Quote:
Jon Reading wrote:
To me:
Loyalty is an alignment of goals and ideals. I am a loyal Vanderbilt Commodores fan because I attended school at Vandy. I will cheer for my football team every game...though often not to victory.
Trust is an alignment of action. I trust my instructor to teach me the correct aikido techniques. I cannot train if I do not trust what I am learning is correct.
Respect is an alignment of morals and etiquette. I show respect for those whom I believe is upstanding and significant to the community. I understand that even if I do not share in the same beliefs or convictions, I can respect an individual for theirs.
...We should respect those who have earned that right, give our trust to those who have proven to correctly act in our interests, and be loyal to those who have demonstrated they care for our interests with the same conviction as they care for their own.
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I am fortunate that I can feel loyalty, trust, and respect for my head instructor, who happened to be teaching the first day I came to aikido and practiced. That was almost six years ago. I respected him as a teacher right from the beginning. He is respectful toward his students and their contributions to the dojo community, and maintains a professional yet friendly atmosphere. He sets a good example for us by arriving early, beginning class on time, cleaning and otherwise maintaining the dojo as well. I hope he realizes his efforts are appreciated. We are lucky to have three instructors with 20+ years of experience to share the teaching responsibilities, and students willing to help with random tasks.
During practice, I can trust my instructor with any amount of energy. He is experienced enough to provide the least unpleasant fall; he won't hurt me. If I give too much, he'll "ground" it (like I've been planted in quick sand), and I can adjust to use less energy next time. This means I can commit fully continually and not worry about injury so much. I find safety to be more important to me regarding trust than the techniques themselves.
However, the techniques are great too. All my instructors are able to catch much more seminar aikido than I, and are able to share the insights gained. This is extremely helpful in practice as it allows for improvement for those particular aspects and tends to lead to other related applications. When the next seminar with the same instructor comes around again, it is easier to see more parts of the technique and take even more away to practice together.
If my sensei is in the same town I live in, I will practice with him whether it's in a dojo, a community center, a park, or anywhere else. So far, I am "affiliated" with his style, whatever it happens to be, and his instructor(s), whoever they are. I've always felt he was my main teacher in aikido. When I moved away, it was rough. The reason I returned to practice each week was because I wanted to learn aikido and Obrecht sensei would be disappointed if I quit. I never knew if I would ever return to Lincoln or see him again. And yet, I had developed enough "loyalty" in that first year to carry through the next ½ year, and my subsequent return to Lincoln. Perhaps Ledyard Sensei would believe my loyalty was misplaced or too strong, but I am glad I have continued to practice aikido.