Aikido and I

I have a confession: I do Aikido.

Up until recently, I never fully realized the contradiction inherent in that statement; or maybe it is that I never fully realized the ramifications of correcting said contradiction. While the solution seems obvious to me now, it is no less daunting. If anything, it is even more so:

There can be no "I" in Aikido.

Now those aforementioned ramifications start to fall into place:

1) The name of the art is much less euphonic.
2) Within an altercation, not only can Tori not do or try to do any certain technique, but Tori ceases to exist as anything outside of the system of motion.
3) Uke ceases to exist as anything outside of the system of motion.

There is no Good Guy or Bad Guy; there is no intent; there is no defeat.

There is only motion, only Aikido.

H. Long