Aikido Center of Los Angeles

Today’s goal: Look past what you think is happening or you think is right, and ask questions so that you can understand.

From the Aikido Center of Los Angeles’ Aiki Dojo Message - We Never Step on the Same Mat Twice

Aikido training is a process of constant refinement.

In Japanese, one way to talk about this process of self-improvement is jibunmigaki (自分磨き). Jibun means “self” and migaki means “to polish” or self-improvement. So, ideally, it means “to polish the self.” The old or outdated kanji for “to polish” was (研き) which also meant “the study of.” With this kanji combination, it seems that our development is not so much “polish” but “the study of the self.”

Our technique in Aikido is supposed to be constantly under refinement. It only deteriorates if we neglect it or when we can’t see its true state. James Doi Shihan talks about this idea that we are not necessarily improving but constantly managing the decline. This is true but not from the standpoint of it being bad. Decline is natural as we age, train less, or stop training all together. What makes Aikido so interesting is that every day, we have to figure out how to do Aikido with the tools that we woke up with. For instance, if our backs are tight, we have to figure out how to do Aikido in that state. Training teaches us that nothing is static meaning that nothing today is as it was yesterday or as it will be tomorrow. As Heraclitus said, “Everything is in flux.” Our movement is never a hard construct but more a living ever flowing thing. It will need work here and there and just about everywhere like plugging holes in a dam but that is what makes Aikido so infuriating but interesting.

In training, to be in a state of constant refinement, is to have questions. Mostly the questions are about the details. Here are some questions to start you off: How was I breathing before, during, and after? Where were my feet supposed to be and what is the state of my balance? Where is the kokyu in the technique or where exactly was I supposed to be using it? Where am I supposed to be positioned in relation to my partner before, during, and after the technique? What should my state of mind be? What part of my body did I use to make the technique work? What is the correct spacing for this technique? What was the timing supposed to be?

This list of questions is not exhaustive. It is just something to get you started. Every student and teacher alike should have questions that they are actively trying to solve in their Aikido. Some are physical, some are mental, and some can even be spiritual. The most important thing is that you are actively cultivating questions and trying to solve them on the mat - that is constant refinement.

In Aikido and in Life, none of us are the people that we were yesterday. Life is complicated. The moment when we think we know or theorize something to be, that is the moment that we have stopped moving and have stopped growing. People and circumstances are way more complicated and convoluted than we will ever know. To grow is to realize that everything is in a constant state of flux and thus we should give grace rather than pound them with violence.

Heraclitus said, ”No man ever steps in the same river twice.” We never step on the same mat twice because we are never the same person that we were yesterday or will be tomorrow - we are all in a constant state of flux. Training and Life are about being in a constant state of proactive refinement. That is why Reverend Kensho Furuya Sensei used to regularly say, “The Way is in training.”

Today’s goal: Step onto the mat with a question, not an answer.

Read the full Dojo Message on our website @ www.aikidocenterla.com/blog

Terasaki Budokan - Little Tokyo Service Center Aikido Kodokai Salamanca- España AIKIDO DOJO MANZANO

From the Aikido Center of Los Angeles’ Aiki Dojo Message - The Way

The dojo is not a temple, the teacher is not a guru, and Aikido is not a religion. The training itself is the catalyst.

Throughout our training, we are in search of Truths (with a capital T.) Truth is not the same thing as honesty. Honesty means “telling the truth, being fair, and refusing to lie, cheat, or steal.” The truth is “An objective reality or fact that exists whether we know it or not.” Because we may not know it or not, we search for what is real or what is the Truth. Therefore, the Truth is the real reason why we felt, thought, or acted the way we did. We cannot be honest if we don’t know our own inner Truths.

Training is supposed to be shugyō or “self-cultivation through disciplined practice.” After a certain level, the techniques are not the focus. Shugyō takes us deeper into the art and thus, that person, thing, or situation that is provoking us is the Way. Whatever it is that is provoked inside of us is the direction we should be going. The monk Ryokan once said, "When you have a problem, face it; when you are sick, face it; when death stalks you, face it." When we face it and delve deeply into it, we realize that whatever is happening to us in this moment just landed upon the real deeper reason for the rise in emotion or adrenaline and that is why most times seemingly benign things happen and set us off. Thus, training teaches us not to run away from those people, things or situations that provoke us but to face them and try to understand why. The why reveals to us the Truth and gives us a better understanding of ourselves.

The place I am striving to get to in my own training is fūkaku (風格) or “a natural bearing that arises when the body reveals a mind that has become quiet through shugyō.” The quietude enables the Truth to be revealed. Therefore, the real purpose of shugyō is not merely to perfect technique but to transform the person until the body naturally reveals the true bearings of the mind. Ideally, fūkaku is the outward manifestation of an inwardly cultivated mind. (FYI, I am not there yet!)

Anyone can beat anyone up and most times all it takes is a careless or terse word. Physical effectiveness or dominance means little in comparison to what is going on inside of us. The best know themselves from the inside out.

The Way is in whatever provokes us. They are there to teach us not torture us. All it takes is for us to try to see them in a different way and thus they are there for us not there happening to us. One is beneficial, the other is punitive. This mental shift enables gratitude which opens the door to our inner selves.

How do we start this? First ask yourself, “What am I really feeling?” Then name it and speak it out loud. For instance, saying, “I am really just tired.” Or “I am scared that I don’t have any money.” This speaking the Truth out loud enables us to shift from the person, thing or situation and not take it out on them. This takes the edge off. Most times, when we can do this, it is enough. From there, we take a breath and speak out loud the gratitude, “Thank you John for showing me this.” This takes us from putting the deeper baggage on to the person, thing, or situation and gives us the opportunity to calm down. From there just keep saying it even if you can’t shift your focus and things don’t change. Over time, your mind will shift and things will change.

Remember that the dojo is not a temple, the teacher is not a guru, and Aikido is not a religion. The training itself is the catalyst, and its lessons are the Way.

Today’s goal: As things happen and you start to feel provoked, ask yourself, “What is the Truth?”

Read the full Dojo Message on our website @ www.aikidocenterla.com/blog

Terasaki Budokan - Little Tokyo Service CenterAikido Kodokai Salamanca- España AIKIDO DOJO MANZANO

Fall Back Fridays - True Strength

Note: Furuya Sensei originally posted this to his blog on August 27, 2003.

Aikido is not to show off our strength to others, it is to show our true self and our true powers to ourselves. A true Aikidoist hides their talents and refines them through their training. Please remember that Aikido is not a sport to compete with others nor is it a performance art to show off what you can do to impress people or get their attention or admiration. Aikido is, indeed, the path to our own enlightenment. . . . . .

Aikido Kodokai Salamanca- España

At the crux of Aikido is this ability to remain calm.

When we are calm, we can see all options as well as all sides of the coin.

Aikido is a practice and so is being able to let people go by, especially when they are trying to hurt us.

Letting someone go by is the mark of a truly evolved person and that is why the best Aikidoists let them go by.

From the Aikido Center of Los Angeles’ Aiki Dojo Message - Don’t Just Crank it

Most of the problems in a dojo can be avoided if we follow these two rules: Don’t crank someone else’s wrist if you don’t want your wrist cranked. If you like it when people crank your wrist, don’t assume they like it - at least ask them, first. All of the other problems can possibly be fixed by just substituting the words “wrist crank” with the words for the problem that you are having.

Thinking about this, that means that most of the problems that we encounter in a dojo could possibly be solved with the two Cs: communication and compassion.

Communication. Use your words to convey your needs or desires rather than just assuming that the other person knows. i.e. ask them if they want you to crank their wrist. Good communication is the kind of thing left over from the battlefield where “without unimpeded real-time communication, forces risk fratricide, isolation, and mission failure.” Speak up, don’t assume, and try to understand. Speak up, be honest and be as clear as you can when you do speak up so that you are conveying the right information and also that the person can hear you. Don’t assume that they know. Don’t assume that you know. Also try to understand because there is a possibility that the person wasn’t entirely honest because they might not understand what they want. Therefore, when in doubt ask and if you don’t understand, ask for clarification.

Compassion. Compassion enables us to put into practice the understanding that we gained from the act of communicating. True compassion is the ability to be with a person where they are not where you would like them to be. One of the universal truths is that every person is suffering. So, when we crank their wrist when they aren’t ready to take it, we are just adding to their suffering. When we assume they are just a jerk because they act like, without knowing and just hating on them, we are adding to their suffering. As his holiness the Dalai Lama famously stated, "Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.” It is easy to hurt people with words or fists. Being able to give compassion to a person that we don’t really like or who doesn’t particularly deserve it is a high level skill.

Training in Aikido is done as a partnership where there is supposed to be synergy where two or more people are working together so that each person reaches their highest potential. That is why Reverend Kensho Furuya Sensei used to discourage us from solo training. In Aikido, we are forced to do this. I use the word force because in training, the thing that we avoid is the path. Everyone works well with the people that they like. The extent to which you can work with a person that you don’t particularly like but still create a harmonious outcome dictates your level of Aikido skill.

The goal in Aikido is not to effectively and painfully crank someone’s wrist. Anyone can do that. The goal is to become aware enough to do just enough. That deft touch requires a certain level of communication and compassion. Aikido is about change. We twist the wrist to change the other person’s mind. They can come away from it thinking that we are a jerk or they can come away from thinking that you are an incredible person. However, our true goal is not to change them, our goal is to only change ourselves. The next time you go to crank someone’s wrist, think, ask, and try to understand. The Way is in that which we fear, hate, or try to avoid. Strive to understand, not just to make it hurt.

Today’s goal: Look past what you think is happening or you think is right and ask questions so that you can understand.

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

Aikido Kodokai Salamanca- España AIKIDO DOJO MANZANO Terasaki Budokan - Little Tokyo Service Center

This is the martial arts dirty little secret. 🤫

Discouragement is the martial artist’s only true friend.

Without discouragement, most of us would just quit because we wouldn’t know the value of something.

Discouragement keeps us grounded and teaches us the true value of things or people.

Discouragement tests our will.

The most important thing to remember about discouragement is that it is ok to be discouraged.

It happens to all of us.

The true test of discouragement is if we give in to it or give up.

Discouragement tests us and teaches us.

Discouragement shows us where we need to put in the work. 

It is an integral part of all of our training - so embrace it.