The Intersectionality of Aikido and Life Lessons
I have been studying the art of Yoshinkan Aikido for more years than I care to recall, and will never claim to be a great practitioner. However, over the years, not only have I learned a myriad of techniques, I have met some of the best people I care to know and have retained some lessons that translated well to everyday life.
The first concept is "agatsu", loosely translated as "victory against yourself". When I first heard this term, it was during an extremely grueling class and the head instructor spent a lot of time (while we were kneeling in "seiza") explaining the concept of agatsu. Basically he said no one can make you better except yourself. Conversely, no one can hold you back more than you can yourself. The pain must have made me more receptive to listening, because I have not forgotten that lecture. I limped away understanding that the lesson was pretty much that you can be your own worst enemy and don't worry so much about how good the person next to is, be the best you that you can be and beat whatever artificial barriers you have created for yourself.
The second lesson I retained is "nanakorobi yaoki". Loosely translated, it means to fall down seven times, get up eight. In other words, it's not the fall or failure that's important, it's what you do afterwards. You can go down and stay down, or you can fall and get up, and keep getting up.
So when I am feeling like I am "not good enough" or catch myself wondering why some person is "better" than me, I think back to agatsu. I realize that the only meaningful victory is victory against myself and those doubts that creep in. I realize that I can be my best self, and that is pretty darn good.
During those times when I fail at something, I have to remember, "fall seven times, get up eight".
I hope I've passed these tenets on to my children, my Aikido students, and people who I want to see happy and successful, however they care to define success. Lastly, another term I heard often on the mats, "ganbatte"......do your best!
DEIB is more than awareness… its about attracting, developing and retaining your top talent. I focus on KPIs that matter.
5 年When I took Aikido as a child I remember that I learned to follow the natural flow of movement to counter your opponent. In life that opponent is life in itself. We have to learn to let go and let things work their own way in order to be able to leverage the energy that life provides us.