Reassessing Aikido in the Modern Age

I think the question is how does something like aikido foster a philosophy.

For example a combat sport fosters a philosophy by adversity, sacrifice and shared hardship.

And the idea is you generate a sense of worth and discipline by doing very hard things with other people. And create a sense of being in the moment. Because not getting bashed is generally more important that your average day to day problems.

Where I am not sure what aikido does and how it does it.
I think the thing that any art that involves getting hit, getting hurt, getting tossed onto a mat (which can also hurt) has in common is it really drives home action and consequence. Do this and that happens and it hurts. This is something sorely lacking in modern society.
 
"You can't truly call yourself 'peaceful' unless you are capable of great violence. If you're not capable of violence, you're not peaceful, you're harmless."
Gandhi said something similar, but I think a little more in line with my own personal beliefs. The gist is that a person must be willing and capable of violence to do what is right and just. For example, to protect their family. Without that, there is no choice. As you say, they are harmless, not peaceful

Nonviolence must be a choice, or it is cowardice, and cowards are beneath contempt.
 
But having lived and been attacked before martial arts and after I think my ability to deescalate a situation has improved
My ability to deescalate before martial arts and after is the same. The only thing that Martisl arts has greatly change in me is that it made me more comfortable with hitting someone. My may level of comfort for hitting people radiates more since I started Jow Ga. It probably shows in my eyes and posture. Sort of like the dog that doesn't bark but stares down a person like the are focused on the fight that will come.

I probably have that focus without the stare. Maybe that's why I don't get into many conflicts these days. I can't remember the last time someone gave me the "stank eye" lol.

I spoke with my dad about things I went through as a teen. He was shocked that all of the harassment I had to deal with from the age of 10 to 23.

I never learned about descalation from martial arts class. None of my teachers taught it. Same with self defense (non physical).

If someone challenges me with violence I don't intimate I will win or that I'm not beatable I intimate that attacking me will be physically costly to the attacker.
I'm exactly the same way. I always want to radiate that fighting with me is going to be costly. I may lose but my opponent's win is going to be costly. I rather have would be attackers to see me as a win that's not worth it than a fight that they can't win. In the streets a fight that can't they can't win just means go get ya boys. I'm also not trying to be the top dog. King of the hill is only fun with friends lol.

It's always a fine balance
 
I never even heard of it so it must be good.
Not many people know about it. Unless they are in DC, Maryland, or Virgina. We probably have the worst expansion plan ever!, powered by the worst marketing plan. Something we do well like lion dance but other things we aren't able to show. But I like the direction it's heading now and I expect to hear great things in the future.

I'm hoping that my passion for Jow Ga lit a spark in the organization.
 
My ability to deescalate before martial arts and after is the same. The only thing that Martisl arts has greatly change in me is that it made me more comfortable with hitting someone.
But some schools do teach deescalation.
 
Well if learning things doesn't improve us, then why bother with any of it?
Because it makes you feel better about not being good at it.

Which is the marketing strategy of a lot of self defence and weight loss products.
 
Doesn't mean they make you any better at it.
This comes down to you as an individual, not the school or the teacher. It is the same with physical techniques. If you only practice them once or twice a week in the training hall and nothing more then how useful will they be? The teachers job is to inspire the student to take the lessons and hone their skills through extra-curricular practice. Martial arts training is not a one-time Matrix-type download session; what worked for Neo won't work for you :D
 
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My ability to deescalate before martial arts and after is the same. The only thing that Martisl arts has greatly change in me is that it made me more comfortable with hitting someone.
Hitting people was simple and something learnt long before I encountered the martial arts. Feeling comfortable doing so was natural too. In fact, a lot of what I learned in the early martial arts dojos actually complicated what was simple and easy to begin with. A lot of the adults had no fighting experience, except for competitions and sparring so there tales and tips for practical self-defence were mostly fantasy based. There were also a high number of macho folk who had no intention of deescalating encounters, a lot of them were actively seeking to test their skills and become the hero of their own martial arts story. Hitting people is the last resort, and hardly ever a requirement if you are intelligent enough to recognize the signs and avoid conflict in the first place. Avoiding conflict is mostly based on a person's awareness, self-discipline and strength of character at the end of the day.
 
This comes down to you as an individual, not the school or the teacher. It is the same with physical techniques. If you only practice them once or twice a week in the training hall and nothing more then how useful will they be? The teachers job is to inspire the student to take the lessons and hone their skills through extra-curricular practice. Martial arts training is not a one-time Matrix-type download session; what worked for Neo won't work for you :D
Not always.

I can train to use healing crystals. But all the effort in the world is not going To make me any better at them.

And I am not even kidding about the training.

 
Not always.

I can train to use healing crystals. But all the effort in the world is not going To make me any better at them.

And I am not even kidding about the training.

Have you any interest in reading the book which began this thread?

9781556431517.jpg


It makes life easier when everybody is working from the same starting point. Crystal healing has nothing whatsoever to do with the martial arts, aikido or de-escalation methods and practices. At their most basic level martial arts are based on physical movements and exercises. Once you learn the basics you are then able to progress to the deeper levels and start applying the underlying concepts and philosophies to everyday life :)
 
Have you any interest in reading the book which began this thread?

9781556431517.jpg


It makes life easier when everybody is working from the same starting point. Crystal healing has nothing whatsoever to do with the martial arts, aikido or de-escalation methods and practices. At their most basic level martial arts are based on physical movements and exercises. Once you learn the basics you are then able to progress to the deeper levels and start applying the underlying concepts and philosophies to everyday life :)

To apply the the basics and move on to the deeper levels of understanding we need to know what the basic practical core is.

We need to see it do the thing.

Healing crystals is a good example of training that doesn't have that basic practical core. Any rock will work as well as any other rock regardless of how much training and knowledge you invest in the subject. It doesn't come down to the individual.

Martial arts we assume has that basic practical core. Because if it didn't why would people invest in training in it?

But people train in the use of healing crystals.

So we shouldn't have this discussion under the assumption that martial arts has a practical core.

It might.

But it might not.

And this is how we build an honest discussion about any subject.
 
"You can't truly call yourself 'peaceful' unless you are capable of great violence. If you're not capable of violence, you're not peaceful, you're harmless."
False statement. Can Dalajlama or Pope fight? Probably not. Are they peaceful? Yes.
 
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