Don’t Return to Normal: Do Something Better
In the Dojo Volume 3 Issue 6
by Josh Paul sensei, AOSB head instructor
This month, New York State and much of the country reopened. With only a few exceptions for mass transit, correctional facilities, and schools, virtually every Covid mandate was rolled back for vaccinated individuals. In NYC, there were fireworks!
As we rush to reestablish routines, reopen businesses, and reunite with friends and family, it is understandably easy to forget that prepandemic normalcy was frequently a morass of mediocrity. Compared to the trauma of the last 15 months, mediocrity might be appealing. However, let’s remember that prepandemic life was often characterized by chronic work-life imbalances that interfered with, among other things, aikido, as well as ambient anxiety and stress, rushing, noise, and malaise. As we reopen, reestablish, and recommit, we have an opportunity to not merely return to normal, but to actually create something better.
David Brooks, in a recent NY Times opinion piece, wrote that, “People have been reminded that life is short. For over a year, many experienced daily routines that were slower paced, more rooted, more domestic. Millions of Americans seem ready to change their lives to be more in touch with their values.”
Nowhere is this more possible than in the dojo. The dojo is an idyllic place that exists solely for the purpose of improving ourselves. Yes, aikido practice must be martial in its intent, but to focus solely on the technical is to lose sight of the on-the-mat challenges we give ourselves, and the off-the-mat lessons we learn overcoming them. The practice is about recognizing and overcoming fears and apprehensions, and letting go of desires and ego.
Although it sounds flippant, simply showing up for class is a major challenge. The world continuously pulls us away from the dojo. Covid is the most extreme example of this, but there are mundane examples, too: social engagements, jobs, family demands, injuries and illness, and good and bad weather, among other things. It is a phenomenon that makes some our June promotions particularly remarkable. For example, two students from our youth program, Adrian and Lysander, who started training in 2013, were promoted to brown belt. They are the fifth and sixth students in AOSB’s 10-year history to reach this milestone, and they did so despite Covid disruptions and fears. Their promotions are a demonstration of technical knowledge and proficiency, but an even greater illustration of the spirit of aikido and shugyo--intense, dedicated training.
So, as we reopen, think about how life could be better than before, and pursue it. Expect it. Advocate for it. There are forces that want a return to prepandemic normalcy. However, even if in the midst of the chaos, we experienced fleeting glimpses of a better lifestyle. Much of the regression to the mean may be inevitable, but that’s why there is the dojo. Use this time of reopening to recommit and reconnect to your dojo and your practice. Train better and more often. Remember what initially drew you to the mats, what kept you coming back, and discover the spark that will keep you moving forward.