All martial arts have
their own particular cultures that broadly represent the values and mores of the
particular society at large. Strip away the human element and all you have left
is fighting, and if what remains is different to that of another culture then
there may be a problem with that fighting system. Give all men clubs, knives,
and swords, and send them off to battle; the survivors will develop much the
same methods and stratagems. Avoid strike, poke sharp end into heart, whack man
on head with club, enemy is dead. If a particular culture dictated that one bow
before battle, then one of another culture would take the opportunity to lop off
their head. If another offered a hand to be shook, it would likewise be chopped
off. In this sense, culture, the very thing that makes us social beings, is
martial weakness. What one needs to bear in mind is that the essence of fighting
is just that, and nothing else. Train for the essence, yes, but develop the mind
so as to never need to use it.
(h) Health
It is not easy to
prevent the wanton destruction of our living environment. As an individual the
most one can do is not to add to it; by living healthily and wisely, one will
not become a burden on society. These days many people get to middle age
drinking, smoking, and overeating all the while having barely lifted a finger in
physical exercise their whole lives. The closest they will ever get to flowing
is if they drown in a river; the closest they will ever get to harmonising with
nature is when they are six feet under - and then they turn up at the dojo
door. Starting a martial art in such a condition is likely to add to their
destruction; it could be better to send them elsewhere.
Regular training in
Aikido develops and maintains flexibility and stamina. The body strengthens
naturally and becomes somewhat resistant to injury and pain. The stronger the
body the better it survives the shock and trauma of physical training. While
injuries threaten, good heath ensures that they heal faster, yet discipline and
a keen sense of attention serve to keep them at bay. One thing to beware of is
that the fitness one develops over several years can disappear within a
relatively short period of inactivity.
The first few months of
Aikido training are often accompanied by muscle aches and pains in places one
never knew existed. Bruising is common, more so in the unfit. Occasional
injuries are knocks, twists, and sprains. Despite the number of joint related
techniques in Aikido, far less frequent are torn ligaments, fractures,
dislocations, or broken bones. The most common causes of injury are bad
break-falls, or crashing into and falling on top of each other. Sudden movement
as the result of shock or surprise can cause muscle or tendon injury. A badly
lain tatami can trap the toes. Training near the edge of the tatami,
uke might hit the wall, or stepping over the edge of the tatami
might sprain an ankle. Too much sweat on the tatami can cause people to
slip.
A particular trait in
Aikido is that injured persons tend to continue training, albeit more carefully.
A sprained ankle or twisted shoulder, for example, lends opportunity to refine
one’s break-fall to a greater degree of perfection. Others, injured, often turn
up to training to watch. Sometimes, it is the case that careful training when
injured actually aids the healing process, albeit under the careful advice of a
doctor.
A martial arts teacher
has a lot of influence. By not smoking, drinking, being unfit, or being grossly
overweight they send an obvious message to the students who may respond likewise
without a word being spoken. That being said, there is nothing wrong with
speaking one's mind. If the government can tell us smoking, drinking, and being
overweight are bad for the health, then a teacher can say so too. The craft is
in not being outright rude in front of others. Accordingly, if your teacher
tells you something that you do not like to hear – get used to it, respond to
it, overcome it.
(i) Sport
For O Sensei, Aikido
was a martial art, not a sport. And then came Tomiki Kenji who created sport
Aikido. The former school of thought dictates that I must be better today than
yesterday, the latter states that I should be better than my peers. As in any
debate, where you sit is where you stand but simple observation will show that
the greatest athletes of today are the greatest they have ever been in history
and the reason is because of competitive sport. Certain individual key sports
such as archery, discus, and javelin reflect the fact that sport has long been
the means through which warriors of old were trained. Further, the Olympics
themselves have for a century provided the means through which states have
competed, at times almost as though at war, yet thankfully instead of it. In a
martial art the problem sport poses is restrictive rules. Most rules are for
safety, and what is effective is often not allowed. Strange then, that Tomiki’s
rules contrast those of Judo quite exactly since what is allowed in one, is not
allowed in the other. Here, it seems the rules are defining styles, not danger.
Another interesting point is that traditional Aikido extends its
non-competitiveness to the personality suggesting that it is wrong to have a
competitive nature. I wonder, were there any generals in military history that
did not wish their soldiers to be competitive? The fact is that traditional
Aikido has no competition and evangelises non-competitive ideals, but to
disregard it outright just because we are told to do so makes no sense. When you
walk out of the dojo you enter into a world of competition – are you
prepared?
(j) Making money
There is nothing wrong
with making money teaching martial arts. Where the problem, if apparent, usually
lies is in the way the dojo is run. Simply, some teachers get lazy, stop
teaching regularly, and pass on their duties to senior students. Often, the
teacher might make a special appearance teaching secret techniques and in the
worst case will demand extra course fees. As the situation worsens, such will
proclaim enlightenment, begin wearing strange clothes, teach yoga, prescribe
healing remedies, offer courses on massage and meditation, and preach anything
exotic - all in the attempt to extract more money. This is the surest way to
nowhere. Students feel they are not getting what they are paying for and
invariably, leave. However, some find such 'gurus' extremely attractive,
following their self-made masters about wherever, being at their constant beck
and call, eager to please in the vain hope of receiving scant recognition, yet
likely receiving none at all. Dodgy dojos develop cult like
characteristics with money as their sole, yet denied, raison d'être.
Avoid them like the plague.
If a professional
dojo is the chosen route and one cannot teach all the time then paying the
instructor is a decent stipend will make the school more professional in nature.
Making a clear timetable of who is teaching what and when will give the students
the idea that the dojo is indeed being run professionally.
(k) Social aspects
Aikidoka
are generally quite sociable. From the laying of the tatami through
after-training tea or going out together socially, Aikido offers its
practitioners multiple opportunities to talk and reflect on training. It is
often here, in discussion, that one learns far more about Aikido and aiki.
(l) There are plenty of other sources of philosophy.
Master Shi:
Ted Talk
- An interesting talk on how to find your way.
5 Hindrances to
Self-Mastery
1. Sensual desire (sight/touch/taste/smell/hearing) = Am I addicted?
2. Ill will / aversion = Am I feeling a negative emotion?
3. Dullness / heaviness = Am I unmotivated?
4. Restlessness = Is my mind jumping from though to thought?
5. Sceptical doubt = Am I indecisive?
RAIN (the
solution)
Recognise which one you're experiencing.
Accept that's what you're experiencing.
Investigate why you're experiencing it.
Non-identify with that experience: 'I am not the body, I am not the
mind, I am not my emotion'.
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