The ‘Welcome Mat’

Like many other folks I studied other martial arts before coming to Aikido, and I researched many more. A major attraction of Aikido is the opportunity to continue getting better in spite of (because of?) an aging body. I can’t punch or kick as hard or as fast as I used to, but I do move a whole lot better.

One great gift of our dojo is Sensei’s effort to provide opportunities to train even when life presents its frequent obstacles. Part of training is sometimes working around those obstacles and sometimes working with them. I would rather train once or twice a month than not train at all. I think it is much harder to re-start a consistence practice than to hold on by your fingertips. Either way, Sensei always gives tremendous support to students no matter where they are in their training. That stability and encouragement enriches our training whether it is our first day or our twenty-fifth year.

Therefore, as everyone’s training is affected by an undulating life (births, deaths, work, etc.), it is good training to bring the mat with you, to welcome it into the rest of your life and in that way never cease training. The learning we gain from employing Aikido in everyday living (balance, vitality, compassion, etc.) has enhanced meaning when we return to our dojo and its ever-welcoming mat. Either way, the training never stops.