Training the mind with martial arts

MANY people come to martial arts because of the self-defence and fitness benefits. I came to martial arts to strengthen my mind.

I started Aikido at the same time that I became a partner in a consulting firm, overnight becoming responsible for a whole consulting team in the United Kingdom and Singapore. This was certainly exciting but also created a cocktail of anxiety, stress, and long working hours. I felt a need to do something which would help me to cope, but that also offered physical fitness benefits. Hence, at the age of 40, I ended up joining an Aikido club.

To say that the beginning was hard is an understatement. I needed to improve both my fitness to sustain fast-paced training sessions as well as to overcome fear from falling, rolling, and being punched. After training, I would return home exhausted, sometimes bruised, but with a smile on my face. My instructor (sensei) and training partners (sempai) kept telling me that perfection comes with repetition, and those who progress are incidentally those people who do not quit. After a while, my confidence grew with every training session.

Running a fintech start-up requires a lot of time, but I still try to find time to train 3 to 4 times a week. Fortunately, Singapore has excellent martial arts clubs and experienced instructor.

Aikido training usually takes up to 1.5 hours with a warm-up in the beginning, then rolling, followed by practising techniques in pairs with progressively increasing difficulty. Eventually, repetition of the techniques during training leads to building automatic reflexes safely stored in the sub-consciousness and retrieved when needed.

I also practice Systema, which is a modern martial art with a unique training methodology. Systema practitioners rely on instinctive reactions of the body instead of learning techniques. The training consists of proper application of breathing, tension, and relaxation seamlessly transformed into takedowns, strikes, or redirection of the attack. Systema is a great way to keep lean and fit as it comprises a lot of conditioning training through push-ups, sit-ups, leg raises, and squats.

The effects of training have far exceeded my expectations. On the physical level, I learnt how to remain relaxed both when performing routine work tasks as well as in stressful or tense situations. After all, our body experiences stress in the same way whether we are in an important client meeting or facing a fierce opponent on the mat. At least now I know that meetings and emails do not hurt or fight back.

Also, the mental skills required to learn a martial art are highly transferable to exploring new business opportunities, entrepreneurship, and coping with crises. My first Aikido dojo's name is Shoshin, which means beginner's mind in Japanese. The club's philosophy is to look on what is thought in a curious way without assumptions or expectations. This humble philosophy flows nicely into business and daily life. Problems become clear when you look at things in life and business with the eyes of a child who knows nothing and assumes nothing. As one of our sayings goes, the beginner's mind has infinite possibilities.

The writer, 44, is co-founder of Kilde.