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Old 06-01-2004, 09:42 AM   #22
jxa127
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 420
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Re: Define your own warrior code for living?

Quote:
Bill Duncan wrote:
How do you seriously define your very own warrior code for living at the present time, if you have one, or had to
have one ?
Why does there have to be a warrior code? How many of us are truly warriors?

I believe aikido is a fantastic art for resolving conflict and self defense. It can include lethal or very damaging reponses to attacks. Great stuff. It's also a really good tool for learning more about one's self.

BUT, studying aikido does not make me a warrior. I'm not part of a nation's armed forces. I don't train to kill people and take territory (Army/Marines), patrol the seas (Navy), or shoot down planes/bomb the ground (Air Force).

Okay, so you don't have to be a warrior to live by the warrior's code. I believe in honor and integrity, both things expected of military personnel. But much of the modern warrior code has to do with how one should behave relative to the military hierarchy -- something I'm not a part of.

Ah, but aikido is descended from samurai arts, so we'll use that warrior code. The problem with this approach is that the samurai code that most people think of is a romantic ideal that is historically dubious. Furthermore, it also deals with how to behave relative to one's place in society and includes a lot of oppression of the lower classes and the demand for total sacrifice of to one's lord.

Bottom line: I'm not a warrior and don't want to be. Studying aikido no more makes one a warrior than standing in a garage makes one a car.

My code is based on my upbringing, religious beliefs, and life experiences. Aikido complements and enhances my sense of ethics when it comes to conflicts. It does not define them.

Regards,

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-Drew Ames
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