Accepting Change as Challenge

Changing clubs can be a challenging experience for any Aikido student. It is only when confronted with such a change that we learn how comfortable we have become with our teachers, our training partners, and our position in the club's hierarchy. Changing clubs requires the student to step out of this comfort zone and to commit to a new learning environment.

Through twice changing towns and one failed club, I have been fortunate in my short career as an Aikido student to have the benefit of learning from many teachers in several styles. The transitions from one club to the next have never been easy but have presented me with unique opportunities to grow in my Aikido and as a person. Through these experiences I have realised how the lessons of Aikido prepare the student to face change positively in any sphere of your life.

If you've ever entered a dojo to train you probably still remember your first time. Now matter how welcoming the students it's an intimidating experience for a beginner. Whether you feel threatened by the 'martial' atmosphere or simply embarrassed by your inability to move your body in the manner requested, you're definitely out of your comfort-zone.

When you return to the dojo for the second time you're already learning how to face change positively. The lesson proceeds on two levels: through the specific teachings of Aikido; and through experiencing the transformation of the Aikido training itself from an intimidating experience into a positive part of your life.

The number one rule in Aikido (or one of them at least) is 'get off-line' or put simply - get out of the way. This is one of the first lessons you learn, to perceive when something 'bad' is coming your way and how to not be there when it arrives. As a change management strategy it's one (significant) step above putting your head in the sand, it's perceiving a threat and distancing yourself from it in order to minimise the damage.

This lesson is not about how to avoid change, it's about initiating change yourself to avoid the consequences of having change forced upon you. When I first changed towns and consequently Aikido clubs I was so reluctant to 'start again' in a new dojo that I didn't train at all for several months. In a sense I was exhibiting this early lesson by changing my habits to avoid the situation. While this hiatus ultimately reduced the shock of the transition it was at the risk of ceasing training altogether, not an ideal solution.

As you progress in your Aikido you learn to capitalise on this early lesson. Having learned to evade the initial thrust of an attack you learn techniques to control your attacker's motion. These movements allow you to take control of the situation and to determine where it ends. As your training continues you learn to stay close to your attacker so that you can maintain control. You learn to remain relaxed so that you can 'feel' where the movement is going and take advantage of the opportunities that arise.

As an analogy for change management these lessons teach you to stay close to the situation and allow yourself to find the opportunities that change presents. There is an apparent contradiction between this strategy, which involves staying close to the process, and the first approach of getting out of harms way. The reconciliation of these approaches lies in the increased preparedness of the student, an expanded awareness and a confidant, relaxed attitude that helps you to remain safe while staying close to the action.

When I recently changed cities and clubs again as a senior kyu grade (grades below black belt) I didn't miss a week of training, however I still harboured my old reluctance to 'start over'. I spent half a year training in a self-imposed limbo, unwilling to let go of what I already 'knew' in order to fully commit to a new approach, yet unable to progress without that commitment.

I was reluctant to adapt to my new training environment because this required learning new ways of doing things that I previously thought I knew. Divorced from the familiarity of my former teachers and training partners and feeling the pressure to live up to my grade I lacked the confidence to explore new ways. Although I had remained close to the situation I was stubbornly failing to capitalise on the opportunities it presented.

Aikido training can help us to develop confidence in our own capabilities to help us meet the challenge of change positively. Confidence grows from continued training, sticking with something challenging that you have set out to do. There is also the somewhat specific confidence that comes from feeling prepared to face a physical threat should the need ever arise. Most importantly confidence grows from the experience of learning in an open environment.

Aikido is not a discipline you can learn in isolation. We learn together, we make mistakes and discover our weaknesses practising with our training partners, in front of our teachers. In contrast to the hesitation and awkwardness experienced by beginners we learn to attempt what is demonstrated as honestly and completely as we are able. Through this process of publicly exposing our weaknesses and gradually improving on them we learn to rely on our own capabilities to meet new challenges and not to be limited by a fear of failure.

As you progress through the grades it is a common experience to reach a plateau in your training from which you feel unable to release yourself. Often the trigger that promotes growth beyond this state is a change of focus, e.g. from hard, fast practice to a softer approach, from a precise technical focus to more spontaneous technique.

When you make such changes you often have to abandon a way of training you feel comfortable with and challenge yourself to take a step or two backwards before you begin to advance. Such changes challenge your confidence as you begin to doubt your ability while struggling with unfamiliar concepts. Ultimately however your Aikido training surpasses the plateau that held you back. The lessons that you thought you were abandoning are still there but your Aikido has been enhanced by a new perspective. These experiences of growth in Aikido enhance your confidence to try new approaches in the future.

For me this lesson was reinforced as I gradually embraced the experience of my new club, the lessons of my new teacher, the individuality of my new training partners. I realised that a new approach in no way diminishes what has been learned previously. Rather the different perspectives I have experienced have helped me to better understand the lessons of all my teachers both past and present. My earlier reluctance had done nothing but deny me the full benefit of my unique combination of experiences.

As your confidence and ability in Aikido practice increases to an advanced level you learn to act pre-emptively. You are encouraged to anticipate the attack and prompt your attacker's actions. In doing so you learn to learn to choose the moment of attack, to control your attacker's motion before it begins.

These experiences in training teach you that while often uncomfortable change is a prerequisite for growth. As a student you begin to seek out new ways of approaching your training to continue your development. As a final change management strategy you are learning to seek and promote change to increase your own experiences and knowledge. By actively seeking positive change in your life you become more capable of controlling events and deriving positive outcomes.

Aikido has provided me with both a model for change and through the experience of changing clubs an opportunity to learn how the model can apply to a real world situation. The take home lesson for me is that change should be faced positively and explored confidently as an opportunity for new growth.

Life's too short for regrets.

Roban for Shodan, Riai Aikido Wellington, November 28th 1998