Does ambition conflict with the teachings of Aikido? I have been thinking about this for a while. Is being ambitious in your Aikido career contrary to it's teaching and a lot of other Aikido practitioners beliefs and style of training? I have been training for nearly two years now starting off once a week, moving up to two and now three times a week. I have traveled to Japan and trained with, who I, my club and sensei consider, the best in the world and seen what it really means to dedicate ones self to an art and succeed in being great at it Is wanting to be the good....No, not good. Great at Aikido the right attitude and mindset to have? Did all these top sensei's think "One day I'll be considered the best in the world and that's where I want to be?" How does one achieve that without ego? As I understand it, a massive part of all martial arts training is about forgetting the ego, just training hard and letting the art change you...for better. When I go to seminars with top sensei's from all over the country I have a mental check list. I want to train with the heads of all the clubs there 1) to say I have trained with them and 2) to get a better understanding of the differences withing our style, how and why people train the way they do. And i make sure I do train with them all. I'm selfish. This might be my only chance to train with them so I'm going to hog their time for my benefit so I can learn from them. Is this an Aikido attitude? I train hard, really hard and I give everything in every class. I learn fast and my Aikido career, so far, has progressed with speed. And I hope to make it to shodan within the next year to 18 months (provided my sensei thinks I'm ready). I know it's not about gradings and certificates, but I have a mind to get as far as I can in this art during my time on this earth. I want to succeed and I want to train hard to achieve my goals. But is the idea of a "career" with goals and achievements the right way to think about one's time in Aikido? When I was training for my grading earlier this year one of the guys who was also grading said to me that he didn't care whether he passed or failed and was just gonna see how he did and enjoy it, said he could always grade again later on. I couldn't understand him. I was training to pass the grading and wasn't considering a different outcome. I wanted to succeed and progress whilst he was just happy to be training. Made me think about my attitude, but as of now I'm still in the mindset of wanting to progress in Aikido as fast as my skills will allows. Just some thoughts and I'd like to get your takes on it
i don't think there's anything wrong with wanting to be the best you can be, great in your own words. i think morihei ueshiba was the same. if not, we probably wouldn't have aikido. i'm pretty much the same way. when i was aikido, i was constantly bugging the higher belts to have me be uke. i went to a seminar at ny aikikai and literally talked donovan waite's ear off and tried to get him to be my tori for like ten hours. i could tell he was like "get me away from this dude". lol. i do the same in bjj. i always go for the younger, stronger, bigger and more experienced. keep working hard bro!
I think that there's a huge difference between ambition and ego. Most GM's I've met and worked with have a lot of ambition but a very small ego. When attending seminars and working with highly ranked instructors, I almost always avoid the guys with 20 patches on their uniforms or 'world champion 2002' across their back. Most masters and GM's I've met hate the idea of self promotion except for the promotion of the art. Ambition to be the best isn't bad, you just don't go around bragging to everyone how good you are or think you might be.
To be honest, even though I just started, I do admittedly have the goal to become "awesome" at Aikido, and to be honest, basically be "bad ass" (I'm sorry). However, there is a difference between this and ego, IMO. It's alright to have goals and to want to improve one's self (hence the "Do" part, though do correct me if I am wrong). However, this is different from taking my accomplishments (currently none right now XD) and shoving it into other peoples faces. In my eyes, doing that is disrespectful, and I find it very very rude (not to mention disgusting). To also compete in a ego-like way and cause conflict and other negative emotions is a no-no, IMO. To better ones self (be a bad ass) = Fine To brag about yourself (be a douche) = NO
I don't know about the other stuff. But if you wanted to be terrible at Aikido I'd consider you to be a very strange fellow. There's nothing wrong with a little ambition. Just don't get carried away. Keep your feet on the ground, head out of the clouds and revisit the basics regularly and you'll get to where you want to be if you stick at it.
In general, I believe there needs to be balance between dojo world and real world. At the beginning of training, real world and dojo world are opposites in many ways. In real world you may be tense and stressed under conflict, but in the dojo you are relaxed and fluid in technique. In real world you may have ambitions and ego and emotions, but in dojo world you leave the ego at the door and empty your cup. Through training the dojo world and real world find balance and mesh so that eventually the dojo world and real world are very similar. A Tai Chi teacher illustrated the differences between real world and dojo world to me in a story about being selfish. In the real world, if you are tired you rest, if you are hungry you eat, if you are thirsty you drink. In the dojo world, you often train harder and if tired you keep training more, you do not eat until after practice and only drink when given permission. So one can say that is real world you can be selfish and impulsive, but in dojo world, you must endure over your desires. This is so not Tai Chi. Tai Chi is about being selfish, or rather martial arts is about being selfish. As you progress in martial arts, you learn to be selfish, take care of what bothers you the most first. If a punch is coming at your head, you make it not hit you. If you are being choked out, you counter the choke or neutralize it. This is all being selfish because you are doing what is in your best interest. At the same time, through the hard and sincere training in the dojo, you build a compassion for others, and in the real world you gain an empathy and become less selfish in the real world and more giving to the needs of others. It is in the differences of the two worlds, dojo and real, coming together that balance comes through training. IMHO. Many Grandmasters have huge egos, but you will not see that on the mat and you will not see it in real world because they have found balance between the two.
there is nothing wrong with that attitude as long as it is Positive for you and other martial artist around you. I also think the word to describe your position is passion for aikido. and without passion you wont ever make it. So i find it noble that you are taking your art serious and want to train hard enough to make sure you are always making progress but dont get lost in that word BEST because if you do it will taint everything you are training for. enjoy the process of getting BETTER everyday then with that respect will come Great rewards because everyday we either get what we want or a lesson we need. Happy Training
I think Kwajman is spot on with there being a significant difference between ambition and ego. There is nothing wrong at all with wanting to be the best at Aikido that you can be, or even wanting to be better than the people you train with. If you want to be great I don't think it's likely to happen by accident, you have to set goals and train to reach those goals. I know of one fairly well known high ranking (6th dan) Aikido instructor who thinks the same thing and has written an article about it. You'd probably find the entire article interesting, here's a couple of paragraphs:
I see nothing wrong in wanting to be ambitious in your Aikido practice. I followed a similar parh, The key to this is practice in a good club with technically competent instructors. Generally these clubs attract students with the same mind set. Looking at what you are doing at present you are following this path anyway. As Aikido is a life time study a sensible balance between normal life and Aikido is important. BBM my ex wife about her view of Aikido and how selfish I became. As I did not wish to live the life of a monk I learnt from this and balanced my life.
I also wanted to throw in that I don't train in aikido and know very few people who do, but the one very high ranking person I know is as humble and gentle as they come; but at the same time I wouldn't want to be on his bad side.
This is a very difficult concept for me to apply to my current feelings toward my aikido training. Ambition...I think I know what everyone is trying to say, and I think everyone's heart is in the right place as well. Aikido is a relatively compliant martial art. This is the basis of Ueshiba's intent for changing aikibudo to aikido. Our strikes are meant for our partner to intercept so he can practice his technique. Even our grabs, static or dynamic, have a relative level of compliancy. Hopefully most people have the mindset that their aikido training is so much more than learning to scrap, that the actual process of training forges one's spirit and changes the person for the rest of their life...for the better. and with that..... I feel that 'ambition' in aikido is limited by three factors; teacher, student, training environment. teacher - First, if one is to be ambitious and achieve some lofty goals in their training they are basically saying they want aikido to permeate all aspects of their life. For that to happen, the student should be training under a legitimate shihan...someone who also has dedicated their life to budo. Certainly students can pass their teachers in technical skill, but technical skill is only one aspect of a great teacher. If one wants to have ambition, it really can only be achieved by instruction from someone who has achieved 'mastery' or in the very least has devoted thier lives to the attempt. I think Dave Lowry's writtings were mentioned earlier in this thread...I am fairly confident he has written a bit about the need for a quality teacher. This transitions into my next topic... student - here is one not many want to hear, but is quite important (in my opinion). Ambition is also limited to the student. First by being willing to put in the effort to find, and dedication to continually train, with a quality teacher rather than the closest/most convienent place. It is difficult to find a great teacher....at the very least a great regional director or organizational head that you frequently have contact with, even if its not in your daily 'satelite' dojo. Driving on hour to train with a quality teacher speaks to the students dedication, and to a dedicated student that is not a long trip. Furthermore; that student, the ambitious one, must be dedicated beyond the typical student...if he wants beyond typical achievements. Going to class two or three times a week to train in a compliant martial art is not going to be sufficient to achieve 'greatness' or goals to satisfy one's ambition. The student MUST go beyond that, attend special classes, advanced courses, train daily in the very intricate and difficult technical art that is aikido. Being uchideshi or sotodeshi for a time is a must. One should not treat their training like a hobby and expect to satisfy lofty goals. Why I brought up compliance earlier falls here. It is easy to train at the same dojo, with the same people, with mostly compliant techniques and convince oneself they are truly technically proficient. This is dangerous grounds to get into, and is often how quality schools get dilluted. Of course not everyone can devote themselves to aikido...they have lives and responsibilities...and I don't mean to dimminish the nidan dojocho who opened a school because he had to move and wants to stay in the same organization, but doesn't have a senior to train under. That happens, and there is nothing wrong with it. But students training under that teacher need to push themselves to seek out training under higher level instruction...more so than the two or three organizational seminars a year. I'm being circular, as these things tie in together. Anyway, on to training environment... training environment - Now, a great teacher will likely have a dedicated following of talented students. The training environment is very important. Its doing heavy weight training without a spotter, you can 'play around' your maximum bench press but you really never are able to push your level greater without someone there who's willing to do it with you. I also find the training environment fuels the non-technical side of aikido training which, for me, is a certain mindset and a certain development of the spirit...or spiritual forging/testing. Like the weight-lifting/spotter analogy, one needs to have someone to push them, to challenge their comfort zone, and to 'keep you honest.' Whether its pushing someone past physical limitations, such as fatigue, or ensuring someone maintains their bearing and ettiqutte when bored or tired. While the ultimate goal is to be totally self-sufficient in this aspect of their training...to get to that level one needs buddies to push them when pushing is needed. Nothing great has been achieved by taking the easy path, similarly there must be an element of risk if one is to grow. So when I hear people speaking about not having to test for a belt because they are nervous, I feel this is promoting the exact opposite of what aikido can offer...destruction of one's weaknessess. If someone can't handle a little discomfort and is not able to push themselves mentally...make them knee walk until they bleed, or do ukemi until they become nautious...and then have them push past that. One of my weaknesses is that I prefer training with people right around my skill level or higher. Not in any disrespectful way, its just that I would gravitate toward people I can go hard with. Recognizing this, when I was uchideshi, my teacher made me attend, participate in, and help with or teach every childrens class at the dojo and be a testing partner for all junior students examinations. How did this help me? Well I was never mean or brutal to junior students..that wasn't the issue, nor was that the lesson I learned. But now I am much more comfortable with children, it helped me to learn how to connect with the little crazies running around the mat on sunday and saturday mornings. How has this benefitted me? Well it helped prepare me for fatherhood and allowed me to better understand/empathize with kids. To me, that is a way more practical skill than throwing my friends across the room...or seeing how hard they can throw me. If you can't already tell...this is leading back up to training under a master instructor. In short - I suppose my thoughts on achieving ambition is that one must go above and beyond the typical/standard student. This can not be done by everyone...people have to make their priorities in life, and training in a Japaense martial art as a completely dedicated student simply isn't an option for some people. This is the exact definition of 'greatness,' you have to go above the standard; standard teacher, standard level of devotion, etc. To be ambitious, to be great, requires sacrifice...no matter what it is you are pursuing. To me, its the same for aikido. All the above mentioned toics are very important aspects of achieving this. If one simply just gets on the mat, puts their time in, participates in testing where no one ever fails, mayve attends a couple seminars a year...I don't feel that is enough dedication for one who is ambitious. And again, there is nothing wrong with being your average student...so no need to be defensive...but we are talking about ambition and greatness here. Sorry such a long post, I won't blame anyone for not reading it! Oh, and my spell check doesn't work on this computer. Best to all, A
I've got to go with Wolfie. I would consider it very strange for someone to train aikido but harbor no ambition to get better at it. There are, of course, bad kinds of ambition, but I think a little ambition for improving one's skills is essential to the learning of anything, aikido included.
When the focus turns to empire building or making techniques look flash. When that happens we tend to lose the substance behind the art.
In aikido, bad kinds of ambition would be ambition for things other than improved aikido. Ambition for recognition, ambition to outperform a rival, delusional ambition to become a martial arts movie hero, etc.
Good ideas! In my first year and at the height of the first rush of idealism, I was also wondering if being ambitious was interfering with what I'm supposed to be learning. I mean, I would daydream about being as good as this master and that, and being the hero in life and death situations, but am I the only one? I suppose that's normal, but if you make that the focus of your training then you're missing out big time. Come to think of it, Aikido and other arts weren't made to make their founders look cool. I want to be a sandan myself, but that's not my main motivation in training. I'm sure I'll learn much more in the course of training and some ideas of mine might change as well. That's why training for life is so fun, I guess. =) It teaches you a lot of unexpected things in the journey.
