Ka Riu Aikido

Hello everyone,

please congratulate our Students of the Month for the month of July! Well done! :)

Not every day will be easy, and that's okay.
Be patient with yourself. Better days are quietly finding their way to you.❤️

Not every day goes the way we hoped. In Japan, Ash*ta wa ash*ta da yo is a gentle reminder that tomorrow brings a fresh beginning—and today's worries don't have to follow us forever.

Please read this:

Peter Boylan,

https://peterboylan.substack.com/p/states-of-mind-fudoshin? 3utm_id=97757_v0_s00_e0_tv2_a1dennhb6vfj84&fbclid=IwY2xjawS4sPdleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETF3U0czaGMyNERuYjQ2d2JSc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHk355KLwfmkMa41klpcZEKRQG2CSoLxbdTC48dnF7n4a0gPqmykDwAMzYGw2_aem_svskbfaco7crS2-jZ3wAHQ

peterboylan.substack.com

🔴Japanese wisdom of the day

In aikido, when we visually copy or imitate technique we might obtain a good physical look.
That is the start, and from there we can refine into a proficient exterior core.
But what is also present but absent?
In other words, what are some of the unseen ‘felt’ sensations?

We may begin with grounding and centering, then sense the feel of fully connecting with harmony. We might proceed into noticing our body integration/coordination and the power of moving with a whole integrated and aligned body.
Additionally, can we notice the nature of how we ‘receive to redirect’? Namely the quality of our absorption and compression into extending? We do not collide, we do not force.
Are we spatially able to view, in our minds eye, trajectory and spirals? Can we calibrate and adapt accordingly a response with a timing and rhythm to extend and expand?
And can we sustain ‘relaxing’ into a created and opposite tension, realizing the depth of this intention, the potential combined with a breath and a calm?

These are all felt, not visually apparent.
If we choose to remain exteriorly oriented our aikido may still ‘work’.
But if we choose to go deeper, we may discover the magnitude of how essential these mindfully felt sensations are.
They help us gain a deeper understanding. Principles become exceedingly apparent, and we manifest into a felt efficiency.

Sensations are not easily described through words, we must ‘listen’ with the body, perceive, discern, and intuit.
We imagine and visualize into a reality.
To come to a full understanding, all of these components must be mindfully experienced.

Oral description, words, and cognition alone are not enough.
Information is important yes, but incomplete.
Logic and reason represent only a very thin layer on the shiny surface of the mind.
The ‘felt’ Body wisdom is only attained through the intentionally practiced experience.

G. Breeland, 6th dan

Hey everyone,

last one for today, quite a few interesting readings that came across my feed, very apt, a good reminder for us all ... take care ... :) :) :)



https://uskido.org/%F0%9F%A5%8B-the-silent-enemy-how-ego-can-harm-your-martial-arts-journey-and-your-life/

Nintai 忍耐 (perseverance, endurance, fortitude) requires periods of discouragement if it is to be truly understood. In times of trial, we discover our real strength. Budō 武道 is Shugyō 修行 (austere practice). It is a path of challenge. One needs Konjō 根性 (guts, grit, determination) to remain on the path through doubt, uncertainty and hardship. There is no other way.
Discouragement is one of the martial artist’s greatest teachers.
Without it, many of us would simply quit because we would never come to appreciate the true value of the path. It keeps us humble, reveals what is genuinely important, and tests the strength of our resolve.
The most important thing to remember is that it is perfectly normal to become discouraged. Every martial artist experiences it. The real test is not whether discouragement appears, but whether we surrender to it or continue forward despite it.
It exposes our weaknesses, shows us where sincere effort is still required, and reminds us that growth is earned rather than given. It is not an obstacle to training—it is an essential part of it.
When we embrace hardship, it becomes bearable. When we resist it, it becomes suffering.
Learning to embrace hardship is precisely what the martial artist trains for.

Keep going.
頑張ってください

南虎

Not every small mistake needs to stay with you.
Some moments are meant to teach you, not weigh you down.