The Art of Peace

"The Art of Peace begins with you. Work on yourself and your appointed task in the Art of Peace. Everyone has a spirit that can be refined, a body that can be trained in some manner, a suitable path to follow. You are here for no other purpose than to realize your inner divinity and manifest your innate enlightenment. Foster peace in your own life and then apply the Art to all that you encounter." From The Art of Peace, by Morihei Ueshiba. http://www.jinshinkan.searaven.org/

This quote is the first one in this recommended text from a Tom Callos email. I thought it matched well with the acceptance theme from Dean's previous blog. Further, the martial art represented by Ueshiba is Aikido, which really interests me since it emphasizes flowing with your opponent rather than clashing. That's something Steven keeps trying to teach me ...

Thinking about reaching this long term goal of flowing, not fighting, reminds me of a couple of years ago (was it that long?) when I was trying to learn a roundhouse kick from Tammy in the adult MMA Tues/Thurs program. I would watch Tammy, listen, and try it. There was no snap, no power. I could hit harder with my fists than with my stronger legs. I was frustrated. Steven walked by, corrected a few things, and emphasized practice and patience. He said I'd feel the difference when I got it right, and then, though I might feel it once, it may be a while before it would happen again, and would be longer still before it would happen reliably. I have touched that difference several times since then and know that it comes from really deep within on a subconscious level. When I get my mind out of the way (which is too full of fears, tension, and even hope), then my body can do its work. I don't mind the wait now, and I'm building the patience with practice so that the difference may come more often.