On Training

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.