“Commitment Resistance,” by Michael Aloia

As many of us have come to know, Aikido is an endless basket of fish and loaves. Just as we seem to near the supposed bottom, the basket overflows with more. We never go hungry. We may also realize that regardless of style, system, instructor or approach, Aikido can be a life changing experience. We find changes both big and small, internally and externally, expected and unexpected, known and unknown - each of us seeing a unique manifestation of individual character.

Many of us may also agree that a common issue plagues the very channels of Aikido training. This issue resides at all levels and seems to infringe upon the very essence of progress for each participant as it rears its head during our time on the mat. This issue is the struggle to resist committing.

In order to fully embrace technique application we need to embrace the matter of commitment. Commitment is a vital component to understanding the form and function of waza for it to be valid and for it to be purposeful. The effects of the technique would not only be visually understood, but also understood on all sense planes including what some believe to be our sixth sense.

For each of us to understand how and why techniques are done and how they work we must be able to make them work. Without commitment we will struggle in our accomplishments and will often result to forming a new approach to execution.

Commitment and resistance can occur consciously or subconsciously. Disliking a technique or not wanting to fall will attribute to the resistance factor, whereas our fondness of technique or our ease and ability to fall will drive our commitment to perform. This creates the “doing the easy parts fast and the hard parts slow” syndrome. Our unwillingness to be open in mind and heart will halt the body to execute. A barrier to trust is constructed. This sort of approach will only serve to encumber our chances of progress; whereas entering a technique with innocence of mind and heart will continue to bring us to new levels of experience and skill.

Some may view this as “faking it”, “taking a fall” or “giving away the technique”. Committing allows technique to be in the now. Resistance hinders the outcome and, in turn, takes away from learning what the technique is designed to accomplish within the context demonstrated. Resistance is a declaration of knowing what’s to come. It is a premeditated decision to oppose. We resist out of fear, as an act of selfishness or out of ego. With commitment, we commit to be free of ego because we are confident in our skills and we are open to help and allow others to grow – especially ourselves. Commitment lends itself to the harmonious nature of our art. Resistance does not.

One cannot fully commit and resist at the same time. Aikido teaches us this. Execution has to be aligned, centered, concentrated and focused. If we resist even in the smallest manner, we will not be effective and truly efficient within the Aikido way. Resistance keeps us from learning, keeps us from growing. With commitment, nothing impedes our abilities to cultivate and incorporate the experience of technique.

Committing to the process is not giving it away. It enables us to see and capture the technique for what it truly is as both uke and nage. We miss all the subtleties and dynamics if we remain resistant. Commitment is a challenge and affirmation to remain dedicated to the process as we give of ourselves for not only others’ and our own benefit but for the continuation of the way.

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Posted by Aikido Journal on May 10th, 2010: Contributed (post a comment)