Many thanks to our guest instructor, Rob Carroll-shidoin, dojocho of Aikido Tendokai, for his instruction today. The class was informative and enjoyable, with several techniques relating to nikkyo.
We were happy to welcome two special guests to practice as well— Alex Loo-sensei and Rika Murota from Aikido Kensankai.
I have been working through the Dokkodo, Miyamoto Musashi’s final list of precepts for his students.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dokkōdō
They’re all brief, thought-provoking and well worth considering in depth.
But number 16 really surprised me.
“Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.”
That’s counterintuitive, coming from a renowned swordsman.
But Musashi was not one to follow convention, deceive himself or waste his time.
I think the crux is “what is useful.”
What is the purpose of your practice? Are you getting sidetracked with non- essentials? Or does every practice take you closer to your goal? Is your weapons practice frivolous or useful to you?
If not, it is not useful to a martial artist. Focus on what is important and what matters to you in your training. That’s all you really have time for.
In any practice, there’s the excitement and first rush of enthusiasm, that first toe in the water and seeing the vast potential of what lies ahead.
That’s true of music, art, chess, a sport or any other human pursuit, including Aikido.
Once you get past that first sense of engagement and awe, though, you often face the Slog, the Plateau.
That is the hundreds and thousands of hours of repetition needed to internalize basic skills. Often, it isn’t particularly fun, it doesn’t feel rewarding, it’s hard to stay motivated, sometimes it’s boring – it’s the void in which you question why you are putting so much effort into this and what you will have to show for it.
Everyone has this experience. Don’t give up.
It’s up to the student to find joy in what he or she does and to offer and draw enthusiasm from partners. The instructor’s role is to be a guide through this tough period — sometimes by encouragement, sometimes by example.
It’s important to stay fresh, make a point of learning and remembering at least one new idea in every class, to learn something from every partner no matter what level they are.
Keep Beginner’s Mind — and remember that excitement you felt as a beginner.
Human perception can be misleading. We always tend to see what we expected to see. We have to work to go beyond that, to see what is actually there… to have the vision of a beginner.
“The purpose of today’s training is to defeat yesterday’s understanding.” — Miyamoto Musashi
Don’t miss this opportunity to train on May 31 with leading instructors and students from across Toronto.
Full information and registration is here.
Sometimes, a prospective student will ask me a question like “How long will it take to master Aikido?”
The best reply I can make is, “How long is a piece of string?”
I don’t want to be too cryptic, so I add:
“How often will you be at class? How hard are you willing to train? Are you open-minded and able to observe? Will you attend seminars to deepen your understanding and experience?”
“You are really the best person to answer your question. Train hard consistently, and the results will come. There is no timetable.”
Here’s one of my favourite stories about teaching.
A student goes to the head monk in the temple and asks him, “What’s the biggest problem in teaching Zen?”
The master replies, “Teaching deaf people. No matter how you try to explain, they don’t understand.”
The student ponders this for a moment. He goes to one of the other senior monks and repeats the answer. “What do you think about this?”
The monk mutters something under his breath. The student asks him again. The monk turns away and mumbles something. The student walks in close and asks, “What are you saying?”
The monk replies, “The master is wrong. You’re not deaf.”
Just a thought…
I’d rather have people asking each other why I am not a black belt, instead of asking why I am.
Many thanks to today’s guest instructor, Alex Loo-sensei, 7th dan shihan and chief instructor of Aikido Kensankai.
The focus was on fundamentals and body movement, and everyone from beginners to seniors benefitted from and enjoyed an enthusiastic practice.
We have gathered material related to Yumi’s life and career here. Please feel free to download anything that interests you.