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Old 04-13-2015, 01:20 PM   #12
MattMiddleton
 
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Dojo: MUN Aikido
Location: Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador
Join Date: Oct 2009
Posts: 69
Canada
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Re: Why do you do Aikido?

When I started, I was looking for a way to keep fit that had a practical aspect to it. The gym never did it for me - I got bored! I was also looking for something that would give me more self-confidence in my physicality. My history with athletics in general was...acrimonious to say the least. I remember reading up on various arts and their philosophies, and the ideas behind Aikido made a lot more sense to me than the others.

Why I stay is a harder question. Some days I ask myself that, usually when I've had a rough practice. The answer is complicated, but I'll list some of my thoughts.
  • I think that sticking with Aikido requires a certain degree of masochism - on some level, you have to enjoy being thrown, pinned, joint locked, yonkyo'd, etc
  • I've got enough sunk costs in terms of time and effort that I don't think I'd want to quit now.
  • Most of the time, practice feels good - I've got a sedentary day job, so getting up and moving around that much is a nice contrast
  • Working to internalize the physical and philisophic lessons of Aikido makes me feel like I'm progressing positively as a human being
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