Do what comes naturally

As the moon rises high in the sky, the shadows of the castle disappear. . . I came across this post by Furuya Sensei.  It succinctly encompasses the mind all students and teachers must have in order to improve.  To improve we must commit ourselves to our daily practice and keep going and with time we will naturally improve.  This is an example of atarimae hinshitsu （当たり前品質）.  Atarimae hinshitsu refers to something that happens naturally or the obvious consequence.  For example, when you pick up a pen and just start writing and the pen works - that is atarimae.  Another example of atarimae more apropos to martial arts training is when the Japanese soccer fans cleaned up the their section after Japan's World Cup game in Brazil in 2014.  They did it without thought to be diligent and clean up "their" mess because it was the natural thing to do.

Here is Sensei's post:

We all have many questions about Life and about our practice. If we think about them very seriously, most important questions such as these cannot be answered so quickly or easily through our experiences in Life and in our Aikido.  However, these questions will be naturally answered as we progress.

Over the years, we find that in the long run of many years in Aikido it does not depend on how many techniques we master or what school or style we belong to but what really matters is staying on the True Path of Aikido faithfully and with commitment.

In this age of internet and high tech computers we have become accustomed to "instant" everything!  Some people may consider "instant ramen" a good meal - only because it can be made in three minutes. I once went to a hamburger stand many years ago and saw a sign - "if we can't get your food for you in 30 seconds, you get it free!"

I thought to myself, "I don't really want it free, can you take maybe four or five minutes, and do it right?"

When I see people today, everyone is rushing around doing this and that with no time for anything. Everyone tells me, "I'm so busy, I'm so busy!" Yes, it is important to work hard and build a good life for one's self.  At the same time, we have a profound paradox that in building a good life, we compromise our very same lives by being pulled back and forth with much too much on our plates and in our heads.

Answers may not be answered according to our own schedule - answers come when they come as part of the natural process of our training from day to day.  We often forget that our commitment to training, the natural day to day fact of our lives, is a natural process of increasing this and decreasing and this is all part of the answer to what we are truly searching for.

The castle does not think of being enveloped by dark shadows, nor does the moon think to brighten the castle walls at night.  It does so on its own, by itself, without purpose or attachment, all is accomplished as it should be in this world - naturally over time and only with commitment.

Please commit to practice Aikido hard without thought or desire.

A warrior always under promises and over produces.

A warrior always under promises and over produces.

Bushi no ichigon comes from the Japanese proverb Bushi no ichigon kintetsu no gotoshi which means "The single word from a warrior is as unbreakable as the bond formed when gold and iron are combined."

Martial artists are supposed to be upright people of principle.  If we say we are going to do something then we do it.

This idea of bushi no ichigon is a work in progress for most of us.  When I was a student, I used to get into trouble all the time.  One of the main reasons why Furuya Sensei would have to scold me was because I "over promised and under produced."  Whenever he would ask me to do something, I would always say yes because I wanted him to like me and think favorably of me.  What I didn't understand was that Sensei was a "do-er."  He liked to get things done and if he asked me to do something it meant that he wanted me to get it done no matter what.  It only took a few hundred scoldings to realize this and stop doing it.

This idea of over promising and under producing is something that I see a lot in new students as well.  With just a cursory understanding of Aikido and the commitment that it take to master it, they always over estimate themselves.  This is not a bad thing per se, but it can lead to misunderstandings, miscommunications and hurt feelings.

It takes a long time to understand one's self and to gain the skill of maintaining healthy boundaries in order to practice bushi no ichigon.  When we understand ourselves better and maintain healthy boundaries, we can then fulfill the things that we say that we will do.

Calmness is mastery

"Calmness, not skill, is the sign of a mature samurai. A samurai should neither be arrogant or egotistical." - Tsukahara Bokuden

A day or so ago at the Nagoya Sumo Basho, both Hakuho and Harumafuji lost to maegashira or the lowest ranked wrestlers at the tournament.  When a maegashira beats a yokozuna it is called kimboshi.  Both Hakuho and Harumafuji are Sumo Grand Champions or yokozuna.  A yokozuna is supposed to be the pinnacle of sumo and a grand champion must always conduct themselves with the highest amount of decorum and poise as they are sumo.  At the highest level of sumo, a yokozuna is supposed to be in a state of calmness and composure or (安定した).  The ability to calm down is called ochitsuku (落ち着く).  Both states of calmness and the act of becoming calm are the marks of true mastery.

Last night when Hakuho and Harumafuji lost, they both showed a lack of composure.  When Hakuho's bout started to change in favor of his opponent Ikioi, Hakuho showed a lack of ability to ochitsuki when he uncharacteristically lost his cool and tried to force the win and thus lost his balance.  Harumafuji also lost in grand fashion as Yoshikaze threw him down and as the cameras followed him to the dressing rooms he showed he wasn't anteishita as he was seen getting angry and snapping at one of his subordinates.

Anyone can be defeated by anyone, but only a true master can defeat themselves.  When one reaches this level, they get a certain air about them - they seem to have a sense of calm and the ability to stay calm.  A person who only values skill or the physicality of a art will always have a sense of discord about them.  Whether a person with mastery wins or loses, they are still calm.  People with a low level of mastery are always turbulent vacillating between highs and lows.

As Tsukahara Bokuden said, "Calmness, not skill, is the sign of a mature samurai. A samurai should neither be arrogant or egotistical."  Thus, we train not just for physical mastery but mastery over every aspect of ourselves.

"With our thoughts, we make the world." - Unknown

"We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world." - Unknown

I am often asked, "What is the best way to learn?"  Truth be told, there is no substitute for going to class.

One should do their best to be present and focused as to what is being taught when one is in class.  The two basic ways to be a better learner is to listen carefully and watch diligently.

Listening carefully seems obvious but how many of us actually drift off.  I know I do and it can be a constant struggle to keep my ears from tuning out.  Listening carefully enables us to "hear" what is being taught.

Watching diligently shouldn't be that hard but like listening, we also sometimes zone out and miss what the teacher is teaching.  Our eyes glaze over and we actually don't see what is being taught.  Watching diligent enables us to "see" what is being taught.

Listening and watching are a given as to what is necessary to learn, but just because we understand their importance doesn't mean we can do it.

One of the best ways to listen carefully and watch diligently is to use active positive self-talk.  When the teacher demonstrates the technique, follow along in your mind and say the steps to yourself using the same cuing or directions that the teacher is emphasizing.  The words or cuing we use should be short one to two words per step.  For instance, the teacher says, "Slide in, turn, step back." As you watch the demonstration, you mutter the words silently to yourself.  With this type of self-talk, we are  imprinting the technique into our minds with the proper steps.

This active talk actually enables us to engage our minds, clarify the right behavior and decrease the amount of negative chatter in our minds (notice I used the word positive before).  "We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world" is an often miss-attributed to the Buddha but it's still appropriator here.  Using active positive self-talk enables us to learn Aikido properly and thus make our own world. 

So when you talk to yourself, what do you say?  Be mindful to be active but also to be kind and compassionate to yourself as well.

Fight one more round!

“Fight one more round. When your feet are so tired that you have to shuffle back to the centre of the ring, fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired you wish your opponent would crack you one on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round – remembering that the man who always fights one more round is never whipped.” - James "Gentleman Jim" Corbett

Don't ever give up.  A warrior's greatest asset is their ability to preserve and over come the odds.  Gentleman Jim's assertion could be the warrior's inner dialogue which drives them to the finish.  Perseverance, drive and commitment are those things which cannot be taught and are only learned along the way.

Mark Twain once wrote, "It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."  When things are rough and seemingly not going our way it really does comes down to the size of the fight in our hearts and warriors never give up!

Nobody said it was going to be easy...

七転び八起き Nanakorobi yaoki Fall down seven times and stand up eight

Furuya Sensei used to say, "To step off the path even a step takes a million miles to get back."  The hardest part about the Way is living it.  Living the Way means living our lives with conviction by a set of rules, boundaries or codes of conduct that we will do our best not to break.  Being resolved to live a certain way is easy to say but extremely hard to do.  It is easy to say, "I don't do" this thing or that thing but quite another to put it into practice.  The samurai referred to this practice of conviction as bushi no ichi-gon or "a warrior says one thing."  This warriors code dictates that we are resolved to make our actions, words and thoughts be in alignment with each other.  The honest truth is that I probably spend more time failing and stepping off the path than I do staying on the path, but that is human nature.

The proverb "Fall seven times and stand up eight" is usually depicted with a Daruma doll that has kind of a wobbly shape called okiagari in Japanese.  Oki means to get up and agari means to rise.  None of us are perfect, but what we can be perfect at is getting back up once we have fall down- Aikido can be thought of as the physical manifestation of this practice.

There is only one defeat and that is giving up.  At any given moment, we get the chance to do it better.  We can choose to step back on the path and choose to do better.  For me, my personal mantra is "I seek only to improve" and that helps me get back up and dust myself off and begin again.  That is all any of us have and that is all any of us need - the courage to try again.  One of the few things that separates humans from animals is the opportunity to change.  The lion doesn't have a choice to stalk, kill and eat his prey- it is in his nature.  It is in our nature to change, adapt and overcome.  It is in our nature to be better.  The Way is hard, but nobody said it was easy.

It can be hard, its supposed to be

 

The secret to success - Don't give up, just keep going.

Doesn't matter what we are doing or for what reason.  The only way to succeed is to never give up.  In Japanese this is called gaman (我慢).  To gaman is to patiently preserve in order to see something to its end.

It is sooo easy to quit when something become difficult or uncomfortable.  What people who quit don't know is that the obstacle is the path.  The obstacle sheds light on the real path and is there to teach us something about ourselves.  If we quit, then we miss that golden opportunity.

I know it can be hard, its supposed to be.  Only through the challenge can we truly change.

Let it be

 

"Everything is connected.  There are no coincidences." - Unknown

All around us are the signs or signals helping to push us in the right direction in life.  These signs are called synchronicities or as most people just call them "coincidences."  The problem is that most times we are completely unaware of their presence.  Every once in awhile I stumble upon one of them and I am always in awe and humbled when I do.

The other day as I was prepping to pick up a high ranking well known visitor who was coming to teach at our dojo and I was rushing around and starting to stress out. As I got into the car and started driving to the airport a song came on the radio that caught my attention.  I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I actually hadn't even noticed that the radio was on.

The song that came on was Let It Be by the Beatles (Now mind you I am not even a Beatles fan).  The Let it be part of the song caught my subconscious and it was one of those head turning moments.  I stopped thinking about all the trials and tribulations ahead and just focused on listening to the song.  Strangely I found that the song spoke to me.

When I find myself in times of trouble Mother Mary comes to me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be And in my hour of darkness She is standing right in front of me Speaking words of wisdom, let it be Let it be, let it be Let it be, let it be Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

It helped to remind me what Aikido is all about.  Let it be is harmony.  While I was waiting at the airport I Googled the song's origin and came upon an interview with Paul McCartney where he described the origin of the song.  At the time of the song's creation, Paul felt a bit disillusioned and lost in his life.  One night in a dream his mother who had passed away came to him and said in a gentle reassuring way, "Let it be."  When he awoke he felt a sense of calm and the message that he took away from the dream was: Be gentle, don’t fight things, just try and go with the flow and it will all work out.  I was surprised because these ideas are the essence of Aikido.

Ideally, the secrets to the universe are all around us.  We just have the awareness to see them.  It's not something that you have to force.  Just let it be and they will come.

If you want to read the entire article, please click the link below. Let it be

Today is National Simplicity Day.

Today is National Simplicity Day. From the outside looking in all martial arts look very simple.  However, when we delve into them, we realize that they are actually quite complex.

When something is simple but complex, in Japanese it is called kanso ( 簡素).  For something to be kanso it must be almost outwardly simple yet be internally complex.

Most martial arts are this way.  They are always designed to be economical yet they are layered in such a way that it makes them complex.

Human beings are the same way.  When we judge people by their outward appearance, actions or speech, we run the risk of seeing them to simplistically.  We are all much deeper than we appear.

Today, as we celebrate National Simplicity day, please don't forget to look a bit deeper beyond the surface.  Henry David Thoreau said, “In proportion as he simplifies his life, the laws of the universe will appear less complex, and solitude will not be solitude, nor poverty poverty, nor weakness weakness.”

Challenges help us change

 

"Those that seek the easy way do not seek the true Way." - Dogen

The fact of the matter is that training in the martial arts presents challenges.  There is no such thing as a prodigy.  No one wakes up or is born just "knowing."  Each of us has to put in the time, energy and work - no one is immune.

When we are presented with a situation that is difficult or challenging we have two ways of looking at it.  The first, and healthiest way, is too see it as an opportunity.  The second, and less healthy way, is to see it as some type of burden or as a oppressive catastrophe.

Challenges help us change.  Nobody ever improves themselves by playing it safe.

So, it is not that change needs to come by way of challenge.  It is just how we are wired as human beings.  When things are good, we tend to not look inward.  There is an old sports saying that is pertinent, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn."

Warriors are people who deal in change and their currency is challenge.  To improve anything, one needs to first look upon a challenge as an opportunity for growth and ultimately necessary for change.  Warriors of old understood that adversity is the necessary building block of character.

Change requires challenge and challenge causes change.

Do you choose?

I Choose…

to live by choice, not by chance; to make changes, not excuses; to be motivated, not manipulated; to be useful, not used; to excel, not to compete. I choose self-esteem, not self-pity. I choose to listen to my inner voice, Not the random opinion of others.

I choose to be me.

- Author unknown

Martial artists are people of choice.  This quote could be the mantra of the martial artist.

We choose this path (the Way) which dictates that we be people of stature.  Thus we are steadfast in not only our beliefs but in our conduct too.

The road of the warrior is not well traveled.  We are the people that we are because we choose to follow the way of the warrior.  What do you choose?

The path to the Dark side

 

"Fear is the path to the Dark side.  Fear leads to anger.  Anger leads to hate.  Hate leads to suffering." -Yoda

In these turbulent times, please don't forget your training.

To follow the Way is to follow the path of equanimity.  Anger, hatred and violence only lead to more suffering.  Usually we are the ones who suffers in the end.

A true warrior must never let themselves be consumed by their emotions because as Yoda said, "It is the path to the Dark side."

A true warrior strives to get to a place called heijoshin or the everyday or ordinary mind.  To get to this place of equanimity one needs training.  We cannot get there sitting at home waiting for the day to arrive.  We must be proactive and challenge ourselves head on.  Anything else is just delusion.

The greatest things are accomplished by ordinary people

 

Furuya Sensei believed that Aikido is egalitarian - open to anyone willing to put in the work.

When we think about accomplishment, sometimes we think that only people with super-human like gifts are able to reach the highest pinnacles.  Sometimes this is true in that the JFK's of the world with the opportunity, pedigree and prowess are successful.

However, in more times than not, the person who reaches the highest summit is usually just a seemingly average person, but under that ordinary exterior they posses the drive, determination and perseverance to succeed.

Strong, fast, young, athletic, flexible, good-looking or wealthy doesn't get one out of bed nor does it motivate them to go to class especially when they don't want to.  The catalyst for success is a mixture of having the drive to go and do something, the determination to do it and the perseverance to keep going in spite of obstacles.  Drive, determination and perseverance know no gender, age, athleticism, or socioeconomic background.

We are all the same - we all suffer, are all lonely, are all insecure and we all must put in the work to accomplish something.  Aikido is egalitarian because only those seemingly ordinary people who are willing to put themselves out there, put in the work and keep going despite the odds get good.

Mokuso - to look inward in silent contemplation

 

Before class begins, students should clear their minds so that they are ready to learn.  To clear one's mind and look inward in silent contemplation is called mokuso (黙想).  Here is a nice article written by Furuya Sensei about the need to be in right mindset in order to learn.

Enjoy!

Look & Listen by Rev. Kensho Furuya

Nowadays, I don't think there is anything more important in practice than to look hard and listen carefully.  One must not only focus on their teacher but also be aware of everything around that is happening in practice and in the dojo which might be related to practice. When it comes to idle gossip and chit-chat, just run away as fast as you can! But even the slightest hint of instruction, clue or hint to improve your practice, catch it right away and don't lose it or forget it!

This is a very important skill to develop, not only for one’s Aikido, but in every aspect of daily life.

More often than not, people do not understand because of what they are hearing or seeing is too difficult to understand.  This is merely because they are not listening closely enough or seeing hard enough. Much of the time, we are so filled with our own ideas and conclusions that there is no room in their heads for anything else. Much of the time, however, we are just not there in the present. Many times, good Aikido is just the result of paying attention and following the instructions and practicing earnestly, sincerely and with awareness.

Don't bring the outside inside

Whenever you enter a dojo or a Japanese person's home we are kindly asked to leave our shoes in the genkan or front entrance way.  From a practical standpoint, we are being asked not to bring in the dirt from the outside.  From a dojo standpoint, we are being asked to leave the outside world at the door. This simple act is actually a martial arts training metaphor - don't bring the outside inside.  The teaching we are trying to actualize is creating this calm demeanor inside that is not disturbed by anything from the outside.  Nothing should disturb us when we are confronted by an opponent.

To not let anything outside of us affect the inside of us is very difficult to achieve.  In Buddhism, it is called equanimity and in swordsmanship it is called the non-abiding mind.  A dojo is place where we get to go and work on our equanimity and thus the environment needs to be free of outside distractions.  Furuya Sensei used to say, "Cut off your head and leave it outside the door."

In the beginning we try and leave the outside world outside, but later as we improve we  try and manifest what we learned in the dojo in the outside world.  If we can do that then we can get to a place in our lives where we don't need to "react" and thus can act appropriately to the situation.  If one can get to a point where they can observe their opponent and not react then you will have taken the first step toward what the Buddhists call mushin or no-mind which is one of the highest states of consciousness in not only Buddhism, but in the martial arts too.

To travel toward a state of mushin, begin by leaving the outside world and all its problems and stresses outside.  As Sensei used to say, "Only bring what is good from the outside into the dojo and then only take what is good inside the dojo and apply it to your life outside of the dojo."  This is how studying the martial arts makes you a better person.

Becoming a better martial artist begins with taking off our shoes before we enter the dojo leaving the outside world outside.  Please don't let the outside affect your inside.

The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. - Joseph Campbell

"There is nothing noble in being superior to some other person. True nobility is being superior to your former self."  ~Hindu proverb

It is said that all paths lead to the same top of the mountain.  This Hindu proverb has the same connotation as O Sensei's, Masakatsu, Agatsu or "The true victory is the victory over one's self."  The only real opponent that exists is you.  This can be a hard concept for some to realize.  For many it takes a long time to fully realize let alone actualize.  We are sometimes our own worst enemies.  When we can realize this, the real battle begins and that opponent knows all of our moves and tricks.

How do we begin this battle?  This hard fought battle begins with first accepting that the only opponent that exists is you.  Secondly we now have to undertake the journey within.  Mythologist Joseph Campbell referenced this journey when he said,  "The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek."  This was the basis for the scene in Empire Strike's Back where Luke enters the cave on Dagobah.  Next, the battle begins as we struggle with the truths of who we are and who we have become.  It is a struggle because some of those things may be painful or uncomfortable.  Finally, we come to a place where we have to let go.  We let go because the resistance we put forth will become too heavy of a burden.   At this final stage we should feel a bit lighter as the burdens we have carried for so long are lifted.  When the battle is through the things that burdened us or blurred the path will no longer be relevant and thus we can now move freely.  This unencumbered movement is the goal of every great martial art and that is why O Sensei said, Masakatsu, Agatsu  or that "The true victory is the victory over one's self."

Photo credit:Joey Mason Art

It's Shoganai

"It's shoganai." How Elie Wiesel responded is similar to the Japanese concept of shoganai.  Shogani roughly translates with almost a shrug of indifference as "It couldn't be helped."

Years ago, I asked Furuya Sensei about his family's experience during World War II and the internment camps.  I asked him, "What was it like for them?"  With a shrug he said, "It was shoganai" and then he didn't say another word about it.

Shoganai isn't a nihilist way of looking at life.  It is a Japanese perspective similar to Elie Wiesel's after losing all of his money to Bernie Madoff.  Shoganai enables the Japanese to maintain balance where the don't let the adversity of the situation change them one way or another.

Saying, "shogani" enables them to accept the circumstance and move on.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/elie-wiesel-responded-losing-life-230108873.html

Got balance

 

Happy July 1st!  Welcome to the literal and figurative halfway point of the year.

On this specific day of the year, we have the unique occasion of having one foot in the past and one foot in the future.

This idea of being in the middle makes one think of balance especially when it comes to living our lives.  Obvious questions might be "Did we get done what we hoped on January 1st" or "What do we still want to get do?"

Having it all means having a balance between all the elements that make up our lives: work, family, social, and pursuits like Aikido training.

Furuya Sensei said, "Training is like brushing one's teeth - it must be done daily."  With that in mind each aspect of our lives like work, family, social, and training are like each one of our individual teeth which must be brushed daily.  We cannot make any single one more important than the others - each deserves its just desert.

Life has a way of getting in the way, but if we let any one aspect over take any other then balance is lost.  Albert Einstein said, "Life is like riding a bicycle.  To keep your balance, you must keep moving."  Keeping moving means doing our best to strike a balance between our work, families, social obligations, and, of course, training.

Aikido training teaches us that life is a matter of balance.  What we want out of life depends on what we put into it.  Balance requires that we put a little here, take a little away from there in a constant process of evaluation.

Today is the beginning of the rest of the year.  How will you maintain your balance?

Polish your soul first

Yaki tachi wo saya ni osamete, masumasu masurao no kokoro wo togari keri "Before you draw your tempered blade, keep it in its saya and polish your soul first."

What a great Japanese proverb.  It doesn't say anything about kicking butt, winning medals or smashing people.  This seemingly succinct statement sums up what training in the martial arts is really all about - developing one's self.

Picture source: https://about.me/flaviogallozzi

Kogun Funtou - to fight alone

 

Kogun funtou 孤軍奮闘 To fight alone

In the end, nobody really exists but you.  In philosophy this idea that no other mind exists is called Solipsism.  I'm not trying to get all nihilistic here nor am I speaking about oneness in a narcissistic sense but what this idiom means is that when it comes down to it we are alone in our efforts.  No one is coming to save us or going to make us better - it is solely our job to get it done.

Training in the martial arts is a solitary pursuit.  We are influenced by our classmates and our teachers, but the improvements we acquire are ours alone and with that being said solely under our own power.  Rarely can anyone provoke us to get out of bed or off the couch and go to class.  Most times, we make an active choice to improve our lives by going out and pursuing that thing that we want.

There is an African saying, "If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together."  Kogun funtou is the first part of this saying in that to get what we want we must do it under our own power.  However, true change and lasting tranquility is only acquired when we share ourselves with other people.  In other words, it is only when another human being enters into our world is humanity truly created.  It is the same with art - it only becomes "art" when it is shared with the world.

In Aikido, this is where we come to understand the interdependent cycle of humanity.  We cannot improve if we don't do it under our own power, but man cannot evolve unless we share ourselves with others.