New Year's Resolutions

Today is the last day of 2010 and so the madness and the mayhem, the jubilation and the joy, the anger and the anguish, the sense and the senselessness, the fears and the foolishness, the highs and the high-fives of the year are officially behind us. And we can breathe a sigh of relief and wonder and turn the corner to face the unknown road that lies ahead of us in 2011.

It is also traditionally the time to make New Year’s Resolutions – a commitment to do more of, to do differently, to know more and deeper and to be the change we want to see in the world – even if it is only in the immediate world we inhabit. It is the time we make our intentions for the coming year.

So in respect of our aikido training, here are some thoughts for the new year:

• · Two elements will deepen our practice: intent and intensity. On the mat, train as if your life depends on it; off the mat your life does depend on it. As a martial art, you need to train as if you intend to use your aikido someday to protect your life, or the life of a loved one. Do NOT train as if your life is currently threatened, but train as if it may someday be. Take your training seriously and with proper intent and intensity for practical real-world application.
• · As a spiritual discipline, you need to train as if your spiritual life depends on it. No matter what your partner does, you must uphold your own level of ethics and behaviour. One’s spiritual / personal development depends on sticking strictly to one’s work and progress. No-one can do it FOR anyone else. We can help our training partners, but we cannot do it for them.
• · We also need to train with intense intent. Intensity follows intent. If your intent is to spend some time socialising with your training partners, your training intensity will be minimal. If on the other hand, you intend to be able to apply your aikido either to defend yourself or to improve yourself, your seriousness and intensity will be higher.
• · Train consistently and persistently. Progress doesn’t just come; any skill needs consistent attendance and persistent practice to deepen.
• · O-Sensei also wanted us to train joyously and in a celebratory manner fully aware of the serious (and dangerous) martial art aikido is.
• · Train slowly and consciously. This means paying attention to the little details. The best way to progress quickly, is to progress slowly. Pay attention to the little things – inside and around you – and you will be able to make big changes.

Here's looking forward to training with you in 2011!!!

See you on the tatami