Essays & Articles |
Below you will find Links to various Essays and Articles for anyone to read, some of which have been written by our own students. We encourage our students to voice their opinions. Any article that appear here are purely the writers view and should no way be construed to be that of the UKA. |
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Grading Systems - by Sensei Palmer
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| Why Study Aikido? - Alex Lawrence |
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So why should you study the budo and Aikido in particular? I have been around the martial arts world the usual answer to this question seems to be “Society is getting more violent; you need to learn how to defend yourself.” I find that statement to be alarmist and also it automatically places the budo into a rather small box. Naturally part of the budo is self defence but there is more to be gained from it than that. I think it’s a matter of common knowledge that for some people budo is not just a hobby, but a way of life. So what is this way of life? If we go by the alarmist reasoning of some dojo it means being in a perpetual state of paranoia, ready at all times to beat up an attacker. At this point I’d like to refer to The Book of Five Rings by the legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. It’s a book that is widely read by those that practice the budo but apparently not hugely influential, you’ll see my point by the end of this article. “The martial way of life practiced by warriors is based on excelling others in anything and everything. Whether by victory in an individual duel or by winning a battle with several people, one thinks of serving the interests of one’s employer, of serving one’s own interests, of becoming well known and socially established. This is all possible by the power of the martial arts.” Musashi, 6. “The true science of martial arts means practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time and teaching them in such a way that they will be useful in all things.” Musashi, 6. “Useful in all things.” “excelling others in anything and everything.” I’d like you to ponder that for a moment. Musashi is clearly not just talking about a system for self defence he is talking about a system of self development. He’s making the statement that the budo will get you anything you want in life. You’re probably thinking this is a curious statement to make. How will learning to fight people get you everything you want? The answer is this: the process of learning Aikido can be, if you wish, a vehicle for self development. The point of the budo originally was to turn out men who were bold and resourceful enough to survive the battlefield. The budo still produce individuals like this. The difference is the battlefield is not quite the same for us but the same mental qualities and attitudes that enabled the bushi to survive are the kind of qualities and attitudes that are characteristics of successful people. One quote I like from Enter the Dragon which I think sums all of this up: “We are unique, gentlemen, in that we create ourselves.” If you have the will to be better than you are, the will to be the best you can be, then Aikido offers you a path that can completely transform your life. Many people practice the budo and many of those read The Book of Five Rings and yet still reduce their arts down to pure self defence. Aikido offers something much deeper and more profound: the power to become who you want to be. Alex Lawrence, Nikyu no Zanshin Kai. |
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