“It’s not what you aren’t doing, but what you are doing that’s wrong.” —Joe Sheya One of the criticisms I heard most often from my first martial art teacher was that I was doing too much. I was complicating the techniques that, in his mind, were actually quite simple, by doing a lot of unnecessary…
Tag: ego
Cross-Training For Aikido Pt 1: An Uncommon Approach
The goal of cross-training in grappling and/or striking for the dedicated aikido practitioner should not necessarily be to add grappling and/or striking to one’s aikido. That’s a fine goal in and of itself, if one truly feels that what aikido lacks is grappling and/or striking. If one truly loves aikido as aikido, however, and sees…
Questioning Resistance
Holistic Budo: As it is in budo, so too it is in life. As it is in life, so too it is in budo. Robert Van Valkenburgh is co-founder of Taikyoku Mind & Body and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Artwork by Ana, except where otherwise noted If you found…
Giving In Means Missing Out
Going along with that which is easy, may cause us to miss out on that which is right. Acquiescence is an act of negative ego and unhealthy self-denial. When we acquiesce, we give up and give in, often to some decision or some path that we do not agree with. Acquiescence means going with the…
Fear of Success is Fear of Change
When another person tells you that your idea won’t work, it may be because they are afraid that it will. We should not take all feedback at face value. We must always consider the source, the source’s history, and the source’s agenda. It is very rare to find someone who is objective and transparent enough…