Building character through Aikido

A question some people ask me is how can we develop ourselves? Especially our character?

One approach that I recommend is to do martial arts, especially Aikido. Martial arts is not about learning how to fight. It is more about living a healthy lifestyle through physical exercise and developing self confidence. Indeed, martial arts require a continuous process of training and improving oneself. Attending a few martial arts sessions will not really make a difference to anybody. But if somebody 'stays' with it for two or three years, there will be a significant development of their fitness, self-confidence and self-management skills.

The reason I prefer Aikido is that martial arts are divided into two broad categories: "hard" and "soft" martial arts. Hard martial arts - like silat and taekwando - requires to attack the opponent. As one Taekwando instructor once told me, "there are only two strategies: attack and counter attack". Soft martial arts - like Tai Chi and Aikido - uses the energy of the opponent to immobilize him or her. It's not about strength but about using the other person's momentum to control the situation. Psychologically, when one practices martial arts regularly for a couple of years, one develops the mindset that "nothing is impossible".