Diligence, Trust and Love and the three timings in aikido
A few weeks ago, I came across this nice saying: “Your potential in art will fruit, with the help of diligence, trust and love”.
It feels like such a simple truth, and yet, sometimes one of these three loses its strength. I think that instead of forcing it to grow back, we can simply concentrate on the two others. They will empower it and support it until it is fully present in our process of development.
In our daily aikido practice, we often begin with slow and diligent practice, going into details of very basic movements. For example, my partner grabs me, and I have now time to improve my stance, posture, gaze, breath and more. I have time calculate my moves, and my partner will most probably wait with patience and will also make the best of the time I take, to improve the role of uke.
This is the phase of diligence. Learning, refining and polishing the most fundamental principles of aikido.
The next phase is trust. Now, as we have obtained skill, my body can relay on confidence and trust obtained thanks to the diligent practice, and I can try to blend with the attack.
In Aikido, in the first phase, we get to know and improve our abilities, and learn about conflicts and ways to resolve them. The second timing teaches us peaceful resolution to conflicts. It bring into realisation the essence of aikido techniques, which is mutual defence - techniques that protect the defender while not hurting the attacker.
Becoming a person who is able to apply aikido skills in order to resolve conflicts in a peaceful way is one of the goals of aikido practice. It is a great achievement and it is aikido in a very high level.
But, there is even a higher level.
The founder of aikido wrote about it in one of his poems:
It feels like such a simple truth, and yet, sometimes one of these three loses its strength. I think that instead of forcing it to grow back, we can simply concentrate on the two others. They will empower it and support it until it is fully present in our process of development.
In our daily aikido practice, we often begin with slow and diligent practice, going into details of very basic movements. For example, my partner grabs me, and I have now time to improve my stance, posture, gaze, breath and more. I have time calculate my moves, and my partner will most probably wait with patience and will also make the best of the time I take, to improve the role of uke.
This is the phase of diligence. Learning, refining and polishing the most fundamental principles of aikido.
The next phase is trust. Now, as we have obtained skill, my body can relay on confidence and trust obtained thanks to the diligent practice, and I can try to blend with the attack.
In Aikido, in the first phase, we get to know and improve our abilities, and learn about conflicts and ways to resolve them. The second timing teaches us peaceful resolution to conflicts. It bring into realisation the essence of aikido techniques, which is mutual defence - techniques that protect the defender while not hurting the attacker.
Becoming a person who is able to apply aikido skills in order to resolve conflicts in a peaceful way is one of the goals of aikido practice. It is a great achievement and it is aikido in a very high level.
But, there is even a higher level.
The founder of aikido wrote about it in one of his poems:
Attacking with a long sword
the enemy thinks I'm in front of him.
Ah behind him.
I'm already standing there.
The highest level of aikido, and according to O-Sensei, also the meaning of aikido, is: “love”.
Living and developing life, personality and attitude that prevent the appearance and arising of conflicts.
In our aikido training, this ideal lies within the third timing:
instead of waiting for the attack and blending with it, as soon as I sense something, I initiate a move toward my partner, and the response I get, bring birth to an aikido technique.
Diligence
First timing: stop, wait, think and practice slowly and diligently. Learn and refine the basics.
Trust Second timing: blend with your partner’s attack. Trust the skill you have obtained.
Trust your potential, your training partner, your teacher, the art, the process… And always keep a small and healthy amount of doubt. It helps us question things and create a wonderful learning environment. Without any doubt, we become blind followers like in a cult.
A dojo is a place for honesty and research.
Love
The third timing in aikido practice. As you sense your partner’s intention to attack, don’t wait for any movement. Instead, approach your partner with peaceful mind-set, and naturally let the response you get, and the skill you have obtained procreate an aikido technique. In daily life, smile, create positiveness around you.
Trust Second timing: blend with your partner’s attack. Trust the skill you have obtained.
Trust your potential, your training partner, your teacher, the art, the process… And always keep a small and healthy amount of doubt. It helps us question things and create a wonderful learning environment. Without any doubt, we become blind followers like in a cult.
A dojo is a place for honesty and research.
Love
The third timing in aikido practice. As you sense your partner’s intention to attack, don’t wait for any movement. Instead, approach your partner with peaceful mind-set, and naturally let the response you get, and the skill you have obtained procreate an aikido technique. In daily life, smile, create positiveness around you.
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