What motivates you to study Aikido? I'm interested in what motivates you to train in Aikido and what you get from it! Regards Teddy Bear
I may be well off line to what you are thinking, however here goes. This is constantly changing. At the moment i have hit a brick wall, and all i am i getting is frustrated. Frustrated that i cant see properly what sensei is demonstrating, frustrated that at times i can't see the motivation behind my training. I thought once that it helped relax me, however from my frustration i become tense, wound up, and my Aikido is me using brute force. I once thought that Aikido would be a vehicle of spiritual evoloution for me. By this i mean a way of getting to know the real me, and give me a way of responding without retorting to aggressive actions, on and off the mat. However again on and off the mat i am getting more and more frustrated, losing my temper and getting wound up. I still however turn week after week, and try to fathom out what Aikido means to me. My motivation seems to be looking for something, that i really dont know what it is, however aikido is where i'm looking.
Wow macker. Hopefully things aren't that bad, you paint a dismal picture. There must be something you enjoy amongst all the frustration. I sometimes like the fact that I can leave all my life problems outside the dojo... gives me a break for a while from that kind of reality and replaces it with hard work or just something to keep me busy and get a really good workout. A chance to recharge my batteries so to speak, even if I gain a few bruises in the process. I was very frustrated at times in training, particularly since I never felt I was using brute force, yet I was accused of it Actually I was accused of not being relaxed because I would be tense around the shoulders, yet I felt perfectly relaxed. Very frustrating trying to fix a problem I did not realize I had. Well anyway, here is a bit from jiu-jitsu. If you can use brute force to defeat the opponent, why do you need martial arts training? I started training with people a lot bigger than me and suddenly I broke the habit of using brute force to solve all my frustrations. My newest inspiration is down the lines of the power generated through Tai Chi or other internal systems. I have met people smaller than me that I cannot over power because they seem to be in a state of constant relaxed motion, they feel much stronger than me, although I know it is because they are using their whole body so to speak where as I might be using mostly just my arms and shoulders. Find your inspiration Macker.
Hi Macker I agree with Rebel, your picture sounds bleak but you are still turning up week in week out so there is something there. I do it simply for the frequent moments of the here and now! In those moments nothing else matters. I suppose it's a form of escapism. Also if you are having to rely on more force than you should then try using that force intelligently. Once you figure that out you might then realise you can do the same without as much force and it will be easier for you to tone it down. There is nothing wrong with brute force applied intelligently! Don't beat yourself up for having a bad time with your training it's just life, it's a rollercoaster of a ride but stay on it! Regards Teddy Bear
When i looked back at the post it did paint a bleak picture, however as was pointed out i am still turning up week after week. I get immense pleasure from attending class. For me Aikido is like a big puzzle, and this is what keeps me going back. Trying to find answers to questions i dont really know.
Maybe you're looking in the wrong place or maybe you're looking too hard. Turn up and train with no expectations.
THe reason I continue to train in aikido after decades of training is that no matter how much I learn there is always more to be discovered. regards koyo
Hi Koyo Too true!! Shoshin is a health state of mind to keep you on a journey because the moment you arrive it will all go stale. Regards Teddy Bear
I decided to take some Aikido today. It was the first day the JASDF have taught it here (other than Judo and Kempo) and it was pretty fun and painful! There was one move where their right hand has your left wrist, you step towards them and turn so you are shoulder to shoulder and you throw your arm forward as you step and they are supposed to flip forward but it made no sense to a friend and I, but other than that it was a unique Martial Art to see first hand. Now I have a sharp pain by my first finger knuckle and my left ear is sore from Judo before that, I'm glad I didn't partake in the Kempo or I'd be a mess! I don't know where an Aikido place is back home so who knows if I will be able to take it in between TKD and Judo. Too bad it is only 1 day a week. =(
^^ That's why I'm still here (except that I have been doing aikido less than 1 decade). I thought that I would figure it all out in a few years. Boy was I wrong. " :woo: " on me for being so arrogant. ("Stupid" is a word that comes to mind too.) I got into aikido because I was looking for means of physical self-defense that didn't necessarily involve hospitalizing the other guy. Ya, I was a spiritual softie when I started. It was a reaction to something I did before aikido. But yes, over time with aikido I have found an acceptible balance between protecting myself and breaking other people.
Because its one of the few martial arts where you get to defend yourself by hitting your opponent with a planet.
