This Year I decided to write the words “One thing – all the energy!”, in the different Dojos.
These words were the moto of a leader called Shibusawa.
To the best of my understanding, what Shibusawa meant to say was, “Invest all your energy in that which is in front of you”.
O’sensei, the founder of Aikido, wrote in one of his poems:
“When many enemies surround you and want to attack you,
Think that you are facing one enemy and fight him”.
Takuan, the famous Zen monk wrote:
“When ten enemies attack you one after the other, each one holding a sword, you have to deal with them one sword at a time.
Make sure you are not distracted by the swords you are not dealing with.
And more, do not leave your attention with the sword you have finished dealing with.
If you do that, you will be able to deal even with ten attackers.
Since you are not distracted by any of the ten, you can handle them easily.
But if your attention lags with even one of the attackers, you will easily be able to deal with his attack, but you will not be able to evade your next attacker”.
And another story:
One of the famous Zen scholars, Professor Suzuki Daisetsu, (Died 1966), lived on a hill, and had to climb up 130 stairs to get to his home. When someone told him: “Since you are more than 90 years old, it must be very hard to climb up so many stairs”, Suzuki answered: “If you climb the stairs one stair at a time, it is really easy. If you focus your effort on the step you are taking that very moment, you will find yourself in a high place without even noticing”.
Many of the people we call “Masters” lived their life while paying close attention to the “Here and now”.
Our Dojo’s moto is “live with all your energy, in great joy of life, here and now”.
This is the text Suganuma Sensei wrote to the Dojo members in Japan.
It is an especially important reminder of the essence of Aikido.
Here, in Nisshin-Kan, we will continue to practice, “Here and now”.
Feel free to share, to comment, and most importantly, to apply.
