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To our beloved Aikido Community,

The COVID-19 pandemic may have sunk its talons deep into the socio-cultural, political and economic fabric of societies world-wide. It has become normal to see how drastic changes created fear and anxiety in all walks of life. Our Aikido practice may also have been affected logistically, but we do realize that our Aikido discipline has all the more become relevant in these trying times.

Allow me to elucidate.

The scholarly work of psychologist Dr. Hobfoll, et,al (2007) has identified five principles of effective psychosocial care in disaster, namely: safety, connectedness, calming, efficacy and hope. The science of psychosocial resiliency for disaster recovery has already been spelled-out for us, and if there’s one thing very encouraging to observe in our Aikido practice during these pandemic times, I would say it is on how our Aikido practice faithfully exemplifies all these five elements.

We see how we champion the best practice for SAFETY (just like evasion from the line of attack);
We see how we cultivate CALMNESS of mind in turbulent times (…or staying in moku-so);
We empower with
CONNECTEDNESS, while respecting the rules of physical distancing (...an applied principle of ma-ai);
We cultivate collective and self-
EFFICACY, (…best achieved with conscientious self-practice or virtual group practice); and
We uphold an unwavering sense, as well as an attitude of
HOPE, knowing that better times will come as
We, ourselves, become better too, with consistent practice.

Sensei Xavier Baylon Acknowledging forces beyond ourselves, and responding intelligently to focus on things within the ambit of our control is one resolve we must do. As aikidokas, we are called to adapt and respond not with brute strength, toughness or might, but rather with the magnanimity of unwavering resiliency and grace. This challenges our dojos and members to pro-actively share knowledge, experience, technical expertise, networks and resources to come up with applicable innovations in our nuanced environment. And while this challenges everyone in our circle to do their part, be rest assured that MaAI is one with our global community and with our mother dojo, Aikikai-Hombu, in advocating continued practice, exploring permissive ways to make #Aikido at Home much more widespread using remote, virtual platforms available within our means.

 

Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay resilient!


Sensei Xavier Baylon