The Laughing Wolf

Some Thoughts On Aikido

Wait, don’t panic. Today’s post is not just about Aikido, but it is what sparked the thought entire. It got started from a comment posted, in which a person said something about Aikido being bad for the body.

At first, I wasn’t quite sure how to take the comment, but decided that it deserved a far longer reply that could be provided in comments. Indeed, the thoughts have lead to some interesting places, from rational pacifism to current events. Let’s take a quick trip and explore some things real quick.

First, I don’t agree that Aikido is bad for the body, despite having my shoulder injured twice and having to do some fairly intensive physical therapy. To be honest, both times were at least partially my fault. The first time was fully my fault, and came from both pride and a desire to avoid doctors. I partially dislocated the shoulder and put it back myself, and did not do it right. The second time was with someone who did something they should not have done, faster than they should have done it. Even so, I was a willing participant and agreed to things, so I, too, bear some responsibility here.

That is an important concept in this litigious age. Yes, I could probably have sued one and all, but to what end? Would my shoulder be made whole? Would the other party have learned anything from it, and grown? Or, would everyone else had their efforts to learn and grow squashed like a bug? Methinks the latter is what would have happened, and I chose to shoulder my responsibility, as it were.

Aikido is a system that can be done by almost anyone of any age. In the dojo to which I belonged, we had students ranging in age from around 6 to better than 60. One of the latter was a new student, a white belt like myself. He came in for a variety of reasons, and the last I saw of him he had increased his flexibility, endurance, and much more.

This is one of the big reasons I do not feel that Aikido is bad for the body. It emphasizes doing as much as you can do, and of flexibility of mind, spirit, and body. Believe me, trust me, your flexibility will improve if you join Aikido. You will also gain strength, loose weight, and get a good cardio workout. We tended to both love and dread when Sensei would get aerobic on our butts.

The system I studied and hope to study again is Yoseikan budo. It emphasizes finding your path, your way. For that reason, each student advances as they learn, and while there are standardized tests for each station, you learn and explore based on your abilities. If there are limitations, you find ways to work around them.

Despite what it may seem from me, safety and health are emphasized. Not just in class, but out of it. You take care of yourself and your body, and you are expected to be responsible for such. It is not the Sensei’s task, it is not the task of the person with whom you are training, it is your responsibility.

Aikido, in all forms I have seen and studied, emphasizes such individual responsibility, along with the concepts of honor and integrity. When in class, you treat all others with respect, you do your work responsibly and accurately, and you show honor and respect to all.

This extends out from class as well, for you are expected to make quick, but good, judgments on all situations. From sparring in class to deciding on passing another vehicle, you must evaluate the situation, determine unknowns, judge the risks and merits, and then and only then act.

This also extends to self-defense. Aikido is The Way of Peace and is practiced as such. The philosophy that I have taken with me is that the best way to deal with an attack is not be there when it hits. I have also heard this described as the honorable art of getting out of the way, and that is a fair summation in my book. You always use the least amount of force required for a given situation. Aikido does accept that your response to a situation may have to be lethal to one or more parties, but even if such is your first action, it must not be your first thought.

As a rational pacifist, I very much like this concept. I am prepared to kill if needed, but it is not my first or preferred choice in most civilian circumstances. Aikido does force you to think about it, confront it, and work it out within yourself. Would that more things did such, because anyone who wants to carry a weapon or be a weapon had better do so. Far too many people do things, and act without thought or preparation, and have a rough time of it because they never truly thought things through. If you get and carry a weapon, of any type or description, and you have not or do not think it through, then you are a fool.

Aikido demands this mental flexibility. You do have to think fast, think hard, and make good sound judgments. Failure to do so gets you pounded in class, physically and/or mentally, so you learn. Then, you take this out with you to life, and your life is much better for it. You have thought about the true issues that lie beneath, you have thought through the tough decisions, you have learned to think and judge in a split second, and you have learned to act with courage, clear mind, and determination.

So, let’s see. Aikido gets your body in good physical shape, teaches you to take good care of same, accept responsibility for your actions and yourself, encourages mental flexibility as well as physical, and even promotes the spirit in the course of things. That is why I will return to it when I can, and it is why I made it possible for the Godsons, Chance and Calculation, to join a dojo where they live. Even though they may leave it to study other arts, that is fine. They are finding their own path, but in the process they are learning to think, develop good judgment, and act responsibly.

Nope, not bad at all. Not bad for your body, mind, or spirit. In fact, it is hard to think of too many things that are as good for your body, mind, and spirit. Think about it.

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