"The River" A Gift to a Well-Respected Friend
The path we are all set upon is similar to a long and winding river. Sections of the path are calm, swift, and rapid. We may even encounter a few beautiful and deadly waterfalls along the way. With eyes forward, ears absorbing the sounds of nature, oars in the water, we can then successfully predict and adjust for many of the changes to come. Beyond our control, there are also times when the path is curved, silent, and otherwise void to our senses.
Feeling blind and alone—distended from nature—this is when we are on guard with our bodies poised to expect the unexpected. Anticipation of the unknown often causes a significant change in our chemistry: our muscles contract, our senses heightened, and this steals valuable energy and resources from our bodies. We must learn to manage our resources in moderation if we are to make it through to the end. Natures moods are unpredictable, and so we invoke self-awareness to ensure self-control.
Nature may choose to narrow our paths, or create obstacles to interrupt our grove. We may have to remove ourselves from the path, walk a ways to find a different entrance, and then continue our journey. Success requires us to be patient, especially during times when the breadth of the river seems as wide as an ocean. The waters a still-calm with no discernable currents; we again find ourselves feeling lost and alone. We must invoke reason, knowledge, wisdom and love when physical strength is no longer sufficient.
Physical strength is never sufficient. Virtue teaches us to row smarter, harder and longer than before to continue downstream. Barely back on course, we now find ourselves growing tired and weary. We must look intently around to find those we love, and those who love us. For we are not meant to make this journey alone. Wisdom teaches us to stop and rest to rebuild our strength, reflect on our past, learn from the unexpected, and reposition our strategies. Stopping from time-to-time as we must, our oar is out of the water.
Oars serve as both rudder, and our physical connection to the conditions of the currents. If our oar leaves the water, then we lose awareness of the flow and control of our path. While we may not choose the path and location of the river, we are empowered to choose how to proceed down the river, and those with whom we journey together. We must keep our eyes forward, our courage steadfast and true, our minds calm, and our oars in the water.
Troy M. Wussow
Aikijudo-Jitsu™
April 10, 2010
The Importance of Learning Who We Are
Tomodachi,
Who are we? Do we really know?
I believe that we, as a species, have grown way too fast in technology. I believe that many, if not most of us are lost in all this technology and rapid growth. I know I was, until I figured out who and what I am. It was very difficult and confusing. I can do so many things, but I eventually realized it is par for the course for someone like us: I have the ADHD too. <big grin> But I'm more of the ADD than HD. I also believe the ADD is a gift, not a problem or a diagnosis. I had a friend at my last job that approached me a few years ago who said that she was diagnosed with Adult ADD. Her physician prescribed a medication for her. She claimed that she is feeling much better now. I was silently enraged.
I had to go back
to the past about 300 years to really discover who and what I am. I had
to get rid of all the technology and go back to nature, so-to-speak. I
had to look deep within myself to see just what my raw talents are: the
things that I naturally do well, and the things that bring me the most joy and
happiness. 
Given my raw talents, I believe I would have been a warrior/protector, a blacksmith
to fabricate my own weapons and metalwork needed by the towns-folk, and an instructor to help out the community and my
fellow warriors.
I have also watched just a few people in my life time that I have heard described as "working within their own", or doing the thing that nature designed and constructed their body and mind to do. People who are labeled as a "natural" at what they do, or people who describe a job or function they do as coming to them naturally; these are people that are working in their own. This is how I felt when I was welding. This is how I feel when I am in the dojo. In fact one of the happiest times of my life was between 1989 and 1993 when I welded during the day, then came home and practiced and taught martial arts all night; and all week. My energy seemed to never end; the students pooped out before I did.
The confusing thing to me about
this was that I was looking for one thing that I am supposed to be
doing, but eventually I realized that there are several things I was designed to do, and they are all connected. Nature designed me to be a
warrior, a blacksmith, and a teacher. 
It is in my DNA. I am
convinced about the warrior side because the martial arts have come to me so
easily, and it is metaphysical; I simply feel it through to my bones. The
blacksmith was a different story.
My father talked me into being a welder in the Navy. Many years later my sister started an interest in genealogy, and discovered that all of the Wussow men, dating back at least 8 generations were all blacksmiths and whitesmiths. ...interesting. I am a natural at metal work too. Between 1988 and 1993 there were only two known TIG welders in Kansas City that were qualified to weld Titanium: myself, and another man that worked for Bendix. No one taught me either: I just started doing it. I was also the first civilian welder to ever write a non-destructive testing procedure for aircraft grade II titanium through the American Welding Society.
The teaching thing was first discovered in boot camp (long story). Suffice it to say that I knew then I was an effective teacher; even for a 17 year old. I need to interject something here: I am not telling you all of these things to show off, or to toot my own horn. I got rid of that kind of ego long ago. I am hoping that my story will demonstrate to you that when we are working within our own, there is nothing we can't do. We excel, we stand out, we appear to be geniuses to other people because they are still lost, and not doing what nature designed them to do.
So why am I a web developer? It is not my first choice of occupations. I can do it, and I'm good at it, but not nearly as good and efficient as my peers. I am not a natural at it, and I have to work much harder at it to keep up. I have to do it because of money so that my spouse and I can survive in this new high-tech world. Welding doesn't pay much anymore, and neither does general teaching, or self-defense instruction.
So there it is. Now my friend, who and what are you? Once you know who and what you are, if you don't already, we can begin to talk about training and how to proceed.
Onegaishimasu
Troy M. Wussow
Aikijudo-Jitsu™
April 8, 2010
Some Differences Between Self-Defense and the Fighting Arts
Hello Tomodachi,
My first question to you is simple: What do you want out of the martial arts?
To me there is a very clear dividing line between what I will call (a) self-defense, and (b) the fighting arts. Self-defense is much more difficult to train for than the fighting arts, and I'll explain what I mean. A student of self-defense (that has a good teacher) has a very focused goal in front of them.
At some point in
our future, one day and moment in time we may refer to as the "event", we may be
faced with an aggressor we call Uke. We don't know what day, what
time, or even what Uke will look like or how they will behave. 
This lack
of knowledge is truly what sets us apart from those who train for the fighting
arts.
This "event" is what we focus on when we train. Uke may know one of a dozen martial arts styles, or boxing, or wrestling, or even street fighting. They may or may not have a weapon. They may or may not be mentally ill: sociopathic, psychotic or schizophrenic. As students of self-defense we train constantly, nearly a lifetime to prepare for this event.
We study a variety of martial arts styles in addition to traditional fighting methods such as boxing and wrestling, anatomy & physiology, weaponry, an abundance of strategies such as Intondudo-Jutsu (the art of deception), and the mental disciplines of philosophy, psychology, sociology, and theology. These areas of study are all required if we are to adequately prepare for and efficiently defend against an unknown aggressor.
The
individuals who train in the
fighting arts quite often know who their opponent will be. I believe
the
word "opponent" is very important here because in the ring, I think
it would be difficult to differentiate between who is Nage, and who is
Uke. Furthermore the ideas of winning for a student of self-defense
are much different: virtue, love, happiness, peace and self-preservation that drive
Nage's goals are different than the fighter. The fighter is out to
win the respect of his/her peers, a trophy or belt, a grand title granting them temporary success over their peers, a financial purse, adoration of the fans, etc. Perhaps the terms Nage and Uke only apply to self-defense
training.
Students of the fighting arts
often find themselves training alone in a mental sense. Students of self-defense come
together as brothers and sisters, selflessly helping each other to prepare for that
"event." 
A fighter's peers are often their opponents, and the
competition makes it difficult for them to bond in the same way students of
self-defense do. Students of self-defense are focused on defending
against Uke, not each other.
Students of the fighting arts have the opportunity to watch and study the opponent's bouts, training films, etc. in order to determine their styles, strategies, strengths, and weaknesses on a near-singluar level; a case-to-case basis. The egos of a fighter also seem to develop in a very different way.
Students of self-defense don't usually
have the same ego as a fighter because they are not performing. There are winners and losers; there mey be a perceived loss of a trophy, social status, or financial purse. A
self-defense practitioner does not consider themself a winner or a loser; the steaks may be much higher. They may lose their life, become crippled, or have to
endure the pain and suffering or death of a friend or loved one at Uke's hands.
There is also the threat of serious judicial punishment, and possibly a prison sentence if a self-defense practitioner is trained incorrectly and uses too much, or inappropriate force in their defense.
Fighters have the opportunity to claim "matte" and give up and walk away if they feel their life is in danger. Students of self-defense do not have that luxury when they are face-to-face with Uke. Matches also have rules and referee's to help ensure that the rules are followed. Uke follows no rules, no boundaries, and there is very rarely a cop around when you need one. Nage is left to face Uke on their own.
So, that being said, and if you agree, what is it that you want? Do you want to learn self-defense, or do you want to learn the fighting arts? I believe it would be extremely difficult to attempt both. Fighters rarely do well when they come up against a psychoticly violent Uke: they are not properly prepared. Challenge a fighter to win their bout with nothing but love, and then you will understand.
Onegaishimasu!
Troy Wussow
Aikijudo-Jitsu™
April 8, 2010