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Our dojo is off paintballing on saturday. Paintball is most of our guy's other passion in life and it's taken at least as seriously as Aikido.
I think training together is what makes us such an effective unit, we all know each others personalities and how we'll react to things. There's no need to refer to each other in a tight spot. Sometimes you see/hear n00bs or WOWs having lengthy discussions about how to get out of situation, while they're in it. Or arguing over who owes who how much for lending paint.
Obviously they don't trust their mates to pay them back. For us it's simple, I have paint, you need paint, therefore I give you paint. If I leave you in a weakened state then I am in a weakened state. On a paintball field there is no you and me there's just us. Mind you we're the same with money off the field. "I have no money" isn't an excuse for staying in on saturday night.
There's no leadership issues either, everyone recognises everyone elses strengths and weaknesses, and their own, and everyones committed to winning the game, so command shifts easily to the person best suited.
Also I think Aikido is what gives us discipline, everyone works as part of a team, no-one goes off glory hunting. No-ones off on a trigger happy, adrenalin fueled rampage.
Actually the interesting thing is the lack of an adrenalin rush, everyone is very calm, I've seen it in real confrontations too.
There's a hightenend sense of awareness but that's it, no narrowing of vision or heavy breathing, the heart rate stays normal.
If anything the calm is interesting.
I reckon it's a product of Aikido as well, the endless meditation-like practice makes us very aware of our emotional states and ability to control them and the hard, fast randori teaches us to deal with pressure and builds confidence.
The confidence is major part of it also, we expect to win. Dropping a game doesn't phase us, we shrug it off and make sure we win the next one. Three game loosing streak? Fine we'll blitz them on the next two games so that there's time for an extra game and beat them 4-3. We have a definate can do ethic.
That and one of our guys can put down about 1000 rounds a minute. We joke that we need him to aim and fire, one of us to keep his hopper loaded, one of us to pass ammo to the loader and one more to piss on the barrel so it doesn't overheat.
I can't claim that Aikido made his ability to fan the trigger any better though.
01-12-2009 10:42 PM 
