Glimmerscape

Transference of Aikido skills to everyday world

In the "Aikido as a way of being" post I said I have doubts about how well physical Aikido skills actually train us to move more effectively in the off-the-mat world of speaking and listening in which we spend most of our time.

These doubts have persisted even though many authors of Aikido-in-real-life type books seem to suggest that physical Aikido skills transfer readily into new actions in, say, verbal conflicts at work.

What we are really talking about is the question: does Aikido practice enable me to move into action with more and better choices in stressful situations than I had before I began training Aikido?

Certainly, if through Aikido (or any martial art practice) I have learned to direct my mind to find my physical center and to relax, breathing into it before moving into action, then this is dramatic progress. From a relaxed, balanced, alert physical position I think anyone would have command of more choices for action than had they simply reacted reflexively. And I agree that in many situations Aikido practice will build in physical habits of rexlation and centering deeply enough to make a difference in the way we present ourselves to some level of increased difficulty.

But I also think that our default action programming -- learned over a lifetime -- to win and not lose, to control the field of play, to always appear rational, to hide negative feelings, (to name a few), is a powerful force that embodies and directs our actions when we feel truly threatened. If martial arts practices like Aikido can help us to raise the bar of situational difficulty so that it takes more conflict to make us panic and fall back into our default routines, then great. I believe this happens and it's obvious progress. But I think we are better off having an idea of the scope of what we are up against: our years of previous practice just powering through things and people with strength and aggression. These are deeply rooted habits of reflexive action, and they will not just leave our bodies like exorcized spirits. They are a part of us, now and always.

If we are to have a chance of really making lasting and significant progress in translating Aikido principles such as "blend or merge with the other's power," or "develop power without strength," or even simply "move out of the way of an incoming attack," into effective new actions, then I think we will succeed better in the long run by designing additional real-life situational practices to reprogram our bodies to act in new ways in precisely those real-life situations. These practices would be everyday life responses to everyday troubles, but they would be informed by Aikido principles instead of default principles such as "win at all costs."

My theory in this, to sum up, is that Aikido training is good but it's beneficial impact on our everyday actions will only give us modest, though non-trivial, success. For a truly dramatic, increasing, and lasting ability to shift into new ways of moving, speaking, and listening additional practice is required off the mat, practice geared to the actual kinds of situations we find ourselves panicing in out in the world.

I'd like to explore here what kinds of practices those new, off-the-mat, varieties might be, what principles they would embody, and how we might conduct such practices in a way that facilitates deep learning and at the same time preserves the dignity of eveyone involved.

Aikido as a way of being

There is a lot of hype and slick choreography surrounding the presentation of martial arts through mainstream media. Many people are attracted to the study of martial arts with the idea that they will learn, in a very short time, how to do spinning heel kicks, twirl a wooden staff, or do flashy nunchuck routines. Others choose martial arts because they want to be able to improve their ability to defend themselves in the face of physical attack.

Some choose martial arts study because they think there is a chance it will make them better people, more capable of acting effectively in a variety of difficult situations -- not just physical threats -- but in everyday conflicts and dilemmas too.

Internal martial arts such as Tai Chi and Aikido are common choices for this latter category of people because these arts stress awareness and willful relaxation of internal tensions and tightness that often for many people simply go unnoticed. In western civilization the practice of living in our bodies has been largely overlooked in favor of practices of rational thinking. But rational thinking is not likely to enable us to calm our breathing or relax tense muscles at times when we need to move into action in a creative way. Anyone who has tried to speak powerfully and persuasively at a time of high physical stress knows how physical reality can encroach on our ability to perform the way we want.

On this weblog I want to explore the idea that the study of a specific art -- Aikido -- can help people configure and manage their internal systems in a way that makes them more versatile, mobile, creative, and ultimately more effective in resolving difficult everyday life situations. Such situations include interpersonal conflicts, threats, or frustrations at work, school, at home, or simply out getting around in the world.

But I do not think that simply studying Aikido by itself will necessarily enable us to act more effectively out in the world beyond the dojo doors. In fact I believe that our default practices, built up over a prior lifetime for dealing with conflict and frustration, are powerful programs that cannot be easily displaced no matter how many Aikido techniques we practice patiently over time. I will explore what else I think is missing here in this space. And I hope I will be able to find a way for others to contribute their ideas here too.

Yet, the idea that Aikido practice can increase physical awareness, relaxation, and control and thereby enhance our ability to move skillfully seems to be worth pursuing. It provides a controlled environment on the mat for experiencing what it feels like to merge or blend with the energy of another, to avoid charging recklessly into another's strength, and to direct physical conflict toward peacrful resolution not necessarily requiring that anyone be hurt. This is a worthwhile aim, and if it is not as easy as some believe to transfer the application of these skills into real life, that does not mean it's not a good idea to keep on trying.

This weblog will reflect my path of trying out ways to make Aikido and Tai Chi vehicles for building everyday life skills for dealing with the world, and for adjusting the physical moods we adopt that become our starting points for moving into action.