Ever since I started Aikido, there have been many different students. I'm sure my Senseis have seen many, many more come and go than I've seen. I'm always a little sad that some of the people don't come back, yet that's how life is. People come and go, though it seems, the like-minded stick together. I'm very lucky that when I was searching for a dojo to join, that the first one I contacted was the one I've stuck with.
I talk to a lot of people, trying to get more students into the dojo. Most just tell me they don't have the time, money, or it's too far to drive. I even talk to my cousin, and try to get him to join one of the other programs of the dojo. He just tells me “Eventually”.
But... Why not now?
The day I was woke up for my first Aikido class, I looked at my alarm clock, and almost went back to sleep. That morning, I told myself “If I don't do this now, I'll never do it.”
To use my cousin as an example again; I was sitting in the kitchen on a Saturday, writing notes from the class we had that day. He came home and watched me for a moment and asked me “You pay them to teach a class, and they give you homework? Why?” I smiled at him, and said “It's just like college. You pay to go to college, the teachers teach, and you get homework. I'm working towards a degree, it's just that this one is way more bad-ass.”
He's asked me multiple questions about Aikido, like, “How long is it going to take you to get a black belt?” Everyone wants to know that. Anything that's worth it, is going to take time. It could take me maybe five more years, it could take me my whole life to achieve that “level”. Yet, I'm starting to understand that getting that belt isn't the goal in this life adventure. The goal is to gain a deeper understanding of myself, my body, and my purpose in the universe. That goal is never-ending.
It seems that people who are interested in any form of martial arts, have expectations before they walk into the dojo. I've heard many people talk, and tell me if they can't get their black belt in a year, then it's not worth their time. I feel sorry for people like this. Because they don't know what martial arts it truly about. I'm just beginning to scratch the surface on what this whole lifestyle is about, and I'm simply amazed by how beautiful it all is.
I talk to a lot of people, trying to get more students into the dojo. Most just tell me they don't have the time, money, or it's too far to drive. I even talk to my cousin, and try to get him to join one of the other programs of the dojo. He just tells me “Eventually”.
But... Why not now?
The day I was woke up for my first Aikido class, I looked at my alarm clock, and almost went back to sleep. That morning, I told myself “If I don't do this now, I'll never do it.”
To use my cousin as an example again; I was sitting in the kitchen on a Saturday, writing notes from the class we had that day. He came home and watched me for a moment and asked me “You pay them to teach a class, and they give you homework? Why?” I smiled at him, and said “It's just like college. You pay to go to college, the teachers teach, and you get homework. I'm working towards a degree, it's just that this one is way more bad-ass.”
He's asked me multiple questions about Aikido, like, “How long is it going to take you to get a black belt?” Everyone wants to know that. Anything that's worth it, is going to take time. It could take me maybe five more years, it could take me my whole life to achieve that “level”. Yet, I'm starting to understand that getting that belt isn't the goal in this life adventure. The goal is to gain a deeper understanding of myself, my body, and my purpose in the universe. That goal is never-ending.
It seems that people who are interested in any form of martial arts, have expectations before they walk into the dojo. I've heard many people talk, and tell me if they can't get their black belt in a year, then it's not worth their time. I feel sorry for people like this. Because they don't know what martial arts it truly about. I'm just beginning to scratch the surface on what this whole lifestyle is about, and I'm simply amazed by how beautiful it all is.
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