Self Affirmative Action
Some time ago, I heard a story on NPR about a research: A group of test subjects are given a problem to solve. By design, nobody should be able to finish the task within the allotted time. The goal is to find out how people respond afterwards.
As the researcher reports, most of the western test subjects look uneasy and start providing explanations for their performance. "I did not sleep well last night." "I have not worked on this kind of problems for a while. I used to be very good at it." "I did not have my coffee this morning." You name it.
The same experiment is, then, taken to Japan. At the end of the allotted time, the researcher announces that time is up and people are free to go. Interestingly, many test subjects refuse to leave. The researcher assures them that they will be paid as promised even though they do not finish the task. Still, the subjects refuse to go. The reason? For themselves, they want to continue to work on the problem and find the answer. The researcher tells them that there is no additional pay for working extra time, but it does not matter to them. The subjects still want to stay behind.
The observation is that the western subjects have a stronger tendency of "self affirmation" and thus they spend more time and energy in asserting and defending their skills and abilities, whereas their Asian counterparts seem to be more interested in "self improvement" and, therefore, choose to invest more of their time and energy work on enriching themselves. The researcher attributed the difference between the two groups to their respective cultures and upbringings.
On the Aikido mat, I observe a similar phenomenon: When the instructor comes to them to make a correction, some people's immediate response is to offer explanations as to why they do what they do. "I thought we were doing XXX." "Oh, I was actually trying to do YYY", "Yeah, I saw what you did, but I can do the technique this other way". You name it.
There are numerous ways of doing everything. Aikido is no exception. There are limitless ways of doing a particular Aikido technique. The way Aikido training works is that students watch the demonstration carefully to capture the movements and the feelings involved, and then replicate the entire package as closely as possible. Different instructors may do a technique differently. Even the same instructor may do the same technique differently at different times. The most important part in practicing a technique, therefore, is not the ending (be it a throw or a pin), but the process itself. The result of such training is a sensitive person who has good control of his body and can use it as the most versatile tool.
To progress in Aikido, one needs to keep an open mind. As Endo Sensei once asked during a seminar, "Don't you think something is wrong if you just keep doing the same thing over and over the exact same way?" Aikido training is really about breaking old habits and developing new habits repeatedly. Aikido mat time is short even in one life time. It is a shame to waste it on "defending your status quo". To begin with, "defending your status quo" is logically unsound to me: We all were once beginners at Aikido. If we truly were to "defend the status quo", nobody should have started Aikido at all!
Quoting Endo Sensei once again, "Please set your egos aside and focus on improving yourselves." Gambatte. Onegaishimasu.
As the researcher reports, most of the western test subjects look uneasy and start providing explanations for their performance. "I did not sleep well last night." "I have not worked on this kind of problems for a while. I used to be very good at it." "I did not have my coffee this morning." You name it.
The same experiment is, then, taken to Japan. At the end of the allotted time, the researcher announces that time is up and people are free to go. Interestingly, many test subjects refuse to leave. The researcher assures them that they will be paid as promised even though they do not finish the task. Still, the subjects refuse to go. The reason? For themselves, they want to continue to work on the problem and find the answer. The researcher tells them that there is no additional pay for working extra time, but it does not matter to them. The subjects still want to stay behind.
The observation is that the western subjects have a stronger tendency of "self affirmation" and thus they spend more time and energy in asserting and defending their skills and abilities, whereas their Asian counterparts seem to be more interested in "self improvement" and, therefore, choose to invest more of their time and energy work on enriching themselves. The researcher attributed the difference between the two groups to their respective cultures and upbringings.
On the Aikido mat, I observe a similar phenomenon: When the instructor comes to them to make a correction, some people's immediate response is to offer explanations as to why they do what they do. "I thought we were doing XXX." "Oh, I was actually trying to do YYY", "Yeah, I saw what you did, but I can do the technique this other way". You name it.
There are numerous ways of doing everything. Aikido is no exception. There are limitless ways of doing a particular Aikido technique. The way Aikido training works is that students watch the demonstration carefully to capture the movements and the feelings involved, and then replicate the entire package as closely as possible. Different instructors may do a technique differently. Even the same instructor may do the same technique differently at different times. The most important part in practicing a technique, therefore, is not the ending (be it a throw or a pin), but the process itself. The result of such training is a sensitive person who has good control of his body and can use it as the most versatile tool.
To progress in Aikido, one needs to keep an open mind. As Endo Sensei once asked during a seminar, "Don't you think something is wrong if you just keep doing the same thing over and over the exact same way?" Aikido training is really about breaking old habits and developing new habits repeatedly. Aikido mat time is short even in one life time. It is a shame to waste it on "defending your status quo". To begin with, "defending your status quo" is logically unsound to me: We all were once beginners at Aikido. If we truly were to "defend the status quo", nobody should have started Aikido at all!
Quoting Endo Sensei once again, "Please set your egos aside and focus on improving yourselves." Gambatte. Onegaishimasu.
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