I have a problem, I have been so humble that it is starting to make me lose confidence in myself as well as give me low self esteem. How do I fix this?
Show what you are made of while remaining humble! Advice your sensei(s), help lower graders, think of refining techniques, create respect by helping others and create a training style that personaly fits you. Others who train with you must notice this. Also, follow dojo etiquette to your liking and stimulate others to do the same. this will give you more confidence and lessen your feeling of just plain humbleness. Try to find out what Budo means to you. Good luck!
To be humble you don't have to back down from everything and always assume second place. Feel free to have an opinion and to express that opinion. Raise and lower the level of your practice to suit the situation. Sometimes with beginners you simpley have to grab hold of them ans shake them out of their shell. On other ocassions you can afford to be a bit more relaxed and gentle with them. Never give a higher grade any quarter. You are their to push them on and keep them working to stay one step ahead. It might not sound very humble or very aiki but it feels good when you break through a dan grades defences and connect. Recognise both your achievments and failures in equal measure.
i believe you should take a month or so just to train and it will build it up, next month i am going to a place in the woods my uncle owns and parking my camper and training there all month,when you train hard it seems to bring up your confidence and etc. it just depends on what kinda person you are and what helps you, that will eb something you will have to fidn out yourself.
Ziseez, I always thought you needed and Uke to train in Aikido. Can you tell me how you train by yourself as I would be interested to learn. Because I can only attend one class a week (I know, way too little) I'll need to train more at home. Thanks, Murgen
You can go through the motions of a technique with an imaginery partner similar to the way gymnasts will imagine their routine in their head before actually doing it. Visualisation is however not a substitute for real practice with a real partner. I find it to be more useful when practicing my cuts with the jo or bokken. You can also do meditation and breathing exorsizes alone. Many people over look these thinking it strays too far over to the mental religiouse side of martial arts. At least that's the reason they give. I think it's more because to do these exorsizes properly requires a great deal of mental disscipline.
