Aikido of Owensboro   

Mushinkan Dojo

                Owensboro, Kentucky                           

 
Rank is usually (though not always) awarded in organizations that practice Aikido. Partly this is tradition. Partly it is a way of recognizing the work you have done. And partly it is a means of signaling to others some hint of your skill, so that they can interact with you more appropriately. In anyone rank can be a motivator to work hard; in fact, with young people it is usually an important motivator. For a few, rank is a way of "showing off" or of assuming authority over others, though this seems to be less true in Aikido than in other martial arts. Most people in Aikido do not care what color belt they wear.

Tests are inherent in life and occur in Aikido both formally and informally. In the early stages of progress, rank is based on performance of specified techniques. As time goes by, it is based more on one's ability to apply the principles of Aikido to one's practice. In most organizations, the chief instructor is well acquainted with each member's quality of practice and gives frequent, carefully chosen feedback to you as well as general guidance to the group. In a larger organization, the chief instructor many not be able to know each individual that well, and will rely on assistant instructors and on formal tests to acknowledge your progress.
Many martial arts organizations charge fees for participation in formal testing--especially if the organization is someone's livelihood. This is less common in Aikido organizations and testing fees are definitely not charged at Aikido of Owensboro. You earn your rank by diligent practice and when you have earned it, we recognize it.
 

Progress is a satisfaction all its own. Some people hate jogging, but do it for the aerobic benefit. Others do it simply for physical pleasure. Those who persist in their jogging probably do so because they get a uniquely human satisfaction: they enjoy the activity itself (dispite some effort and pain) and they see the activity as an expression of their values and as a way to refine those values. For these people, progress is an activity, not a specific goal one finally achieves.

If you engage in any activity as a discipline, it shapes you and you shape it; the process is open-ended and not intentionally temporary. The Japanese call such an activity a do. "Do" (rhymes with "dough") is often translated as "way" and carries the meaning of a way or path through life. A do is a practice that one engages in not just for the acquisition of identifiable skills, but as an expression of one's outlook on life.

Aikido, the do of aiki, is the way of harmony. Students learn to deal with aggression by blending or harmonizing with it, rather than by conflicting. This is both interesting and useful. But if you cease to find it satisfying, you can simply stop practicing it. At Aikido of Owensboro we welcome all students, whether for a short or long term experience.
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