On ESPN The Pat McAfee Show, NFL GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) Quarterback Tom Brady smiled when Pat asked him about the Patriot Way. Tom said, “I’ve never used that term in my entire life.”
Of his time with Coach Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, Tom said, “I think what we tried to do was do the things the right way. We tried to prepare the right way. Practice the right way.”
Tom said, “What I don’t see a lot (today) is accountability.” Tom’s humility was legendary in taking Bill Belichick’s hard coaching in front of all his teammates following games. 2-time Super Bowl Champion, former New England Patriot Damian Woody had said, “Bill would rip Tom a new one (asshole).”
Tom said, “If the coach was hard on me, I’m gonna accept the coaching, because I needed it. Again it was going to motivate me. And a lot of players on the team would see me get coached hard would say, ‘I gotta get my game up.’ Because Tom is getting yelled at, I’m gonna get yelled at. ‘How do I up my game?’… That’s what accountability looks like.” The GOAT 101.
Tom said that tough, disciplined coaching prepares you when you go into a game, go into the Super Bowl. You train to be tough, so that you are when it’s on, when it matters. Tom said that you don’t want to find that out in the game. It’s too late. Do things the right way.
Tom said that doing things the right way and having accountability applies to what he does in the business world and more importantly in life. The 7-time Super Bowl Champion GOAT does it the right way. He would know.
In Aikido, Paviot Sensei said, “Enter the attack and die with honor.” I train that way so that I do that in the real attack. I wait out the attack. I take a glancing blow if I have to. I’m not always going to get away scot-free. It’s one time.
Ishibashi Sensei said, “Get under the attack, in the danger.” He said, “That’s the safest place to be.” I apply the Aikido technique to myself, not to the attacker. Aikido Founder O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba said, “True victory is victory over oneself.” It’s only me against me. I work on myself, not on others. That’s all I can do. I train the right way. So that I can do it the right way.
Ishibashi Sensei said, “The purpose of Aikido is to release your fear.” When the 250-pound man punches to my face, I wait it out, and enter the attack. I don’t oppose the attack. If I defend, I can be defeated. I draw the attacker to my center. I match his attack in my attack. I apply nikkyo (wristlock) to myself and match the attack with yoko-iriminage (strike to the side of the head) to the attacker. I can let the attacker pass or end the attack. The attacker can stand down or take the fall. We both choose. We do it the right way.
When I enter the attack, I let go my fear inside that I’m not good enough. Although my fear inside never completely disappears, every time I enter the attack, enter what I fear, I let go more of fear inside me. I do that over, and over, and over again. I free myself. I end my suffering. I try to do it the right way.
I work with my therapist Lance Miller to heal my childhood trauma and depression. I enter my fear of Dad, my fear of never being good enough for him as 8-year-old Jon. Yeah, that’s frightening as hell. I forgave Dad for being afraid, for not knowing how to be a father and husband, and for being imperfectly human. I forgive myself for not being strong enough as a little boy to stand up to Dad and protect Mom. I forgive myself for being imperfectly human, too. I love myself for who I am and forgive myself for who I’m not. I do that over, and over, and over again. I try to do it the right way.
According to the First Noble Truth of Buddhism, there will always be suffering in life. The Fourth Noble Truth is the path to end suffering. On my path to end suffering, I love myself for who I and forgive myself for who I’m not. I own my humanity, my imperfection. Everything quiet inside me. I work on myself, not on others. That’s all I can do. I have compassion for others and myself. I try to do it the right way. Just train.
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Photo by Kai Gradert on Unsplash
