Some people join the school to gain confidence in a fighting situation. They have to realize that knowing self-defense techniques and being confident are not necessarily the same. Techniques belong to physical training and confidence to philosophical and mental training. This suggests that you train with breathing exercises and meditation as well as Aikido techniques. In the end the best self-defense for you is knowing techniques and keeping yourself alert and calm.

Aikido is one of the East Asian ways of training that tries to lead us to find our true selves and helps us remain undisturbed by the dualism of win or lose, good or bad, by going beyond them. This guides us toward Absolute Peace even in the midst of turmoil.

There are roughly three stages in martial arts training. First, you practice the physical art over and over. Second, you make the physical art a part of yourself by coordinating mind and body. Last, you use this coordination to find your true self.

There needs to be a jump to go from the second to the last stage. In Japan it was the tradition for many martial artists to take Zen to link these two stages to complete training in a martial art. In Japanese this kind of training is called shugyo. Shugyo means not only being good at an art but also making an effort to find out your true self, and to be able to live according these principles. This shows the clear difference between martial arts and sports.

Shugyo teaches us to commit every moment of our lives. If we commit every moment of our lives we will be a "Total Being" in every situation. When it's time to eat we eat; to work, we work; to be nice, we become nice. This will make us clear-minded and will make others feel clear with us. This is nothing special or spectacular but is the common and most fulfilling way. It sounds easy, but is the most difficult to do. To be a person like this we have through Shugyo to get rid of the attachment to our ego.

About Shiohira Sensei	PAF Home