Aikido and cross training.
Stick your ego in the cupboard and go and visit another club, another teacher, even another art and find out if they have something to which you were previously blind. How arrogant are we if we look down on others of lower rank and think, “they have nothing to teach me.” Go and find out, and be prepared for a shock.
I cannot help feeling that O-Sensei, who none of us are ever likely to emulate, found his answers from diverse sources, dare I say, even from his farming practises, never mind martial training. Yet many of us think to find our own answers by Aikido alone. True, we follow our own way in life but is your Aikido the real thing? Can you make it work? Indeed, is that last question indicative of a non aiki way in itself?
We may be strong, capable and very good at what we do and though it may not be correct, time and practise has made us effective despite any defect. It’s even worse if we never train with other styles or clubs (or even other arts). Safe and stuck in our comfort zone we deny ourselves the opportunity to grow. O-Sensei never stopped studying and exploring the mind body connection yet how body aware are we? Will Aikido give us conscious body awareness? If we don’t let rank get in the way, a visit to another teacher may well bring a discovery to our advantage. But that challenges our sense of accomplishment, it rattles at the cage of our comfort zone.
After some 40 years of training, I am now more amazed at what I cannot do than what I can do.
I recently joined a large number of teachers from across the world at an all embracing seminar of Aikido in Burwell, Cambs. An event promoted by Quentin Cooke for Aiki Extensions. I witnessed how a beginner, with only one lesson behind them, using true principles was more effective than I was with all my techniques.
I had become a prisoner of what I knew. Freedom sometimes presents a more challenging environment.
I’m not going to rabbit on about this but as older age approaches I have less fear about being open with my words. Many of us have forgotten what Aikido really is and some of us never even knew in the first place.
At the very least, think on that for a moment or two..
The Chinese have a saying, “Don’t just listen to my words – go see.”
Stick your ego in the cupboard and go and visit another club, another teacher, even another art and find out if they have something to which you were previously blind. How arrogant are we if we look down on others of lower rank and think, “they have nothing to teach me.” Go and find out, and be prepared for a shock.
I cannot help feeling that O-Sensei, who none of us are ever likely to emulate, found his answers from diverse sources, dare I say, even from his farming practises, never mind martial training. Yet many of us think to find our own answers by Aikido alone. True, we follow our own way in life but is your Aikido the real thing? Can you make it work? Indeed, is that last question indicative of a non aiki way in itself?
We may be strong, capable and very good at what we do and though it may not be correct, time and practise has made us effective despite any defect. It’s even worse if we never train with other styles or clubs (or even other arts). Safe and stuck in our comfort zone we deny ourselves the opportunity to grow. O-Sensei never stopped studying and exploring the mind body connection yet how body aware are we? Will Aikido give us conscious body awareness? If we don’t let rank get in the way, a visit to another teacher may well bring a discovery to our advantage. But that challenges our sense of accomplishment, it rattles at the cage of our comfort zone.
After some 40 years of training, I am now more amazed at what I cannot do than what I can do.
I recently joined a large number of teachers from across the world at an all embracing seminar of Aikido in Burwell, Cambs. An event promoted by Quentin Cooke for Aiki Extensions. I witnessed how a beginner, with only one lesson behind them, using true principles was more effective than I was with all my techniques.
I had become a prisoner of what I knew. Freedom sometimes presents a more challenging environment.
I’m not going to rabbit on about this but as older age approaches I have less fear about being open with my words. Many of us have forgotten what Aikido really is and some of us never even knew in the first place.
At the very least, think on that for a moment or two..
The Chinese have a saying, “Don’t just listen to my words – go see.”