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Old 05-10-2008, 03:56 PM   #43
Kevin Leavitt
 
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Dojo: Team Combat USA
Location: Olympia, Washington
Join Date: Jul 2002
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Re: Fight does not work at all in Aikido.

Peter,

Ledyard Sensei wrote better than I could ever write on the subject.

I think it is a complex topic and a personal one to figure out.

Following buddhist philosophy, I struggled for a long time about the conflict presented by my career path and that of my personal beliefs that it is wrong to kill.

Again, it is a complex path and process.

The other day my boss was pointed out that as a vegetarian that basically I was also a hippocrit because I put cheese on my sandwich and was wearing leather boots.

Of course he was correct. It is hard to explain. I think the Dali Lama has done a good job in the many books he has written. Many books on boddhisatvic practices as well deal with the subject better than I could ever write.

Anyway, the "road to killing" as a soldier can be a long process, it is not something that is sought out, nor is it something that you necessarily choose for yourself, but a part of Karma.

I think Musashi had some very good concepts, many of which George sums up concerning the life of a warrior.

I think those that ignore those points are at high risk for conflict and post traumatic stress.

I also think that karma plays a huge roll in things and that there are many enabling factors that lead to me having a gun in hand and having to pull the trigger.

We are all interconnected and responsible for everything as a whole world. Just like my boss pointed out the hypocrisy of being a vegetarian, to think that we as a society don't share in the burden of trigger pulling is hypocrisy.

One would think that following the path of peace and love would pull you away from battle. It can and does in a way. I don't think it is the actions of killing that matter as much as the amount of compassion you show and mindfulness you try to live your life by. All you can do is be the best you can be and try and do what you can to keep from having to pull triggers, but when you must, you do so unflinchingly.

I think what we need to concentrate on is building more warriors that pull triggers more skillfully. That is, we increase the gap between no violence and violence, so that we can have people that make better choices that may ultimately end in non-violence.

It is the same reasons I became a vegetarian. To try and be a little more of the change I want to see in the world. To walk within the circles of normalcy and show others that it is possible to do things differently.

I think that is the role of aikido in the world. Not to avoid or move away from violence, but to embrace it, and try and to things more skillfully as we go.

Military Aikidoka have a challenge to yield deadly force, but to also try and expand our skillfullness and that of those around us.

Hope this makes some sense!

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