About Aikido of Champlain Valley
Aikido is my Middle Wayby Sean HarringtonLife-giving sword -- it sounds a bit like peace through superior firepower. With a vocabulary of colorful terms like cutting through and draining blood, it can be a rather confusing concept. Knowing that two people having attained the same level of skill within any martial art could take different paths: one could become the town hero; the other the junior prom slasher. Should the techniques be made available to the general public at all? Some would argue - Life and death are the same. You cannot have one without the other. Scientifically speaking, I would agree. However, the first noble precept of Buddhism is: Do not kill. Yoda needs Darth, as Darth needs Yoda. Perhaps. But who taught Darth to trust the force or all those real cool light saber moves? And if Darth or Luke, for that matter, take a life while in Big Force Head Zen Mode, is it not still a death? Rumor has it that O'Sensei had a strong dislike for Zen. Could it be that its implied indifference towards life and death did not jive with his loving -protection-for-all aikido groove? I sit at least twice a week. But will Zen in and of itself make the world a safer place to live, or me more ethical or virtuous? That's about as likely as a 3-eyed Tibetan monster having my 108 delusions for breakfast. O'Sensei wrote, "True victory is victory over oneself. One must first learn to control oneself before attempting to harmonize and control others. Without good balance and control over oneself, one can neither avoid an attack nor apply an effective technique on others. It is through self control that one can learn to enjoy a more harmonious way of life." In my pre-aikido days, I lived in fear. Fear of others, fear of self. Fear of success and of failure. I was led about by my cravings. I suffered, as did those around me. Has the life giving sword of aikido made me more ethical, virtuous, etc.? Yes. Master Yoda said, "Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering." Will I ever become a monk? Not likely. Warrior monk sounds romantic, doesn't it? The reality is that it gives rise to various armies of god, all licensed to kill, packing Holy Passports to Paradise. Or, in the case of the Hard Core Zen Head: Did I kill? Did I not? Does it matter - fluffy clouds, moon shadow, Denial River. Aikido teaches loving protection for all natural things and that our actions should be in harmony with nature's laws. It stresses the importance of changing your adversary's heart wit |