What We Learn Stays In The Dojo.....Or Does It?

by Sensei Robin Wilden
(Bognor Regis, West Sussex, UK)

When we train in a dojo we are looking to sharpen our skills and reactions to try and reach the best of our ability mentally and physically. Those skills should never be used for any other reason than to defend ourselves, friends, or family.

So why do some martial artists feel the need to use it in street fights? In my opinion this is disrespectful to the art, the Sensei, and the dojo.

The focus is so much on the physical training that there is a blindness to the true skills we learn and should transition to use in our everyday life outside our training environment.

So what should we also be learning in the dojo? (if we haven't learned already)

1. To remove our ego.

2. Remove the need to put others down to elevate ourselves.

3. Discipline.

4. Focus.

5. A way to channel our anger without inflicting it on others.

6. Interaction and partnership with other people.

7. Respect.

8. How to read good and bad energy and body language.

9. How to look at things through other peoples perspective.

10. Confidence.

11. How to support others and make them feel good about themselves or what they do.

There is a big difference between having a debate about something and having an intense disagreement.

If you have learned how to remove your ego from a situation, you can come to a resolution most times simply by backing down from your position, rather than insisting on your views until things escalate and become physical.

Even just walking through a busy high street you can be using your skills to read others energy, body language, distance and timing to blend and walk through rather than knock into people.

We train awareness in the dojo so why shouldn't we be more aware of our surroundings than those around us?

Aikido is about the interaction of energy so if small gestures outside the dojo can leave others with a positive or negative energy, it is our job to become more sensitive and aware to how our actions create a ripple effect.

These are the skills we develop/build on that we should use when outside the dojo.

Honour your art, honour your Sensei, and honour yourself.

Sensei Robin Wilden
Arun Aikido Club

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