Years ago, the late Mizukami Sensei gave all us Yudansha (black belts) and the book The Sword and the Mind by legendary samurai Yagyu Munenori as a Christmas gift. Yagyu Munenori distinguished ken zen ichi nyo, which literally means “The sword and zen are one.” In budo, martial arts, ken zen ichi nyo has come to mean “The body and mind are one.” I read the book. I got it.
The Sword and the Mind profoundly influenced Mizukami Sensei’s Aikido teaching: It’s one time. Move into the attack, into the danger, and end the attack with one move, one technique, one time. No sparring.
In Aikido training, Sensei constantly reminded his students, “Wait it out. Take a glancing blow if you have to. It’s one time.” That’s Aikido. Sensei’s words to live by.
In the moment, I enter to end the attack, singular in purpose, with mushin, the empty mind. It’s one time. The French Aikido Sensei wisely said, “Enter the attack and die with honor.” I could win or I could lose. What happens, happens.
As with most things that Sensei taught me, I take and apply that outside the Dojo, where it can make a difference.
Sure, I wait it out when some big strong dude comes at me to punch my head off. Yet, I’ve also learned to wait it out when life comes at me, too. Just saying.
In Aikido practice, Sensei Bobby reminds, “Never defend.” Our Hanshi said, “When you defend, you can be defeated.” I wait out the attack. I match up the attack with my attack. That’s awase.
Paradoxically, I invite the attack to come to me. I wait it out until the attacker is fully committed to his strike, then I move in and apply iriminage or kotegaeshi (Aikido techniques) to myself. O-Sensei said, “True victory is victory over oneself.” The external opponent doesn’t matter. I overcome myself; get out of my own way. Again, just saying.
In over 30 years of Aikido, I’ve taken many hits, many punches, many glancing blows. Still, I move into the attack and end the attack. Mizukami Sensei said, “You’re not always going to get away scot-free.” There’s always a cost, on both sides.
I grind it out. Make it work. I’ll take the glancing blow and take the attacker to the Aikido mat. Waiting it out is resilience, making peace with myself, creating calm in the storm.
In the bigger picture, waiting it out was Sensei’s invaluable lesson, not just in Aikido
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Growing up at home, Mom constantly reminded, “Jonny, slow down.” She said so when Dad’s anger scared the hell out of me. I got that fear in my chest. I had to hurry up to appease Dad in some way so that I wouldn’t get into even more trouble.
Being 12 years old, Mom’s words often angered me, too. I’d yell back, “I know!” Even being a child, they were not my finest moments. Many years later, growing up and healing myself a lot, I got that Mom said, “Slow down” to calm my fearful soul. Take a breath. Just breathe. Things will work out.
Mom had told me to wait it out, to let the storm pass, to find my measure of peace. Nothing but mad love and respect to my late Mom.
Wait it out. Put in the work. Grind it out. That might constitute mastery in whatever you do. I grind it out, relearning to take falls in Aikido after 30 years of bad habits and techniques. Grinding it out heals my body, heals my soul.
Bruce Lee said that mastery is doing something at least 10,000 times. Mizukami Sensei always said, “Aikido is repetition.” So I have to practice my forward and backward Aikido rolls at least 9800 more times, albeit correctly. We wait it out for what makes a difference in life. Just saying.
That being said, I wait it out in Aikido training, in my online dating, in writing my next book. Because they’re meaningful to me.
In this COVID-19 global pandemic, perhaps wait it out, too. We grind it out by wearing our masks in public places and maintaining social distance. We telework from home. Maybe, we don’t ever go back to pre-COVID-19, what it was to be that normal. More than just saying.
We wait it out as restrictions evolve and modify, as we all move forward. Several pharma companies proceed with their COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. Wait it out. The NFL plays out their regular season. Wait it out. The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in the Bubble NBA Finals. Wait it out. The General Election occurs albeit within its new voting paradigm. Wait it out. Businesses transition, look at their return to the office. Wait it out.
On Planet Earth, we wait it out for: What’s next. Not for: What was. Amen.
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