Leave the World a Little Greater

Aikido Founder O-Sensei said, “The Way of the Warrior is to give life to all things, to reconcile the world, and to foster the completion of everyone’s journey.”

I’ve been training in Aikido for over 30 years. Aikido is a traditional martial art, Budo. Budo has its roots in Bushido, the Way of the Samurai. O-Sensei created Aikido as the reinvention of Budo, the New Way of the Warrior.

The true warrior doesn’t take life. The Way of the Warrior is to give life to others so that they can complete their journeys, whatever they may be. The word samurai means “to serve”. Consequently, the profound essence of martial arts is to serve others, to make a difference.

Unlike conventional action movie paradigms, martial arts isn’t about kicking ass or about who’s the most badass. The Martial Arts GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba said, “True victory is victory over oneself.” Therein lies the path. The Way is the selfless pursuit, the selfless journey.

O-Sensei said, “Opponents confront us continually, but actually there is no opponent there.” I’m my GOAT opponent. No one else. In Aikido practice, Sensei Bobby reminds, “Apply the technique to yourself.” The attacker doesn’t matter. I don’t even look at my attacker. I stand as tall as I can, which isn’t very, and I apply the technique to myself. I overcome me. I get out of my own way.

I have nearly nothing to do with what goes on inside another. I can only work on myself. The late Mizukami Sensei said, “Make it work.” I make myself work. That’s entering the attack, entering the danger, entering what I fear, and dying with honor. Well, at least in authentic spirit. What happens, happens. I match up with the attack, match up with what life comes at me, and reconcile in the aftermath.

On the journey, I take life’s glancing blows for what’s meaningful to me: for those I love, for guiding others’ inventions of their greater-than selves, for expressing my authentic self. Mizukami Sensei said, “Take a glancing blow, it’s not like you’re going to get away scot-free.” Indeed, life is messy. Life is imperfect. Cheryl Hunter taught me the Japanese aesthetic wabi-sabi: There is beauty in our imperfection. Cheryl said, “Life is imperfectly perfect.” Nothing, but mad love and respect.

Life isn’t really about what was, rather life embraces what’s next. I try not to behold the past. Yet, I acknowledge how far I’ve evolved from my Zero, my starting points.

I endured an abusive childhood, where Dad scared the hell out of me. That voice in my head said, “I’ll never be enough.” Grinding out my childhood trauma and depression with my Therapist Lance, I distinguished that disparaging voice was really my dad’s voice, that had become mine. Dad had inherited that voice from his dad, who abused him far worse. The tragic artifact of abusive parents.

I don’t forgive Dad for his cruel and unkind acts. I forgave Dad for being imperfectly human. Dad’s anger was his fear of not knowing how to raise me. That doesn’t erase the pain and suffering I experienced as a young boy. Yet, I had compassion for his flawed humanity, for what it might have been like to be my Dad. Dad was imperfect. So am I. Guess that makes us even. Really, that makes us human.

In the universe’s benevolence, Mom taught me that kindness and gentleness truly define a man. The late Mizukami Sensei taught me Aikido, more importantly, taught me what it is to be a good man. Sensei never asked me to be like him or be someone else. He granted me the space to invent the greater-than versions of myself. Free at last. I was free to just be.

Sensei was the Warrior, who gave me life. Mom gave her permission to make Sensei the Father I needed to become the greater man. Always, mad love and respect to Mom and Sensei. Rest In Peace.

Through my trials and tribulations, my childhood pursuit of perfection revealed as meaningless, rather as misguided. I became the master of hating on me. In healing my trauma and depression in therapy with Lance, I began to hate on myself less. I took my baby steps. My chiropractor and spiritual mentor Victor Shibata said, “Jon, you need to lighten the fuck up.” I got it. So, I practiced. Just trained.

Along the way, I got: Love and forgive thine own self. Like my spiritual twin brother, Dolph Lundgren, said, “You have to love yourself.” When we love and heal ourselves, we can make a difference for others. That’s our most authentic expression.

Mizukami Sensei once told me, “The world would be a better place if everyone trained Aikido.” That was his meaningful dream. Aikido was his life. He dedicated himself to a life of service. No, not everyone was going to practice Aikido, much less consider that. All due mad respect to Sensei, that would not happen.

Still, as part of Sensei’s enduring legacy, I do my best to make the world a better place, maybe leave the world a little greater than when I came into it.

Along with Sensei Bobby, I guide Aikido students in inventing the greater-than versions of themselves. Along with my Editor, Lisa Blacker, I write about the life lessons that I got from Mizukami Sensei and Mom, and about loving and forgiving thine own self. Perhaps, in the bigger picture, that makes a difference in some way.

Over 20 years ago, I told the Aikido student who doubted his abilities in comparison, “Everyone’s zero is different.” Yeah, everyone’s zero, everyone’s starting point is different. We’re all different. That being said, our zero profoundly distinguishes how much we’ve evolved along the journey.

Sensei said, “Just train.” Really, it’s not like you have to get somewhere. In the bigger picture, we become the greatest that we can be, we have as much fun as we can for as long as we can. In that picture, we become the best person that we can be. That’s a meaningful life. I’m just saying.