In 14 years of practicing Aikido, I have seen many things.
Of course, 14 years is not necessarily a long period. There are plenty of individuals that are practicing a martial art for more years than my 14 years.
14 years is a long period *for me*.
I realize that it will not be long until I could say that I practiced Aikido for half of my life.
(Actually, it’s 7 years until then, well, it’s not that soon… From these information, you can find out how old I am now, at what age I started practicing Aikido and how old will I be when I will be practicing Aikido for half of my life.)
On the other hand, I changed a lot in the 14 years. I believe much of the change is due to Aikido. And *I hope* that this change during the years was an evolution, a change for the better.
In the 14 years, I have met a lot of Aikido practitioners.
Aikido, just like other martial arts, has a high practitioners turnover rate. A lot of people coming, a lot of people going away in time, just a few people staying.
Let’s think about the “distribution” of those coming to a dojo:
80% practice less than one year, until they give up.
10% practice between 1 and 2 years.
5% practice between 2 and 3 years.
Only 5% practice for more than 3 years.
(Ok, I put the percentages on-the-fly, reality is different probably, but not significantly.)
But the overall impression is that in Aikido you meet a lot of people, and for me a lot of the people I met in Aikido became significantly important in my life. Either becoming my friends, work colleagues or business partners, I am glad to know them, and this is due to Aikido.
Do not think that I am promoting Aikido as a socializing phenomenon.
A lot of people are blaming this aspect of socializing through Aikido. They say Aikido is a martial art, not a place to meet your friends. Possibly, some believe that socializing may affect the training martiality.
This can be true, I couldn’t say no.
But socializing has a lot of elements similar to the Aikido “blending”, that “blending” often spoken and sought. I think that socializing, no matter where or how you do it, *is* blending, so socializing *is* on the Aikido Path, and not aside. Obviously, provided that it doesn’t diminish the concentration and the eagerness to practice the technical and martial elements of the Art.
Getting back to the 14 years that have passed…
Looking back, I would love to relive them once again, to go again through the learning phases and experience levels, to rediscover Aikido from zero, to meet again all the people and to revisit all the places.
Unless I am struck by total amnesia, I will content myself to rediscover each day small and beautiful aspects of the Art, and of course to continue discovering the misteries and destinations that the Path predestinates us.
And I also hope that, in a while, I will rediscover Aikido through the eyes of my children.
