Whenever I’ve written a “deep” article in the past, I’ve noticed that few people are interested. I hope you read this one. I’ve been a little burned out on blogging and have been taking a little break. I feel better now:)

When it comes to the subjects of religion and philosophy, I rarely share my views because people take it so personally. I feel like religion tends to segregate people instead of bringing them together in many cases, especially in America. Martin Luther King said the most segregated time in America in on Sunday morning; he was absolutely correct. I was raised to be a catholic. At age 13, I scrutinized and questioned the beliefs I was taught and decided that I wasn’t a Christian. There seemed to be too many different versions of Christianity, all with differing viewpoints. Every group thinks they are right.

Most of my spiritual and philosophical beliefs come from martial arts, many from the teachings of Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba. I’ve studied virtually every philosophy, but none are as deep and truly applicable in modern times as his. Aikido is a martial art unlike any other in it’s level of depth and philosophical beauty. In my opinion, Ueshiba was one of the greatest martial arts master who ever lived. It wasn’t because he could defeat dozens of armed attackers with the utmost of ease, it was the meaning and harmonious nature of what he taught. It is based on the peaceful resolution of conflict, which is apparently impossible to understand by the inept and ignorant leaders who run this world. Aikido should be taught to every child, the world would be a better place.

Here’s a breakdown of what Aikido (way of harmonious spirit) means:

ai – joining, harmonizing

ki – spirit, life energy

do – way, path

The point is, there is always a way to achieve peaceful resolution in all conflict – in everything from terrorism to inner city gangs. Of course, when you have moronic idiots in charge of countries (like George W. Bush), it seems like an impossibility. Morihei Ueshiba, possibly the most prolific and powerful warrior who ever lived (besides Miyamoto Musashi), thought that harmony was the answer to every problem. His teachings have had the most profound influence on my personal philosophy.

The hurricane of miracles blows perpetually. Day and night the phenomenon surges around us on all sides, and (not least marvelous) all without disturbing the majestic tranquility of the creation. This tumult is harmony.

-Victor Hugo

It is easy to drop bombs on people, shoot them, not negotiate and have this staunch position of unyielding resolve. What is the difference between dropping a nuclear bomb on a country and fighting them slowly in a long drawn out campaign such as the war in Iraq? Not much. When you think about the casualties on all sides in the current war, people are dying slowly rather than all at once such as by nuclear bomb; however, the public is more accepting of a slow war. It seems too harsh to just blow a country off the map in one strike. Instead, they do it slowly killing even more people, but it’s easier to swallow. Either way, it is an act of cowardice and stupidity.

In gang or prison violence, there’s this emphasis on “respect”. You’ve seen it in action. Some guy says, “You disrespected me fool,” and stabs someone 147 times – blood splattering – body parts lying about. That is the act of an ignorant fool; the same type of ignorant fools who run the military and modern politics. Yes, our current president has an uneducated, gangster mentality. Life is not a football game or a wrestling match…haha.

This is exactly why wrestling (the fake wrestling like Hulk Hogan performs) is such a popular form of entertainment in America. People love to get behind some loud mouth idiot who beats people up. These are the types of people who vote in America (sorry if that offends some of you). Sure, the times we tried diplomacy in the past came with tremendous problems, but we immediately reverted back to the old war mentality. We haven’t given diplomacy a fair chance. We need an inspiring and peaceful leader with a calm demeanor, not an abrasive person who will cause more problems than ever. I don’t want another president pissing off the world because of his religious ideology.

Many American Christians despise and are fearful of atheists, but I would argue that there is much to learn from the atheistic viewpoint. I believe that atheists are more open minded than religious people in many respects. When a person learns something, they usually have to really study it before they believe it. The opposite is true of religion; you believe it first and study it later. Most religious people are religious either because their parents taught them or they just decided to be religious later in life after coming in contact with a religious group. I respect your religious views but do not judge me for having different beliefs.

I am not religious, nor an atheist. I believe there is a higher power of some sort, but I have a much different concept of what God is than is taught in tradition. I see god as the energy of life or spirit of the universe. I don’t know what God is, but I do know what I’ve experienced. When you hop on the mat with an Aikido master and are thrown ten feet, you feel the power of God. That harnessed energy (ki, chi or prana), doesn’t come from that person, it comes from the power of the universe or God. It is in us and all around us. After practicing Yoga and martial arts all my life, I am certain that there is something – an unfathomable power we all possess. This is far beyond the scope of this article but wanted to share some of my views.

What separates many eastern religions from western is the cultivation of ki or qi (vital energy or life force) which is developed through yoga and breathing exercises. Contrary to popular belief, yoga is religion. It is part of Hinduism. If you practice yoga or the law of attraction, you are practicing aspects of Hinduism. Basically, it is exercise for your spirit or soul. I do not believe that God lives in the clouds or in the kingdom of heaven. I do not believe bad people burn in hell for all of eternity after they die – that is superstition in my opinion.

I am more agnostic than anything. You can believe whatever you want, but I just don’t know the ultimate truth – neither do you (even if you believe you do). I recently got in an argument in the middle of an Aikido class. This Christian guy refused to practice ki breathing techniques because ki is not mentioned in the bible. He told me that ki was the devil’s working…hahaha! I told him that ki is as real and natural as anything you can touch, see or smell. He literally plugged his ears and loudly hummed so he could not hear (unbelievably, he is a 36 year old doctor). We had to remove him from the class for disrupting us. He allowed his religious beliefs to prevent him from learning the most important aspects of martial arts training. I couldn’t believe how close-minded and childish he was.

I recommend all world leaders (and you) to read a fantastic book:

It is “Aikido In Everyday Life – Giving in to get your way”. This book explains how to achieve the peaceful resolution of conflict in every situation – the art of intelligence. I challenge you to read it. It is possible to win by losing or giving in, something above the heads of most western thought. By pulling out of the Iraq war does not declare that we lost – which is the dumbed down thinking of many people. Is requiring a leader to have intelligence too much to ask? This is one reason I may vote for Obama, he exemplifies this idea and the world has yet to implement such wisdom. When I hear someone brag about how tough they are, I am unimpressed (which is how Hillary defines herself). Yes, I think of Obama as being on a higher level of intellect than all the other current candidates. He is not perfect, but might be the best of the available choices (though I’m still undecided). I could care less what religion a president practices. I wish people weren’t so close-minded. I live in a country where an atheist will never be elected, which is ridiculous – something to think about.

He who will not apply new remedies must expect old evils

-Francis Bacon

My martial arts background: The first art I ever learned was Moo Duk Kwan (which means school of martial virtue, an old school variation of modern Tae Kwon Do, the Korean martial art many people are familiar with). Luckily for me, I had a fantastic teacher, Dr. Donald Green. He taught me that compassion was much more important than hurting people. He was very philosophical, and amazingly so considering his incredible and smart fighting style. I spent nine years studying Hapkido (a Korean art of joint locks, throwing and striking), and have been involved in boxing, freestyle jujitsu and Aikido ever since. I have learned to not get mad and to treat others with kindness and love through martial arts. Whatever path you choose in life, may it be one of peace and love:)

Tags: aikido, barack obama, martial arts, politics, religion