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Old 10-20-2005, 04:46 AM   #1
stephenadams
Dojo: Hertfordshire
Join Date: Jun 2005
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United Kingdom
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How to develop mental strength

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this kind of question, but recently I keep finding myself putting off going training and doing other things, cause I can't seem to get my arse into gear and get things done.

So I was wondering how do you as Aikidoist use the priciples of Aikido to help in daily life and achieve the things you set out to do?

A bit deep I know....
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Old 10-20-2005, 05:16 AM   #2
deepsoup
Dojo: Sheffield Shodokan Dojo
Location: Sheffield, UK
Join Date: Jun 2001
Posts: 524
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Re: How to develop mental strength

Mental pushups.
Hup hup hup.
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Old 10-20-2005, 05:28 AM   #3
stephenadams
Dojo: Hertfordshire
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Re: How to develop mental strength

Ouch, they'll hurt my head!!
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Old 10-20-2005, 09:11 AM   #4
SeiserL
 
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Re: How to develop mental strength

Quote:
Stephen Adams wrote:
So I was wondering how do you as Aikidoist use the priciples of Aikido to help in daily life and achieve the things you set out to do?
Take control, enter, blend, redirect, and unbalance. Don't resist, but don't give into excuses.

Accept that you may not want to go to class right now. Think of how you will feel after the fact if you go or not. If you go, you will feel better. If you don't, you will feel worse. Relax, breath, and get your arse on the mat. You don't have to feel like going or want to go, to go.

IMHO, that's mental strength, doing the things we don't really feel like doing because we know the right thing to do, so just do it.

Hope that helps. Now get back to training.

Lynn Seiser PhD
Yondan Aikido & FMA/JKD
We do not rise to the level of our expectations, but fall to the level of our training. Train well. KWATZ!
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Old 10-20-2005, 09:25 AM   #5
ChristianBoddum
 
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Dojo: Aarhus AiKiKai
Location: Aarhus,Denmark
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Re: How to develop mental strength

A former sensei told me about what your mind will do when you meditate,
i.e. your thoughts will revolve around momentary things,then move on to more peripheral things -
family things in the future and at some point you get back to the moment - awareness.

Same thing happens in your "routine" of attending classes,
some times you have your mind drifting other times focused,
sometimes you enjoy it at alot othertimes you do your best to be present.

If you didn't attend classes you probably go through the same things in your mind,
but - you miss classes ,you are in fact selfish ,and strictly speaking letting down your sensei
and your dojo mates !

In my forming Aikido-years , I would have this mental fight all the time,
but I realized that you find a routine a you stick by it ,rain or shine,then the mental
fight gets in control,and your focus in training improves 100%
plus you feel so much better at the end of the day.
You train when life is hard,you train when life is a joy -
when you don't feel like it and when you do .

Your mind will still try to play tricks on you ,
but you can say to your mind : I go to classes whether you like it or not !

How about that ?

And I am off now !
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Old 10-20-2005, 09:56 AM   #6
stephenadams
Dojo: Hertfordshire
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Re: How to develop mental strength

Cool, thanks. So basically I should say bugger it and just get on with it and go training.
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Old 10-20-2005, 12:36 PM   #7
MaryKaye
Dojo: Seattle Ki Society
Location: Seattle
Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 522
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Re: How to develop mental strength

If you have to make up your mind every day whether or not to go to class, you'll get tired--it's like using strength. A more relaxed approach is to make up your mind once and then stop deciding. To do this, you need to work out (no lying to yourself!) how many classes a week will work for you, and which ones are best--it's much easier if you have a fixed schedule every week. Don't commit to more than you can reasonably do just because you think you "should" or the whole process will get derailed.

I did this years ago--I don't decide each night whether or not to go to class, I just know that if it's Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday I'm going. (The hard part is *not* going when I'm sick.) My husband, on the other hand, picks and chooses every week, and puts a lot more emotional energy into it than I do--he easily gets derailed by thoughts like "I have to go home for my gi, and I won't feel like coming back out to the dojo, so never mind."

There's been a lot written about strengthening the mind so that you win this sort of fight, but perhaps Aikido suggests that meeting strength with strength is a mistake, and you should try to find a way around the need to do it all the time. This one worked for me.

One that has worked for friends is to have a buddy who goes to the same classes, so you exert peer pressure on each other. The trouble with this one is that if your buddy quits, you may too....

Mary Kaye
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Old 10-20-2005, 01:44 PM   #8
DevinHammer
 
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Dojo: Aikido of Santa Cruz
Location: Santa Cruz, CA
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Re: How to develop mental strength

I agree with Mary. A regular schedule is the key. After not too long, it just becomes "what you do" on those days. If you miss one you feel like you've missed out on something and may feel the need to make up for it on another day that you wouldn't normally train. And, if you get the chance to throw in an extra class now and then, it becomes a treat.

"Do, or do not. There is no 'try'."
-- Jedi Master Yoda
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Old 10-20-2005, 02:42 PM   #9
ChrisHein
 
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Dojo: Aikido of Fresno
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Re: How to develop mental strength

Best way to be strong is to stop being weak.
Thats it, it's hard, thats why we call it strength.

-Chris Hein
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Old 10-20-2005, 09:03 PM   #10
Dillon
Location: Burlington, Vermont
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Re: How to develop mental strength

Tsune.
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Old 10-21-2005, 04:38 AM   #11
Abasan
Dojo: Aiki Shoshinkan, Aiki Kenkyukai
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 813
Malaysia
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Re: How to develop mental strength

VV of Systema wrote that a good way of developing mental strength is by depriving it of its wants.
Like feeling sleepy, don' sleep until another hour.
Feel like not doing that jog, immediately do that jog.
Feel like wanting to stop, jog another mile. That sorta thing ya know...

Draw strength from stillness. Learn to act without acting. And never underestimate a samurai cat.
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Old 10-21-2005, 10:34 AM   #12
Mark Uttech
Dojo: Yoshin-ji Aikido of Marshall
Location: Wisconsin
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,224
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Re: How to develop mental strength

Go to class. When you do not want to go to class, go to class. In gassho
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Old 10-22-2005, 03:41 AM   #13
bogglefreak20
Dojo: Ki dojo
Location: Ljubljana
Join Date: Oct 2002
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Slovenia
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Re: How to develop mental strength

Quote:
Ahmad Abas wrote:
VV of Systema wrote that a good way of developing mental strength is by depriving it of its wants.
Like feeling sleepy, don' sleep until another hour.
Feel like not doing that jog, immediately do that jog.
Feel like wanting to stop, jog another mile. That sorta thing ya know...

Works for me.
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