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Friday, 19 August 2005 |
Excerpt from the book "A Road That Anyone Can Walk: Ki," by William Reed.
Up to Shodan, or first degree of black belt, learning Aikido is mostly a matter of technique. Any fool can achieve shodan with enough practice.
Beyond that, Aikido training is mostly a matter of refining your Ki and character. Unfortunately, many people drop out or stagnate when they achieve black belt, because they are unwilling or unable to change themselves. Others continue to practice techniques, but never gain the respect that their rank would indicate, because they fail to develop themselves. The first degree of black belt in Aikido is like a highschool diploma; the second degree is like a college degree, with further degrees representing further amounts of graduate education. It is better to have a rank than not to have one, but having a rank and living up to it are two different things. Like a diploma, a rank in Aikido may just mean that you put in your time and learned a few things. The real test is in how you meet the demands of daily life off campus, where a diploma may neither be a guarantee nor even a predictor of success. Just as there are Ph.D. holders pumping gas, there are many black belts in the martial arts who off of the mat only make use of a fraction of their potential. |
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