Abstract:
This brief delves into the philosophical underpinnings and socio-cultural significance of the concept of Gendo Shihan within the traditional Japanese martial art of Aikido, emphasizing the role of humility in achieving mastery. By examining the intersection of technical skill, ethical conduct, and philosophical depth, the paper explores how Aikido transcends mere physical discipline to embody a comprehensive life philosophy that integrates the cosmic, material, and biological worlds. Drawing on interdisciplinary insights from cognitive science, sociology, and martial arts studies, the research highlights how Aikido masters, or Gendo Shihans, organize knowledge around core principles rather than stereotypes, challenging societal norms and fostering a culture of continuous learning and ethical excellence. Through this lens, the paper contributes to a broader understanding of the ways in which martial arts practice can influence individual and collective development, offering insights into the cultivation of leadership, innovation, and community-oriented values in a global context.
Publication Title:
The Ethos of Mastery in Aikido: A Philosophical Exploration of Gendo Shihan and the Embodiment of Humility
Notes:
Title, image, and publication title provided by OpenAI ChatGPT-4 based on methodologies of Roy A.E. Hodges. All content otherwise written by Roy Æ Hodges. Updates on 2/3 for footnotes.
Many aikidoka across many dojos, soto-deshi, and uchi-deshi had and continue to contribute to the planning, funding, building, maintenance, and operation of Aikido Schools of Ueshiba’s inheritance of Mitsugi Saotome and Patty Saotome Senseis’ property. As Sensei has often said, this place was built by the entire community. “How many people building Aiki shrines?” Just one?
Not just one in Japan, Aikido Schools of Ueshiba built one. This is part of a mission. Not just Saotome Sensei, not just high ranks—many people contribute. In aikido, we recognize the community, such is the benefit of collectivist cultural exposure. However in an individualist culture, “we” attributes successes of organization, social groups, and associations to singular individual. Beware the Superstar CEO (Malmendier & Tate, 2009; Rosen, 1981) exacerbating inequities. If there is “no future” for a teacher or master, because of this superstar Fleckian thought style, then it is only the result of an abandonment of democratic unity and its resulting union.
It is best to recognize the group’s efforts first and foremost, to lift each up, and to give them assistance in achieving their dreams. Aikido helps with this because it moves from natural ethics emergent in bringing together the cosmic, material, and biological worlds. A Shihan is a master instructor, a teacher of teachers, an expert of expertise.
Expertise organizes explicit and implicit memories by principles rather than by characteristics (i.e., stereotypes; Chi et al., 1981; Chi et al., 1982; Schwartz, 1979; Reitman, 1976). This may challenge, chafe, and run head on against earlier organizing behaviors. Furthermore, expertise develops an intimacy with problems rather than immediate solutions (Lesgold, 1988), as such, mastery is not bored with immediate solutions of a well publicized status quo. Youth and lack of “time in grade” is associated with more revolutionary discovery (Kuhn, 1970; Simonton, 1984), though it is arguable that youth and experience are confounds to what is truly happening in temporally distributed over-specialization in neural network training recruiting neurons leaving less ability to employ analogues. Thus a master organizes experience by principle which challenges organization by characteristic, presents a youthful neurology, and may lack traditional measures of “time in grade”.
The methods of a master may seem odd, eccentric, aloof, disorganized etc., yet there is only a difference in memory organization.1 A master will recognize a master, because the master organizes by principle, not by characteristics emergent in mastery’s applications crosscutting social simplifications of expediency in stereotypes, prejudices, and discriminations justified and excused due to adaptations to social strains (Skyes & Matza, 1957; Scott & Lyman, 1968; Merton, 1938).
This is the hallmark of not only a Shihan, but a Gendo Shihan (”a master who mingles amongst the commoners“), and there are many. You yourself may already be well on the way, and it is exactly empty of intrinsic nature, such is humility.
Good luck!
牙王
Notes
1 The transition from organization of memories from characteristic to principle can be seen in the concept of shu-ha-ri (守破離), which at its literal translation is a sequence. First it starts with guarding the roof with the hand (i.e., protect [tradition]), then a stone beneath a cliff where the hand removes fur from a pelt (i.e., break [from tradition]), and finally a comprehension of intents, meanings, and anticipations (i.e., separation). Seeing the interchangeability of indicators in shu-ha-ri, principally, through analogue, the transition from traditional organization of experiences (known and remembered) through the continued practice of reconsolidation of memory allows for a transition to organization of memory by principles. The “fur” of tradition‘s characteristic organization (i.e., organization by stereotype) gives way to principled organization (i.e., organization by insight), which then results in greater comprehension. This then crosscuts social strains, resulting in strain adaptations, creating new beliefs developed in shared effervescence (Durkheim, 1912/1995), new ideologies in aggregated production/labor (Marx & Engels, 1932/1965), and new thought collectives/styles (Fleck, 1935/1979) of the topology of beings in that time, starting the process anew, as limited by social control (conscious, or unconscious) of popularity amidst a plurality of shu-ha-ri processes in various situations and across life courses.
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