I am sure that everyone understands the meaning of danger. It is often said to be cautious when you are driving, crossing a street and when you are cooking to be careful not to burn yourself or burn down the house. Those are the most common dangers that we are facing daily in our comfortable lives, but this is only one world and one reality. I cannot say and I should not say that my reality is common, that would be a mistake. We are eight billion people on earth so for each set of eyes there is another reality. Our brain might look the same, however the way that we are perceiving the world is different and that affects our judgement and our comprehension.
Is Danger associated with our environment?
I would like to say that danger is associated with our environment. Living in an area where there are a lot of crimes puts someone more at risk.
Someone who lives in the street will be subjected to different sets of risks. I will always remember this story when I was a student in the city of Marseille, France. Another student came to my room very agitated because he saw a homeless person without shoes and a blanket, so he asked me for a blanket to help this person. The actual best answer was to call the Police so we could find a shelter for this man. Hypothermia is the number one cause of death in the homeless population. This is a danger that they are facing every day. They are also more at risk of theft and aggression than people who are living in a home.
People who are living in a home are also facing some challenges. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been an increase in domestic violence cases so homes as well could be scary places. A husband or a wife is hurting the family every day and as we read on the news some of those events are life-threatening. Sometimes, the victims are too afraid to call the police because they are afraid of retaliation.
Psychological and physical preparation is necessary to face danger.
Learning Aikido, in a safe environment, can help an individual mature and receive the minimum psychological preparation to face some forms of danger and to cope with it.
The principles and the training of Aikido can help the student to better understand danger and to be more aware. Awareness means making the right decision when the time comes. During the training, sometimes the student freezes and it doesn't know what to do but overtime it develops the right skills to improve its response to the attack.
Aikido will help the student to have the self-confidence to do the following:
Sometimes just walking away is the best response!
Improving the lifestyle can help to avoid those troubled places!
Listen to your gut, "this person is not good!" Walk away!
Don't try to be a nice person if you are not comfortable. You can still be polite and walk away!
Don't let strangers in your environment, get to know them first and please, take
your time!
Everyone has a smartphone, so call 911 if you see someone in danger!
Our goal, in Aikido, is to make our body and mind stronger so we can make the right decision. Fighting is not always the right choice but we need to be ready as well if it is the only option.