Daily Applications of Aikido

I consider Aikido to be a way of life, not just a hobby.
What do you do to take your lessons and utilize them in everyday life?
I believe it is something that can be as practical as you want it to be.

How does an athlete use their fitness in daily life? How does a religious person use their beliefs?

If aikido is a way of life, then its lessons apply in everything you do, often without you even realizing it.

Our own Peter Boylan has written quite a bit about budo, power, responsibility, and similar topics: http://budobum.blogspot.com/

Katherine

Tiffany Bowden wrote: I consider Aikido to be a way of life, not just a hobby. What do you do to take your lessons and utilize them in everyday life? I believe it is something that can be as practical as you want it to be.

I don't consider Aikido as a way of life, it becomes part of my life because I practice daily not because I conciously make a decision to use Aikido.

Although there are elite Aikido professionals that consider what I do a hobby because I don't attend dojo classes a specific number of days a week, it is not a hobby.

dps

Tiffany Bowden wrote: I consider Aikido to be a way of life, not just a hobby. What do you do to take your lessons and utilize them in everyday life? I believe it is something that can be as practical as you want it to be.

I don't consider Aikido as a way of life, it becomes part of my life because I practice daily.

Although there are elite Aikido professionals that consider what I do a hobby because I don't attend dojo classes a specific number of days a week, it isn't.

dps

As many times as I've heard the phrase, I don't really know what a "way of life" is. There are obvious examples of those who are voluntarily in what the sociologists call a total institution (for example, those living in a monastic community), but the phrase is so widely used in cases beyond those examples that I'm just not sure what it means. Certainly I don't spend most of my day consciously "doing aikido", and I think it's far-fetched to suggest that I'm doing it unconsciously either. Problem-solving, dealing with interpersonal difficulties, walking down the street, people did all these things long before aikido existed. But I know that there are those who like to frame their lives in those terms.

woke up in the morning
still alive. hot damn!
difficult next move
get out of bed
daily dose of ibuprofen
wash down with coffee
hello world!

any of you walking down the street, seeing people coming toward you, and thinking of techniques to use on them? or shaking hand with folks and realizing that you have shifted your body for a throw? or hug friends and family, then realize that your body went into aikiage mode?

Mary Malmros wrote: As many times as I've heard the phrase, I don't really know what a "way of life" is. There are obvious examples of those who are voluntarily in what the sociologists call a total institution (for example, those living in a monastic community), but the phrase is so widely used in cases beyond those examples that I'm just not sure what it means. Certainly I don't spend most of my day consciously "doing aikido", and I think it's far-fetched to suggest that I'm doing it unconsciously either. Problem-solving, dealing with interpersonal difficulties, walking down the street, people did all these things long before aikido existed. But I know that there are those who like to frame their lives in those terms.

Most of the "daily life" skills that aikido develops can, IMO, be developed through any consistent practice: meditation, tea ceremony, gardening, long walks with one's dog or spouse. They're the difference between a mindful, grounded life and otherwise.

The difference in aikido (or any budo) is the introduction of physical conflict. I think that develops an awareness of the use (and abuse) of power that's hard to get in other ways.

Katherine

Tiffany Bowden wrote: I consider Aikido to be a way of life....

I consider Aikido to be like the rest of my life.

The other day I was riding my bike at work. The neighbor guy yelled at me to get off his land and ride the other way. I yelled back, "Why?" He said, "because I don't want anybody associated with (insert my bosses' name here) on my land." I said "OK," and turned around and rode away. Felt like aikido to me.

Enter and blend ...
Enter and blend ...

Everybody starts as a beginner, in whatever dream you have the most important thing is to start.
Similar to attaining blackbelt, in mastering any endeavor, practicing more than 10000 hours makes perfect
Don't quit. Attaining perfection eventually comes. You just need to put in the hours, blood and sweat included.
There is no secret to attaining anything. Training, practice and sacrifice is the secret.
Wrt mastery, you always go through the 4 phases: unconsciously incompetent, consciously incompetent, consciously competent, unconsciously competent. Know what phase you are in your life or work.
Aikido similar to life is art, everybody has his own unique interpretation which can end in success or failure.
Don't force a technique, try something different to make it work or try something totally different that you are successful.
Openings, similar to opportunities come in a flash. You need to know how to identify them and grab them quickly for you might not have a chance again. However, the good news is they are everywhere.
The human body is an amazing machine, through countless repetition the body undertstands even though the mind doesn't.
Search for something that comes natural or automatic since this is much more successful.
Learning is not an incline but like a step of stairs. The flat line is your plateau, you continue practicing until you make that quantum leap to your next learning cycle. That is why you shouldn't quit while you are in a plateau. This is a sign that your leap to a higher plane is near.
Techniques are analogous to life skills. Skills and techniques are much less important than Aikido or life's principles. Focus on principles rather than techniques and you will be more successful in life or Aikido.

Phi Truong wrote: any of you walking down the street, seeing people coming toward you, and thinking of techniques to use on them? or shaking hand with folks and realizing that you have shifted your body for a throw? or hug friends and family, then realize that your body went into aikiage mode?

Good to see it's not just me.

I've always felt the old adage "jiki shin kore dojo" is appropriate when considering usefulness of aikido 'off the mat.'

Mary Eastland wrote: The other day I was riding my bike at work. The neighbor guy yelled at me to get off his land and ride the other way. I yelled back, "Why?" He said, "because I don't want anybody associated with (insert my bosses' name here) on my land." I said "OK," and turned around and rode away. Felt like aikido to me.

And yet people who have never practiced (or even heard of) aikido are perfectly of resolving conflicts peacefully.

I understand that for many who practice it, aikido is a catalyst that effects a positive change. But I think we're selling ourselves short (and the rest of humanity as well) if we conflate aikido practice with all that is positive. We need to understand the difference between a catalyst and a magic pill. If aikido were a magic pill, simply signing up for classes at a dojo would make you a more peaceful, virtuous, blendywhatsis kind of person. But if human change worked like that, alcoholism would be cured simply by walking by an AA meeting. Aikido is one of many possible catalysts that can effect positive change in a situation where all the other necessary ingredients are in place: that is, a person who is ready for the change. Thinking that "aikido makes you a better person" is much like the way that some religious people ascribe all virtuous behavior to their religion, and all unvirtuous behavior to lack of same.

Mary Malmros wrote: And yet people who have never practiced (or even heard of) aikido are perfectly of resolving conflicts peacefully. Thinking that "aikido makes you a better person" is much like the way that some religious people ascribe all virtuous behavior to their religion, and all unvirtuous behavior to lack of same.

Yes and yes again. There is nothing in aikido training which can create a changing behavior - at best it can reinforce something that someone already wants.

Still I will say that aikido training taught me to be a better driver. I started to look for things that were first introduced to me in the dojo. Timing, looking ahead, projection - of course that is not exactly spiritual.

@Mary and Peter:

What I meant to say is that it really felt like aikido to me. I felt centered, relaxed, not annoyed ...just good inside. I will say it again...it felt like aikido to me.

For me, it is a spiritual practice...being fully present and choosing my responses. I see for you it may be something different.

Peter Rehse wrote: Yes and yes again. There is nothing in aikido training which can create a changing behavior - at best it can reinforce something that someone already wants. Still I will say that aikido training taught me to be a better driver. I started to look for things that were first introduced to me in the dojo. Timing, looking ahead, projection - of course that is not exactly spiritual.

If we're speaking about conventional physical/technical Aikido as it is practiced most places, then I agree completely.

OTOH, if we're talking about the types of training that Morihei Ueshiba participated in (and are described in a fair amount of detail in "Takemusu Aiki") then I think that the necessary tools are certainly included - what one does with those tools is, of course, up to the individual's own choice and effort.

Internal Training is all about changing behavior - that's why it's so difficult.

Best,

Chris

Well I am not convinced that what Ueshiba practiced and training IS can make you more capable of resolving conflict. I have no issue with physical practice being a component (to a greater or lesser degree) of spiritual development - that is an essential tenant of Budo. However, you have to be inclined in that direction before you start. Spirituality does not equal ability to resolve conflict.

Christopher Li wrote: Iwhat one does with those tools is, of course, up to the individual's own choice and effort.

As I was just saying...

My position on this has changed somewhat over the years... Here is the current thought...

Aikido is a cognitive process. That cognitive process changes the way we think about anything. Those with a proclivity towards the process will be naturally more inclined to accept and permeate the process throughout their decisions and actions. Some of the PR stuff got into harmony and conflict resolution and so forth. I know plenty of people who train aikido who are jerks with nothing "peaceful" about anything they do.

Responsibility, courage, leadership, confidence, etc. These are all traits we cultivate in our training and those traits in turn change our personality, which in turn changes our behavior. If that was easy...everyone would do it...

Peter Rehse wrote: Well I am not convinced that what Ueshiba practiced and training IS can make you more capable of resolving conflict. I have no issue with physical practice being a component (to a greater or lesser degree) of spiritual development - that is an essential tenant of Budo. However, you have to be inclined in that direction before you start. Spirituality does not equal ability to resolve conflict.

Non-resistance (resolving conflict) is a crucial component of what Ueshiba was doing, but not quite in the sense that conventional Aikido uses it - that's primarily a result of the post-war Kisshomaru /Tohei marketing spin.

The spirituality part is tightly integrated with his training method - the result of intent based training. Conventional technical training will never get you there. Neither will "spiritual" training divorced frm Ueshiba's training method - at least, not in the way that he got there. There are other ways, and they're fine, just not the method of Aiki described in clear detail by Ueshiba.

Best,

Chris

Christopher Li wrote: The spirituality part is tightly integrated with his training method - the result of intent based training. Conventional technical training will never get you there. Neither will "spiritual" training divorced frm Ueshiba's training method - at least, not in the way that he got there. There are other ways, and they're fine, just not the method of Aiki described in clear detail by Ueshiba.

"Oh, we are all very strong on what we are not, but weak on what we are. To define something in terms of what it is not, that is the disease of our times..."

Mary Malmros wrote: "Oh, we are all very strong on what we are not, but weak on what we are. To define something in terms of what it is not, that is the disease of our times..."

Well, Mary, I've published a number of articles defining what I'm talking about specifically, supported by direct translations from Ueshiba. I believe that I am the only person on this thread to have done so. In light of that, I don't see that it is symptomatic of any particular disease to state my opinion of what falls outside that definition. Of course, this is all my opinion, and people are free to disregard it if they wish, without name calling.

Best,

Chris

I believe in the benefits of conventional technical training, and I think it's something that cannot be neglected, if one really wants to learn the art of Aikido.

But we have to thank those who made an effort to translate what Ueshiba wrote and said, an worked out what really is behind his words.

Now everybody can understand that we said was not the gibberish of a crazy old man.

I read too much about "Aikido as a spirtual way" that was based on nothing.

The practical application of aikido for life comes from training and reading. Reading 10%...training 90%.
The art reveals itself through physical contact and movement.