Reaching out

[klwilliams]

Last night at aikido, while I was doing randori (multiple people attack me, and I step past them and send them rolling on their way), the senseis watching pointed out that I was waiting for the attack, but not offering any energy to the attackers in advance. I've been thinking about this, and I think it's part of my basic personality. In emotional situations (which being attacked by several people at once certainly is) I tend to be contained, and wait for the other person to make the first move. I don't know if this is a good thing or not, but it's something to ponder.

Comments

[seainni.livejournal.com]

It is an interesting thing to ponder. I've become increasingly aware of my own tendency to be more passive in confrontational situations than I like. Which sounds strange, given I have a propensity for biting people's heads off in same, but sometimes I tend to almost wait for someone to act to give me an "excuse" to do what I want to/need to do anyway. (Which may be why I snap--I wait too long, and so all manner of pent-up frustration builds.)

I'm sure it's possible to be too active, energy-wise, as well, and I'd rather err in this direction than the other, but as you say, it's an interesting thing to think about.

I first became aware of it when I took nonviolence training from American Friends Service Committee. Which really brought home the fact that nonviolence and passive behavior are two very different things.

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

That's interesting. What does nonviolence training involve? Aikido is a rare martial art because it has no attacks, just responses to attacks, but it does include leading or inviting the attack (so it goes the way you want it to).