Are you doing all you can?

"Aikido is for everyone, but not everyone is for aikido"

I heard this expression some years ago and have never forgotten it.  When O-Sensei Ueshiba Morihei created modern aikido after the second world war, he wanted an art that leveraged his traditional background of sword, staff and jujitsu.  As well, he wanted an art that would be useful for self-defense (modern rather than battlefield) and that would be applicable in a variety of situations both by average citizens as well as law enforcement.  He wanted something moral and ethical that would promote spirituality, health and well-being and also a sense of calm among the practitioners.  Thus, aikido (The Way of Harmony) came to be.

I love aikido deeply and consider it a cornerstone of who I am as a martial artist and as a person.  You don't do aikido TO someone, you do aikido WITH someone, and I admire the connectedness and unity that aikido gives to how we move.  I think it truly is for everyone, and as a martial artist it is a great art to spend time exploring.

However, everyone is not for aikido.  What does this mean?
Many people are not ready for an art as holistic as aikido.  They want a movie/TV martial art served in 30 minute episodes (including commercial breaks) that can be consumed at random, at leisure.  They don't want to make a lasting commitment to change or have a regular training schedule. They don't want to invest a lot of time or energy.  The worst: they want something which is more violent (see also: "tactical").

All holistic martial arts have a lot in common.  They all deal with each personal sphere (physical, mental, emotional/spiritual).  They all address ideas of connectedness and community.  They all focus on health and personal development, bringing positive confidence to their students.  They all instill discipline and build skills in goal setting and leadership.  They all offer a lifetime journey of exploration and discovery which leads to personal growth and continuous learning.

I am deeply fortunate to have had such a wonderful experience and been influenced by so many amazing teachers over the past 38 years in and around martial arts.  Some have been coaches.  Some have been instructors.  Some have been scientists.  Many are still influencing me today.  Along my journey, I have been able to find keys to open doors, and this has led to new paths of discovery that have kept this path so interesting and fulfilling.  Martial arts has been my greatest investment in myself, and it continues to pay huge dividends every single day.

I want you to recognize, if you don't already, that the choice to learn martial arts in a holistic school, with a good instructor, can be the turning point in your life.  It can be so much more than punching and kicking.  It can bring you so much more than you ever dreamed.  But to get this, you have to be there FOR YOU.  You have to want every benefit and every bit of knowledge.  You have to seek it rather than wait for it to be handed to you.  You have to take ownership of your journey rather than just be led.  You have to do all you can - FOR YOU.

We all have such an incredible opportunity.
Let's make the most of it - together.

Start With Why

(thanks for the inspiration IDP)

A great intro by a very clever guy - Simon Sinek.  There are links to his full length TED talk, as well as his book specifically on the topic for those so inclined.

The idea is as simple as it is revolutionary, at least for most of us.  Starting with WHY helps us identify the motivation for action, creating the desire to change.  We can then determine the process for change and ultimately the result of the change - the WHAT.  In many companies, and for many people  the WHAT rather than the HOW is the starting point.

This is very important to us as martial artists as well.  Many students consider only the what: what techniques, what systems/subsystems, what skills, what belts/ranks/certifications...  Some few get as far as the How: training methods and drills, skills development, methodology, tactics and strategy, philosophy/history/culture.  Many will never even consider the Why.  However, it is very important to understand WHY we study and train martial arts in order to make sure that we are planning the right process and framework to achieve our goals.  For example, If my WHY (motivation) is purely self defense, this will lead to a different set of HOW and WHAT than if I am interested in competition performance or fight choreography or cultural study.

Periodically we need to ask ourselves WHY.  Why are we doing what we do, but also WHY the techniques, training, drills, flows are the way they are.  Many students go through years of being spoon fed every combination and flow.  They mimic their seniors and teachers and do their best to move like we do.  While this is inevitable for beginners, by the time a student is reaching higher level they simply MUST be finding their own flow and learning to express their uniqueness in the art.  The beauty of Kali comes from the fact that it is so individual and that no two teachers move exactly the same way.  The incredible richness and variety of our Southeast Asian heritage gives us so much to draw upon, and once we combine this with our own body type and how we move, we will naturally arrive at our own unique expressions.  It is an ART, after all.

We obsess about the answers to things when it is the QUESTIONS, questions like WHY, that are much more important.  Asking good questions requires deep thinking and analysis; it requires data and hypotheses, testing and feedback.  Good questions lead to good answers.  This does not of course mean stopping class every minute to ask "why?" about every movement.  Rather, the goal should be to reflect deeply on what happened in class on your own.  Consider your own movement, the movement of your partner(s) and the situations.  Let your mind explore every aspect of everything you do and turn it over again and again - dissecting every moment until you can wring all possible understanding from it.  Be deeply intellectually curious about yourself, your partners and the art.  Discuss it with other students and other martial artists from different styles without any judgement over who is right or wrong.  Compare and contrast until you can arrive at a clear understanding of what, how and why you do what you do.  After reflection, bring your questions forward to your instructors before or after class.

Start with Why.