We come to our dojo to train so that we’re better able to apply the principles of Aikido in our daily lives.
By Nate Weed
I frequently think about how I can better apply what I learn in my aikido training to my daily life but, in all honesty, I really train in aikido because it helps me be a better emergency manager and first responder. In fact, I know many first responders who train in martial arts and for many different reasons. Often it is because these roles can put responders at greater risk of experiencing violence than the average person and it is believed that through martial arts training, one will develop the skills to deal with that violence. As a leader of responders, I find that my risk of encountering a violent situation is probably even lower than the average persons and yet I still study martial arts every day. The key elements that I can apply to my profession are not the techniques used to restrain a person or throw a person but much more the skills to regain my center during a “crucial conversation,” or the ability to extend positive ki energy when faced with a deteriorating situation with lives at stake, or the ability to just model grit. For me, these are not the skills that I’ve developed through learning the beautiful throws, or elegant joint locks and pins used in aikido. Rather these are the skills one learns when being thrown repeatedly- perhaps even beyond the point where you just don’t think you can take another fall. It is through the study of ukemi that real-life leadership skills are learned.