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Old 03-01-2012, 11:50 AM   #78
jonreading
 
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Dojo: Aikido South
Location: Johnson City, TN
Join Date: Aug 2004
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Re: How to be non-competitive in a competitive world

Yeah, like Matthew... I'll bite...

First, I think we are really talking about the role of "sport", not "competition". Competition is a necessary part of all life, a theory put forth by Mr. Darwin. Sport is a luxury of pastime and not germane to the survival of life. To argue humans should be less competitive would be at some level in conflict with the theory of evolution. However, the use of "competition" and "sport" have become synonymous, even though there is a difference.

This world holds a limited number of resources, each life within the world driven to accumulate that which it needs to survive. It is only a recent development that humans have become so successful at acquiring what they need to survive they may acquire excess in both resources and time. In fact, so recent is the reality of this transition as there are still many individuals within cultures and cultures themselves that are not successful in this endeavor.

Budo is about resolution, not competition. I believe the spirit in which O Sensei spoke against competition was actually an admonishment for turning aikido into a pastime activity of contention. I contend that aikido is not sport. But I also contend that competition is about acquiring that which you need, even if the resource is limited. Winning and losing are labels for sport. For me, "non-competition" is like saying, "try not to acquire that which you need." If you have a need, you must to commit to satisfy the need; competition will determine if you are successful or not (i.e. no one starves to death by choice; rather, we starve by an inability to acquire [sufficient] food).

Most of us are fortunate to live within cultures where needs are typically satisfied. I can purchase my rice from a grocery store instead of contending with the local druglord's .50 cal machine gun anchored to the back of a truck stationed at my local food depot. I can let someone take the last bag of rice because there are beans in the next isle. I will not starve because I have no need for excess food. Likewise, to argue that we should be less competitive is an argument based upon the assertion that we do not have [the need] to use our aikido to protect ourselves. The superficiality of the argument disqualifies this statement (to be non-competitive) as budo.

Budo is a challenge to become better. It is a method of resolving that within you that is at conflict. As a point of argument, the very nature of our choice to train aikido was likely one of competition. When we walked through the door for the first time, did we not, on some level, deem ourselves in need of something (presumably aikido)? What was it about aikido that made it a better choice then tai chi, yoga, karate, or any number of other endeavors that competed to claim resolution to your need? Did karate "lose" because you chose to train aikido? Did aikido "win" your commitment?

Last edited by jonreading : 03-01-2012 at 11:53 AM.
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