A Short Instruction:
The purpose of this article is to apply the Ki principle (mind moves the body) which is the fundamental of Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido to our daily life.
It is not enough just to read, but it is important to positively practice the subject given each month. Learning through practice will be your lifelong asset.
Giving up the other options resolutely
“Decisions” usually involve stress. After making a decision, the end result often affects not only oneself but also other people involved. The more people are affected, the greater stress is felt by the decision maker.
When a mind does not have enough strength to overcome this stress, avoiding decisions and leaving unfavorable situations continuing will often be the end result.
Needless to say, before making a decision, gathering and analyzing as accurate and as much information as possible is very important. However, even after gathering and analyzing all the information, the final decision must be made.
Making a decision means “resolutely giving up the other choices and options”. If you have choices both “to do” and “not to do”, the end result for you will be one of always wondering which option you should choose. The mind will become weaker from being indecisive.
Resolutely giving up the “do or not do” attitude, and being determined “to do”, your mind will not lose focus and will become stronger. It is the same thing if you give up the option of “doing” and are determined not to do, your mind will be focused and get stronger. By giving up the other choices resolutely, there will be no regret about the decision later.
Having too many alternatives/options at the same time, may seem like a good thing, but in fact it may cause you to waver in the decision making.
The fact that work can be chosen freely nowadays is a good thing, but at the same time, many choices or options of work may cause people to waver in deciding what to do. When one can live in an environment without working, one is blessed, but even that may cause one to waver whether to work or not.
Even though one may be materially privileged, this still might lead to a great doubt and waver and cause weakness of mind, which is ironic.
The same is true of Aikido training.
Having the choice of “to train” or “not to train” causes people to waver. People in society nowadays are particularly busy. It is very easy to find excuses for “not training”. For example “I will not train today because it is too hot.”
That is why, if one started Aikido for some reasons, one should be firmly resolved. For instance, “I will continue at least for one year”, or “I will continue until I attain Shodan level”. In this case one should resolutely give up the choice of “discontinuing at half way”.
The same is true when doing Ukemi for 100 times.
If one has the choice of “not having to do the Ukemi training for 100 times”, it will cause the mind to grow weaker. When always in doubt and wavering, the mind and the body tend to get tired and it will be hard to continue. When the choice of stopping midway during Ukemi training is given up, the mind will grow stronger and the mind and the body will become at ease during the training.
“When it gets tough, it is OK to sometimes stop halfway.” This may seem easy to the ear, but may in fact cause wavering, and the mind will become weak. For teaching children especially, parents need to be careful of this kind of attitude. This is not actually love but just feeling pity.
The same is applied not only to Aikido, but also to the other lessons and classes to learn something in our daily lives. Even once we have started to learn something, wondering whether to “continue” or “discontinue” and stopping learning is a real waste.
If bad habits are acquired at a young age, one will get habits of wavering and stopping midway in doing anything. If one does not choose the option of “stopping”, one should give up the choice of the same with the firm intention, and make best efforts on what one is doing.
“Making decision” means “Giving up the other choices resolutely”. It is a fact that if one decisively gives up the other options, the mind will be positively stronger.