What Is Your Goal In Aikido?

In the world of Aikido, we don’t have competitions.

This can be seen as a good thing. In theory, it should lead to Aikido being practised in a supportive and collaborative way.

It also goes in turn with the Aikido idea of not fighting with our attacker but instead harmonising with the attack.

But a lack of competition can also have a downside.

It can mean that there is no clear way to test what is the best way for a technique to be applied, what is the most effective type of training? What method, philosophy, attitude, approach works best.

Other arts have a more clear goal of winning in a bout against another and winning through specifically achieving particular aims.

This makes for a very focused type of training.

Within Aikido, we may have many goals that change over time.

For some and perhaps most people, coming to an Aikido class is part of their effort to find something that will help them stay fit and active. They may also be looking to lose weight and improve other aspects of health.

For others, they connect with the martial arts side of it and wish to develop self defene skills. Generally, if they are training Aikido they have decided that the combat or fighting option is not for them.

Some like the mental health benefits that can come with Aikido training. Aikido provides a combination of fitness, pesonal confidence, a training regime, meditation and relaxation exercises whcih in themselves provide a lot of benefit to mental health.

Some are attracted to Ki or internal energy and have an awareness of this from other practices such as Reiki, yoga, Chinese medicine and meditation.

As a practitioner in Aikido develops, they should continue to be conscious of their goals. Over time these will change.

At first, our goal should be to train well and turn up to classes often. Working on improving our ukemi is important for a beginner and is a skill that needs to be continually trained.

The basic physical movements that make up the technqiues of Aikido must be mastered and once again, this is a continual effort.

Then to be able to stay relaxed and have one point will performing these techniques is another challenge.

Maintaining a positive mind and weight underside throughout all technqiues, are perhaps the next level.

Longer term practitioners may focus more on developing the higher level skills of Aikido. Phrases such as “blending with the ki of the attacker”, “leading the mind”, “aiki”, “internal power” and so on cover many higher level concepts that only become more apparent over years of training.  This can be a lifelong pursuit.

Practitioners can become demotivated when they lose sight of their goals.

Some people become seduced into the goals related to other martial arts or other activities and in turn become disappointed with their Aikido practise.

We should always reconnect with why we are training and what we are hoping to achieve in order to remain motivated in our training.