Aikido - A metaphor for life

Hello Steemians! It’s been a while since I wrote something on here, I hope you’re all doing well. Today I want to share a bit of my knowledge about aikido, and more importantly how I apply the principles taught to lead a more fulfilled life.

What is aikido?
Aikido is a relatively young martial art, developed by Morihei Ueshiba in Japan during the early 20th century. The art is inspired by techniques that the Japanese samurai applied, and also uses elements seen in other Japanese disciplines such as jiu jitsu and kenjutsu. Aikido, however is far more philosophical. Literally translated it means ‘the way of harmony through ki’.

In aikido, we believe that there are no opponents. Only others that we want to harmonize with, which means our intentions are to co-create and be positive (non-violence). We use the force of the oppressor to create a new situation where both feel safe. By utilizing these intentions, we can be very powerful but gentle at the same time.

It's not just physical
When I say I study martial arts, people think I’m learning how to fight. Of course there are techniques and ways to effectively render any attack I come up against useless. Speak to an aikidoka, and they will tell you that the biggest gains they get are mental instead of physical. Our actions outside of the dojo (gym) are equally, if not more important than what we do while training.

Principles translated to daily life
Aikido strongly relies on principles that you can use very effectively in your day-to-day affairs. Here are some examples:

• Put pressure on other people, and you will create resistance. Why? Because very few people like being told what to do.
• Be tentative, and someone else will take up your space. How? Just think about that promotion that you were vying for, but someone else took the spot because you were hesitant.
• Resistance, not being cooperative will make you an easy target for others. Really? Just think about it, if you are not cooperative you will be very narrow minded in your approach, which leaves you vulnerable to other people coming from different directions.

With the principles taught in aikido, you will be proactive yet respectful to your peers. You know where your power is, and instead of defending this by all means you are open to other people bringing forth their ideas. We harmonize, and are respectful despite maintaining our own strong belief system.

Intention is key
Morihei Ueshiba, deemed O’Sensei (Great Teacher) by the people practicing aikido, understood that positive intentions influence a situation for the better. If you are genuinely positive in your intentions, and show the other person that you care, their resistance will falter. How does that work? Just try to stay mad at someone who is not mad at you, and even worse not even fazed by your anger.

Your potential is bigger than you think
I don’t know you, but I know you are capable of so much more than you think, or even know! Aikido teaches us to align head, heart and body to create a more powerful you. Living in The Netherlands, I experience a very rational approach to pretty much everything on a daily basis. Rational behavior comes from the head, only relying on ratio means you are leaving a sizeable part of your intelligence on the table.

Keep moving
This article is part of a small series I am doing on applying aikido derived principles in our daily lives. By being conscious of these principles, applying them and fully aligning our intelligence we create a better version of ourselves. By going through these series, expect to experience more balance, relaxation and confidence in who you are and what you’re capable of.

See you all soon, and take care.

Dōmo arigatōgozaimashita,
Wes

Question time!
How familiar are you with aikido, and can you name a recent example of a situation where you just felt ‘off’? Let me know in the comments!