Philosophy of Aikido
The philosophy of Morihei Ueshiba (the founder of aikido) for martial arts is unexpected and even revolutionary. As Morihei Ueshiba said, when you are attacked with fists, there are two ways out – to escape or to respond with a blow to the blow. The first is imperfect, since one person demonstrates his cowardice, thereby humiliating himself and elevating one who is not worthy of it, and he will still find himself another victim. The second option is offered by martial arts, which teach you to respond to a blow with a blow or a throw, and with such speed and strength that the fight ends after the first reciprocal movement. And this exit, according to Morihei Ueshiba, is bad and imperfect, and both lose in it: the attacker will inevitably get a serious trauma, and the defending one, acting for good, will do evil, harming another person. But there is a third way out, which offers aikido – gently and gently to make the attacker think better, give up his intentions. Aikido, according to the plan of its creator, fights not with the aggressor, but with aggression. The master of aikido, due to his art, is at a higher level of development, he is understandable and patient with respect to unreasonable people who, having left the state of harmony and balance, rush at him. The man attacking the master of aikido does not meet with resistance – he seems to fall into a whirlpool, which, turning it like a sliver, gently brings to the shore, without causing any harm. And so – time after time, until the attacker does not stop. As a result, no one was hurt, aggression was extinguished, harmony was restored. And love triumphs…According to Ueshiba – and we can not say that it is wrong – our whole existence is permeated by countless conflicts, large and small. Conflict with each other peoples, individual people conflict, a person conflicts with nature. The weak tries to avoid conflicts, but sooner or later collides with them and loses. The strong tries to become even stronger, strengthens the body and spirit, is engaged in martial arts, constantly prepares for the struggle and seeks to win at any cost, at the expense of others. But he also loses, because with his own hands he throws a grain of self-destruction into the fertile soil. Conflicts are not only in nature – it reigns calm, harmony, gratitude and love. And that is why aikido follows its path, and it responds in kind. Nature protects one who lives by its laws: it is impossible for him to strike surreptitiously or to take unawares, and even if the plane crashes, he will not be in it. In this Morihei Ueshiba piously believed. The philosophy of aikido partly resembles Tolstoy’s theory of non-resistance to evil by violence. But only in part. According to Ueshiba’s teachings, aikido master does not harm anyone, he treats all people and the world with respect and love, does not commit violence in response to evil. But he does not substitute his right cheek after he was hit on the left. All this proves once again that aikido is really the most complex system, because mastering a rather peculiar philosophy is required for mastering it, and in the process of studying the main emphasis is not so much on physical strength and technique as on mind and thinking. And in all aspects – the system is effective, as it develops both spirit and body, and in addition has a huge educational effect.