The Thoughtful Sensei-Aikido Musings

197. Personal Goal - Teaching Goal

A meme sometimes circulates on the internet that goes something like ...... "I'm a popular loner. I know a lot of people and a lot of people know me, but my circle is small and I'm usually by myself".

For those of us who are long-timers (life-timers) in Bushido and the martial arts world this is likely truer than not.  Over the many years of putting in the training time and work that it takes to excel at something simultaneously complex and sophisticated but at its essence very primal, we've changed, matured and are blunter and more direct than in the past.  We've probably become scary in some ways but gentler in others and we likely have outlooks on "life, the universe, and everything" that don't really match those of most of the people around us.

For example, if we have an argument with someone who is angry, we tend to not easily back down.  In fact, we may deliberately provoke them in order to test the depths of who they are.  It likely won't lead to a true confrontation but it's not easy to intimidate us; something that most people don't understand (and may therefore fear) since so much of society today involves itself with various levels of loudness and attempted intimidation tactics (such as raising their voice or making accusations such as "That's a lie").  They simply do not understand what is happening on a deeper level when they are working the angles to win the discussion and the most they get out of us is a bored, "Well .... ok .... whatever" or we just flow-on and act as if it never happened, almost like we just didn't notice; that "non-response" in-and-of-itself possibly being within the realm of heiho (or deeper strategy).

Martial arts gives the long-term practitioner something that no other activity (be it golf, poker, a pick-up game of baseball or basketball, or psychotherapy) can give that makes you different and apart from the normal's (the common person on the street who does not have your calmness or focus).

That is, when you spend 100's or 1,000's of hours on the mat learning to read and then physically and spiritually dominate an opponent in training then a simple loud argument in "civilian life" has little impact on you.  After all, if you can "whack" someone bigger than you, then that apoplectic maniac with the bulging eyes and throbbing veins in their neck and temples will have little success at establishing their dominance; in short, they have none (dominance over you) and they simply cannot understand why as it has worked so well on others ........ but not on you.

While this may sound overly simplistic consider this. In a changing society with all the crazy insanity, arguments over anything at all, lighting quick memes, 30 second sound bites, apocalyptic news reports, crazy people who fly off the handle into personal assault or road rage for seemingly no good reason, and internet news panic porn (aka "click bait") it can be really difficult to "abide" and "maintain" (your peaceful, calm, and relaxed attitude).

In the 60's they referred to it as "stay cool man" and your parents may have said "take a deep breath before you act" all of which helps avoid hyperventilating and "stroking out" and then making what could be a serious mistake.  You in effect have learned to be "above the fray" making you that person who stands alone and acts as an independently thinking individual who is not a part of the surging crowd moving as a mindless group; and, if you do choose to react then it is on your terms, on your time frame, and intuitive in its conduct.

If you train and learn to use that self-confidence, “centered-ness” and grounding that it teaches and gives you, then it positions you to let the weirdness and crazies roll off your back like water off a duck; instead of over-reacting like that apoplectic maniac who loses control and greatly regrets what comes after.

"If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you ....." Rudyard Kipling

They may not understand you .... but you understand you.

Stay centered.  Stay grounded.  Stay relaxed.  Be cool man.  Get into the keiko and set yourself apart. Budo (or Bushido, your choice) is to be lived and not just dabbled in like we just happened to be at the dojo that day.  Or as in a recent movie based on the book, be one of the "Humans" instead of one of the "people".  As I've said for many years now, "We Sensei sift through the people to find the humans".  Not my quote but I still get to steal it once in a while.

L.F. Wilkinson Kancho

The Aikibudokan

Houston, TX

August 2, 2023

191. Are You Elegant

A rock and roll singer once used the phrase “… are you experienced …” in a song to express a sentiment; so, to paraphrase, “… are you elegant …”.

Elegance is neither elusive nor elitist as some may think; it is, however, difficult to achieve in an effective and believable fashion, as it contains more “mental” than “exhibited” traits although exhibited traits are definitely part of the picture.

Simply buying expensive clothes or pursuing the latest “thing”, always buying the priciest fragrance in the store, going “commando” like the rest of the guys down at the sports bar, following the newest clothing trends from Hollywood or shoe trends from New York, or adopting and posturing a physical attitude that is demeaning to others (by the nature of its’ very arrogance, think “let them eat cake”) doesn’t bestow elegance upon anyone.  Elegance is between the ears first, and only after becoming part of you will it begin to manifest itself through seemingly very small but extremely important changes in your dress, behavior, language, and attitude.

Elegance “becomes” you.  You do not “become” elegance.  It takes control of you and reshapes who you are.  You do not “seek” it out to achieve it.  You simply look up one day and discover that associates are looking at you in a new, more respectful light and only then do you discover the idea of “not” seeking something that you gain and of “not” trying to deliberately do anything.  Another way of considering it is the idea of the journey being more important than the goal; the goal having not been set as a “goal” when the journey began and you’re simply following the path.

Very “Zennish” isn’t it?  Living and shaping your existence to be “simplicity” generally is.

Many years ago I read a novel that focused on the story of a man’s life-long effort to achieve shibumi, the Japanese concept of “restrained elegance”.  One of the leading characters’ teachers was a Sensei teaching the game of Go who told him that shibumi was not something that could be worked on like a project at the office but, instead is discovered or put in another way, “grown into”.  It also should not simply be another goal set for achievement and recognition; instead, one must pass through knowledge and arrive at simplicity.  Shibumi has been described as a very Zen state of unpretentious perfection, common in appearance but deep like an ocean.  Not flashy.  Simple.

So how does this apply to Aikido on the tatami and life off the tatami.

Shibumi has to do with refinement that belies commonplace appearance.  It is a statement of fact or reality that is so totally correct that it does not have to be bold or blunt to make the point.  It is so touching or emotional that it does not have to be pretty and so true it does not have to be real.

Shibumi is understanding, rather than knowledge.  It is expressive silence, and in your demeanor it is modesty with no shame or embarrassment.  In art it is elegant simplicity.  In a man’s personality and behavior, it is quiet authority without domination or intimidation.

Examples of this can be illustrated by looking at some simple dojo examples;

When doing an embu or promotional demonstration showing control over your body by using minimal movements as opposed to swinging your arms back and forth as you move into or out of position for the kata and next technique.  Look coordinated and in control instead of looking and moving in a “sloppy” fashion.

Not preening by continually “fixing” and “fluffing” your hair or adjusting your gi, all that excessive and unnecessary movement indicating that your subconscious is preoccupied on something other than the opponent while minimal body movements (only the movement needed in that moment) shows a quiet focus and comportment (and body/posture awareness).

Wearing a “quiet” gi indicating only your name or maybe a small dojo patch; as opposed to your gi looking like you drive for NASCAR and you have 3 dozen sponsors.  A quiet gi allows onlookers to focus more on you than the distracting information on the gi and doesn’t work to ostentatiously call attention to you by your clothing.

Focus your conversation on the work and your fellow deshi and when discussing martial arts don’t brag about things done or not done and don’t exaggerate.  Discuss the techniques in an academic way instead of the immature, “Yeah, I could really __________ (fill in the blanks) with this”.  Understatement many times is much more effective than the opposite.

Acting a little quiet and thoughtful when on the mat instead of being loud and brash.  Sometimes the quiet man draws the attention since he is seen as pausing to consider before offering the studied opinion, that pause drawing more respect than being “out there”.

This of course can be extended outside the dojo but then again, we are working on Bushido and dojo ideas.

L.F. Wilkinson Kancho

The Aikibudokan

Houston, TX

February 12. 2023

180. So, What Is Your Problem Re-Examined

You have a problem.  I have a problem.  Everyone on the mat has a problem.

Every rank presents issues that must be dealt with.  These issues largely come from having to overcome natural human tendencies.  Those tendencies may change based upon the rank attained and currently held due to growing maturity, greater in-depth understanding of the principles, increasing experience in working with kohai (junior ranks) and learning from sempai (senior ranks), more time training in a keiko attitude (having deep consideration for what is being done while doing it), higher levels of performance (naturally resulting in the granting of that higher rank), and the understanding of etiquette towards others.

The beginner ranks have issues that are easy to see and understand; uncertainty, fear of failure, and concern over injury to themselves (or sometimes to a training partner) all serve to restrain progress until those concerns are understood by the student and begin to be moved beyond as experience is gained.  The beginner then starts to enjoy the training and rapidly progresses forward until achieving later (higher) ungraded rank when entirely new concerns manifest themselves (such as will I be able to learn enough for that promotion or I don’t want to work with other, perhaps lower ranked, beginners because I am finally doing better with personalized instruction from the black belts).

Unfortunately for the deshi, these issues within themselves are generally only able to be seen by senior ranks and not by the deshi themselves (it is difficult to be within one’s own skin and step out of it for purposes of looking back to engage in self-evaluation).  The result is that when uncorrected the issue can fester.  For this reason, it is up to the seniors, including the Sensei and the Hatamoto, (the Sempai as it were) to identify the problems as they arise and to apply corrective measures.

Most of the time the corrective measure is simply guidance as normally provided by Sensei and Hatamoto for learning Bushido.  This guidance can consist of encouragement and suggestions on how to train and is generally sufficient for correction and the resumption of positive forward motion within that ryu or dojo.  Hitting one of these maturity (growth within the art form itself) issues is normal, it is expected, and is part of the curriculum and anticipated growth within the art.  However, staying there is not and it may not be ignored.

Lower kyu ranks (ungraded ranks) are generally insecure and unsure of themselves for a time.  They are not certain if they can learn especially once they move into focused ukemi practice and kata.  Everything is awkward and uncoordinated and must essentially be learned from scratch since any prior athletic activity simply does not apply to what amounts to an entirely new physical paradigm.  Being supportive of their efforts and positive in your opinion as-to their eventual success works well as does personal hands-on for practice of fundamentals and basic kata.

Upper kyu ranks are discovering that learning comes faster, easier, and more intuitive as the internalization of the basic principles and fundamental movements are ingrained.  However, doubt begins to creep into the Bushido mind-set and the deshi begins to question whether making black belt is possible.  Again, positive support combined with encouragement to not quit but instead to press forward is important.  Also, important here to note is communicating to the deshi how Shodan is only (and literally) the first step in a life-long journey.

Shodanitis can hit the new Yudansha.  Having working so hard, so diligently and for so long they become overly prideful and conscious of that new black obi.  They may (or may not) primp and prance but generally Shodanitis appears as a “I know a lot of stuff” attitude.  The fact of the matter is that they do (know a lot of stuff that is) but that slight touch of arrogance fails to take into account how much they actually don’t know (which is a lot).  After a while with some patience and on the part of the senior players, and being told that yes, they should be proud (but not too proud) of their accomplishments they come down off the pinnacle and realize that Shodan is actually nothing more than one very small step on the path to the future as a Bushi and that the serious studies are only just getting started.

At around 3^rd dan and 4^th dan many martial artists get bitten by the bug.  When they first started, they had pretty low goals.  My goal when I first began training in Aikido for example was to make 3^rd dan.  My Sensei at the time was only a 4^th in Aikido (in later years he was promoted to 6^th dan by Tomiki Sensei and eventually he made 8^th dan and then 10^th dan) so as far as I knew at the time, my Aikido career would top-out at 3^rd dan.  Once my Sensei made much higher rank my goals changed, and I became driven to make 6^th dan and began to work towards that goal.  In many ways I became obsessive about it and constantly approached (pestered) higher ranks looking for new information and more keiko (deeply focused practice).  After Sensei told me that I would get there eventually simply by being steady (not in a real hurry) and not quitting (just make a steady calendar appointment for myself) I relaxed a little and learned to focus on the journey and not the goal as-they-say.

At 6^th dan you may find yourself abusing junior ranks because it has become all too easy and natural.  Taking kuzushi, controlling their body, throwing them at will is so elementary that you become “Sensei of Throw Too Hard and Too Fast” and even other yudansha may shy away from working with you.  Is it an ego issue?  Yes and no.  It is because you feel so good about your abilities, but it is not because everything has become so easy that you forget that others cannot train at your level, nor can they take ukemi at the high speeds that you now can.  You simply do the waza and at times don’t realize that while you may not be deliberately physically abusive, the younger student is being intimidated beyond belief at how helpless he feels or how unsure about taking those dynamic ukemi.  So in that sense, it could be considered emotional intimidation.  Once the realization of these dynamics sets in then the solution is simple; work slower with less power.  This benefits your long-term learning since the slower pace lends itself to better neuromuscular programming and won’t intimidate lower ranks as easily as they gain confidence.

At 7^th dan or so, you may find yourself thinking that you are largely above teaching beginners, thus missing the entire idea that today’s white belt is your uke tomorrow.  You may find that management is difficult (since you are now in senior management) and this would include; difficult to run the mat since some nights it’s like herding kittens, managing the deshi and being sure they get along with each other and train safely, watching the clock as to when to start, teach the lesson and end class, have a lesson, train yourself, teach others, speak with visitors, and work to advance the seniors with out-of-class training.  Basically, time management and organization become critical issues and if not cautious it can become frustrating as you swirl the plates on sticks like a circus show.

When you finally make 8^th dan (or above since some styles award higher ranks) it becomes an entirely different set of issues to deal with.  Sometimes you become so bored with teaching the same beginning ideas repeatedly with little visible progress that you find you cannot.  You are bored and impatient.  Everything has become so incredibly easy that you simply cannot understand why new deshi can’t learn it.  You want to quit but it has become such an integral part of your very existence that you can’t, so you continue. 

By stepping back and taking in the larger picture, you eventually realize that by teaching beginners and lower ranks you come to appreciate the courage it takes to start and then to continue with the study.  By considering that larger picture you remember the growth process that you went through and how the senior ranks were patient and thoughtful in their approach to your progress.  Basically, you begin to understand the psychology of it all and become a better teacher, and a better human being.

Every rank has its own set of issues and challenges to observe, consider, and then overcome.  What is truly important is not whether every rank, every issue, and every solution has been listed here but instead, the realization that each step in our advancement (not just martial arts but life in general) has hurdles to leap and that each successful leap (in understanding) only helps us grow as a human and as a martial artist and better enables us to pull forward those who are behind us.

L.F. Wilkinson Kancho

The Aikibudokan

Houston, TX

December 8, 2021

11. How To Wear Your Black Belt - Part V (Humility Redux)

Got to the office this morning and was greeted by two serendipitous items.

The first was a song being played on the web-stream that we link to  at the office (www.radioparadise.com) titled 'Coffee Monkey'  with such lines as "I can't get enough of that coffee in my bowels", and "I like it black, black, black".

The site has a discussion board where listeners can post comments or pictures and someone posted a picture of a poster that said, "Coffee - is the planet shaking or is it just me?"

The second item was a newsletter that came in the mail.  In my profession outside the dojo I receive more paper across my desk than I can tell you but this one had one of those 'Comments & Daily Thoughts' sections that caught my eye and while reading it and listening to 'Coffee Monkey' I realized that the two fit together so here's the idea this morning.

When life is running you hard like a buck running a doe after the first freeze of winter, don't let it "shake your planet", or "shake you".

Step back and take 10 deep breaths Zen-style whether it be at the office, at the dojo, or most especially at home with the family, and then consider this for a moment before stepping off into it;

"Count Your Words Carefully"

The 6 most important words:  "I admit that I was wrong."

The 5 most important words:  "You did a great job."

The 4 most important words:  "What do you think?"

The 3 most important words:  "May I help?"

The 2 most important words:  "Thank you."

The 1 most important word:  "We."

The least important word:  "I"

(Source:  A Short Course In Human Relations, by F. C. Minaker)

It just struck me as an exceedingly positive way in which to approach our relations with friends, family and co-workers, and of course Aikido players; another form of humility on the mat, as-it-were.  Now I may have to go buy the book and read what else he has to say.

L.F. Wilkinson Sensei
Aikibudo Kancho
August 2008

10. How to Wear Your Black Belt – Part IV (Patience)

I was a brand new black belt (wow, that was a long time ago, my how time flies) and while walking thru’ the grocery store a woman hit a slick spot and fell. I sat there looking at her and clearly remember thinking to myself, “So, you fell down why? And, you’re not jumping up, why?”, until I realized that she didn’t know ukemi so I tried to help.

The lesson here for all of us is that beginners are (not in this order); confused, sometimes frustrated, impatient to be able to do what all the “big kids” (black belts) can do, occasionally angry at themselves for not learning faster, disappointed and any of a number of negative emotions all of which center around not being an Aikido “master” (not that any of us are masters of the art form anyway).

A beginner, just like that woman so many years ago, does not know how to fall correctly nor can they easily remember a sequence of waza. In a very real sense, they can barely tie their obi correctly.

It is all too easy to forget that at one time we knew very little about Aikido and now that we have our black belt, Aikido is beginning to become second nature and without realizing it we begin to project our newfound ability onto others who couldn’t do what an Aikido player can do even if their life depended on it. So when we work with beginners we attempt to explain the specifics of whatever waza we are having them do and without thinking fall into the pattern that I found myself in at the grocery store of, “Well, I can do it! Why is it taking you so long to figure it out?”

This is an improper way to teach beginners as all it does is serve to discourage them and lead them to believe that they are incompentent players, unable to learn to most basic fundamentals of the art form.

The fact of the matter is they are NOT incompetent in the least, they are simply as yet untrained and unskilled in the  specifics of the art form and need only your steady guidance (and patience) in showing them and allowing them to learn and progress.

If you are Shodan or Nidan for example, I could blow you out of your fundoichi by simply starting to teach you Koshiki-no-Kata, a warp-drive advanced kata from Kito Ryu Jujutsu that contains all of the essence of both Aikido and Kodokan Judo which is why Kano and Ueshiba and Tomiki all studied it in depth as they formulated their teaching pedagogies.

I wouldn’t do that to anyone but it serves as the example of an advanced player being impatient with a lower level player and trying to force feed information to them and them expressing displeasure either by direct word or by forceful motion with our hands or worse yet, by subtleties of body language that they clue into and them when they ask, “What? Am I doing it wrong?” we reply, “Oh no, it’s just perfect!”

They can pick up on that lie.

So the goal here is to have patience AND to be sincere in our efforts to give them positive support in the same fashion as someone gave us, way back when we were unskilled but desperate to learn.

L.F. Wilkinson Sensei

Aikibudo Kancho

July 2008

9. How to Wear Your Black Belt – Part III (Payback)

Giri is a Japanese term that can be translated into functionally correct English but that really has no equivalent in English if one refers to the emotion behind it.

Giri roughly means “obligation” but to the Japanese, it means “life-long commitment” as in repaying something that was done for you or to help you. This “life-long commitment” is not a one-timer’; that is, it’s not like the “markers” that Americans use to denote a favor you did for someone and now you’re calling in that marker and once they do a favor for you it’s done and now you’re even.

Nope. Being assigned or your accepting a “giri” means that you were given something so important, so life-changing, or so life-saving that you pay back forever because that obligation becomes critical to who you are. You must pay it back or you lose all honor and besmirch your character.

To Japanese, this failure can become a form of being socially ostracized; to an American who understands the concept, this failure becomes an internal albatross that you wear around your neck and that wears on your insides until you make good. Either way, you have to engage in payback. You have to give back what you were gifted.

In martial arts this “payback” is the “giri” or obligation to teach beginners and for that matter, anyone who is Kohai or lower in kyu or grade to you. Someone likely spent a lot of personal time that they could have used for their training but instead, they devoted time to teaching you. You in turn have now accepted the giri so you must teach others the way in which you were taught. To not pass on the knowledge and to refuse or hesitate to teach the beginners is a form of arrogance and egocentrism that has no place in Budo or any dojo that teaches do or “the way”.

L.F. Wilkinson Sensei

Aikibudo Kancho

July 2008

8. How to Wear Your Black Belt – Part II (Focus)

Once you get your black belt it’s easy to lose focus, to slack off and take a brief vacation from the intense training that you did to prepare for your demo. In a word, “Don’t”. In another word, “DON’T!”.

The basic difference between Shodan and Nidan is minimal and the time in grade (assuming that you get to class and train) is also minimal. The longest periods between promotions can fool you because the break-points in learning are not where you think them to be.

The first longest period is from first-night beginner to Shodan. This is simply due to the necessity to take someone with conceivably no athletic or martial arts experience and have them internalize the fundamental operating principles of the art form. Moving off the line of attack, blending and flowing, learning attack and defense timing (Sen-no-Sen, Sen-Sen-no-Sen, Ato-no-Sen), kuzushi, ukemi, the basic waza of striking, throwing and joint locking, etc., etc., all mean a long road to internalize and make functional the base essence of the ryu.

Shodan to Nidan is, in a very real sense nothing more than setting into concrete your intuitive understanding and ability to use the fundamental principles and waza of your art form. Shodan means you “got it” and Nidan means you “really got it”.

(Keep in mind here that I never intend to denigrate the achievement, only to set that achievement into its proper context within the larger picture and by doing so give a better understanding of the global concept.)

Nidan to Sandan has another long period although not as long as beginner to Shodan. This is due to Sandan being a jump-point in understanding. In our ryu Sandan is where the deep understanding of flowing, merging and of taking control of the attacker the first instant when they cross ma-ai and begin the attack sequence (and then not letting them regain control until waza termination) begins to be acquired and internalized. Sandan marks a demarcation as-it-were; the next really big progressive step in making a high-level Aikido player. The timing from Sandan to Yondan therefore, much like Shodan to Nidan is also fairly brief as Yondan is more material to learn and internalize but that material is essentially the same as that learned for Sandan; except “more of the same” with added sophistication applied.

So the first gap is beginner to Shodan. Shodan to Nidan is fairly close then the next big gap is Nidan to Sandan. Sandan to Yondan is fairly close due to the similarity in the work required so the next big gap is Yondan to Godan with Godan to Rokudan being fairly close. Then the next big (I should say “BIG” gap is Rokudan to Nanadan.

I think you see the picture. The long and the short of it is to not lose focus, EVER!

The gaps between major progressions is really quite minimal so once you make Shodan just go for the Nidan and quit worrying about it. Once you make Nidan just go to Sandan because you know that once you get to Sandan then Yondan is just around the corner.

Pretty soon you quit worrying about “just around the corner” and you just “become” Aikido.

L.F. Wilkinson Sensei

Aikibudo Kancho

July 2008

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7. How to Wear Your Black Belt – Part I (Humility)

Yeesss! Today I made You-don-sha!

I am now an 85^th Dan, a Masta’, a Stud-Muffin!

“Attention, attention, the Stud-Muffin has entered the room!”

Sorry. You ain’t none of those and neither am I; and I’m the Sensei with almost 40 years behind me with black belts in 3 different martial arts forms and senior teacher status in 2 of those.

Making Yudansha (graded dan) which starts at Shodan is, if isolated and taken strictly on its’ own, is a great, repeat, great accomplishment and puts the wearer of the coveted black belt in a rarified part of the atmosphere, but I’m a “Big Picture” kind-of-guy and in the greater scheme of things it is just another step on the way to a higher plane of existence.

I keep statistics and in the 10-odd years I’ve run my own dojo I have logged about 1,000 people who have either kept me on the phone for 30 minutes of discussion, come to visit the dojo, tried out a free class but never came back, actually signed up but never paid anything, signed up and paid money but didn’t last the first 60 days or who signed up, lasted long enough to get a promotion or two and then quit.

1,000 people out of which I have a total of less than 20 active black belts and a dozen or so who would live at the dojo, if I let them. So if one considers that the real education doesn’t start until Shodan (the term after all means 1^st step) then the percentage of people who actually start the trip to Yoda-hood is about 2/10^th’s of 1%. In case you slept through your high school algebra class, that’s not real high.

So why can’t you consider yourself a stud-muffin (or studlette-muffin in the case of the ladies) if you are part of that <1% who has enough self-discipline and desire to commit to and stay with a long term study like Aikido?

Humility is why, plain and simple. Remember that Budo is all about self-improvement, about taking our natural potential and maximizing our personal potential (with the expenditure of enough effort, blood, sweat and tears), improving mind-body-spirit and by unifying them, our becoming a whole that is greater than the sum of the original parts.

Take a look at one word, “Spirit”. It has little to do with the mind (that’s all about intellect) and it has little to do with body (that’s all about the physical). The spirit and its’ improvement in making us a better person, is all about really old fashion things; ethics, humility, self-discipline, morality, honesty, not doing things in excess, the golden rule (do unto others…..), and all the complicated topics Aristotle writes on in Nicomachean Ethics which states in simplest terms that in order to in order to become "good", one should not simply study what virtue is; one must actually be virtuous in one’s daily activities at all times, whether those activities are comprised of issues of reputation (how one acts in public) or character (how one acts when you think that nobody’s looking).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle%27s_ethics

Notice that nowhere in there are any terms like arrogance, abuse of others, taking advantage of others, demanding worship, ordering a junior student to give your feet a tongue bath, or emotional cannibalism.

This is especially true of the halo effect that sometimes happens when we make black belt; we get a halo, or the lower level student body we just came from puts a halo on our head whether we want it there or not. In other words we become overly impressed with ourselves (we believe our own press clippings) or the Kohai begin to look up to us like a child looking at their father, or a teeny-bopper looking up to the latest rock-star hero.

Humility, humility, humility is the only thing that keeps the new black belt from going ballistically egomanical (or as the pundit said, “drinking our own bath water”).

Making “First Step” to someone like me who has 40 years on the mat is nothing other than a sign that now I can really start to teach you some neat stuff. It doesn’t mean that you are anything more than a beginner or that you are more than one small step removed from the kyu/colored belt that you used to be.

So, in order to keep that ego in check and enlarge your usable quotients of humility (and humanity) remember some things;

First, Shodan translates as “first step” so in reality, you are still a beginner with much to learn and you are a very long way from understanding all there is about Aikido and martial arts in general,

Second, since you are just a beginner, a newly minted black belt, then you don’t know what you don’t know. In and of itself that should be enough to keep that ego in check and approach every class with an empty tea cup.

Lastly, the black belt means that someone helped you climb the ladder to get you there so you have to return the favor in the same positive fashion as the people who helped you. Failure to do so means that few black belts above you in grade will want to waste any more personal time on a walking ego-trip.

Humility will get you much in life and make you many friends.  It's one of the more important qualities of character that we all look for in friends, spouses, ukes and Sensei'.

L.F. Wilkinson Sensei

Aikibudo Kancho

July 2008