Train Hard or Train Smart?

Train hard or train smart? Which one is better for you? Many factors come into play in answering this question. How is your physical condition? What is your age? Any noticeable health problems to monitor? How is your skill level in Aikido? Most importantly, what is your goal?

When we have a basic skill set in place in Aikido we start to feel comfortable in "kicking it up a notch". In general, I myself wholeheartedly support this type of training, as long as some guidelines are in place.

Your body's condition is critical. Ask yourself "can my body take more rigorous training"? If you are in prime physical condition then the answer would be yes.

Your age is next. The older we get, the less we are able to perform and move like we did when we were young. So now you must ask yourself "what will I achieve by training in a vigorous manner"?

If you are aware of health problems you may have, such as back or knee pain, arthritis, asthma etc. you must take into consideration how these may inhibit your desire to train vigorously. Deliberately pushing yourself beyond your limits may cause serious injuries to your body. Your desire to improve your Aikido has now been set back weeks, months or perhaps even years. Is this worth it to you?

Let's look at your skill level in the art. Training like a "bull in a china shop" without the prerequisite skill level is not only a waste of time, but may hinder your goal of improvement, and most importantly, you run the risk of injuring your training partners. No one wants this.

Now we come to the crux of this matter. What is your goal? Training hard can (and frequently does) mean repeating your first day of Aikido over and over again without progressing. This is a true tragedy, and I have not only seen it many times, but I have been guilty of doing it myself. It's an easy trap to fall into. "If I train harder I will learn twice as fast." Really? If you are ill, does taking twice the medication heal you more quickly?

One of my senior Senseis, Shihan Darrell Bluhm noticed me doing this one day and took me aside to say the magic phrase "train smart not hard". Ego is a tricky devil to overcome, but eventually I towards my spiritual mirror if I may use that phrase, and took a good hard look. As time passed, I began to realize that to improve in Aikido meant to train "smart". To me this means taking each occasion to monitor yourself and your partner. Every time is different. Chiba Sensei often said that you must achieve the maximum result with the minimum effort. When you take his words seriously, your Aikido begins to come alive. It starts to "work" so to speak. Many are the times when I have watched older more frail looking Aikidoka exhaust younger and stronger partners by using technique rather than harder physical movement.

This is training "smart" To realize your goal of improving in Aikido, leave your ego at the dojo door. Keep your beginner's mind, and use the tools you are given by your Sensei. You will find the result gratifying in many ways.