Aikido mindset: navigate challenges like a sail

What if you could navigate life's challenges, not with fear or resistance, but with the grace and flexibility of a sail fully catching the wind? Welcome to a profound conversation, where we dive into the martial art of Aikido as a metaphor for handling life's adversities. Drawing on the wisdom of the samurai and my personal experience, this episode is a guide to fully engaging with and accepting the trials we face.

From verbal assaults to sudden changes in plans, this episode draws parallels between the principles of Aikido and the art of dealing with life's unexpected turns. Acknowledge the dangers of tensing up and resisting, and find strength in acceptance and self-trust. We wrap up the conversation with a reflection on the challenges of applying these principles outside the dojo.

Comment on the post on Instagram and leave me a DM with your suggestions or requests for the next episodes. Instagram: Ritsu_Aikido More connections to come! Stay tuned!

In-depth (comment for a detailed description of these terms and their
respective ideograms):
Dojo: 道場 the place where we study the Way, Aikido
uke: 受けthe one who receives the techniques in Aikido, usually the more experienced student
tori: 取りthe one who performs the technique in Aikido

And if you drop by in Rome, just come to join our dojo for some practice at Kohaku Aikido Dojo: www.kohakuaikidoroma.com

Enjoy!

Transcript

What’s up cuties! This is The Ritsu's Vibez podcast, and if you're looking for that moment of inspiration that comes when you least expect it, then you're in the right place! In this space, we talk about what happens to us every day through a special lens, the Martial Way of the samurai, which that genius Ueshiba Morihei transformed into the art of Aikido. What? You don't know what I'm talking about? then stay with me! 

Today, let's talk about being like a sail. But in what sense? Well, have you ever observed how a sail behaves with the wind? It's a perfect metaphor for how we should conduct ourselves when facing challenges. Let's go!

Once, during an Aikido class, the sensei
told us: "You must receive techniques as if you were a sail." This
has been one of the most effective examples I've heard regarding the execution
of Aikido techniques because, in fact, it's a perfect metaphor. Those of you
who have been on a boat at least once know: if the wind doesn't fill the sail,
the boat can't navigate properly. The thing is, this is also a metaphor for
everyday life. It's not just about receiving Aikido techniques but receiving
anything in our lives.

Let's think about it: we get physically
attacked, verbally assaulted by our partner, our boss, an unpleasant colleague,
a passerby, or a person while grocery shopping – the situations are endless. Or
we might be attacked by a situation, receive bad news, have our plans unexpectedly
changed, or have to do something we really don't want to do. What is our usual
reaction? Do we open our chest and arms to difficulties or to things we really
don't want to do? Unfortunately, no, it's not that simple. We curl up
physically and metaphorically, closing ourselves off completely. In the
best-case scenario, we accept doing what we have to do, accept the attack,
accept the situation, but at least a part of our body remains tense. Think
about it – someone attacks us, and we don't fully engage with that attack, we
at least tense our body, even if just a little. Someone attacks us verbally, we
shut down completely, our mind closes, our reactions fade, and we only think
about how we can respond. We receive bad news? We start thinking, "What a nuisance"
or "Why us?" But we aren't open to receiving something unexpected.

This is why practicing Aikido is so
interesting because physically, on the tatami, we experience exactly what
happens to us every day, and we try to manage it correctly. So, what does the
sail have to do with it? Because this is precisely the principle of uke. In
Aikido, there are two roles, tori and uke. Tori performs the technique, and uke
receives it, but uke must do just that: fully receive the partner's movement
without tensing up. If uke tenses up during a fast projection, there's a
serious risk of getting injured. Or think about a joint lock on the wrist or
elbow – if uke tenses up, there's a chance of breaking it. Therefore, uke
should not behave like a torn sail, where the wind passes through without
generating any resistance. Uke should not be like a sail that doesn't fully
catch the wind, causing the boat to slow down and not move properly, i.e.,
leaving at least a part of the body rigid, both because of the risk of injury
and because the partner cannot study.

Uke must fully accept the partner's
movement so that the technique can be executed perfectly, and uke avoids any
physical harm. Similarly, in our lives, if we tense up in the face of
difficulties, if we don't accept to confront them with heart and soul, if we
resist, postpone, pretend not to see them, or if it's a commitment we
absolutely don't want to take on, it won't be easy to proceed. Difficulties can
only be faced at the moment when we have the confidence that we can overcome
them. That's the moment when we engage with them and somehow rise above. So, in
the face of something we don't like, something unexpected, someone who doesn't
treat us as we'd like, or worse, a real aggression, let's not react by tensing
up, by ignoring it, or by behaving like a torn or unresponsive sail. Let's
engage with it heart and soul, trusting ourselves, and at least try to overcome
it.

And when we say, "How can I handle
this?" let's tell ourselves, "Well, if the wind is blowing this way
today, let's try to be the right sail for this wind." How do you behave in
the face of difficulties? Are you like a torn sail? Do you surrender, saying,
"Let's just let this thing pass, whatever"? Because sometimes it
seems like the simplest strategy, but in the long run, it doesn't truly
represent us; it makes us feel like we're giving up. Or are you one of those
who think they are catching the wind well, but your sail remains rigid, and you
don't fully accept the situation you find yourself in? Let me know because
after 15 years of daily exercises, I still marvel at why I can't be a good uke
outside the tatami. Yes, on the tatami, I can accept the technique well, but
outside, daily life is full of dark spots; it's a practice that never ends.
Comment on the podcast post on Instagram with your experiences and let me know
how you handle difficulties. And don't forget to send me a DM on Instagram so
we can develop the next episodes together. As you know, this podcast is a
pretext to create an opportunity for dialogue, so I really want the content to
be created together and truly reflect what you think. Instagram page:
ritsu_aikido. Thank you for being with me, and I’ll see u the next episode.