AikiWeb Aikido Forums - View Single Post - Overcoming the siren song of the Shodan(and beyond)

John McBride · 08-09-2016, 08:41 PM

Garth,
Thank you for your response. Good advice.

As sore as I am right now (post return to mat) I have to say that the LAST thing on my mind is testing/promotion. At the top of my list though, is getting my body back into shape.
Interesting how priorities shift radically once training has begun.

I have sort of made a deal with myself, something of a little mind trick. I have decided to set a goal, then get to work on accomplishing the goal. The goal is to test for Shodan by my 50th birthday. (I turn 46 this February).
Notice I said "test by" my 50th.
The thought here is, give myself something to "break down into small bites." If I can focus on those small bites like, having both a left foot and right foot, a left hand and a right hand on the mat, versus two left and two right, learning to fall correctly again, relearning my body and how it moves now versus trying to make it move like it did when I was 20, then it would possibly give me freedom from the afore mentioned siren song.
The bottom line being...ok, I have this goal. I may reach it, I may not. But I have many many small things to work on in the mean time, and my focus needs to be on them, not the long game right now. I need to be mindful in each class and focus on joyful practice......maybe delusional, but to fight against my own nature, or to try to eradicate what is simply part of my make up at this time, is an impediment to my practice I think. Better to embrace this facet of the experience (as was mentioned by Mary) and just keep the goal in the back of my head.

Another point, Garth mentioned teaching. Initially I thought, "yeah....right....like I'll ever be skilled enough"
But Garth has planted a seed. I couldn't imagine actually being skilled enough to teach, but in my experience, the best instruction is often given by a room full of beginners. What a gift it must be to be an instructor. Not only do you play a part in passing this art along, but you get the opportunity to learn so much from all those students.
Garth, that is a wonderful new goal to perhaps work towards, rather than naked ranking etc. As always, perhaps it will never happen, but to have that as a goal instead seems to hold much more value than just a Shodan or what have you.......thank you, that's a wonderful thing to meditate on.

08-09-2016, 08:41 PM	#7
John McBride Dojo: NA Location: Wheat Ridge Join Date: Jul 2016 Posts: 13 Offline	Re: Overcoming the siren song of the Shodan(and beyond) Garth, Thank you for your response. Good advice. As sore as I am right now (post return to mat) I have to say that the LAST thing on my mind is testing/promotion. At the top of my list though, is getting my body back into shape. Interesting how priorities shift radically once training has begun. I have sort of made a deal with myself, something of a little mind trick. I have decided to set a goal, then get to work on accomplishing the goal. The goal is to test for Shodan by my 50th birthday. (I turn 46 this February). Notice I said "test by" my 50th. The thought here is, give myself something to "break down into small bites." If I can focus on those small bites like, having both a left foot and right foot, a left hand and a right hand on the mat, versus two left and two right, learning to fall correctly again, relearning my body and how it moves now versus trying to make it move like it did when I was 20, then it would possibly give me freedom from the afore mentioned siren song. The bottom line being...ok, I have this goal. I may reach it, I may not. But I have many many small things to work on in the mean time, and my focus needs to be on them, not the long game right now. I need to be mindful in each class and focus on joyful practice......maybe delusional, but to fight against my own nature, or to try to eradicate what is simply part of my make up at this time, is an impediment to my practice I think. Better to embrace this facet of the experience (as was mentioned by Mary) and just keep the goal in the back of my head. Another point, Garth mentioned teaching. Initially I thought, "yeah....right....like I'll ever be skilled enough" But Garth has planted a seed. I couldn't imagine actually being skilled enough to teach, but in my experience, the best instruction is often given by a room full of beginners. What a gift it must be to be an instructor. Not only do you play a part in passing this art along, but you get the opportunity to learn so much from all those students. Garth, that is a wonderful new goal to perhaps work towards, rather than naked ranking etc. As always, perhaps it will never happen, but to have that as a goal instead seems to hold much more value than just a Shodan or what have you.......thank you, that's a wonderful thing to meditate on.