One of those "if a tree falls in the forest" things, you ask? I thought so when I first read this phrase in Morihei Ueshiba's collection of quotes called The Art of Peace.
I didn't take Aikido because I wanted to feel physically safe. It seemed to me that in order to use Aikido as a method of self defense, one would have to be really gifted in the art. Even after earning a black belt, I still didn't feel confident that I was capable of winning a fight with a more powerful opponent. No, I was practicing Aikido because when I was on the mat I felt an exhilerating sense of being part of something much bigger than myself, an aliveness and energetic flow that felt terrific.
I overheard a father and son talking about the Karate lessons they were taking. The boy was surprised that he had never been in a situation where he needed to defend himself. The father said that that was the essense of learning a martial art. You realigned your energy with the practice. As your energy changes, you stop attracting potentially violent situations.
In short, if you have to use Aikido, you're not doing Aikido.
Since coming out on top in a successful physical altercation was not my goal, when did I feel like I "had to use Aikido"? Usually when I felt that I needed to defend myself in my interactions with friends, colleagues, or clients in order to protect what my ego told me was the "real me". Nice, verbal Aikido, of course.
As I continue practicing The Art of Peace, I've discovered that the "real me" needs no defense since it is not seperate from whatever surrounds me. That realization has made it much easer to better harmonize with whatever life gives me. After all, the real me is one with it all.
I remind myself that in order to feel that delicious sense oneness with life, all I have to do is stop using Aikido, and to start doing Aikido.
Finding Method in the Madness:
