourselves to overcome these mental states of avoidance and paralyses caused by fear of violence (or anything else for that matter). This does not mean we go out into the world and seek violence. What it does mean is that we do the best we can to simulate this violence in the safe environment of the dojo, one step at a time, so that if we are faced with it outside of the dojo, we can overcome it. Fear is a very powerful emotion. Fear can cause us to do things that we would not normally do. Most of us are not used to situations that invoke true fear as we choose in our daily life to avoid these situations. Our training should be designed and conducted to develop us mentally to overcome this fear so that when faced with it, we know what to expect, and can work our way through it.

There is an interesting way to test your body's reaction to a situation like this. Sit down in sieza or any position that is comfortable but will not make you feel as if you want to go to sleep. Still your mind by focusing on your breath for a few minutes. Once you are calm and comfortable, imagine that you are walking alone down a city street at night. You turn a corner and are immediately faced with a large man in a black ski mask and a knife. You can feel the presence of a person behind you. You look and see that two more men have surrounded you blocking any escape route you might have had. The other two men have knives out also. The man to your front asks for your money. As you reach to get your wallet from your pocket or your purse, someone grabs you from behind in a choke hold and says, "We don't care about your money. We just want your life," or something similar. At this point, come back into your body and pay attention to your heart rate, breathing, muscle tension, facial expressions, etc. Are you still relaxed? Or is your body tense?

The primary weapon a martial artists has against violence is their mind. Within our mind lies the ability to think our way through situations provided we remain calm and collected. If we have been training for awhile, confidence in our abilities as a martial artist is also a mental weapon we can use. The ability to project confidence in situations where most people would be meek, scared, and accommodating cannot be faked. (Bravado has absolutely no place in the practice of budo.) This projection of confidence is a superb weapon in itself and will usually throw the average mugger, robber, bully, etc. off balance because they do not expect it. In many cases this is enough to resolve the situation without any further physical escalation.

Do not neglect mental training. Whether it be in the form of active visualization or focused meditation, all of it is beneficial. On the mat during practice, mental training should always be a consideration and a priority. Everyone loves the flash of technique. But your technique will be much more confident and effective if you add mental training to your regular training schedule.

Vision and Courage

2009-02-22T14:37:00.002+09:00

"Intellectuals solve problems. Geniuses prevent them"
- Albert Einstein

An advanced and effective martial artist is intimately connected to his or her environment. They feel things others do not feel. They see things others do not see. They understand things others do not understand. None of these abilities are "magical" or due to some esoteric capability that is unattainable by ordinary people. All of these abilities are attainable by anyone provided they follow the same path as the masters.

All of this may sound a bit unreal or spectacular now, but there is nothing unreal or spectacular about it. Living in an open state of connectedness to our environment is actually very natural. What is unnatural is shutting ourselves off from that environment and attempting to build a wall separating ourselves from the world in order to eliminate our suffering. This wall can become an emotional shell within which we hide and, in many cases, do not allow others inside of. It can also become a filter to try and take the world as we know it and change it into the world as we wish it to be. Advanced martial artists understand the futility of these actions. They understand that to cut one's self off from the world in order to eliminate suffering or to place conditions on the world to change it into what we wish it to be is a useless effort and one that will bring nothing but additional suffering.

If we attempt to hide from things we wish not to face, we only delay and potentially magnify the suffering they cause later. As problems are ignored, they become more complicated and therefore more difficult to solve. It is best to engage a problem, or a potential problem, early while it is still small and manageable. This way, we can shape the outcome more effectively and in a way that reduces suffering (both ours and other's), and, if we are lucky, turn the problem into an advantage.

Einstein believed it took genius to prevent problems. I respectfully disagree. I believe it requires vision and courage, neither of which are required to be a genius. It requires vision to see potential problems before they become manifest and it requires courage to face them head on without hesitation. Both vision and courage are very accessible things and can be developed and cultivated; genius implies a certainly level of god-given ability that is beyond the ability of humans to affect.

Both vision and courage can be developed simply by opening ourselves up to our environment and immersing ourselves into its natural flow. This is where our regular aikido practice can be helpful. In the dojo we try to open ourselves up and flow with our partner. The more open we are to our partner's ki (or intention) the more easily and smoothly we flow with their movements. If we are closed to our partner's ki, our technique flow will be filled with friction and tension.

As we practice (especially by practicing as uke, the one presenting the attack and being countered), we must focus on the relief of this tension. We must see where it is that we are creating tension with our partner and do what we can to relieve it. By placing our mind in the technique and being open to our environment, we are cultivating the growth of vision. We are developing the ability to see friction and tension in the techniques before they materialize. As we grow vision, courage will naturally result. By becoming more comfortable with facing problems (ie. conflict) on the mat, we will naturally become more comfortable facing problems, or preventing their formation in the first place, outside of the dojo. There becomes no need to build walls or create shells to hide from our problems. Problems are seen before or as they arise and are addressed with little to no conflict.

This is all advanced martial artists do. They cultivate vision and courage. This is what gives them ability to feel or see or understand that others do not and to prevent or solve problems before or as they arise.

To cultivate vision and courage should be our purpose every time we step into the dojo and onto the mat.

Self-Reflection

2009-02-20T20:23:00.000+09:00

Being in the dojo and practicing gives us an opportunity to take a deep look at ourselves. Our lives outside the dojo are typically filled with "life maintenance" activites: work, errands, etc. This routine turbulence along the surface of our lives keeps us from stopping and examining ourselves as often and as deeply as we should. This lack of regular self-examination can lead to a detached and troubling existence, one where a sense of meaninglessness slowly creeps into our lives. Sometimes we try to pacify this feeling of meaninglessness with material things or drugs and alcohol or some other type of numbing activity. If we are not careful, our lives can end up being driven out of control by things we cannot, or in some cases do not want, to control.

Without regular self-examination, we can forget that we all have deep seated fears residing just underneath the surface of our lives. These fears are different for each person. Some fear death. Others might fear being alone. Still others might fear interpersonal violence. If not faced, acknowledged, and controlled, these fears can reveal themselves at the most inopportune times causing us to react to a critical situation erratically or cause us to irrationally seek shelter in some self-destructive type of behavior.

In the dojo, especially as beginners, we are faced with fears. Everyone is nervous their first couple of classes. No one wants to look dumb or unskilled. No one wants to get hurt or hurt someone else. But no one picks up aikido instantly. Everyone struggles. Yet, it is this struggle that is the test. How do we react to our inability to "get it"? How do we react to looking uncoordinated with the other students watching? Do we get angry, blame the art itself for our shortcomings, and quit? Do we blame ourselves thinking that we are weak and that we will never be able to handle ourselves in a violent situation?

We will struggle with fears throughout the course of our lives both physically and mentally. Do we hide and try and avoid our fears or do we acknowledge their existence and actively work to overcome them? What matters is how we handle this struggle.

All of us should take time out of our day, or a least our week, and reflect on our fears. We must recognize, acknowledge, and confront our fears lest we come to believe that these things lie outside of our control.

Never Rely On Technique

2009-02-20T20:17:00.003+09:00

Aikido is an effective martial art. But we should always remember that technique is not 100% effective in all situations. How do we mitigate this deficiency?

First, never rely on technique. This sounds counterintuitive since we are practicing a martial art, but it is very true. Clarity of this principle will come with regular practice. Technique must be adjusted constantly if it is to be successful. It is never formulaic. Adaptation to the situation is the key.

Second, we must be present in the moment. Our mind should be focused on what is happening now. Not tomorrow, not yesterday, not an hour from now. By ensuring that our mind is focused on the present moment, we are open and connected to our environment and ready for whatever comes our way. There are situations that you can find yourself in that are very weak, one being the rear choke position for example. This is a very difficult position to get out of. If faced with it, here are a few things to remember:

-Relax. By tensing up, you make the situation worse and actually make your partners choke more effective. Relaxing also helps to keep your mind clear so you can think your way out of the situation, thus making your response more effective than an emotional and tense response.

-Keep moving. Move in a circular manner. Make yourself the center of the circle. This way your partner has a difficult time keeping up with you and thus a more difficult time maintaining the choke.

-Your first priority is to extricate yourself from the choke. The pin is second. If you can get the pin...great. If not, get out of the choke and get away from the situation of and prepare yourself for what might happen next.

-Atemi (strike) to the groin, head, foot, shin, etc is a last resort and should be used if the choke is exceptionally strong. The purpose of atemi is to distract your opponent's attention for that short time you need to extricate yourself, not to disable them.

Third, one should never allow themselves to get into this situation in the first place. This is done by being present in the moment, but by also developing sixth sense for danger. Do not worry too much about this now. This will naturally come with practice and developing a connection to your environment.

As I have talked about before, be open, present, and connected. Be open to new ideas and never become set in your ways. Be present in the moment. Life is happening "now". It is OK to plan, but do not live in the future or past. It will make your present life more difficult. Be connected to your environment. Understand and absorb what is going on around you. If you do not, you put yourself at risk.

One should practice these three things every day. Your aikido practice and your life will become much more fulfilling.

What We Train

2009-02-02T19:29:00.001+09:00

The important thing to remember with aikido is that we are training the mind, body, and character.

We are training the mind to be calm and still during stressful situations so we can react with a clear purpose not distracted by
emotions.

We are training the body to be supple and responsive to our opponents actions. We fit the technique to the situation. This is why aikido does not have "katas" or forms which the student must memorize like many other arts have. Every situation is different, therefore no technique will ever be executed in the same way.

In training the character, we believe that combative strength requires a solid and good character to manage. If someone has combative power, but no character, then that person is very dangerous as they do not have a sound moral compass and can use their strength in detrimental ways. The more proficient you become in martial arts, the more developed your character must be to manage that combative proficiency so you use it at the right times and in the right manner.

Fundamentally, practitioners of aikido are seeking, through a martial context, to make the world a better more peaceful place. We use our martial abilities to diffuse violence and not escalate it.

One should remember and focus on these three things every practice.

On Training

2009-02-02T19:25:00.002+09:00

People come to aikido for many different reasons. Some are looking for a martial discipline to augment their life. Some have heard about aikido's reputation as a form of "moving zen" whose practice can lead to realization and enlightenment. Others come just to learn self-defense. For whatever reason you desire to learn aikido, it is important to understand a few things about its study.

First, aikido is not easy. Proficiency in the techniques will come only after regular weekly practice over a period of months. I like to tell new students that if they wish to see progress, they must commit to practice at least twice a week for nothing less than 90 days. I certainly do not want to discourage others from coming only once a week if that is all your schedule permits. Just understand that practicing less will make the development of any level of proficiency difficult and can lead to frustration if you are not careful.

Second, aikido is not only a physical art, it is a distinct philosophy of how to live one's life. The "do" at the end of aikido means "path in life" or "way of life" in Japanese. The philosophy of aikido can be summed up in the Japanese phrase "take musu aiki". Literally translated, this means "martial creative harmony energy". To render more intelligibly, "take musu aiki" means to harmonize the energy and activity of life through the martial way of life. This concept is very difficult to grasp, and unless one has been practicing aikido for some time, augmenting one's martial practice with the study of aikdio's development and history, and meditating on how the meaning of this phrase relates to one's aikido practice and life, its deeper levels of understanding will remain elusive. But it is these deeper levels that reveal life's ultimate reality.

These realizations cannot be fully expressed in words. They must be experienced to be fully understood. But their basic principles are simple: a respect for yourself, others, and the world around you. We are all deeply connected. We may not be able to see these deep and fundamental connections on the turbulent surface of our daily lives, but through a steady, honest, and disciplined practice of aikido, we can reveal these connections. They lie in the depths of our being, a part of us with which we have lost touch due to the ever increasing complexity and urbanization of our modern lives. Once revealed, we clearly and unambiguously understand our interconnectedness in the world and a deep sense of personal responsibility for others and the world becomes rooted in our daily lives. This realization is so complete and so penetrating, we cannot but spend the rest of our lives cultivating these connections, refining them every day through the practice of aikido. This is "take musu aiki".

I encourage all of you who practice to pursue the deeper levels of understanding. It will take discipline, commitment, and time, but the reward, a greater understanding and appreciation of yourself and the world around you, is well worth it.

Choice

2009-01-25T18:34:00.002+09:00

All of us in this life walk along a path.  That path is a product of our choices.  What I have found in my short 38 years of life is that good choices make that path easier and more fulfilling to walk.  Then the question becomes, "What are good choices?"

All of us have inside us an innate sense of what is right and what is wrong.  Going against those feelings (or not having them in the first place) and choosing something that is not "right" will create discord and suffering in our lives and the lives of those around us.  All of us at times have made a wrong choice whether intentionally or unintentionally.  And, more than likely, we had to live with the painful or embarrassing consequences of that choice.

Sometimes, we do not immediately recognize when we fall off this path by making a poor choice. It might take awhile to see the consequences of our actions.  But once we see those consequences (usually in the form of increased suffering in our life or the life of those around us) and recognize the mistakes we have made which caused those consequences, we must acknowledge personal responsibility for those mistakes and resolve ourselves to climb back onto the honorable path.  Eventually, we learn that making poor choices and falling off this path is not worth the pain and suffering it causes.  This realization is key and is a turning point in our personal development as martial artists and as people.

On the mat when we practice aikido techniques, if we make the wrong choice we can immediately see the result usually in the form of tension or struggle or, in the worst case, an injury.  During practice, it is up to each and every one of us to recognize tension and struggle and adjust ourselves to relieve it.  Do not wait for your partner to change.  You must adapt to whatever situation your partner presents.  This does not mean to give in and succumb.  It just means to find a way around the problem that does not cause additional struggle and pain and is beneficial to both sides.

Always remember that aikido is not about "winning".  It is about a mutually beneficial solution.  This is why we do not teach how to break arms, necks, or joints.  This is also why we don not have competitions. The art of aikido is in harnessing the energy of violence and using it for constructive purposes.  In aikido, our constructive purpose is to use this energy to end the violence in a calm and controlled manner.  To do so is to manifest, through the techniques of aikido, an honorable character.  This is the goal of our physical practice and the external manifestation of our honorable path.  You should think about this daily and make it your goal every practice.

Will we occasionally fall off this honorable path?  Absolutely.  We are human.  But to recognize when we have stepped off it and to resolve ourselves to step back on it is the ultimate goal of our training and our life.  This is how we develop our character.  Through daily practice, aikido helps us develop the skills necessary for this recognition.

There is no destination with life's path.  It is the journey along the path and how you conduct it that counts.  Owning up to our mistakes is a sign of integrity and honor.  Learning from our mistakes is a sign of maturity and wisdom.

Thus, the path becomes easier and more fulfilling to walk for us and those around us.

Kindness Is Not Weakness

2009-01-07T01:57:00.004+09:00

One idea that many beginners have is "Aikido seems too nice and too soft to be a valuable martial art in reality. This can never work." This thought usually comes from two things: 1) the difficulty which beginners have at developing a level of proficiency in the art, and 2) the fact that aikido teaches to resolve conflict through non-violence or at the most, controlled but safe violence, a skill that is counterintuitive to our instinctual reaction to meet violence with violence.

But what I tell beginners who hold these ideas is: "Never mistake kindness for weakness." Just because someone is kind to you does not mean that they are also weak, in character or in body.

When practicing any form of budo, we must always cultivate the self while moving along two different but parallel paths. The first and most obvious path is the physical form of the budo we practice. In our case, this is the physical practice of aikido. On the mat, we work to develop our bodies physically. We learn how to protect ourselves when we fall, we learn how to move our feet, hips, and hands, and in general how to control our body in relation to our opponent in a violent situation. This practice helps us develop the physical form of budo and is done to element bodily weakness and cultivate strength, flexibility, and agility.

Parallel to this physical development and just as important is the development of our mind and our worldview into one that is infused with kindness. In this mental development, we focus on three elements: 1) control of our mind through the disciplining of our desires, 2) calming our mind during times of mental and physical excitation (violence, for example), and 3) cultivating a sense of oneness with the world around us. By cultivating these principles, we consider everything in a situation and its impact on ourselves and, just as importantly, the impact on our partner. We learn not to only focus on the impact to ourselves, a very selfish and potentially dangerous worldview. As such, our budo becomes much more humanistic.

This last element is especially important. If we cultivate a sense of oneness with the world around us, we begin to develop a very personal sense of responsibility in everything that we do. Why add additional suffering to the world just to make ourselves (seemingly) suffer less? To do so will not ultimately reduce our level of suffering. To think so is nothing but egotistical self-indulgence. Cultivating a deep sense of personal responsibility to the world around us will begin to change how we treat the world and everything in it. For example, when we begin to realize that everything we do has an impact on everyone else around us, we then feel a deep sense of personal responsibility to make everything around us better for us and those around us since, ultimately, everyone is born the same, suffers the same, and dies the same.

To develop these two paths in synchronicity is of utmost importance. History is littered with the legends of martyrs who refused to fight back on a principle of humanity and peace for its own sake. What good is a philosophy of peace if it results in an unnatural death? Who will then be there to carry it forward?

It is admirable to be kind. We should all be kind and do everything possible to cultivate a kind manner in all things. But when faced with death, kindness by itself can only take you so far. We must be prepared to enter fully into violent conflict to protect ourselves and those around us if necessary. But this does not mean that we are not kind during violent conflict. I know this sounds contradictory, but it is not. When we use violence infused with kindness, we attack an opponent's attitude vice their body. We attempt to influence rather than to injure. Using the controlled violence of aikido techniques tempered with our deep sense of personal responsibility to everything in this world allows us to reconcile what seems to be a contradiction: kind violence. It allows us to successfully diffuse violence rather than to escalate it.

Thus, we should always remember in both our physical practice and our mental practice of our chosen budo that weakness is not a necessary condition of kindness. In fact, kindness should become a necessary condition of our strength.

If we practice this way, we can never go wrong.

Chudo

2009-01-01T01:34:00.002+09:00

Chudo is Japanese for "the middle way". We should always try to manifest chudo through our aikido. To manifest chudo in aikido is the ultimate physical goal of aikido. By doing so, your technique will be light and flowing, not heavy and stilted. No matter whether you are receiving the technique (uke) or executing the technique (nage), you should try and maintain chudo with your partner. Each of you should work towards this goal as you practice.

But chudo also has a philosophical manifestation.

As human beings, we view the world through the prism of dualism. Light/Dark, yes/no, strong/weak, push/pull, happy/sad, good/evil, etc. The world moves in natural cycles of extremes. The cycle of a day naturally moves from light to dusk to dark to dawn to light and on and on. Seasons move in cycles of hot and cold. Weather moves in cycles of sunshine and rain. It is the contrasting nature of this dualism that informs our worldview with perspective and contrast.

Though this dualistic distinction can be useful to our worldview, it can also be detrimental. Instead of working within the cycles of nature, many times we, through the misguided use of our reason and ego, try to fight against them. For example, when someone pushes us, we push back. When someone does something bad to us, we look for revenge by doing something bad to them. Though these reactions seem natural, they actually add to the chaos in the world by fighting against what is natural. It is like trying to swim upstream.

One must remember that without pain one would not experience pleasure. Without periods of sadness one would not experience periods of joy. These cycles are natural and should not be resented or avoided. One could not exist without the other. This is what I meant when I say:

"Nothing in life is special because all of life is special. Nothing in life is common because all of life is common. Because of this, the special and the common are the same."

This does not mean we just sit back and allow ourselves to be taken advantage of by the inequities of life. We must engage and blend with that which is at odds with us in order to help dissipate it. This is at the heart of aikido. We use what we learn in the dojo to engage violence or confrontation, whether it is verbal or physical, blend with it, and help bring it to a non-violent conclusion.

We should try and seek chudo in our aikido and, ultimately, in our life. In doing so, we begin to understand why we experience pleasure and pain, why we experience gain and loss, and why we experience suffering in general. By understanding the interplay of these opposites and their existential relationship to one another through our aikido practice, we gain a greater appreciation for, and a more robust ability to control, our reactions to the vicissitudes of life outside the dojo. We can then begin to live in accordance with these natural cycles and our sense of suffering will naturally begin to dissipate. Thus we will live in harmony with the world as it is and not how we wish it to be.

This is living in chudo.

Bias

2009-01-01T01:28:00.003+09:00

All beginning students bring biases with them. That is only natural. But the amount they bring and the extent to which they infuse them into practice is different. Many beginners will want to "challenge" the art and the techniques. They will say, "Yeah, but if I do this...." to everything the instructor shows or to everything their partner does. These are the hardest students to train, but at the same time they are the ones who need the training the most. There is nothing wrong with challenging the art, but there is a time and place for it.

Many students have previous martial arts training either formal or military. It is understandable that they "default" to this training while on the mat. Muscle memory in many ways forces them in that direction. But to progress in aikido, one must throw all of that training away. Even in aikido, as you progress, one must continue to throw the training away. Get rid of all the "ideas" of what aikido is about.

This leads to us mushin. Mushin is something very difficult to understand and even more difficult to implement. But here are some thoughts...

Everything that comes into us from the world should go back out exactly the same with no modification. This is to live naturally. Usually our views of the world, provided to us through our sense perception (site, hearing, taste, etc) get modified by the "filter" of our life experience. After going through this filter, our perceptions then get processed by our consciousness into the way we view the world. Some of this is good. For example, we all know that it is not good to place our hand on a hot stove.

But some life experience, through a lack of natural understanding, mutates into ego driven biases and prejudices whose sole purpose is to make ourselves feel special and are not necessarily grounded in anything resembling natural truth. For example, "I went to Harvard therefore I am smarter than you," or "I make more money therefore I am better than you." These are extreme examples but valid nonetheless. To live without these types of world dividing biases takes 1) recognition that we have them, and, 2) discipline to keep them at bay as they will always want to creep up into our worldview. The vast majority of people do not want to face these biases because to do so would undermine the entire foundation upon which they have built their life and sense of self worth. What they unfortunately do not see or understand is that this foundation is hollow and vulnerable to collapse under the weight of life's pressures (look at the alarming rates of addiction and/or substance abuse, for example). This weakness can be overcome with the right direction and effort but it takes work and time and most people do not want to take the time or put in the work for results that they do not understand and therefore do not value.

Our minds should "reflect the world as a mirror". We should represent, through our actions and character, how the world actually is in its raw form. In other words, as naturally as possible. Gaining an understanding of mushin will open our senses up to the world as it is and not how we wish it to be. Then we can tear down that hollow foundation and replace it with a solid one that can, through the force of validity, withstand life's pressures.

To understand this concept, reorient your life to it, and apply it can have dramatic consequences. One manifestation of this understanding is a much more natural and flowing aikido. It is only when we stop to analyze our aikido through the crusted filter of personal bias that has built up over the years that our flow stops and becomes stilted. Beginner's (and even some advanced practitioners who have yet to gain sufficient control over their ego) experience this interrupted flow and stiltedness every practice. Our goal through aikido is to slowly but thoroughly clean and then eliminate that filter. To do so will allow us to see the world as it is and not how we wish it to be.

This idea is much better stated by English poet William Blake from his poem The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: "If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things through narrow chinks of his cavern."

Recognize Ego

2009-01-01T01:23:00.002+09:00

One should never struggle with their partner. An attitude of mutual cooperation is necessary for improvement. If one relaxes and flows like water, it is easier to go around your partner's attack vice straight into it. Thus the struggling is avoided.

This thought should be carried with you everywhere you go. This does not mean to shrink away from conflict. But one should not seek it out either. Our ego loves conflict. It validates our ego, helps to prop it up, and adds to its growth. In Aikido, we wish to reverse the ego's growth.

Aikido (and any budo for that matter) is first a tool for development of the character and elimination of the ego. It is a martial art second. The first step to eliminating the ego is recognizing the ego. If you recognize the ego, you can begin to understand the affect ego has on you. Once you understand this affect, you can begin to control the ego. Once the ego is controlled, it can begin to be eliminated.

One of the reasons we practice aikido techniques is that they bring out our ego and expose it for all to see (especially in the early stages of one's practice). Continued daily practice in the spirit of cooperation with our partner will begin the long process of chipping away at the ego that has hardened around us over all of our years. Once this chipping away gains momentum, one will begin feeling much freer, lighter, and happier.

This path is long, narrow, and difficult to walk, but the result is mastery of the self and a more refined and honorable character.

Keiko

2009-01-01T01:20:00.002+09:00

The philosophical focus of our practice is elimination of the ego. In the words of Epictetus, a Greek Stoic philosopher (AD. 55–AD. 135):

"Freedom is secured not by the fulfilling of one's desires, but by the removal of desire."

The ego is the root of all of our desires. How does our ego show itself in practice? One example is frustration. Aikido is difficult and frustration (and in its extreme form, anger) is a common reaction from beginner's. I suffered through it myself. Everyone wants to do well and the desire to do well causes the pain of frustration and anger when one's expectation of "well" is not met. Many people will quit because of such feelings. But remember that the process of learning is itself a test of character.

The solution? Do not put so much pressure on yourself to do well. Many Western students want proficiency immediately. This is an unintended consequence of our instant gratification culture. Immediate proficiency will not happen, so do not focus on it. By putting such pressure on yourself, you become tight and inflexible both in the body and in your mind. This will do nothing but impede your progress. Come to class with no expectations. What is important is daily practice (keiko, in Japanese). This will get you where you want to go both physically and mentally.

Just practice. That is all you need.

Strength

2009-01-01T01:18:00.000+09:00

Always remember a primary goal of practice: to develop in one's self an alternative reaction when faced with conflict or violence so that one can diffuse violence, not escalate it. An aikidoka must become comfortable with conflict and violence and in the act of diffusing it. This does not mean one should seek out or instigate conflict. If no choice is given and violence or conflict is inevitable, one must face that conflict with a calm, clear mind (mushin - "empty mind", in Japanese) to successfully diffuse it. Letting emotion (anger, fear, etc) get the best of you will do nothing but escalate the conflict, something nobody truly wants.

Always remember that strength allows peace to be a choice. Choosing a peaceful resolution to a conflict from a position of strength allows you to target your enemy's attitude, not his body or his life. This is very important to remember.

Blend

2009-01-01T01:15:00.001+09:00

As is the key with all Aikido techniques, stealing the attackers balance by accepting the attack and allowing them to overextend is how you develop softness of technique. If you find that you are struggling against the weight or strength of your partner, then you are not going "deep" enough, ie. you are not accepting the attack deeply and blending with the attack deep enough. This shallow reaction is natural in the beginning. Do not let it frustrate you. Just become aware of it and focus on entering deeply almost to the point of exaggeration. This will help you naturally embody a deep blend with your opponent.

Mushin

2009-01-01T01:12:00.001+09:00

Takuan Soho, the famous Japanese Zen master describes mushin this way in his book, "The Unfettered Mind" :

"The mind must always be in the state of 'flowing,' for when it stops anywhere that means the flow is interrupted and it is this interruption that is injurious to the well-being of the mind. In the case of the swordsman, it means death. When the swordsman stands against his opponent, he is not to think of the opponent, nor of himself, nor of his enemy's sword movements. He just stands there with his sword which, forgetful of all technique, is ready only to follow the dictates of the subconscious. The man has effaced himself as the wielder of the sword. When he strikes, it is not the man but the sword in the hand of the man's subconscious that strikes."

Ego chains (or "fetters" in Takuan-san's words) the mind when faced with an enemy. Ego desires self-preservation and thus is the root of fear. Fear stops the natural flow of the mind and impedes the actions that result from that natural flow. In extreme situations, this can result in a paralysis of fear and ultimately can result in death under some circumstances. A more benign example is "stage fright". Some people become paralyzed with fear when they have to speak in front of a crowd. Why is that? Because they are afraid of being negatively judged and critiqued by fellow human beings. The exact same thing can happen in combat or under any kid of stress. Very few of us can rise to the occasion. Most of us fall to our level of training when faced with a stressful situation. In Aikido, we look to raise our level of training so we do not fall as far.

Ego drives and is the root of this paralyzing fear. Eliminate the ego and the fear is gone. This is done through cultivating mushin everyday.

Contemplation

2009-01-01T01:10:00.000+09:00

An important part of your daily practice (or kieko in Japanese) is contemplation and meditation. One should reflect daily on one's life and how one is living it. It is also important to reflect on death and how one will face it. Death will come to us all. It does not discriminate. It does not matter how we die. What does matter is how we face death. One should be able to face death with mushin (empty mind) and the courage and comfort that comes with mushin. Most people regard death with fear and speak about it in hushed tones if they even speak about it at all. This does nothing to but mystify death and make it something that seems outside of our ability to understand and face.

You may not be able to control how and when you die, but you can certainly control how you will face it when it comes. Reflect long and deep on this and any fear of death you have will evaporate.

The Purpose of Training

2009-01-01T01:08:00.000+09:00

Practice of the techniques in aikido has a two-fold purpose: to develop calm-minded martial superiority and to cultivate an extraordinary character. They go hand-in-hand and it is a lifelong process. When on the mat, if you concentrate on cultivating your character by ensuring the safety of your partner and working with them in a spirit of cooperation, martial superiority will spring forth as a natural occurrence.

Tao

2009-01-01T01:05:00.002+09:00

Tao is the inexpressible nature of the universe and it's unfolding. Though Tao cannot be expressed in words, it can be understood and its principles can be lived. The Chinese character for Tao shows a person walking along a path. One universal and understandable expression of Tao is that each of us walks along a path in life that is a result of our actions and choices.

In the West, we are raised to believe that, as we walk this path, if we choose to achieve and collect the exceptional things in life, we will become exceptional ourselves and our life will be more meaningful and special in our eyes and in the eyes of others. Eventually, if we follow this philosophy long enough and to its natural conclusion, we come to believe that what we own and achieve defines and validates us as a person. We begin to feel special because of what we have collected and what we have achieved, that we are better than our fellow human beings. This is a trap set by our natural tendencies towards desire. Once caught in it, one's life becomes meaningless and out of control. Look no further than the immense unhappiness that affects many of the stars that populate Hollywood.

"If you think that following Tao is to mount and ride on dragons and cranes, you would be better off walking."*

If you think that life is about achieving great things, you will never reach what you desire. There is no end to want and no end to achievement. There is always something new to have and something new to achieve. At the same time, there is nothing wrong with having what you want and achieving great things as long as it is not used to validate one's self and one's life. Achievement needs to be kept in perspective and not used to make one feel special. "You would be better off walking" amongst your fellow man. Help lift them up and, in so doing, achieve great things together.

Nothing in life is special because all of life is special. Nothing in life is common because all of life is common. Because of this, the special and the common are the same.

To live this way is to express the ultimate principle of Tao and thus to reveal the meaning and purpose of this life.

*From Everyday Tao by Deng Ming-Dao

Do Not Mistake Kindness for Weakness

2008-07-04T14:46:00.005+09:00

Aikido is a budo based on the establishment of harmony from chaos. This is accomplished through the principle of take musu aiki, the spontaneous and uncontrived harmonious reaction to a situation that successfully diffuses conflict. But many martial artists look at Aikido as a weak martial form due to its primary focus on self-defense, safety, and a desire for a peaceful outcome. It is not "hard" enough and is therefore unrealistic many believe.

But do not mistake Aikido's desire for peace and harmony for a weakness. Yes, aikidoka practice softness of technique. Yes, they desire a peaceful resolution to any conflict. But this does not mean that an aikidoka cannot "go hard" if the situation warrants. And "going hard" in Aikido can be devastating. Just ask any aikidoka who has taken ukemi for their sensei and had a momentary lapse of awareness resulting in a full speed technique execution.

Do not take Aikido's kindness as a weakness. You could end up being unpleasantly surprised.

Follow the Teaching, Not the Teacher

2008-06-02T20:16:00.029+09:00

I have been studying Aikido full time for just over two years. I initially started my practice back in fall of 2005 but quit shortly thereafter due to disillusionment with the Aikido culture that I was experiencing at the time. Too many of the students I practiced with worshipped our sensei.

Because Aikido is a martial art based purely on self defense with the cultivation of peace at its core, many practitioners I have met come to the art with a pacifistic mind set. Many have no idea about combat in its various forms, verbal, physical, or otherwise, and have made avoidance of it their determined position. Additionally, I have found many are drawn to the art looking for a perverted form of self-validation of their "pacifistic" views, a validation that, in their mind, proves they are superior to those less culturally "refined". They believe that just practicing the art makes them stronger. Applying it in an environment where a loss would be devastating, psychologically or physically, and not to mention deadly, does not even cross their minds. And most telling, almost all have zero leadership experience. Thus, these "aikidoka", which I believe make up a substantial number of practitioners, particularly in America, are very susceptible to "guruism", meaning that they end up following the teacher instead of following the teaching. They are so impressed by their sensei's martial abilities and philosophical pontifications that they make this unfortunate and, martially speaking, fatal mistake.

Aikido is a very difficult martial art due to its revolutionary design. Its founder, Morihei Ueshiba, was a master martial artist. He studied numerous martial arts and became a master in most that he studied. Being Japanese and living in Japan after World War II and seeing first hand the massive destruction caused by this war, he had a realization. This realization, that budo (the way of the warrior) was grounded in the safe resolution of conflict for the benefit of the combatants and society overall, underpins Aikido training and philosophy. This martial philosophy was a radical departure from the generally accepted norms of martial art philosophy at the time and throughout history, that being the application of unmitigated combative force to annihilate your enemy. Additionally, all of his students were highly proficient martial artists, if not masters, in their respective disciplines. Therefore, his audience was highly educated, the modern equivalent of PhD's.

Today, Aikido is taught to beginning martial artists as well as to master martial artists. Everyone is welcomed onto the mat in an Aikido dojo. But this openness has a flaw. Many who do step on the mat to study Aikido, in particular the beginner students, are so enthralled and persuaded by the art and its philosophy as presented by their sensei that they mistake the "teacher" for the "teaching". What is worse, is that many sensei and yudansha class (black belt and instructor level senior practitioners) allow this to happen! They become so intoxicated with the reverence with which their junior students (or kohai) hold them, that they forget the primary purpose of the practice of Aikido: the marginalization of one's ego in order to foster the betterment of the self and the world. My guess is that this is a natural side-effect of Aikido being a Japanese martial art. The Japanese culture in general is very hierarchical. You would think that Americans, with their cultural foundation of radical individualism, would be averse to such hierarchical tendancies.

The Aikido practitioner must always remember that it is the teaching that must be followed and NOT the teacher. Respect for those senior to you and for your sensei is an essential element in the etiquette of the art. But etiquette should never trump the importance of the teaching. The more senior one becomes in the practice of Aikido, the more humble they should be. Arrogance and egotism have no place in Aikido philosophy or practice. As one progresses in the art, egotism must be replaced by a strong but kind confidence whose efforts are aimed at the betterment of one's self and of those around you, particularly those not as knowledgeable or experienced in Aikido.

Strict adherence to this principle is vital in order for all aikidoka to truly realize the essential nature of Aikido philosophy and thus the essential nature of budo itself.

Hard and Soft Arts

2008-05-09T03:05:00.025+09:00

In the world of martial arts, Aikido is considered a "soft" art. This basically means that aikido uses finesse, flexibility, and suppleness vice speed, power and strength to achieve its objective of controlling an attacker. The "hard" arts, like Muay Thai, all forms of jujitsu, judo, karate, wushu, etc. tend toward the development of speed, power and strength to control, overpower, and ultimately disable an opponent. Finesse, flexibility, and suppleness are also considered, cultivated and applied but only at the intermediate to highest levels of these arts are they given much attention. But what ultimately makes Aikido as a soft art different from hard arts is in its purest form, strength is not used at all in the controlling of an attacker. In fact, the use of strength shows an aikidoka that his aikido technique is weak and flawed. To understand this concept, it is necessary to look at how training pedagogy differs amongst the hard and soft arts.

Humans are animals and are thus susceptible to animalistic actions. The "flight or fight" response is a simple example. Humans, as with all animals, are psychologically hardwired for this response when faced with a mortal threat. They either run away or stand and fight. And if forced to fight, the average (ie. untrained) individual's instinctive reaction is to strike at the threat with as much speed and strength as they can muster.

The pedagogy of hard martial arts capitalizes on this instinctual psychology and initially teaches easily learned and basically executed hard strikes using the fist, elbow, knee, head, etc. This is why through regular repetitive practice the average individual, in a short amount of time, can develop a basic level of proficiency. That individual can strike hard and fast when needed and is afforded a basic level of self-defense skills. So if necessary, they can stand and fight with a some comfort level in their abilities.

But if you ask that same person with no additional amount of training, to use finesse to achieve their objective, they will not be able to do it. For example, ask this person to use a hammer-fist strike to just barely graze the nose of their opponent to provide a warning blow vice a disabling one. They will not be able to do it. The development of this type of strike to such a level of precision takes years to learn.

This "hard" training pedagogy is effective for basic self defense. I have trained under this type of system and have found it very effective at teaching basic self-defense skills to a high level of proficiency in a short period of time. But one must realize that with this system, precision is sacrificed for speed. Hard arts are like teaching a person how to use an axe instead of a scalpel. It doesn't take long to learn how to effectively wield an axe for its intended purpose. But, it takes years of practice to effectively learn how to use a scalpel for its intended purpose.

Continuing with this analogy, imagine if all you had ever used to fight was an axe. It is heavy and takes strength to swing. An because it is heavy and takes strength to swing, it's hard to control. It is great when the target is big, and control and precision are not needed. Then, having been an axe-wielder your whole life, suppose someone handed you a scalpel. Since a scalpel is an instrument of precision and not strength, it would be very difficult for you to learn to use effectively. In fact, using strength with a scalpel is counter-productive. With strength, you could land an axe almost anywhere on your opponent and cause substantial damage, possibly even killing them with one blow. But that would be nearly impossible with a scalpel. You would have to hit very few and very small targets to achieve the same "one shot, one kill" effect as with the axe and the use of strength actually reduces your accuracy with a scalpel. Just ask any surgeon.

So how does all of this relate to "hard" and "soft" arts? Hard arts are an axe whose skills can be developed relatively quickly and can be used for self-defense when regard for the welfare of your opponent is of little consideration. Aikido, being a soft art, is a scalpel and is a better way to control a situation when the welfare of your opponent is a consideration. But, like a surgeon's training, it takes years to develop the proficiency in Aikido needed to accomplish this.

But here is the truly interesting difference between the hard and soft arts. Assuming the same the level of proficiency, practitioners of the soft arts can more easily go hard, if needed, than a practitioner of the hard arts can go soft. In my opinion, this is one of the truly beneficial aspects of soft art training. In aikido, we spend a considerable amount of time trying to undo our body's natural, hard reaction to violence. Though we may succeed to some level at this task, the hard reaction is always there and can be easily called upon if needed. The opposite is not the case.

Understand that no art is better than any other, in my opinion, and this essay is not saying such. All arts have their advantages and disadvantages. But the study of a soft art like Aikido, especially after the study of a harder, more aggressive art, can do nothing but enhance one's overall martial ability and should not be summarily dismissed.

Kansha

2008-03-08T18:13:00.009+09:00

Each day of human life contains joy and anger, pain and pleasure, darkness and light, growth and decay. Each moment is etched with nature's grand design-do not try to deny or oppose the cosmic order of things

-Morihei Ueshiba, The Art of Peace

In November of last year, two weeks apart, both of my parents were diagnosed with cancer, mother with lung and my father with pancreatic. It was the first time in my life that I have truly been faced with the possibility of losing someone close to me. By today’s standards, both of my parents, being in their mid-sixties, still had 15 or 20 years left to live. Their illnesses have made that almost impossible.

When faced with such a tragedy, it is very easy to focus on the pain of such an event. It is very easy to focus on the loss. But focusing on the loss does nothing and only shows an ignorance for “…the cosmic order of things…” spoken of by Morihei Ueshiba and many other spiritual leaders.

Death is a natural occurrence. It will come, sooner or later, to all of us. Therefore, it is up to all of us to prepare for the moment when we face it. Additionally, our loved ones will also face death, sometime right in front of our eyes, a process that can be difficult to watch. To ease the difficulty, I practice kansha, Japanese for gratitude.

I do not focus on the death of my parents. Instead, I focus on their life. I focus on how much gratitude I have for their love, their kindness, their advice. I think back to when I was a child and how my father taught me to fish or how my mother taught me to swim. Or our Christmases in the mountains with the snow outside, the heat of the fire inside, and the whole family celebrating together. Or my mother's recipe for stuffing at Thanksgiving and how my father would carve the turkey.

I know that they will die soon, and I do not have much time left to spend with them. But even after they have gone, I will still have kansha that I have been able to spend almost 40 years learning from them and loving them.

Even in death, kansha will allow me to continue to do so.

True Freedom

2007-07-25T20:13:00.005+09:00

It is in the understanding of ourselves that fear comes to an end. If the individual is to grapple with life from moment to moment, if he is to face its intricacies, its miseries and sudden demands, he must be infinitely pliable and, therefore, free of theories and particular patterns of thought.

Jiddu Krishnamurti, Education and the Significance of Life

Fear permeates the lives of almost all, if not all, people. It leads people to do things outside the bounds of their character. Its visceral pulse can drive people to the depths of human depravity or to the paralysis of unquestioned compliance. It is a powerful force that can destroy any sense of humanity we might feel towards others and towards ourselves. It is the most humbling of human emotions and can, if not recognized, rule a peron's life without the individual ever realizing it.

Jiddu Krishnamurti, the 20th century Indian humanistic philosopher and spiritual teacher, spoke of fear often, and in particular the facing and overcoming of fear, as a gateway to true freedom. Freedom from fear is the human condition sought by all, religious and spiritual adepts in particular. Belief in Jesus as the son of God, for example, claims freedom from eternal damnation. Belief in and practice of the Buddha's Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Noble Path claims the end of samsara, the eternal rebirth into a life of suffering. The practice of martyrdom through jihad bis saif, or struggle with the sword (Islamic holy war) claims divine acceptance and victory over the infidel.

But Krishnamurti believed that subservience to any doctrine, religious, spiritual or otherwise, in an effort to free one's self from the suffering of human existence or the possibility of an unbearable afterlife is nothing more than a form of self enslavement. In an effort to understand and overcome human suffering, people enslave themselves to religious ritual and dogma which ultimately binds themselves to a particular course of action. Krishnamurti thus demands an individual be "infinitely pliable" and "free of theories and particular patterns of thought" in order to be truly free.

With this thesis, Krishnamurti descends a slippery slope as he does not go on to describe an ethics commensurate with this stunning proclamation, leaving open the non-sensical, but quite easily drawn, conclusion that one's ethics could be "infinitely pliable", an invitation to a most obscene form of moral relativism.

Moral relativism is reckless, weak, and cowardly. Strength and courage lie in a reliance on and a judicious execution of what students of philosophy call "first principles". To use the commonly accepted definition, first principles are a set of basic, foundational propositions or assumptions that cannot be deduced from any other proposition or assumption. In other words, first principles require a certain amount of "faith". What differentiates faith in philosophical first principles from faith in religious first principles is their reliance on logical rigor, deductive in particular, vice emotional or metaphysical desire as is the case with religious first principles. Ethical and just first principles are necessary to guide right action, and, if action is taken, an assurance that just action is taken.

Freedom through the "understanding of ourselves" of which Krishnamurti speaks is a noble and achievable human endeavor, though it cannot be attained, as Krishnamurti argues, through "infinitely pliable" stances which are, by definition, categorically weak due to a lack of ethical authority. Freedom is only achieved through true and unfettered choice, and this choice can only be achieved through the unequivocal denial, and active fight against, any form of enslavement and its consequences.

To ground this particular thought in today's current political battle over the war in Iraq and the larger war with Islamic radicalism, first principles are an absolute necessity. The possibility of enslavement to an authority foreign to our western, democratic sensibilities exists. I ask that we as a country look hard and look deep for what it is we are willing to fight for without hesitation. A line must be drawn and enforced. Succumbing to a fear of outcomes shows a decadent lack of courage and opens the door to vacillation and hesitation revealing weakness and cowardice to our enemy. Courage ensures action without hesitation no matter what the situation or cost.

Only then can we attain true freedom.

Haiku

2007-07-12T13:24:00.000+09:00

-----------------------------
Fog masks the city.
I walk along Sutton Street.
I have no rain coat.
-----------------------------
Distant rumbling.
The summer's first thunder storm.
I am just a boy.
-----------------------------

On Renewing Commitment

2007-07-12T12:13:00.002+09:00

"When force of circumstance upsets your equanimity, lose no time in recovering your self-control, and do not remain out of tune longer than you can help. Habitual recurrence to harmony will increase your mastery of it."

-Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

I have never been one who tends toward the "mastery of harmony", especially harmony of the spiritual type spoken of here by the Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor, Marcus Aurelius.

The spiritual path for me is truly like "a razor's edge" (to use a reference from the Katha-Upanishad), narrow, difficult, and painful to walk. This is even more true when I try to follow the spiritual path amongst the infinite diversions offered by modern everyday existence vice, say, the exquisite beauty, spartan environs, and ritualized existence associated with life in a Himalayan monastery. Life down here amongst the ugly and coarse certainly does not aid in understanding one's true nature unless one is armed with the years of spiritual training required to be able to see through this vulgar exterior without becoming jaded by it.

Because this path is difficult, it is easy to slip off it into the labyrinth of sensual diversion. Modern, western humanity is after all, like water: highly susceptible to the path of least resistance. Our progress has made us lazy. Sure, many of us are working longer hours, but for what? Money? A mortgage? A promotion (ie. more money)? Status? It is easy to put in 12-16 hours of work a day. What is not easy is binding oneself to a disciplined life, to control one's emotions and appetites, and to live with character and integrity.

I have neglected my martial arts practice for the past 6 weeks or so. I was recently (in Feb) diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Certainly not a life threatening condition, more of a nuisance than anything, but it has effected my self-discipline. Side effects of the disease that seem to effect me are extreme fatigue, arthritis, and abdominal pain. After a full 10-12 hour day at work, it becomes difficult to muster the energy to practice thus placing the stress of guilt on my mind for not attending. According to the professionals, undue stress will worsen my Crohn's, something I have found to be true in my case. Work is necessary. Practice is not. Therefore, practice must go. Or so the rationalization goes.

But I have found that without my martial practice, which for me cultivates a disciplined existence, life dissolves into a meaningless daily plod. Without the self-discipline acquired through martial practice, I search out other, less beneficial and often empty, ways to spend my time: watching movies, reading books or magazines, aimlessly surfing the internet, etc. Some of this is certainly worthwhile (reading Clausewitz most recently, for example), but for me, spiritual progress through a disciplined existence is hindered without rigorous daily martial practice. In other words, I need a constant reminder of the benefits of self-discipline, of walking the razors edge. As I said before, my personality (read "ego" here) is just not predisposed to a disciplined path by martial or any other means. It's predisposed to things more along the lines of drinking fine scotch whiskey, sometimes to excess, in the upscale establishments of Edinburgh, Cape Town, or Dubai, for example. It is very difficult for me to maintain self-discipline in spiritual matters, and I need a tangible measure of progress in order to push myself along. Using a martial art as a spiritual tool has helped me see that progression and the benefits that come with it, therefore driving me along this narrow path. Without it, I lose the drive and the discipline to continue. Sad but true.

I find some solace in that we who walk this disciplined spiritual path will always deviate from it. Alas, we are human and this act of deviation is a natural part of any spiritual progression. One learns about oneself and about life provided one does not stray beyond the point of no return. The real test of character is not one's conduct after straying from this path, though this certainly matters, but whether or not one recognizes their own act of straying and, if so, choses to return to the path.

Renewing commitment to a disciplined life is an essential element of growth in a life-long and committed martial or spiritual practice. Actions upon renewal can reveal the depth or shallowness of one's practice up to that point in time. A fresh look from a different perspective can often times reveal a facet of character or congruence of reality not seen before. These determinations, if heeded, can point the practitioner in a new direction aiding future growth and bring them closer to that ever elusive mastery of which Marcus Aurelius speaks.

No Quarter

2007-07-04T11:36:00.000+09:00

Philanthropists may easily imagine there is a skillful method of disarming and overcoming an enemy without causing great bloodshed, and that this is the proper tendency of the art of war. However plausible this may appear, still it is an error which must be extirpated; for in such dangerous things as war, the errors which proceed from benevolence are the worst.

-Carl von Clausewitz, On War

I have been reading Clausewitz lately with renewed vigor, though placing "Clausewitz" and "vigor" in the same sentence smacks of incongruency, I know. Part of my fascination with the Prussian does not lie in the substance of his theories, though they certainly have their merits as time has proven, but in his analytical, almost mathematical, rigor with which he approaches the subject. I find his ability to so acutely analyze the theory and nature of war, a topic that, in my opinion, does not lend itself well to acute, non-emotional analysis, fascinating. He covers all the counter arguments and summarily dismisses the opinion of the combat illiterate through the sheer density of the analysis. Like Kant's Critique of Pure Reason, the uninitiated are not invited to the table, not due to some intellectual haughtiness, but due to unfamiliarity with the complex topic under discussion.

In other words, you had better bring a lot to the table if you are going to tackle this military magnum opus.

And here I get to my point.

War's inevitability demands its study, not just by the professionals tasked with our defense, but also by non-military members of the republic those professionals are protecting. After all, it is the individual citizen's judgment (or lack thereof in some cases), which determines the leadership of our republic. Additionally, it is the will of the republic writ large that will ultimately determine success or failure in times of war. Dwindling public support for an act of war is more likely if the process of and reason for that war is not understood. Counterinsurgency operations are a prime example. A substantial investment in time and resources is necessary for a successful counterinsurgency campaign. Western, and particularly American, culture no longer tolerates this fact. But that does not negate the veracity of it. A fact is a fact. One chooses to ignore facts at their own peril.

At this point in history, the West has a peculiar sense of superiority. We feel we are enlightened. That the ugly side of humanity is beneath us and behind us. We, through our utmost industry, civility, and intelligence, can design a social system under which war will no longer exist. A system where global peace will bathe the world in the soft light of brotherly love. A system amenable to all, based on the universal human desire of freedom. A global enlightenment is just around the corner if we can just set the conditions for its manifestation.

The depth and breadth of this intellectual dishonesty is astonishing and, quite frankly, frightening. To ignore history is to repeat it. War is an unfortunate and horrific fact of life. If it can be avoided through a mutually beneficial settlement between opponents, it should be. But do not close your eyes and try to wish it away through some aggrandized idealistic vision of how the world should be. The world is what it is. War is a part of it, therefore preparation for it and, at times, execution of it is essential. Once war becomes manifest, it is time to put away childish idealism and engage without hesitation in cold realism. To not do so shows unforgivable cowardice and outright stupidity.

In London, Islamic radicalism has shown, once again, that it is bent on the destruction of the world as we know it. We must now put away childish idealism. Compromise will solve nothing when faced with the fanatical. No quarter should be offered. You cannot reason with the unreasonable. To think you can exhibits that fatally flawed combination of arrogance and benevolence of which Clausewitz speaks.

And that is cold realism.

The Elimination of Suffering

2007-04-30T23:30:00.001+09:00

Budo is a philosophy for living life. It is the practice of purposely facing life's suffering in order to overcome it. Suffering permeates life, and suffering for many people is very difficult to overcome. Just look at the growing rates of alcoholism, drug addiction and abuse, eating disorders, and any other unhealthy compulsion created by the stresses and emptiness of modern existence. The purpose of budo is to find meaning in one's suffering. This meaning gives the suffering purpose. With purpose, suffering becomes tolerable, even joyous, when it is overcome.

Through rigorous martial training, ones faces fear, weakness, pain, and numerous other forms of weakness and suffering in one's self. One learns to accept, and in many ways seek out, this suffering. Without it, progress does not occur. The greater the suffering one can endure and overcome, the greater the progress towards the elimination of suffering. Enduring and overcoming suffering through martial practice builds not just practical martial skills but also a quiet personal confidence. With the confidence that comes through the cultivation of martial skill, life's more mundane sufferings (ie. traffic laden commutes, long lines at the grocery store, a car that will not start, etc.) become less of a physical and spiritual burden and more of a reason to laugh at one's self and at others' rather absurd over-reaction to such trivialities.

With diligent and consistent practice, this confidence manifests itself in what martial artists from the Japanese tradition call "mushin", or "empty mind". This is the ability to keep a calm, clear mind when the body is under duress. Through mushin, suffering becomes inconsequential. There is no ego, there is no fear, to cause suffering and the martial artist is able to act without hesitation to whatever attack he may be faced with without thought as to his possible injury or death, thoughts that, if followed and/or believed, will result in suffering. A goal of the martial artist is to be able to enter mushin at will and, thus, eliminate the causes of suffering at will. This can only be attained with years of diligent and hard training, if it is ever attained.

More concretely, I practice aikido, and other martial arts, to be a better all around warfighter both technically, tactically, and morally and to cultivate my own sense of budo physically and spiritually. I believe that hard, realistic, and diligent training is necessary for this purpose. Hard, realistic training allows one to face suffering in a controlled setting and develop and test strategies for overcoming it. Continued training forges successful elements of these strategies into habits. Cultivating these successful habits helps one grow as a martial artist and as a human being and ultimately helps give suffering meaning. Once suffering has meaning, it ceases to be suffering. It inhabits its meaning, and, thus, suffering is eliminated.

Compliance vs. Choice

2007-04-30T23:30:00.000+09:00

Aikido is a martial art whose practice is intricately woven within a very humanistic philosophy (more on this in a future post). Despite, aikido's humanistic underpinnings, it is a fighting system with very real applications provided the training is tailored to exploit these applications. My friend kahuna6 (see Kahuna International link in the side bar) makes the point in his post Archaic Pedagogy that the aikido training system is inefficient. Its attacks are telegraphed. Its techniques are difficult to execute because they assume a certain competency in martial art technique (ie. how to move, punch, throw, etc). Mired in the Eastern affinity for tradition, it cannot progress. With this point, I agree. This "archaic pedagogy" is the standard in many aikido dojos in America and elsewhere around the world as this technique of instruction is used as a vehicle for character cultivation. The training style is necessarily difficult as this is how aikido dojos, who focus primarily on human character building and not fighting, cultivate and polish their students' character. The difficult training curriculum is the adversity. But this does not train an aikidoka how to fight.

Aikido's philosophical endstates of self-defense, character cultivation, spiritual transformation, and peaceful resolution of conflict are certainly valid reasons for the practice of aikido and have their place. But in the end aikido is a martial art, a fighting system. The essential elements of aikido philosophy, noble as they may be, are hollow unless they are applied from a position of martial strength. If one is martially weak, then strength in negotiation or battle is impossible, and one must comply, whether they desire to or not, to the enemy's will. This is not aikido. True aikido is having the choice to comply or not based on one's martial skill. Knowing you have the ability to engage your enemy with force if necessary, and win, and choosing not to do so out of compassion or compromise for the sake of all involved, is very different from complying with the enemy's will out of an inability to be successful in the application of needed force.

I agree with kahuna6 that current aikido pedagogy is inefficient at training the martially minded aikidoka. This is why I recommend study of another martial art before aikido is attempted. A sound grounding in another, more physically demanding art (like muay thai, for example) provides a martial foundation for aikido development both physically and mentally and allows for a proper appreciation of the skill and time required to develop a high level of proficiency in aikido. It is very easy, due to the difficulty of applying aikido with proficiency in a martial context, to slip into "aikido as character building" by placing sole emphasis on its spiritual and ethical philosophy. This must be avoided unless one wishes to be forced to comply out of weakness, a situation no self-respecting akidoka would allow to happen.

Chasing Ghosts

2007-04-09T19:09:00.000+09:00

I have battled with my own personal ambition for a long time. I was raised to cultivate and use ambition to achieve. Through achievement, and external recognition of that achievement, I would find satisfaction and fulfillment. The more I achieved and was recognized for that achievement, the greater my sense of satisfaction, and, thus, the greater my sense of fulfillment would become. Or so I was led to believe.

Achieving does provide a certain level of satisfaction and fulfillment. But achievement, catalyzed by ambition, can lead to more ego driven pursuits. For example, the desire to publicize one's achievements as a way to ensure others are aware, and in awe of, your accomplishments. The acquisition of wealth, luxury, or fame for personal satisfaction is another example. I have come to realize this ubiquitous and too often accepted American social paradigm leads to a life of ever-increasing emptiness and disappointment.

Most people with a high level of ambition focus on the end result of whatever achievement or task they put their mind to. If the end result does not fit within their frame of expectation, they become disappointed. If that end result exceeds their frame of expectation, they are, at a minimum, reluctantly satisfied, at a maximum, arrogant and over-confident. Ambition drives people to be results oriented. They chase the ghost of perfection becoming dissatisfied when they cannot catch it. Eventually, the process by which they attempt to attain their perfect result becomes frustrating, tiresome, or uninteresting. Yet they continue to push through it, dissatisfied and unhappy, in the vain hope of achieving their perfect result.

Aikido has taught me that perfection in life is unattainable. The point of aikido (or any martial art for that matter) is not to attain perfection in technique. It is to strive for perfection in technique. (Attaining anything close to perfection is just a bonus.) Progressively striving for perfection, in whatever endeavor you may choose, when done with proper guidance and tempering, builds (some would say "polishes") the character of the practitioner...and that is the ultimate purpose of practicing a martial art (more on this controversial point in another post).

To live a truly fulfilling life, I have learned one must enjoy this process of striving for perfection. The end result of an action or activity is relatively insignificant to the amount of effort it takes to attain it. It just simply makes more sense to glean satisfaction from the act of striving for the perfect result than to allow oneself to be disappointed by the perpetual failure to attain it.

The Beginner

2007-03-24T16:48:00.000+09:00

I have been a serious student of the martial art aikido for almost a year. As I have progressed in my training, I have found writing about certain elements of the art and/or philosophy of aikido that I find challenging to execute or understand to be a valuable process. Not only is it cathartic when I feel that my training has plateaued, it also enables me to eventually instill, reveal, or personalize those certain elements of aikido training and philosophy that I find initially out of reach.

I have begun this blog and placed it on the web rather than in a private format in an effort to aid other aikidoists who might be grappling with similar issues. I do not presume to have all the answers. I welcome comments, questions, suggestions, and criticisms with regard to format and content provided they are constructive and relevant.