Walking the Do

[Hayate]

Hello there,i am a new member from Greece,i practise Aikido 2 years now and i am glad i found this great website to share my point of views and ideas with people who have the same interests with me.
I am trying to implement the principles of Aikido and Budo generally in my life, which is not a very easy thing to do.
Aikido has improved my life very much mentaly and physicaly,but also it changed the way i see the world,the people.Some of us have had the "unfortunate luck" to find ourselves in a fight or had the luck to avoid it.Personally i have never engaged myself in fighting even though i got "pissed off" several times,but i didn't do anything i just turned my back and walked away.I do now that this is the right thing to do but i also know(speaking of me) that i have not rejected fear,i think that i am afraid to find myself in a situation like that.
By the time we are angry and feel like nothing can stop us from beating the heck out of the "guy" that has said,done etc...to us, here we are again walking away from it.
What about being a coward,what about self-respect, we are reading about no-fear,but how do we do it actually in life?
How do we reject fear?




Thank you.

[Mike Collins]

I think that is the practice. Nobody I know has mastered it yet.

Time training and the sense of competence that brings helps quite a bit, but beyond physical fear, there are many many levels of fear to peel away and reject. I think the decision (as opposed to the "wish") to reject fear is the mark of a sincere martial artist (IMO).

[Paul Schweer]

Hello Hayate,

You ask, “How do we reject fear?”

How does the coward know he is a coward? How might I recognize one? Do heroes think themselves heroic?

The hero and the coward both do what is right, unless sacrifice is required. What if your ego is the only thing at risk? Are you willing to risk your ego for what you believe?

What I would hope for you, and for me, is the courage to act on our convictions. I can’t let my fear decide my actions. Fear is always there – fear of failure or success, fear of ridicule or praise, fear of pain… loneliness, sickness, death – it will control me if I fight it. So why fight it?

You talk about fighting and say, “i am afraid to find myself in a situation like that.” Sounds like a good healthy fear to me. Go with it. If you’re looking to prove something to someone, prove to yourself courage in your convictions. Then your self-respect will be well earned.

Best to you and yours,

Paul

[DJM]

Originally posted by Mike Collins
I think that is the practice. Nobody I know has mastered it yet.

Time training and the sense of competence that brings helps quite a bit, but beyond physical fear, there are many many levels of fear to peel away and reject. I think the decision (as opposed to the "wish") to reject fear is the mark of a sincere martial artist (IMO).

I have to disagree, but only a little bit..
The trick isn't to reject fear, but to accept that it's there and carry on doing what you want/need to do.. It's part of who you are, and - for me at least - Budo is at least as much about self-integration as it is about anything... Harmony, for my money, is all about acceptance rather than resistance/rejection..
If anyone has worked out how to do this, let me know..
Peace,
David

[Mike Collins]

'Kay. No prollem with that.

[szczepan]

Originally posted by DJM
I have to disagree, but only a little bit..
The trick isn't to reject fear, but to accept that it's

If anyone has worked out how to do this, let me know..
Peace,
David [/B]

Very well, David. I Think we reject fear,coz we not accepting consequences of ours act. If you convince yourself that those consequences are in fact beneficent for you, you can face any fear, even fear of dead.

regardz