"What Aikido & Shugyo Are To Me" by Ray Thomas Oct, 2009


 In my life, Aikido has become a great (or perhaps, the most important) instrument in my journey to enlightenment. It serves as a roadmap to assessing whether the things I value in life are good and right. I believe that O Sensei’s description of Aikido as the “Art of Peace” is wholly accurate, because corrects any misconceptions of how we perceive other people and living things around us, by teaching us that we are part of the same universal family. It teaches the devoted students that the real enemy that we should overcome, lies within— the enemy of our desire to be right in all situations, our negative perceptions of people, the contention that follows such perceptions, etc. By applying the first lesson in Aikido (i.e. – to observe), we can analyze our behaviors and mental processes to see how deeply this enemy has infiltrated our lives. Then, through continuous and rigorous training, we can work toward ridding ourselves of this enemy.
 Much like what I presume to be the majority of other martial arts students, I began my training (initially, with Shorin-Ryu Karate) with the purpose of attaining the ability to be victorious over my enemies. Hollywood’s portrayal of the extravagant feats performed by those dedicated practitioners of martial arts (exemplified by such characters as Goku from Dragonball Z, and Li Mu Bai from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) pervaded my psyche to form an archetype of the product of such training. This formation positively benefitted by unknowingly introducing me to the concept of Shugyo. However, it negatively cultivated my already established misconception of the reality of an external enemy. Intrigued by the proposal of using the enemy’s energy to counter his attack, I began my training in Aikido. With much strain, Aikido has taught me of the true enemy being within oneself. With the difficult ridding of each layer of this inner-enemy’s negative influence, Aikido’s great lessons become clearer.
 Aikido infuses its lessons in every facet of training. For example, one can analyze the uke-nage relationship, to find the lesson of non-competition. Aikido maintains and nurtures this relationship in order to teach both individuals compassion and cooperation, by developing a trust between the individuals. It becomes apparent in one’s training, that neither nage, nor uke will be able to perform their respective duties if they should approach the training with intent to impose their absolute control over the situation. Aikido teaches both partners to blend with the situation so that they will reach a peaceful resolution—by not insisting on one’s own victory, they achieve mutual victory.
 Shugyo can be a useful tool in our Aikido training. Roughly translated, the term connotes austere and intense mind-body training. Classically, a Shugyosha (a practitioner of Shugyo) would travel to seek challenges in order to test the effectiveness of their style of training. If they won the challenge, they would continue onto the next challenge. If they lost, then they would request to be a disciple of the person who defeated them. In the context of Aikido, by challenging our established conceptions (e.g. – our perceived limitations, our ideas about the “correct way” that a technique should be performed, etc.) the student practices Shugyo. With each personal challenge, if the student emerges victorious, they would continue until they find an unwinnable challenge. At that juncture, the student has two choices: either to crack under stress and give up, or to accept the defeat as an opportunity for further development. Whether this is a physical or mental challenge, they should show great spirit and enthusiasm in pushing beyond their deficiencies. They will emerge to find a drastically different view of themselves, and yet again will restart the practice of Shugyo.
 Aikido challenges each of its students to work toward a better self, and a better world. Through the continuous training in Aikido and the exercise of Shugyo in the training and general life, we achieve a deeper understanding of the lessons of O Sensei’s Art of Peace. Through our dedication and the joyful practice of Aikido, we keep O Sensei’s dreams (of uniting the world through love), and his spirit alive.