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Old 08-15-2009, 10:41 AM   #85
Buck
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 950
United_States
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Re: True Internal Strength

Now, true internal strength is a property of the individual that here relates to the stuff of the mind, mental strength in turn relates to character building.

Aikido creates an opportunity, I believe, for character building. Not everyone is able to or takes advantage of this opportunity to build character. Aikido an art, I am dedicated in the same way as others are dedicated and believing other things, like being on a sports team, believing in and being dedicated in something you create, build, or produce. An example, relating to me is, being in a band. Yes, there is a sense of pride I take in Aikido.

This sense of pride is a result of, having the opportunity like so many other fellow Aikidokas the opportunity to build character. I find there are many people in Aikido who focus strictly on being waza performance. That is all they are about when it comes to Aikido. They simply take Aikido at that level, and it is reflected upon all the other things in Aikido and the way they see it. Some of these people have a limited sense of pride when it comes to Aikido. There pride lays in an attitude that has really nothing to do with Aikido, but more with their own personal stuff, and reasons for taking Aikido. That is unfortunate, because when there is an absence of pride in anything, it become hallow, empty, disposable. It lacks a soul. IMO.

That is why character building is so important in Aikido and is stressed in so many worthwhile martial arts. It starts with true internal strength and without struggle to overcome something difficult, to see things in a positive way that maybe frustrating and seemingly impossible to achieve.

I am glad, despite the fact it is a mysterious conundrum, that O'Sensei felt it was important to put spirituality into Aikido. At best from what I understand generally a spirituality of positive character behaviors according to his times and his culture. Something that can be applied to our generation. I am generally speaking toward, of course, his views of violence, love, and peace.

It takes allot of internal strength not be violent, and we see that precept in allot of important and influential world philosophies and religions. This of course says peace also takes allot of internal strength. It is clear and obvious to me, that the majority of the world's societies recognize the value of peace over violence. That reflects upon the community level, and on the personal level. Most of us want to live in peace and not in violence, and often times that can be difficult, especially when we are faced with a situation where violence would seemly be easy to enact.

People get really emotional. They allow their emotions to over-ride and dictate reason and other parts of their personally. What I mean is people with quick-tempers, and has no internal strength to control it. People who have (adult tantrums) when frustrated, upset over-something, when they don't understand something, and stuff like that. All behavior we started with as children and haven't grown out of. Behavior that isn't or should be accepted in the dojo.

When in practice we have to discipline ourselves from being confrontational, quick-tempered, and belligerent and all that raw uncultured emotional stuff. Otherwise, if we don't discipline our emotions, our tongues, our thinking, and attitudes then there no learning, no harmony, and stuff. It becomes a violent and not a peaceful place where cooperation happens among people to reach their goals. Most of all, not having a pleasant environment to enjoy practice.

Here is our first step to true internal strength. Our first step in understanding the benefits of developing character that leads IMO to greater learning, greater knowledge and skill mentally and then physically universally in all things we do. And at least for me, that is what Aikido is about, true internal strength, not to be confused with the Chinese martial arts term of internal strength refering to the physical applications, and principles of the body in Chinese martial arts.