One Bullet Away

We should remember that one man is much the same as another, and that he is best who is trained in the severest school.
-Thucydides

"Nine-tenths of tactics are certain, and taught in books: but the irrational tenth is like the kingfisher flashing across the pool and that is the test of generals. It can only be ensured by instinct, sharpened by thought practicing the stroke so often that at the crisis it is as natural as a reflex. -T.E. Lawrence (pgs. 18-19)

"...five of the Marine Corps's leadership principles that helped me in the Fleet."
"First," he counseled, "you must be technically and tactically proficient."
"Second, make sound and timely decisions."
Fanning's third piece of advice was simple: "Set he example."
"Fourth, know your men and look out for their welfare."
"Finally," Fanning exhorted us, "train your men as a team."
(pgs. 22-23)

It was about cool under pressure. It was about detachment. We had to retain our ability to think when the world was crumbling around us. (p. 23)

The key consideration in any tactical move is "to turn the map around." Look at your own situation from your enemy's perspective. What are your vulnerabilities? Where will he hit you, and what can you do to defeat him? (p. 37)

Decerno, Communico, Exsequor - "Decide, Communicate, Execute."

a Marine's most deadly weapon - his mind. Novack had taught us about the combat mindset, both the tactical need to be a predator and the moral imperative to know where to draw the line. (p. 49)

Violence of action doesn't start with weapons and tactics. It starts in your head. (p. 50)

Hardness was the ability to face an overwhelming situation with aplomb, smile calmly at it, and then triumph through sheer professional pride. (p. 145)

"Improvise, adapt, and overcome" was a Marine Corps mantra for good reason. (p. 147)

I was taught the OODA loop, a four-stage decision-making process described by Air Force fighter pilot Colonel John Boyd: observe, orient, decide, act. That's all we did in the Humvee contact drills - observed the enemy threat, oriented on it, decided what to do, and did it. (p. 181)
(http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?sku=0618773436)

Brains on Fire

I just finished reading Brains on Fire: Igniting Powerful, Sustainable, Word of Mouth Movements by Robbin Phillips, Greg Cordell, Geno Church, and Spike Jones and there were some great quotes that made me stop and think about our connections, communications and relationships to others.

Cool book jacket too!

...movements begin with the first conversation, that small group of deeply passionate and deeply dedicated people who believe. And plan. And pour blood, sweat, and tears into going out, finding kindred spirits, looking them in the eye, and talking with them about how they would shape this thing. They ask questions about engagement and participation, plant seeds, and ignite excitement. And the great thing about this laborious process is that it gets people talking with their friends in their own language about what they're helping to start (p. 26)

Quality trumps quantity, and as vice president of brand marketing at Fiskars, Jay Gillespie, told us, "For me, it's not about the numbers. It's about growing even deeper relationships." In other words, he'd rather concentrate on building meaningful connections with the members who are already part of the movement. And as that happens, more people will naturally be attracted to it (pgs. 62-63)

Moving from evangelism to ownership requires one big thing: sacrifice. True ownership calls for loyalty and the willingness of someone-a customer, an employee, a friend-to make an investment or personal sacrifice and accept shared responsibility for an organization's continued triumph. Whether it's taking the time to put up flyers or write a letter, spending the money to create their own swag, or any number of other activities, it's the real investment of personal time and resources in support of something the believe in (p. 89)

This reminded me of a writing by the late Aikido Master, George Leonard, in his book
The Way of Aikido: Life Lessons from an American Sensei

When the samurai Kikushi was ordained a bodhisattva [one devoted to lifelong service], his master told him, "You must concentrate upon and consecrate yourself wholly to each day, as though a fire were raging in your hair."

What is your passion, purpose or goal? How do you share your passions and goals with others?

Antonio Pappano

Antonio Pappano, Music Director of the Royal Opera House in London, talks about his life and passion for music with Charlie Rose.

Two of the themes that stood out for me were: 'how one learns' and 'teaching.'



The first theme of 'how one learns' made me think of how when I first started to learn, one had to write things down. There was no Internet or photocopiers (or ones readily available).

By listening, seeing, writing and then reviewing (or doing), the material became yours. The concept of read it, write it, see it and doing methodology drilled in the details. Now days the Internet and copying material makes the process faster, but without the critical dissection, does one trying learn?

…one has to learn how to learn.

How to absorb the material.

How to look at a piece of music and see what is really there, what is the potential

How do you bring it to life?

There are different things that you take into consideration when you look at a piece of music.

The melody line is supported by so many other things.

The movement of the harmony which actually guides the way a piece of music goes.

It is guided by the harmonic structure and rhythm.

The three in tandem are Harmony, rhythm and melody.

It is so easy to look at a piece of music and see all the details, but not see the ABC’s of music which are harmony, rhythm and melody.

What is essential?

The second theme of 'teaching' really draws on the first. Without truly knowing the material or being able to review it again and again with a critical eye, does one ever go deeper in their understanding?

Having the open mind to revisit things you thought you knew and being able to question what you thought, does not provide a method to share or impart your knowledge with others as you only bring your perspective.

By challenging oneself, I believe the greater your understanding becomes and the fun and reward of seeing someone else gain their own frame of reference on the material and knowing that this has the opportunity to be passed onto another generation.

…you try to teach with Enthusiasm, Love, Skill, and Knowledge try to impart something that can really make the experience of listening and watching so much easier and so much more enjoyable.

Aikido and the First Lady: Michelle Obama

I recently came across this speech by Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States: remarks by the First Lady of the United States at The Cooper Hewitt National Design Awards.

A couple of highlights that caught my attention were the 'art and science' references and made me think of their inter-play in our study of Aikido.

You are scientists and artists. Your work is both practical
and poetic, educational and inspirational. You represent
diverse fields of disciplines but you share the common thread
of superior design.

What I love about design is the artistic and scientific
complexity that also becomes useful: a laptop, a bridge, an
outfit -- (laughter) -- a garden, all drawn from a thousand wells
of inspiration and yet grounded in the basic principles of math
or science.

Peace Week

Peace Week Lesson Plan
Date: September 21, 2010
Instructor: Sharratt

1. International Peace Day
•The International Day of Peace ("Peace Day") provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date. It was established by a United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening of the General Assembly. The first Peace Day was celebrated in September 1982.
•In 2002 the General Assembly officially declared September 21 as the permanent date for the International Day of Peace.
•By creating the International Day of Peace, the UN devoted itself to worldwide peace and encouraged all of mankind to work in cooperation for this goal. During the discussion of the U.N. Resolution that established the International Day of Peace, it was suggested that:
•"Peace Day should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples…This day will serve as a reminder to all peoples that our organization, with all its limitations, is a living instrument in the service of peace and should serve all of us here within the organization as a constantly pealing bell reminding us that our permanent commitment, above all interests or differences of any kind, is to peace."
•Since its inception, Peace Day has marked our personal and planetary progress toward peace. It has grown to include millions of people in all parts of the world, and each year events are organized to commemorate and celebrate this day. Events range in scale from private gatherings to public concerts and forums where hundreds of thousands of people participate.

2. Music and Techniques
Where is the Love? by the Black Eyed Peas
•Technique: Review Conscious Embodiment by Wendy Palmer
oBoth Wrists Grasp by both Partners – pushing
oBoth Wrist Grasp All Direction Throw #2

Pray for me Brother by A.R. Rahman
•Technique: Both Elbow Grasp Breath Throw
A Sense of Wonder by Van Morrison
•Technique: Front Strike Front Step-in Throw #2
oImagine practicing this in a field in Japan, in a favela (slum area) outside São Paulo, Brazil, in a hot, smelly dojo in Detroit, a Southern California beach in January, or at the Shuharikan in St. Paul, what do they hold in common?
oWhat do you perceive these individuals think about when they are common to or leaving the dojo?
oUsing a definition of Aikido as "the Way of harmonious spirit," how do you integrate your study into your everyday life?

Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes by Jimmy Buffett
•Technique: One Wrist Grasp Side Step-in Throw #1
oWhenever I train and study this technique, I envision training with Alistair Thomson sensei in the early 1990’s. His technical explanation and performing of the technique was a wonderful experience, but more so the time spent with him and talking about the Shodan grading I was about to undertake with Gordie and his openness about the continuity of training and what one gains made a greater and deeper impression on me.
oWhat is a memory that you share about your training?
oDoes this affect or impact your life outside of Aikido? If so, in what ways?

Days like this by Van Morrison
“You won’t repay me directly, but you will do things for others, just as I have done for you.” With that statement she showed me a path that I have taken-a lifetime of mentoring and friendship with young people, many of whom were foreign students in America, as I had once been in Munich. (pg. 19) East toward Dawn: A Woman’s Solo Journey Around the World by Nan Watkins.
•How do you envision Aikido affecting your life in the future?
•How can it be a vehicle or mechanism for you to impact those in your life and those less fortunate that you?

East and West

I just picked up Somebody Else's Century: East and West in a Post-Western World by Patrick Smith based on a publisher's review.

The opening quote caught my attention:

History is marked by alternating movements cross an imaginary line that separates East from West...
-Herodotus, The Histories

Now if that isn't the perfect description of someone born and raised in Minnesota and studying Aikido at the Shuharikan in St. Paul, I don't what is!

I'll add more as I get through the book.

Dancing the Small Dance

The poem below resonated with me and brought to mind the book and wonderful photos in It's a Lot Like Dancing: An Aikido Journey by Terry Dobson, Riki Moss and Jan Watson.

Dancing the Small Dance
I want to dance,
On the edge between the new and unfamiliar,
And the old and familiar,
Reality.
Dancing, moving, feeling.

The music and the movements come from everywhere.
And a lovely way of knowing
Is to identify with
The dance,
Rather than identifying with
The dance critic's interpretation of
The dance.

It might be an awkward, poorly choreographed dance,
But it is MY dance nonetheless,
And dancing MY dance,
Gives me a deep sense of serenity, surrender, and grace.

I am not alone in this dance.
My movements are enfolded in the movements of all life,
All sadness,
All triumph,
All joy.

cb Hop, poet

The Age of the Unthinkable

I recently listened to the May 11, 2009 Charlie Rose interview with Joshua Cooper Ramo on his book The Age of the Unthinkable: Why the New World Disorder Constantly Surprises Us And What We Can Do About It.

His main themes were:
• We have to look at the world differently
• Focus on Resilience, instead of deterrence
• Not always be direct in our negotiations, look at indirect negotiations
• Learn to give away power




The book include a number of excellent thought provoking ideas that one can use in their personal life, at work, in our respective countries and larger world.

I grouped them as ideas for upcoming Aikido classes as:

What is it
"The main argument of the book is not particularly complicated: it is that in a revolutionary era of surprise and innovation, you need to learn to think and act like a revolutionary." (pg. 11)

"...we need policy makers and thinkers who have that intuitive revolutionary feel for the inescapable demands of innovation. We need early adopters, men and women who touch newness and change as an almost totemic reminder of what is possible in the human spirit and who are honest about the fights and struggles that lie ahead." (pg. 37)

Responsibility
[George Kennan] said "Today you cannot even do good unless you are prepared to exert your share of power, take your share of responsibility, make your share of mistakes, and assume your share of risks." (pg. 19)

"There was something profound and amazing in the dynamics of the piles (of sand), he thought: their ability not only to translate order into chaos, but also to translate chaos into order." (pg. 54)

Current state
"The main lesson is that just because something is too terrible to contemplate doesn't mean it's not going to happen." (pg. 56)

[Lawrence Summers], head of the National Economic Council said, "adopt a probabilistic view of the world and discard the black-and-white models that make for success in academia." (pg. 34)

Next steps
"It is senseless to aspire to periods of 'peace on earth' during the lifetime of anyone reading this book unless we begin to change how, where, and why we do fight. Threats to our physical security are complex, new, and growing. They demand nothing less than a complete reinvention of our ideas of security" (pg. 99)

[Aharon Farkash], former head of Israeli military intelligence said "look deep, focus on things that move and change, never ask the usual questions." (pg. 144)

“Deep security doesn’t answer all of our questions about the future. Indeed, it’s predicated on the idea that we don’t have all the answers and, in fact, can’t even anticipate many of the questions. What it is instead is a way of seeing, of thinking, and of acting that accepts growing complexity and ceaseless newness as givens–and, used properly, our best allies." (pg. 108)

“Perhaps the best way to think of deep security is as a kind of immune system, a reactive instinct for identifying dangers, adapting to deal with them, and then moving to control and contain the risk they present." (pg. 109)

“Learning to think in deep-security terms means largely abandoning our idea that we can deter the threats we face and, instead, pressing to make our societies more resilient so we can absorb whatever strikes us. Resilience will be the defining concept of twenty-first century security, as crucial for your fast-changing job as it is for the nation. We can think of resilience as a measure of how much disturbance a system can absorb before it breaks down so fundamentally that it can’t easily return to the way it once was." (pg. 172)

“Resilience allows us, even at our most extreme moments of terror (in fact, precisely because we are at such a moment), to keep learning, to change. It is a kind of battlefield courage, the ability to innovate under fire because we’ve prepared in the right way and because we’ve developed the strength to keep moving even when we’re slapped by the unexpected.” (pg. 178)

“Construction of a resilient society need not be complex. The aim is simple enough: to withstand the surprises that await us; to absorb the worst nightmares and walk away with the core attributes of our freedom intact.” (pg. 190)

“Resilience isn’t a just a passive virtue, it’s also something we have to be able to incorporate into the way we act in the world, whether it is regulating financial markets that change faster than we can think or, as we’ve often done in the Middle East, stepping into unstable landscapes of ethnic and religious fury.” (pg. 192)

“Among the elements common to successfully resilient systems was an ability to constantly reconceptualize problems, to generate a diversity of ideas, to communicate with everyone from fisherman to truckers, and to encourage novelty and even small-scale revolts or crises and recoveries instead of waiting for a big, unanticipated collapse.” (pg. 197)

Peace
“What Jean Monnet, one of the most masterful strategists of the last century, wrote in 1951 is true today: ‘World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it.’” (pg. 240)

“We owe everything to human creativity. Everything that lasts, that changes our lives, that emerges from what was once unimaginable has its roots in that initial spark of innovation.” (pg. 240)

“I want to propose [is] that we focus our attention also on the very smallest parts of the system, on people, and bet that the one thing we know for sure is that we can’t predict what they’ll do. In other words, the last step to deep security in a world of unthinkable granular surprise is to push-as hard as possible-for even more unthinkable granular surprise.” (pgs. 242-243)

“As Niels Bohr remarked in later life, ‘Every valuable human being must be a radical and a rebel, for what he must aim at is to make things better than they are.’ Conformity to old ideas is lethal; it is a rebellion that is going to change the planet.” (pg. 262)

Sacred Space

"Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again."
-Joseph Campbell

What a fabulous quote from The Guru - Joseph Campbell!

What or where is your sacred space?

If you are looking for a "sacred space" to train, come to visit the Shuharikan in St. Paul.

The Soul Spark, Creativity and Imagination

In preparing for an upcoming class at the Shuharikan, I've cited some of the wonderful quotes I'll be using to support the lecture as it relates to the use of imagination and creativity in developing and finding your Aikido.

The Soul Spark
“The world comes with shapes, colors, atmospheres, textures-a display of self-presenting forms. All things show faces, the world not only a coded signature to be read for meaning, but a physiognomy to be faced. As expressive forms, things speak; they show the shape they are in. They announce themselves, bear witness to their presence: “Look, here we are.” They regard us beyond how we may regard them, our perspectives, what we intend with them, and how we dispose of them. This imaginative claim on attention bespeaks a world ensouled. More-our imaginative recognition, the childlike act of imagining the world, animates the world and returns it to soul…”
James Hillman, The Thought of the Heart and the Soul of the World, pgs. 101-102, 118, 128-129

“For Merleau-Ponty, all of the creativity and free-ranging mobility that we have come to associate with the human intellect is, in truth, an elaboration, or recapitulation, of a profound creativity already underway at the most immediate level of sensory perception. The sensing body is not a programmed machine but an active and open form, continually improvising its relation to things and to the world. The body’s actions and engagements are never wholly determinate, since they must ceaselessly adjust themselves to a world and a terrain that is itself continually shifting. If the body were truly a set of closed or predetermined mechanisms, it could never come into genuine contact with anything outside of itself, could never perceive anything really new, could never be genuinely startled or surprised. All of its experiences, and all its responses, would already have been anticipated from the beginning, already programmed, as it were, into the machine. But could we even, then, call them experiences? For is not experience, or more precisely, perception, the constant thwarting of such closure?”
The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World by David Abram

“Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will.”
-George Bernard Shaw

Aphrodite, Soul Food and Aikido

So many of our experiences in life, through Aikido, our family and friends, revolve around a meal and "breaking bread." Aikido trips I've taken have provided wonderful memories of our training or talking in-depth of our lives.

From having a classic egg and toast breakfast with Kancho and Fred Haynes sensei in Georgetown, to eating dim sum and sushi at small crazy loud rock-n-roll spots in southern California with Geordan Reynolds sensei, Chino sensei and Sensei Bob and the Lincoln Continental, hitting the late night spots in San Francisco's Tenderloin area and the weekly Saturday breakfast with the Shuharikan Crew at The Downtowner in St. Paul, having a Cajun with Black and Tan toast, all are memories I treasure!

These two quotes are so descriptive and capture in such detail, the enjoyment of experiencing a fantastic meal while spending time with great friends.

"Little by little, I worked up a list of everything that according to my own experience and the knowledge accumulated through centuries in different cultures enhances passionate life, or just life in general. As is only natural, food headed the list." Isabel Allende, Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses

“To cook soul food you must use all of your senses. You cook by instinct but you also use smell, taste, touch, sight, and, particularly, sound. You learn to hear by the crackling sound when it’s time to turn over the fried chicken, to smell when a pan of biscuits is just about to finish baking, and to feel when a pastry’s just right to the touch. You taste, rather than measure, the seasonings you treasure; and you use your eyes, not a clock, to judge when that cherry pie has bubbled sweet and nice. These skills are hard to teach quickly. They must be felt, loving, and come straight from the heart and soul.” Sheila Ferguson, Soul Food: Classic Cuisine from the Deep South

Dawn toward East and Fred Haynes sensei

When I tested for San Dan (3rd degree Black Belt) I stayed with Fred Haynes sensei and his family in Toronto. During my stay we had many great training sessions and some even better conversations of his travels and views of what a senior instructor needs to do and was following the direction from Kancho sensei as his role is helping others find their Aikido and help “grow instructors.” (Photo: http://aikidoikeda.com.br)

This memory came back to me when I read East toward Dawn: A Woman’s Solo Journey Around the World by Nan Watkins. The first quote below struck me with the wonderful hospitality I experienced staying with Fred sensei and the ideal of tradition and passing down what you’ve learned to the next generation.

“You won’t repay me directly, but you will do things for others, just as I have done for you.” With that statement she showed me a path that I have taken-a lifetime of mentoring and friendship with young people, many of whom were foreign students in America, as I had once been in Munich. (pg. 19)

The next ideal was of how one evolves and grows in the medium they’ve chosen to express oneself. Having known Fred sensei for more than 15 years now and countless training sessions, clinics and conversations, it is always a pleasure to see his evolution as an Aikidoka, but more importantly as a wonderful mentor, friend, supporter and human being.

I think of the role of the artist in society, of how the artist stands outside the mainstream, exiled as recorder of human experience, critic of human behavior, town crier, visionary…No matter when, no matter where, each of us is on a journey, day by day, year by year, whether we are conscious of it or not. The artist’s journey is purposeful; the artist may not be a tidy citizen, but the artist knows why he or she is here: to tell a story, to awaken our minds and hearts to the bigger story of the universe beyond. I admire the artist, who with heightened ability of expression is able to articulate the pain and joy of the human journey through writing, painting, sculpture or music. (pgs. 29-30)

During my trip in 1999 I also had the great privilege and honor of training and testing with Jim Murray sensei. His home and dojo are located at Base Borden and it reminded me of my family’s retreat in northern Minnesota. One has the opportunity to smell the fresh air during the day, see the stars on a clear evening and hear the call of a loon as the moon reflects across the lake.

I look out the window at the sky and know that though I am in a foreign country on the other side of the earth, the sun, moon and stars are still there as my familiars. (pg. 49)
Taking time each day to retreat from the spoken word brings us in touch with the natural world and with the universal spirit. Perhaps I am able to live so easily among these people on the other side of the world because we are communicating at a level beyond our surface differences. I am with people whose greeting and farewell refer to the divine qualities within each of us. It is in that divine spirit beyond words, beyond language, that we have much to share. (pg. 61)

As I reflect back on the training in Toronto two key themes arose: where was I training that day and where were we going to eat, followed by some cold beverages. I trained with Fred sensei, Alister Thomson sensei, Tim Webb and Rod Rhem sensei, Seibukan Dojo, Jim Murray sensei, Base Borden, Mark Handley-Derry sensei, Shinseikan Aikido Club, David Stinson sensei, Seidokan and the many Aikidoka training at each of the respective dojos.

Throughout history, enlightened souls have shown us in their words and actions how to live in harmony with fellow humans and with all life on earth. Iris Murdoch, the British philosopher and novelist, said it well in one of her essays: “Love is the imaginative recognition of, that is respect for, the otherness of another person.” Respect for the otherness-a beautiful and necessary aspect of love, of understanding and relating to all kinds of people. One of my childhood heroes, Albert Schweitzer, took this thought one step further. He taught “reverence for life,” extending respect beyond humankind to include all forms of life. (pg. 75)

The final thought I had was how far the Shuharikan and Aikido in St. Paul has come in the last 10 years: scores of people who've trained at the dojo, the number of individuals who tested for Kyu and Dan ranking, hosting Kancho sensei and the many wonderful people we've hosted and met during our travels. The greatest treasures have been the deepening of friendships with Gordie, Glen, Jim and Maggie and with all those we've trained with and have been able to share the mat and celebrate with over cold beverages.

…so have I traversed in this last decade of my life the world of emotion-from deepest sorrow to profound joy. I made the journey, step by step, day by day. (pg. 174)
Developing my talents and moving out into the greater world, I learn that the diversity of people-and all forms of life-is to be cherished: the differences between us are insignificant in light of what we hold in common. (pg. 175)
I’m in travel mode, and it’s a wonderful gear to be in. It’s an entirely separate state of mind from that of being rooted in a particular spot. The essence is movement. The challenge is confronting the new. There is no boredom of routine, no daily job to go to, no responsibilities other than myself. (pg. 177)

The Collaborative Habit and Dancing

And some people only think Aikido is hard on the feet! What a great photo!

Twyla Tharp's book The Collaborative Habit: Life Lessons for Working Together includes excellent quotes one can apply to their Aikido training, work, or family.

I define collaboration as people working together-sometimes by choice, sometimes not. Sometimes we collaborate to jump-start creativity; other times the focus is simply on getting things done. (pg. 4)

Collaborators aren't born, they're made. Or, to be more precise, built, a day at a time, through practice, through attention, through discipline, through passion and commitment-and, most of all, through habit. (pg. 12)

Watch them, learn from them. And see if you don't soon feel that, far from being burdened with a partner, you're beginning to find new options and new ways of thinking. Thinking? Collaboration may be a practice-a way of working in harmony with others-but it begins as a point of view. (pgs. 13-14)

The sooner you establish a routine, the more smoothly your collaboration will advance. The first requirement of collaboration is commitment. (pgs. 26-27)

The root of any collaboration is interchange-literally, change. Nothing forces change more dramatically than a new partnership. Collaboration guarantees change because it makes us accommodate the reality of our partners-and accept all the ways they're not like us. And those differences are important. The more we can draw upon our partner's strengths and avoid approving our partner's weaknesses, the better that partnership will be. (pg. 36)

You need a challenging partner. In a good collaboration, differences between partners mean that one plus one will always equal more than two. (pg. 36)

As for me, I learned ways of extending movement from one place to another that would never have occurred to me had I not been able to transpose myself into this amazing artist, to feel the innumerable hours he trained, drilled, and practiced from one inside edge to the other outside edge and back, carefully tracing his patterns into the ice. (pg. 43)

Collaborative projects offer tutorials in reality. And that tutorial always presents the unexpected. (pg. 63)

Crisis focuses energy. When it really matters, people rise to the occasion. (pg. 86)

Richard Avedon taught me what Keats called "negative capability"-a willingness to suspend judgement and see reality as another might. That's creativity at its most openhearted. Those pictures of the two of us remind me that the ultimate best result of any collaboration is learning to look through your collaborator's eye. (pg. 117)

But beyond the scoring of your collaboration lies the real gain-the chance to interface with others and to develop a whole new tool kit of values. Our lives are performances-each of us starring in a play we come to know as our own. Essence isn't just who you are. It's who you are with other people. (pg. 143)

Peel an onion and country cooking

A number of years ago I had the great opportunity to train with Gaku Homma Sensei, Nippon Kan, when he gave a clinic and lecture here in Minnesota.

The technical training was wonderful, but the things I best recall were some of his interpretations of Aikido. One was that there is no right or wrong way to do Aikido, just different variations. He noted this idea came from the many individuals who trained with O'Sensei. They trained with him during different periods of his life; thus bringing about different focuses or points of view. The description was that you should liken this to an "Aikido globe" and it is all Aikido.

The second was we should appreciate the change of seasons or periods of the year in which we train and the evolution our bodies go through. These changes are also reflected in and tied to the foods we eat during the respective seasons. He noted many of the first classes he taught in Denver were followed by gatherings where he cooked for the students.

Some of these ideas are found his book The Folk Art of Japanese Country Cooking: A Traditional Diet for Today’s World by Gaku Homma:

To balance mind and body, we need to refocus and appreciate the season-to-season gifts we receive from nature. If we eat what is given to us naturally, we can find truer nutritional fulfillment, as well as a truer understanding. (p. 22)

Part of the true essence of Japanese country cooking was carried in the hearts of the people who first created the foods. By experiencing their creativity in arranging these ingredients, we can truly enjoy the richness of these foods, emotionally as well as physically. (p. 18)

Early this spring I came across the book Chef: A Novel by Jaspreet Singh.

The gastronomic writings brought me back to the descriptions Homma Sensei used and to the many layers of learning one goes through during their study and training in Aikido.

These are some of the "tasty" samplings - enjoy!:

'Pay attention to simple things, Kip. If one cannot deal with a simple dish properly, there is no way one will be able to handle the more sophisticated. Take a tomato, for instance. What is the taste of this tomato? There is no such thing as the set taste of a tomato. Taste lies in the surface, the way you cut it...
'Before cutting a tomato, give it the reverence it deserves and ask: Tomato, what would you like to become? Do you want to be alone? Or do you prefer company? Apricot, what would you like to become? Would you like to become more than yourself in the company of saffron?
'Saffron, who are you?'(p. 27)

'Kashmiri is the language of poetry,' he said.
'There is no such thing as the language of poetry,' I corrected him. 'Poetry can be written in all languages. No language is inferior. When I peel an onion in the kitchen there is poetry in it.'
'You are not entirely wrong,' he said. (pgs. 37-38)

...Chilies are South American. Coffee, Arabian. "Curry powder" is a British invention. There is no such thing as Indian food, Kip. But there are Indian methods (Punjabi-Kashmiri-Tamil-Goan-Bengali-Hyderabadi). Allow a dialogue between our methods and the ingredients from the rest of the world. Japan, Italy, Afghanistan. Make something new. Channa goes well with artichokes. Rajmah with brie and parsley. Don't get stuck inside nationalities.' I would watch the movement of his hands for hours on end. Once the materials stripped themselves bare, Chef mixed them with all that he remembered, and all that he had forgotten. Sometimes he would contradict himself, and that was the toughest thing to master in the kitchen. (p.88)

Peripheral Vision, Metsuke and Shuchu-Ryoku

My mentor and friend, Mary Texer, shared a wonderful book with me: Peripheral Vision: Detecting the Weak Signals that Will Make or Break Your Company by George S. Day and Paul J. H. Schoemaker.

The business principles in the book are directly applicable to one's study of Aikido.

A concept in the martial arts is Metsuke or "soft-focus;" and is sometimes referred to as "seeing-eye" or the "mind's-eye." It is seeing without focusing on a single point and yet permits awareness of the total field of vision or peripheral vision.

In Yoshinkan Aikido a key principle is "Shuchu-Ryoku" or focused or concentrated power. The development of this power is done through the training and alignment of the body.

Some high-lights below from the book wonderful describe Metsuke and Shuchin-Ryoku in practical real-world examples.

Splatter Vision: Seeing the Forest and the Trees

Some combination of directed and undirected search may be ideal. The FBI, for example, trains its agents to use a scanning approach called “splatter vision.” This involves scanning a crowd for would-be assassins by looking into the distance and not focusing on anyone in particular. Once the agent fixes a general gaze, he or she looks for deviation or change. Is someone restless, looking around too much, slowly putting a hand into a coat pocket? From among hundreds of faces, the agent seeks a lone assassin; suspicious activity then triggers a more intense focus. By balancing directed and undirected scanning, a single agent can spot signs of trouble across a fairly large area. (p. 52)

Guidelines for Scanning
Many parts of the periphery may be important to scan. Once you have identified an area as important, you can then choose among approaches to investigate that zone.

A few general principles can guide this process:
• Actively manage the process. This can help to focus attention and resources on those areas of the periphery that are most important.
• Use multiple methods. The key to active scanning is to avoid overreliance on the methods and information sources that everyone else uses. To gain fresh insights, we must go beyond seeing what others see.
• Treat scanning as an iterative process. The results of your scanning may suggest a larger or lesser scope. Each scan offers new insights that inform the next scan.
The meaning of any weak signal detected at the periphery will depend on the position and strategy of the company viewing it. The diverse signals identified through scanning might fit together into many different coherent pictures. (pgs. 70-72)
The process of making sense is even more complex when it relates to peripheral vision. The images are, by definition, muddied and imprecise. They are distorted like the edges of a fish-eye lens, and there is a high noise-to-signal ratio. In human vision, the periphery lacks detail and color. The mind can easily jump to the wrong conclusions about something that is seen out of the “corner of one’s eye.”
Many times, when it relates to the periphery, we jump to the wrong conclusions about what we are seeing. In other cases, we fail to understand a real threat or opportunity and don’t see it until too late. (p.74)

Conclusion: The Quick and the Dead
Learning quickly and efficiently is vital in responding to the periphery. Organizations [or individuals] that can gain clarity about what is happening before their rivals will be in a better position to act on opportunities in the periphery or respond to threats.

…learning can be improved and accelerated by the following approaches:
• Use scenarios to learn. Scenarios not only help interpret the future but they can also help in probing and learning. They organize signals that may seem to be random noise into a pattern. They show where knowledge and insights are needed…
• Fail fast and cheap to accelerate learning. Experiments can be the best way to learn about the periphery. Keep them as small as possible to extract the most learning with the least risk. While good peripheral vision is important peripheral vision is important in identifying opportunities, the real value of the periphery is to explore mistakes.
• Use real options. One of the best ways to increase the learning-to-risk ratio is to use real options. Options can turn small investments into powerful learning opportunities. They can help to reduce uncertainty before major investments are required. The idea is to keep the upfront investment low while learning and preserving the upside potential. (p. 116)

Focus Attention on Specific Challenges

The problem with a broad periphery is that the organization [or individual] can easily become overwhelmed and its attention can become diffuse. There is a vital need for prioritization and focus to direct attention to specific areas while continuing to promote a broad awareness. (p. 165)

Six Lessons from the Periphery

Lesson 1: Peripheral vision is more about anticipation and alertness than prediction.
One of the overriding principles of effective peripheral vision is that it will always be less clear than focal vision. The periphery is blurry; it is not in color. Weak signals are by definition faint. The future is basically unknowable. Even with these limitations, however, peripheral vision enables two kinds of anticipation: preparing in the face of uncertainty and acting before anyone else can. By the time a clear prediction or forecast can be made, it is probably too late.
Lesson 2: The problem is not a lack of data but a lack of good questions.
…unless one focuses this [information] gathering on expanding the field of vision, no matter how carefully they look, they won’t see opportunities and threats unless their scope is broad enough.
Lesson 3: Scan actively but with an open mind because the periphery won’t always come to you.
Don’t wait for the periphery to come to you; often, you must explore it. While passive scanning plays an important role in peripheral vision, you also must explore the periphery actively through directed hypotheses and undirected journeys into the unknown. Active scanning is not a one-time or annual event. It must be a real-time process that draws on a broad repertoire of techniques and approaches.
Lesson 4: Use triangulation to better understand the periphery.
Just as the eye uses triangulation to provide depth and meaning, multiple perspectives on the periphery are needed to comprehend it. If the periphery is confusing, look at it from different angles. This is most easily done by bringing different people with diverse views into the process and by using multiple methods or techniques. This is especially important because the periphery is inherently blurry and incomplete. The conflicts and differences in viewpoints, as well as multiple hypotheses, can help illuminate different parts of the picture.
Lesson 5: When catching glimpses from the periphery, it is wise to probe before jumping.
Don't always trust what you see out of the corner of eye. It is important not to jump to conclusions but to take time to learn more about the periphery. We must amplify the weak signals with directed probes. We also must act prudently through a portfolio of real options and experiments to maintain flexibility until the uncertainty is more tolerable.
Lesson 6: Balancing peripheral and focal vision is a central leadership challenge.
The resources and attention devoted to the periphery are often taken away from investments in the focal area. Organizations [and individuals] must strike the right balance between focal and peripheral vision. The eye works its wondrous way by combining inputs from the rod cells that are scanning the periphery and the cone cells that are used for focal vision in good lighting conditions. (pgs. 168-170)

Survival of the Most Responsive

All of us have limits-individually and in our organizations-in how far we can see and in our ability to detect and act on weak signals at the periphery. We also must recognize that peripheral vision is different than focal vision. The process of peripheral vision requires different capabilities and approaches than focal vision. Like being aware that a sudden outflow of the tide is a sign of a coming tsunami, recognizing these warning signs early can mean life or death. [Individuals] can recognize and act on opportunities more quickly. [Individuals] can avoid being blindsided by the market, technology, regulations, and competitors. It takes skill to do this well, but as the environment moves more quickly and becomes more uncertain, the payoffs from strong peripheral vision will be greater than ever. As Charles Darwin observed, "It's not the strongest of the species who survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change." (p. 179)

Aiki Soku Seikatsu

The first time I really thought about and spoke about "aiki soku seikatsu" was during a January Kan Geiko (Winter Training) training in the early 1990's when I was either a brown belt or shodan, at the Shindokan Dojo in Huntington Beach, California with Geordan Reynolds sensei.

You have to remember, January in California is great compared to Minnesota, temperature wise that is. A nice 60 to 80 degree difference will cause one to break out t-shirts and shorts any day!

After training one morning we went to a nearby park with a little restaurant and enjoyed breakfast with a great Aikido conversation.

Geordan sensei shared his 'philo-fuel' thoughts of training with Kancho sensei in Tokyo and Kushida sensei in Ann Arbor.

The notes I captured can't do justice to the energy that he exuded of the trainings, learnings (some of which I cannot share!) and general friendship building he went through and anyone who has had the great opportunity of training or enjoying a beverage with him knows what I mean!

My notebook says:
"'soku' = 'equals,' 'seikatsu' = 'life' such that 'so for aiki, so is life.' This of course means that in terms of the human condition, all that we suffer or enjoy in the dojo and on the mat can be found reciprocally in daily life. Bumping into things we can't change: trauma, drama or joy!

He concluded with the thought "as one trains regularly and performs shugyo, one forges their spirit and come to realize THEY CAN DO ANYTHING!"

To me the quote “aiki soku seikatsu = Aikido and life are one” really means that I have met wonderful friends, gone on many trips around the world, trained with some of the most famous Aikidoka to ever step foot onto a mat and after class, sat down and had something to eat and drink with them and learned about their families and lives, that is the true treasure!

Muladhara

The April/May 2010 edition of Natural Health magazine cites Wheels of Life: A User's Guide to the Chakra System by Anodea Judith, Ph.D. of the term:

Muladhara (Sanskrit: मूलाधार), meaning "root support." She describes the meditation as to "breathe slowly and calmly as you visualize a system of roots growing out of the base of your spine and down to the center of the Earth.

In our study of Aikido, the foundation of Yoshinkan is in the development of a strong posture or stance, known as Kamae. So many traditions are interrelated or share great commonalities.

Kenshu: Chushin Ryoku

The outline below is the basis for the class I taught on March 1, as part of the Kenshu series: Kihon and Beyond.

Opening idea: “If you don’t believe that the martial arts have anything to do with American Indian rituals, surfing, globalization, Tom Robbins’ novels, the destiny of the world, the beauty of nature, and our way of perceiving reality, call my bluff-read on.”
On the Warrior’s Path: Philosophy, Fighting, and Martial Arts Mythology by Daniele Bolelli

A. Lecture component: Chushin-Ryoku (The Power of the Center Line)
1. Fundamental principle of Aikido – all by Gozo Shioda

• Keeping your center line straight
• If we are able to maintain a strong center line whatever direction we move in, we have focused power. By forging this focused power, we are also promoting strong posture, concentration, and breath power.
• Real strength consists of a straight but flexible mind and a body tempered by hard practice.

2. What is center?

• the middle of something; the place in the middle; a place that is the main point

3. What is a line?

• an infinitely-extending one-dimensional figure that has no curvature

4. What is center line?

• a real or imaginary line passing through the center of something and dividing it into two equal parts
• a line that bisects a plane figure

5. What is a Straight Line?

• a line which lies evenly with the points on itself

6. What is a Curved Line?

• a line that deviates from straightness in a smooth, continuous fashion

7. Boy Scout Oath or Promise

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

• What does “morally straight” mean?
BSA defines it as:
"To be a person of strong character, your relationships with others should be honest and open. You should respect and defend the rights of all people. Be clean in your speech and actions, and remain faithful in your religious beliefs. The values you practice as a Scout will help you shape a life of virtue and self-reliance."

[Question: How is this similar in ideals to the pleats of a hakama?]

8. Aldo Nadi: Fencing Academy

• “ A Salle d’Armes is always noisy: do not make it noisier with useless talk. If you must talk, do so sotto voce. Except for calling the touches you receive from your opponents in combat – and these must be called – do not talk under the mask. Loud talk shall not be tolerated, let alone shouting and yelling under the mask. If you cannot control yourself, baseball bleachers are suggested. It shall be clearly understood that Fencing is the sport of gentlemen…and that the fencing strip has its own ethics…Any offender of such ethics shall be called to order – repeatedly, if necessary. But if the recidivist is unable to mend his or her ways, he or she shall be temporarily suspended from the Academy; or even, in cases of grave offenses, such as want of respect towards the Fencing Master, expelled altogether. It is the Fencing Master’s strict moral duty towards his artistic ancestors to see it that centuries-old traditions are respected, honored, and enforced."

(Nadi, Aldo (1995). The Living Sword: A Fencer’s Autobiography. Laureate Press: Sunrise, Florida)

[Question: How does this concept of centerline relate to ‘centuries-old traditions?']

9. Yamada Jirokichi: technique and spirit

• Sword and mind must be united. Technique by itself is insufficient, and spirit alone is not enough.

10. Ed Parker: Improve and strengthen your own line

• “It is always better to improve and strengthen your own line or knowledge than to try and cut your opponent’s line.”

11. Iru: Entering by Dave Lowry, Sword and Brush: The Spirit of the Martial Arts

• “The bugeisha begins to learn technique typically as a solo exercise. When he has familiarized himself with various movements, he commences exercising them against [or with] a partner. At this point, he may be frustrated to find that the techniques he thought he’d learned well by himself are, when performed against another, weak and ineffective, even when his partner is cooperating.”
• “Often the problem is that the methods the bugeisha has learned are directed against specific targets, with no attention given to controlling the opponent’s center, his core of stability.”

[Question: How does this relate to ri-ai or Jushin-no-ido?]

12. Kukei, 8th century Zen Master, Poem “Singing Images of Fire”

A hand moves, and the fire’s whirling takes different shapes.
…all things change when we do.
The first word, Ah, blossomed into all others.
Each of them is true.
• “'Just move your hand and fan the flames; with this one movement the whole universe moves with you.' This may sound all too simple to our ears, but it is an assertion that the modern science of complexity would gladly second. Scientists now know that tiny movements have large cumulative effects on even vast systems.”
–Jane Hirschfield translation, pg. 93, insight from David Whyte, The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America

13. The Four Spatial Dimensions

• Classical physics theories describe three physical dimensions: from a particular point in space, the basic directions in which we can move are (1) up/down, (2) left/right, and (3) forward/backward. Movement in any other direction can be expressed in terms of just these three. Moving down is the same as moving up a negative distance. (4) Moving diagonally upward and forward is just as the name of the direction implies; i.e., moving in a linear combination of up and forward.
• In its simplest form: a line describes one dimension, a plane describes two dimensions, and a cube describes three dimensions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spatial_dimensions

14. Question: why do you need technique and spirit together?

B. Kihon component
1. Stationary Kamae

• “Through training in kamae, we learn to maintain a straight balance, keep our hands, feet and hips on a center line of the body, maintain correct posture without having to make an effort and extend our spirit forward. In Yoshinkan, in order to learn the stance that is necessary to develop breath power, we introduce kamae as the most ‘BASIC’ part of our training.” -Gozo Shioda

2. Heavy Power Kamae

• “…to develop strong ‘center power’…the key lies in the big toe of the back foot. The power comes up from the big toe of the back foot and is transmitted into the hips and lower back.” -Gozo Shioda

3. Kamae in basic movements

• “Once you have attained a stable center in your kamae, you will be able to maintain it in your techniques.” -Gozo Shioda
• “…learn how to maintain a stable posture…develop a sense of connecting with the partner’s energy…learn how to use a partner’s weak line in order to unbalance him.” -Gozo Shioda

4. Suri-ashi

• Training “tool”
 Toes, feet and ankles
 Knees
 Hips
 Body core/trunk
 Arms
 Head and eyes

5. Tai No Henko Ichi (Cross Step in Body Change or Body Change Movement I)

• Review the foot positionings

6. Katate-mochi Sokumen Irimi Nage Ichi (One Wrist Grasp Side Step In Throw #1)

• Think about your body positioning

C. Beyond-Kihon component
1. Side Strike (Arm Raise) Side Step In Throw #1
2. Side Strike (Arm Raise) Side Step In Throw (Leg Sweep) #1

Closing idea: Ken to kento fumu (step into the sword) – meet challenges head-on, don’t make excuses and never turn away from an attack.

Lagom

Lagom is a Swedish word with no direct English translation, but loosely translates to mean "just the right amount."

Wikipedia has great background including:

The Lexin-Swedish-English Dictionary defines Lagom as "enough, sufficient, adequate, just right."

It is also widely used as a state of living that is "in moderation, in balance, optimal, suitable and average."

When I came across this word it reminded me of the ideal of Fudo Shin. This is often used in martial arts training as the state of stable or unmoving mind" or unmoving heart."

An old definition that I have in my training notebooks of Fudoshin is:

A spirit of unshakable calm and determination, courage without recklessness, rooted stability in both mental and physical realms.
Like a willow tree, powerful roots deep in the ground and a soft, yielding resistance against the winds that blow through it.

Stan Wrobel, Ph.D. wrote in Aikido for Self Discovery: Blueprint for an Enlightened Life

"Too often we try to hard or do too much. There is little trust in riding the flow, in effortlessly staying in touch and on top of the situation. Without effort it seems like we're not participating, we're not doing, and we're without self-image that we can relate to. Effort, tensions, and impatience characterize our being."