Judo for the whole world

For those of you who actually know anything about judo*—and especially for those who are currently debating whether or not they should even bother getting started.

Judo

Look, is there anyone on this damn forum around here who actually practices judo? I’ve been seriously weighing the idea of signing up for some Google classes lately.😎

From what I hear, rowdydriver52 might actually have some insight on this...rowdydriver52, where the hell are you hiding?

Judo

Man!

I had the honor of meeting John Doe—but he’s the one who invented what you might call "REAL Aikido"...
The focus there is strictly on raw power and practical skills meant for SWAT teams and police units.
All that meditative stuff regarding "chi" or "ki"—the kind they fake in movies like "Beverly Hills ninja" starring the lovely and charming, though sadly departed, Chris Farley—is just pure fiction.
As for myself, I train Kyokushin Kai karate, and the legends surrounding its founder are actually true. Stories about him living solely on fruit and grass under a waterfall, or taking down fifty bulls by hand—well, those are documented facts.
But that style of karate is "hard," so I suspect it wouldn't suit your—if I may guess—gentle nature.
Here, I'll promise to send you Ojama Matsutasu's website just so you can look into it, but following the principle of negative compensation—you know, yin against yang—you probably shouldn't even start with Aikido if you're looking for actual self-defense. You'd just be kidding yourself. Go for something intense instead.

Mind you, this is technically the Spirituality section.
In that case, I recommend:

Tai-chi-kung.

I'll try to find a link. It isn't quite what you're thinking of, like Taoism or anything similar—it's something else entirely, yet deeply spiritual.
There is this concept of prenatal and postnatal qi, which you blend within the diaphragm through specific breathing techniques and exercises that resemble yoga or Taoism; by achieving this "turtle breathing," you essentially rejuvenate yourself and extend your lifespan...
😎 I have it all in a book, but I haven't been able to track down a link just yet... I'll do my best to find it next time. 😎

The legacy of Ojama Macutacu—founder of Kyokushin Karate—and his incredible feats and philosophy...
😎

John Walker74, what a fantastic topic!

I’m honestly glad you brought this up in the spirituality section—it’s exactly where it belongs. I think I’ve touched on this somewhere else on the forum, so I might be repeating myself a bit here, but let's dive in. I won't get bogged down in specific techniques; instead, I want to talk about the various layers of spirituality that weave themselves through Aikido. Now, mind you, these are just my own subjective musings. In my opinion, the people leading the development of Aikido in this country—and they do a pretty stellar job, if you ask me—tend to shy away from empty rhetoric or getting lost in hollow philosophical debates. They prefer to live their Way through both internal reflection and the literal sweat on their brows at the dojo. Again, this is just my personal take on things.

As for everyone else, you'll likely find your own answers right where a beginner first encounters the art: in the dojo. Through the practitioners. And everything that makes up that environment: the mats, a group of students with bare feet that probably haven't seen a pedicure in months, and the instructor.

The moment you step into a dojo, you quickly realize that your "spiritual ego" is nothing more than a pile of illusions and self-deception. You find out pretty fast that you don't actually know anything, and that you aren't capable of applying a bunch of intellectual data or mystical feelings to what we call real life.

It’s a massive reality check. It basically forces you to look at your entire life philosophy under a harsh, objective light. You’re forced to confront yourself and the world around you. Your ego crashes headfirst into the reality of the dojo, which exists strictly in the HERE AND NOW. There’s no room for fluff or pretending; because even if you try to lie to others, or even if you try to lie to yourself, your body simply refuses to cooperate with the deception.
It's almost like hitting a Zen master's koan wall—where your linear mind slams into your clumsy physical body, which is just blindly following along due to sheer inertia.

🙂

...It’s a Japanese art, brought into our world through Morihei Ueshiba. I suppose you could summarize the spiritual backbone of judo by looking at elements of Taoism, Chinese gnosis, Tantric Buddhism, Shintoism, and even Christian mysticism.

One of the fundamental premises of judo is the unification of mind
and body. If you look at the literal meaning of the Japanese characters
DO—the way,
AI—to harmonize,
and KI—life energy.

However, that probably isn't enough to capture the full weight of what those three characters actually signify within the Japanese language.

The character AI is relatively straightforward; it means to unite, to coordinate, to unify, or to bring into harmony.

As for the character KI—within the framework of judo theory, it roughly translates to vital or life energy. But if we look closer at Ueshiba's own teachings, we can distinguish between a lower and a higher form of KI. There is the KI that vibrates at this basic frequency, which gradually scales up toward a higher manifestation
of the original microcosmic essence... In short, KI is what people in India refer to as Prana, while its higher form has been described by various traditions as divine mana descending from the heavens.

Then there is DO, which serves as the final (and arguably just as important) character. It can mean a path, a trail, a method, or a way... Even when used in a simplified sense to mean a "path" or "method"—much like you see in the works of Laozi, Confucius, and others who deal with Hermeticism or any form of gnosis...

To put it simply, the philosophy of judo could be translated as the way of harmony and alignment with the entire universe. Real judo is essentially a way to neutralize potential conflict before it even manifests.
At least, that's the possibility.
So, judo acts as a guide on the Way.
Conflict mostly arises from within ourselves—due to a lack of alignment with the life-giving energy of the universe—which we then project onto everything around us.
In many ways, judo is just as much about confronting yourself.
And it offers the chance to overcome our true opponent.
Ourselves.
The part of us currently existing in disharmony with all of creation.

Someone who overcomes an opponent is certainly powerful.
But according to ancient wisdom, the one who overcomes themselves is stronger than an entire city.

🙂

Sophia Williams, thanks&, I'll check out the site.

Um, no, I wasn't thinking about self-defense at all; honestly, that wasn't even remotely my intention in the slightest😉

Regarding dangerous😁 skills, the only time I ever actually encountered anything was with full contact stuff(😁)Ugh, don't even ask how I ended up there, but those were definitely long, long gone days... Basically, there was this cute guy training the same thing, so I just... you know how it goes... everything for the sake of science, right?

What was on my mind?

I was looking into yoga, based on some recommendations, and maybe Tai Chi (is that how you say it?)... and so on... but what I'm really searching for is something that demands discipline, consistency, and total devotion. See, even though my goal is spirituality, my intention is simultaneously an "escape from spirituality," if you catch my drift.
There's a time for diving deep into your thoughts, but there's also a time when that same process needs to stop being its own end goal in my world, because otherwise, it just turns into chasing your own tail and spinning in circles.
One thought breeds another, and far too often, you find yourself stuck in that loop without ever moving forward.
And I am not just a synonym for thought; I am so much more than that.
*
A friend tells me that judo is complicated and that it takes a massive amount of time to master it.
But I'm not entirely sure that mastering is really the word I'm looking for.
I’d say that distilling* is the word I'm after—using distillation to express myself in the simplest possible way, both to the outside world and to myself.

*distillation = hygiene

God, why is that absolute brute over there being such a pain🙂ugh

rowdydriver52
It’s a massive wake-up call, plain and simple. You’re basically forced to take your entire life philosophy and drag it out into the harsh light of day. You’re finally standing face-to-face with who you really are and the world as it actually exists. Your ego slams right into the reality of the dojo—the reality that exists HERE AND NOW. There’s absolutely no room for playing games or lying to yourself, because even if you try to bullshit your way through, your body won't let you get away with it. It knows the truth.
It’s like hitting a Zen master’s koan wall with your linear mind and that clumsy body that just follows along on autopilot.

"Would I be being too pretentious if I said I've experienced this plenty of times in my Mind, but far less frequently in my Body, which is exactly why I'm searching for something like this?" I think you know exactly what I mean.

rowdydriver52, thanks man, I'll continue to follow you closely!😉

When you watch someone practicing judo, it’s almost impossible not to get the impression that the man or woman is simply dancing with their attacker or partner. (Since judo is a defensive art, they don't actually teach offensive techniques.)

The whole simplified concept of KI—which we inherited from Morihei Ueshiba—basically boils down to the idea that there is a single energy (KI) permeating the entire universe, and by extension, every human being. However, while this energy flows without any friction in nature—in plants and animals, for instance—it is noticeably disrupted in most people. There are certain ways to return a person to alignment with the entire universe, following that Hermetic axiom where as above, so below, based on the relationship between the human microcosm and the macrocosm.

This realignment with nature happens through spiral movements during what one might call a "fight"—though in judo, there isn't really a fight, just an eternal process of learning and transfer between two partners, or two microcosms—which follow the helical paths of the Spirit descending into this physical realm. Achieving alignment with these paths results in harmony with the universe. A harmony between the microcosm and the macrocosm. It's essentially the same thing as when Rumi and the Sufis perform their mystical dance, the Sem. Through that circular motion, they break and dissolve the linearity of this world—that linearity that confuses our minds, which are already so bogged down by duality. You won't achieve true harmony with a partner or a legitimate attacker until you've first achieved that aforementioned harmony within yourself.

John Walker74, haha, I actually used to train in full contact too.

John Walker74 said:"Would I be being pretentious if I said I've had many opportunities to experience this in my Mind, but far fewer in my Body—which is exactly why I'm looking for something like this." I think you probably get what I mean.

That’s actually the exact reason I ended up walking away from Judo. There was just this massive gap between my thoughts, my words, and... well, my actions. And at the end of the day, people are judged by what they do, not by the uniform they wear.
In Judo, you supposedly achieve this balance by mixing static stuff (like the "seiza" sitting position) with dynamic drills (the actual techniques). The idea behind the term "Aiki" is basically trying to sync your own movement and energy with your partner's—whether that's a training buddy or some guy actually attacking you. There's this old hermetic axiom about how there's no such thing as empty space. The transfer between two partners—two little microcosms, I guess—happens within a sort of magnetic field created by them, plus that weird "in-between" space. Over time, a practitioner is supposed to realize you can't pull off a technique properly unless you've unified your mind and body first. You have to bring them into harmony with the universe's Ki so that the Ki can flow through you without hitting any roadblocks. When that happens, you're meant to lose that sense of "self" entirely, and your perception expands to include the very space between you and your partner.

The Tao Te Ching touches on this:

Yield, and maintain integrity.
To bend is to be upright;
to be empty is to be full.
Those who have little have much to gain,
but those who have much
may be confused by possessions.
The wise man embraces the all encompassing;
he is unaware of himself, and so has brilliance;
not defending himself, he gains distinction;
not seeking fame, he receives recognition;
not making false claims, he does not falter;
and not being quarrelsome,
is in conflict with no one.
This is why it was said by the sages of old,
"Yield, and maintain integrity;
be whole, and all things come to you".

Jesus spoke about this: Love your neighbor as yourself.
In Judo, you don't actually defeat an opponent. There isn't really a desire for victory or some need to overpower someone else. If we aren't completely emptied of everything—including that specific urge to win—then I guess we aren't truly capable of executing a technique correctly. When a technique is performed properly, there is no "I." There isn't even a conflict, because there's no mechanism of action and reaction occurring between two separate egos. In Judo, the opponent's own energy is either redirected back at them or diverted until it simply dissipates. According to Morihei Ueshiba—regardless of how watered down and hollow that sentiment might sound these days—Judo is essentially the way of love for one's neighbor. If you engage in a conflict, you're basically committing your own energy to the fray.

here’s a little more Taoism, chapter 5.

Nature acts without intent,
so cannot be described
as acting with benevolence,
nor malevolence to any thing.
In this respect, the Tao is just the same,
though in reality it should be said
that nature follows the rule of Tao.
Therefore, even when he seems to act
in manner kind or benevolent,
the sage is not acting with such intent,
for in conscious matters such as these,
he is amoral and indifferent.
The sage retains tranquility,
and is not by speech or thought disturbed,
and even less by action which is contrived.
His actions are spontaneous,
as are his deeds towards his fellow men.

By this means he is empty of desire,
and his energy is not drained from him.

🙂

John Walker74 said:I’ve been thinking about yoga lately... a friend mentioned to me that judo is just too complicated—that it takes an eternity to actually master it.
Though, I’m not entirely sure if mastering is quite the right word here.
I suppose I’d say distilling* is more accurate; using distillation as a way to express myself in the simplest possible terms, both outwardly and inwardly.
*distillation = hygiene

Well, you could say judo is basically Japanese yoga... the elements of breathing and energy exercises are pretty much identical. As for the whole "complexity" issue, I'd argue the art is only as complicated as the practitioner themselves. Not any more, not any less. It acts as a mirror for the student—it functions essentially as a tool for self-discovery. All truly profound things are simple, and judo is both simple and spontaneous. There isn't a single technique in there that relies on brute force or sheer physical dominance. (Man, if only you could have seen the look on my wife's face when she realized that I—a 220-pound guy made of pure muscle—could be tossed across the gym floor or used to mop the floors by her 😲), it doesn't require massive effort or intense strain. It’s suitable for everyone, from age 7 to 77, and it naturally adapts itself to whatever individual capacity someone has.

Hey, for anyone interested, I train at the
Aikido Association of Greater Los Angeles.

The sessions take place over at the University of Southern California School of Kinesiology in the Judo hall—and they’re actually starting up a beginner course pretty soon. So, look, if you're one of those people who feels the need to test out your life philosophies, religious views, or spiritual stances through endless little arguments on internet forums, you can finally do it in person. It might be more productive to face some actual human beings—real people made of flesh and bone, rather than just digital avatars—while being full of love for your fellow man. Or something like that.

I'll probably drop other links here whenever I stumble upon something interesting:

Aikido:
Aikido Association of Greater Los Angeles
Donat Aikido Club

Aikido:
Takemus Aika Dojo
Aikido Club Bonaca

rowdydriver52 said:That was exactly my reason for quitting Aikido too. There’s just this massive, glaring disconnect between what people think, what they say, and... what they actually do. And let’s be honest, you judge a person by their actions, not by the uniform they wear.

Exactly!
I don't even think it needs further explanation, really.

I’ve read through everything carefully and gathered all the data. Thanks to you and your friend for providing those details from PM USA.

Now all that's left for me is to check in with myself and see if I can actually relate to all of this or not.

While browsing an Aikido Club website, I stumbled upon a text that really resonated with me, so I'm pasting it here for everyone to see:

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Core Principles
- Reacting promptly and decisively,
- Aligning physical action and the mind with the beings around you,
- Radiating inner peace into your surroundings,
- Controlling the energy of both body and mind,
- Using powerful internal energy solely for the well-being of oneself and all living things on Earth,
- Standing firmly and courageously for cosmic truth,
- Utilizing Aikido techniques and exercises for quality living.
Through practicing Aikido, we reach a state of body and spirit where we become complete masters of our entire being; nothing happens within us without our conscious awareness and will.

There is no need to overemphasize the practical application of all this in daily life—especially when we are surrounded by intense negative energies like fear, hatred, anger, rage, and egoism. In those moments, practicing Aikido becomes the key to eliminating those very energies from within ourselves. This is the true, realistic path to protecting oneself from the stress of modern times because, in our view, the fundamental cause of our stress lies within us, not outside of us.

When we are angry, jealous, fearful, hateful, enraged, or selfish, we are creating something inside ourselves; we become the source, the very cause of the condition known today as stress.

The cosmic Law of Cause and Effect becomes much clearer and more understandable through Aikido practice. We become aware of it on a global scale and in its entirety. By understanding this vital law and how it manifests, we become prepared to change our own actions, thoughts, and speech—our very personalities—by developing those positive qualities of the NEW HUMAN that sages have taught us throughout the centuries: love, self-sacrifice, unselfishness, inner peace, and respect for all beings—the awareness that we are, not just on this planet, but in the entire universe, ALL ONE BIG ONE.

To achieve this, for those who desire it, Aikido offers its unique philosophy, methods, and exercises.
To make it easier to understand and adopt, we will generally divide the Aikido exercises into:

a) Physical exercises,
b) Psycho-mental exercises,
c) Unified exercises.

Even the practice that appears to be purely physical isn't strictly physical in nature, because during such training, there must be an awareness of every movement, concentration solely on that specific exercise, synchronized breathing and motion, and visualization accompanying every single technique. Of course, while this physical movement primarily affects our bodies, it also impacts our spirit (our emotions and thoughts).

Psycho-mental exercises include: relaxation, mindfulness, breath control, visualization, and concentration. Their primary purpose is to act upon our mental body, though this inevitably, in certain ways, reflects onto our physical body as well. This is because we are, in essence, a unity of physical and mental, whereas in our practical lives here in the West, we still tend to separate them.

In the group of unified exercises, emphasis isn't placed on either the physical or the mental; rather, they are represented equally (such as the practice of conscious and relaxed "walking through a rock" using intense visualization and sensation).

***************************************continued

***********the continuation continues**********************

If you actually want to claim you’re practicing Aikido, you can't just show up whenever you feel like it; there are certain standards you have to live by if you want to take this seriously:

- You need to cut back on or completely quit smoking, drinking, or using drugs,
- You shouldn't be training for at least 2-3 hours after eating a heavy meal,
- You have to train consistently,
- Your sessions need to be done with absolute focus,
- You should be wearing comfortable clothing in a well-ventilated space,
- And you better follow through with your planned training schedule entirely.

Since we are essentially cosmic beings made of energy, Aikido techniques were designed specifically to influence that energetic essence. Our physical bodies act as vessels for the life energy of the universe—without it, we wouldn't even exist as we are.
By working directly with our internal energies, Aikido movements and techniques impact the physical part of our being—specifically the parts where those energies become accessible to our basic senses. All of these energies are governed by our thoughts, which is why we utilize a structured system of exercises and techniques divided like this:

1. Physical exercises and techniques (falls, multi-directional movement, controls, throws),
2. Relaxation exercises,
3. Awareness exercises,
4. Visualization exercises,
5. Energy control exercises—breath control,
6. Concentration exercises,
7. Harmony exercises.

Physical exercises and techniques (falls, multi-directional movement, controls, throws)

These physical movements are very specific; they are designed to influence energy flows within particular parts of the body or throughout the entire frame. During these movements, the goal is to manifest a desire to be in harmony with another person, regardless of whether they are attacking you or simply looking for quality, positive communication. It is absolutely vital to sync these movements with your breathing, to remain completely relaxed both physically and mentally, and to stay deeply connected to whatever part of the body you are currently focusing on.
Practicing falls allows us to drop safely and confidently without getting injured, while training multi-directional movement develops our ability to navigate any space rapidly.
The control and throwing techniques are unique to Aikido, teaching us how to bring a potential attacker under control or throw them to demonstrate that we have zero aggressive intentions.
The whole point isn't to defeat or humiliate someone; it's to show the attacker that we aren't an aggressor and that there is no reason to attack us. We want to signal that we are open to peaceful communication and that we have nothing against them.
We want to show them that we view them as an equal being with whom we can be friends and help one another.

Relaxation exercises
In order to perform any activity successfully—meaning quickly, efficiently, and sustainably—you have to achieve a high degree of total-body relaxation. That's how you minimize energy waste, maximize metabolic efficiency, maintain concentration longer, achieve better harmony with your surroundings, increase speed, and delay the onset of fatigue.
Initially, these exercises are performed while sitting or lying down using deep, slow breathing, but eventually, they are integrated with Aikido techniques involving active movement.

Awareness exercises

Awareness is a specific mental state where a person knows exactly what they are doing, how they are doing it, and why they are doing it, all while maintaining constant concentration on that single activity. In this state, a person achieves their best results—whether in work, training, or learning—while using the least amount of physical and psycho-mental energy.
To reach this state quickly and maintain it even when faced with external distractions (like noise, talking, or physical and mental attacks), you have to practice. Some people might have this ability naturally, but most of us have to develop it through disciplined training.
In our Aikido training system, we place massive importance on developing the ability to "be aware"—of the body, the emotions, and the thoughts. This is the fastest way to master these energies, bring them under control, and use them for our own good.

*******************************************

***********************************************

Visualization Exercises

Visualization is basically the ability to independently and at any given moment conjure up vivid mental imagery—including all the sensory details, emotions, and thoughts that come with it—entirely by your own will.
Developing this skill is absolutely vital for just about any activity, whether you're training, experimenting, or conducting research, because in a way, the physical and psychomental processes continue to unfold even when you aren't physically acting—say, due to illness, an injury, or some other setback—meaning things like necessary movement, drills, or tactical exercises can still take place mentally.
Having a sharp sense of visualization is becoming increasingly essential in modern life; it’s a requirement in various professional fields because it allows a person to create mental projections of programs or projects and even test their effectiveness before they ever commit to actual implementation.

Energy Control Exercises - Breath Control

Shallow, erratic breathing leads directly to a restless mind and uncontrolled thoughts, whereas balanced breathing leads to a stable mind and mastery over one's thoughts. If you want to be capable of executing Aikido techniques properly and efficiently, you absolutely have to learn how to breathe correctly and harmoniously—in other words, you have to master breath control.
The whole point of breath control is to synchronize your breathing with your movement so that your technique achieves maximum efficiency (meaning fast, timely application with minimal energy expenditure and less brute force).
The best method is deep, slow, and complete breathing that engages the entire lungs—every bronchus and every single alveolus—while maximizing the use of the diaphragm, all while keeping the physical effort of breathing to an absolute minimum. In the beginning, you should practice this while sitting down until you've mastered the technique, and later on, you start integrating it into movement through specific Aikido techniques.
Controlling the omnipresent cosmic energy within us (KI) is most effectively and easily achieved by first mastering our own breath. Once we become capable of controlling our breathing, we gain the ability to control and manage our emotions and thoughts—which are themselves powerful cosmic energies.

Concentration Exercises

Think about it: we've all focused sunlight and heat many times, intentionally directing it toward a specific spot or a single point.
In our practice, concentration means fixing your attention onto one single technique, emotion, or thought and maintaining it for as long as possible.
To successfully apply concentration and actually achieve the results we're planning for, there are certain rules you simply have to follow:

- You have to practice every single day.
- You absolutely must avoid tension and anger.
- Don't try to fight against the spirit or the thoughts.
- Don't rush.
- It's best to perform the exercises at the same time each day (morning and evening).
- You need to practice breath control before starting concentration exercises.
- Don't eat or drink alcohol immediately before practicing.

Initially, these exercises are performed in a stationary position using developed visualization skills, but eventually, they are applied during movement through specific Aikido techniques.

Harmony Exercises

Being in harmony with yourself, your environment, and the entire cosmos is true wisdom; it’s set as a fundamental and key requirement for a successful life, a successful career, and successful Aikido practice. Being in harmony means consciously, intentionally, and steadily connecting your physical and mental activities, both within yourself and in your interactions with the world around you.
By training both the physical and mental aspects of Aikido, we aim to achieve exactly this through persistent and concentrated practice.
Through harmony exercises and techniques, a person learns to bridge the gap between the physical and the spiritual, aligning bodily movements with psychomental exercises and syncing the rhythm of breathing with body movement through Aikido. This is how one achieves relaxation, concentration, and inner peace, which ultimately leads to extraordinary efficiency when applying a technique.

**************************************************

*Source text >

Aikido

Well, there you have it, my friends😉, now it's time for Arbeit!

I honestly can't believe it! I was sitting here this morning thinking about you, John Walker74—just trying to figure out how I'm ever going to catch up on all these posts—when Aikido popped into my head. It actually got me wondering if I might finally pull the trigger and start training this fall.🙂

You just have to show up, see it for yourself, and make a call. There’s no point in all this useless overthinking. If it doesn't work out, then something else will.

Man, Kenneth Hill37, I still remember you.

jurislav said:Well, look—it’s not like there isn't a silver lining to be found somewhere in all this, I suppose—but when it comes to the one thing that actually matters, it's pretty much useless.

I honestly feel like we're all just spinning our wheels here—it seems like a massive waste of precious time.👎

You know how the saying goes—don't go judging a horse you've never actually sat a saddle on.
Well, honestly—this whole obsession with what’s "most important" and all this talk about "wasting precious time"—it kind of reminds me of Gollum’s little "my precious" lamentations, if you catch my drift. Gollum Oh, Smeagol.
😁 😁 😁 😁

And that, I suppose, is exactly where you find the internal struggle within Paul himself—that constant tug-of-war between his earthly nature and his higher, more spiritual self.

If a person truly understands what matters most—if they actually grasp their priorities when it comes to chasing that one essential thing—then everything else naturally falls into place around it. In that mindset, no experience along the way is ever a waste of precious time. Not even practicing Aikido. Every single thing you go through becomes a stepping stone toward winning that internal battle against yourself, helping you overcome the distractions of this earthly life. And honestly, isn't that basically the whole point for any Christian?

If a person’s mind is a complete mess—just constantly wrestling with physical limitations and all those nagging demands the body places on us—how is the spirit actually supposed to break free? I mean, if you're stuck dealing with the constant noise of physicality and its endless restrictions, where does that leave the soul? It seems like a bit of a catch-22, doesn't it?
Isn't our body supposed to be a temple for the spirit—a literal temple for God?
Isn't it basically our responsibility to keep God's temple clean and in good shape?

So, if you're actually looking to end up looking as heroic and well-put-together as Aragorn—and let's be honest, we all want that—then I guess you should probably just start training Aikido.
😉

Porto said:Everything truly worthwhile is simple, much like how aikido is both straightforward and spontaneous. There isn't a single technique in it that relies on brute force or raw physical advantage.

🙂