Learning has no end (part 1)
March 2025At the end of last year, two students, both aged 66, started classes at roughly the same time. One had previous Aikido experience, so did not have much difficulty adjusting. The other student was overcoming an illness and moving itself was not so easy. Despite this, though his class was only once a week, he made sure to practice everyday. Now, he is unrecognizable in his agility and physical understanding compared to when he first started.
While physical recovery (regeneration) and becoming healthier in general is not the main goal, it is a definite side effect, regardless of age, when we practice Hapkiyusul. Stiff becomes flexible, delicate and shaky turns into strength and stability. Through this practice, our skin and bone density gets higher and our joints and ligaments become stronger and more resilient.
It’s not just the physical aspect, however. Personalities can change. A timid one can find courage and confidence and a forceful one can become gentler.
Learning has no end (part 2)
April 2025“As our circle of knowledge expands, so does the circumference of darkness surrounding it.” - Albert Einstein-
There are those who continue the journey of learning even in their 60’s, like my last post. There are also many who decide to stop learning. Or they will learn a bit and delude themselves into thinking they have already realized greatness. My master Kim Yunsang Dojunim believed that if anyone said they had already mastered Hapkiyusul, then they actually knew nothing at all. Even after 50 years of training, Dojunim always learned something new each and every day.
Me too. Everyday it’s the same practice repeated over and over again. Yet, when I train and contemplate, new ways of moving and thinking open up to me. The more I train, the more I discover.
Is there an end to learning? I guess each individual decides when that end is. But since we have the privilege of being human, shouldn’t we strive to the end of our lives to gain deeper wisdom?