How does aikido change us?

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[Mary Eastland]

How has aikido changed our lives?

I can’t blame anyone for anything anymore. I have learned that I am responsible for my choices, responses and feelings. When uke grabs hard or follows strangely I can’t feel their resistance. I feel my own.

I can’t blame or rationalize situations anymore. I am aware of my surroundings. I see situations as a whole instead from a self centered view. I am more relaxed.

I am bigger. When I started aikido I was thin and weak. Now I am big and strong.

I can face my fears and do new things. I am mindful a lot of the time. I have developed compassion. I listen better. I have more understanding for other people’s ideas. I like some people better because I can trust myself more. I am generally happier and more comfortable in the world.

How has aikido changed you?
Mary

[senshincenter]

"I can't blame anyone for anything anymore. I have learned that I am responsible for my choices, responses and feelings. When uke grabs hard or follows strangely I can't feel their resistance. I feel my own."

Beautifully said. Thank you.

[SeiserL]

IMHO, Aikido didn't change me, I used the opportunity of Aikido to change.

[Russ Q]

What Lynn said....and....helps me realize there is no escape from the personal responsibility I have for the decisions I make in my life.....

Cheers,

Russ

[Mary Eastland]

Lynn...Yes..Well said.
any other thoughts?
M

[crbateman]

To a degree, I think Aikido helped me find myself; broadened my perspective. Where once there was impulse, now there is control. The change was my own, in following the many fine examples I've encountered along the way.

[phitruong]

aikido helped me feel more comfortable wearing skirt in public. however, my wife thought i should shave my legs too. i draw the line at shaving... legs that is. :D

say, those who have seen me in the skirts, does it make me look fat? i swear, the thing added 20 lbs to me. :)

[Marc Abrams]

aikido helped me feel more comfortable wearing skirt in public. however, my wife thought i should shave my legs too. i draw the line at shaving... legs that is. :D

say, those who have seen me in the skirts, does it make me look fat? i swear, the thing added 20 lbs to me. :)

Phil:

Have you ever considered getting a wax job rather than shaving? :eek:

marc abrams

[Mark Freeman]

I used aikido as a means to an end at a point when I desperately needed something to make sense in my life. Since then I have used it to grow as a person. And as Mary said it has helped me to understand taking personal responsibility. I know that these things can be gained through other means, but aikido has been a constant companion and challenger on my journey.

oh, and Phi don't shave, wax, far smoother, lasts longer and the momentary pain builds your martial mindset;)

[guest1234567]

The same what Mary said, thank you Mary. And I think more about peoples motives and try to understand them.

[Eva Antonia]

a) it made me happier than before
b) it makes me understand how addicts are feeling when they cannot get their drugs....
...but apart of this it did not change my human faults and deficiencies.

But happiness is already not too bad!

Best,

Eva

[phitruong]

Phil:

Have you ever considered getting a wax job rather than shaving? :eek:

marc abrams

are you crazy? did you not see the wax job scene in the movie "40 year old virgin"? i still have nightmare from that. budo is good and all, but there is just so much pain and suffering a man can endure, like having your mother-in-law stay at your house on thanksgiving. :crazy:

[amoeba]

I don't really believe Aikido changed me that much as a person, i.e. my character flaws or whatever, though I don't really know - I started as a teenager, so obviously I changed a lot anyway.

But it change things for me: before, I always felt really, really bad at sports. I liked doing them anyway, but I didn't believe I'd be any good at any sports, ever. Strangely, for Aikido I did seem to have some talent or at least I didn't do worse than anybody else. By now, I think I've actually become quite sporty and I don't think that would have happened without Aikido!

Besides, through seminars etc. I met a whole lot of people, I travel a lot to visit them, I even went to Stockholm to train and study there for three months. Without Aikido, I don't think I'd be so comfortable travelling around on my own. It did broaden my horizon in that way!

[Hanna B]

How has aikido changed you?


I wouldn't know, would I? I don't have a version of myself without the aikido experience, so I can't compare. I can rationalise and imagine that a lot of the personal growth I have been doing is due to aikido. But I honestly wouldn't know.

[Lorien Lowe]

I am more self-confident than I used to be.
I am more conscious of trusting other people on a daily basis, and less afraid of them.

[lbb]

Aikido is part of life, and life is change. Everybody goes through changes; those of us who practice aikido are no different.

[RonRagusa]

How has aikido changed our lives?


In ways we are often unaware of until we take the time and avail ourselves of the perfect vision afforded us by hindsight.

And Mir, it was Aikido that brought us together. A cancelled basketball game and a chance meeting after class; talk about life changing!

R.

[Mary Eastland]

Thanks for the reminder of our Aikido love story, Ron. I feel very blessed in this life we lead.
Mir

[sakumeikan]

Dear all,
While i would like to think that aikido can change a person for the better I know from bitter experience that aikido can equally change a person for the worse.I have seen guys in aikido who as students were seemingly nice guys, give the same guys a bit of authority-bang goes Dr Jekyll, enter Mr Hyde.In life the same thing happens when some guys on the workplace get promoted.The good? guy becomes a tyrant as a foreman supervisor etc.Why does power or status do this to some people?Answer is this, the guys who end up as tyrants always had this trait in their nature , the opportunity was not there to exert their influences toward their former colleagues. The aikidoka who were given this authority revealed their TRUE face.The good old boy routine was a mask.
I think that any change to ones own fundamental nature is a very hard thing to do.It can be done but it certainly takes time, and in my opinion is harder to do than any body art.
Sorry if I have a pretty jaundiced view of things, I simply state my own experiences.As they say what does not kill you , makes you stronger, so I gained much by having these experiences.
Cheers, Joe.

[sakumeikan]

aikido helped me feel more comfortable wearing skirt in public. however, my wife thought i should shave my legs too. i draw the line at shaving... legs that is. :D

say, those who have seen me in the skirts, does it make me look fat? i swear, the thing added 20 lbs to me. :)
Hi Phi,
Some like hairy people. However I think I would resist the temptation to grow a beard like ZZ Top while strutting around in fine quality skirts.As a Scot we of course can get away with having a bushy beard, a claymore in one hand, with no underwear under the kilt.Not forgetting the fact that we might well be 'blootered' ie drunk, resulting from a formidable consumption of fine Scottish Whisky.Have not seen your pictures , are you fetching?Do try and post one for our readers consideration.
Cheers, Joe.

[sakumeikan]

Hi Phi,
Some like hairy people. However I think I would resist the temptation to grow a beard like ZZ Top while strutting around in fine quality skirts.As a Scot we of course can get away with having a bushy beard, a claymore in one hand, with no underwear under the kilt.Not forgetting the fact that we might well be 'blootered' ie drunk, resulting from a formidable consumption of fine Scottish Whisky.Have not seen your pictures , are you fetching?Do try and post one for our readers consideration.
Cheers, Joe.
Post script,
In order to comply with equality across the sexes Scottish women can also on occasion [should the urge take them]have the same rights and privileges as we men.The women who do make the decision to emulate the men are much more ferocious-they take no prisoners.[Just Joking]

[aikidoka81]

I've become more relaxed, confident, better self-esteem, more alert and happier :)

[SteliosPapadakis]

Better overall balance (attitude in life, physical posture).
And, after a decade, i am left with two knees that have seen better days...:o

[lars beyer]

I have gone from mohawk to full beard.. and gradually it turns my hair grey.. I also started to wear skirts
and consider crossdressing.. like the rest of you guys ! :D

Apart from that I have become better at managing myself in a conflict and I am less scared and more happy with what I got, my sister, my parents, my friends and my life.
I feel happier and nomatter where I go in the world I can meet great people who are completely nerdy like myself and practise Aikido with them.
It hasn´t made me richer, but I feel a good sence of purpose without actually craving for it.
It also made me less ambitious about my career in the Filmbuisness maybe because I was wasting my life working 60 hour weeks constantly.
Now I am changing career so yes it is a game changer for me.

Peace
Lars

[Hanna B]

gradually it turns my hair grey

Aikido makes us older. It's true! Everyone who does aikido do get older!

[lars beyer]

Aikido makes us older. It's true! Everyone who does aikido do get older!

hehe !
:)

[LinTal]

Aikido made me face certain things, work through certain things. That's what creates the change for me! It's much less like a chemical reaction that happens by stepping onto the mat.

Though... the body pumps through some pretty fun chemicals with hard training... :D