Saturday, August 1, 2009

Beginners Mind - Reflecting on my son's first Aikido test

My son is taking his 5th Kyu test in Aikido today. Although there will be other tests in his life on the mat, in school, in his career, this is his first in Aikido. He already has major accomplishments in Tae Kwon Do, currently ranked as a 2nd degree black belt, active in his school, displaying leadership skills, training hard and training joyfully.

I see him on the mat and it thrills me to no end to watch him grow in another art. It also makes me happy that his first test, gives him another avenue to explore: humility. I have no doubt that he will grow quickly in Aikido. He's athletic, coordinated, and picks up things extremely fast. He has a wonderful attitude and is always helpful. I hope that his test today is a reminder to always take with him a beginners mind, he keeps his mind open to new things, he continues to train joyfully, expresses the things in his heart. I hope that the short 5 minutes on the mat act as a simple reminder to him of all of these things. I also hope he doesn't beat up his uke (me) too badly during those 5 minutes. :)

Onegaishimasu! (Let us begin)

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