There is no evidence to support the fact that Forrest Gump was an Aikido master. But damn if it doesn’t feel so right.

Last week felt rather intense so I thought we might lighten it up a little.

When I was ten I had it in my mind that I was going to be a great karate master. Within the first decade of my life, I had already risen to the sacred rank of camo belt in Taekwondo. Oh, it’s real. And yes, I can hear you fervently googling.

But seriously, I wanted to be a ninja when I grew up. No. Not just any ninja, a ninja spy. Right. A ninja spy in space. A Space Ninja Spy. I know what you’re thinking. What does a space ninja spy do? Well, that's simple, they fight secret moon Nazis, obviously.

Oh, I had it all mapped out. Master Taekwondo by eighteen. First person to land on Mars (pick up a cool PhD in astrophysics along the way) by twenty-five-ish. Then just wait for the CIA to recruit me for the secret moon war. Boom, Space Ninja Spy. Yeah, I was ten.

None of that happened, clearly. Here’s what did happen. I dropped out of ATA Karate. Never made it to black belt. I don’t remember why. Life went on, then I found some random summer job working in a used book store. I was fifteen or sixteen then. And one day this tattered old book about Aikido jumped out at me. I fell in love with the teachings of this strange artifact. I found a nearby dojo (some random karate place) and signed up for lessons.

When the student is ready the master will appear. Or in my case, yahoo will help you find a nearby dojo for “big kids” and you can pay for a “master” to teach you stuff you found in an old book. Doesn’t have the same ring to it, but still. No moon Nazis, sadly. But I did get to spare with a cop. More on that later.

Aikido: The Way of Water

The direct translation of Aikido is; the way of harmonious energy. Some versions (the book I found) refer to the art as; the way of water. The core tenets of Aikido are about self-defense, but not badass Karate Kid self-defense. It’s about finding harmonious energy between yourself and those around you. And if those around you mean you harm, it’s about defending yourself without doing them harm.

Aikido teaches self-control and then self-defense. It teaches mastery of the self before anything else. The founder of Aikido Master Morihei Ueshiba, describes the art as follows, “the practice of Aikido is to overcome one’s self instead of cultivating violence or aggressiveness.” To overcome one’s self. It is a spiritual practice, not exactly a religion, but more of a discipline. Similar in some ways to the Dao. It is water.

Aikido flows with the energy around you. It mixes with everything. Okay - this is getting a little too Star Warsie. It’s not the force and there are no space samurie wizards. But you do learn to redirect your opponent. I’ve watched a one-hundred-pound elderly woman toss a grown Marine across the room without breaking a sweat or a bone.

For me, it was about surrendering. Letting go. Feeling the river flow around you. Lossing yourself and blending with everything else. A river demands nothing. Water waits for nothing. It flows, always, without bias or demand for control. There is no self. There is no self to control. Once we surrender we blend harmoniously with all around us.

Sadly, high school had its own demands for me, I never made it far in Aikido. No seventh-degree black belt. No secret space ninja mission. I do miss it at times. Maybe I will take it back up again. I like to think my time studying Aikido is why I fell in love with philosophy at Texas A&M. I like to think my short time there had a lasting impact on my life.

Forrest Gump: Aikido Master

“She tastes like cigarettes.” Of all the wonderful lines in Forrest Gump that one gets me the most. Best actor (beating out Morgan Freeman for Shawshank Redemption), best picture, best writing, best directing, oh, and best visual effects - how exactly? Oh right, the ping-pong scene (side note: Maggie does not allow for table-tennies. It must be referred to as ping-pong). But why? Why is this such a great movie worthy of such great acclaim?

Sweeping the awards, beating out Shawshank for everything, Forrest Gump is logged as one of the great movies in cinema history. Awards and opinions aside the movie offers some wonderful insight into the purpose of life. Assuming you’ve seen the flick I will spare you the poorly regurgitated synopsis.

The movie drills down to this - here is a man who just doesn't fit in anywhere (other than when he’s in the Army). He struggles with relationships, with jobs, with purpose, and with love. Only he doesn’t. He doesn’t really struggle. Don’t get me wrong, he feels pain, and hardship like we all do. But for Forrest, he is blessed with this gift. This gift that allows him to float through life.

He endures all things presented to him. He endures heartache - “I might not be a smart man, but I know what love is.” He endures war - “Sometimes when people go to Vietnam, they go home to their mommas without any legs.” And he endures incredible loss, losing both his mother and lifelong love to disease. And yet, through it all he seeks out deep purpose:

So here is this guy. Always calm. Always steady. This guy that flows with life. He never tries to control, he runs when he is told, runs across the country because he feels compelled. Loves without reward, hopes without comfort, and finds purpose, not in wealth or success, but in his own son and his advent into fatherhood.

Here is a man who has surrendered to the great river of life. Here is a man who has mastered the art of Aikido. He has learned to blend with the energy around him. He has formed mastery over himself and has let go of the world around him. He floats through life filled with purpose. Beautiful. Perfectly obedient to the silent drum that beats with an unknown passion in the deep. He surrendered to the rhythm of the river. His purpose driven yet balanced.

Forrest Gump is an Aikido master of the highest order.

Surrender

His name was John. Yea, no surprise. He had a real cop name with a real cop face. The kind of face you would just look at and think - Yeah, that's a cop. He was a blue belt. Aikido doesn’t really have a belt structure, it’s mostly just white and black. Some dojos will issue belts for Kyu rank and 2nd Kyu is the blue belt rank. John was a cop so why not have a blue belt?

Seven rounds we spared. Seven times. The first six John beat the ever-living hell out of me. At some point, it felt like a joke. John would disrupt any advance I had and would counter any defense I took. Over and over again I would find myself, back to the mat. Defeated. I kept trying to fight John. To prove my worth. Stand my ground.

After six rounds of picking myself back up a thought had wandered into my mind. Surrender. I tried this crazy idea, I tried not winning the fight, I gave up, I surrendered to the energy around me. John approached. I deflected. John attacked. I defended. John moved in, clearly wanting to put me in an Aikido lock (extremely painful). I reversed his attack and pulled his body over mine launching him six feet across the room.

What just happened?! That was the first thought through my mind. The second, of course, crackers…. I readied myself for what, I was assuming, would be his assault. But rather, John stood up, walked over to me, and shook my hand. “Now you’re getting it.” He said. “Now, you are learning to let go.”

I never did make it to the Space Ninja Spy Academy but I did learn to let go a little and give in to the current. There is no control. Mastering the self is letting go of the self. Letting my worries and frustrations float away accidental-like on a cool breeze.

What are you trying to control?

I hope you have enjoyed these thoughts for your self-examination. See you next week.

-CT

PS. Check out the podcast if you like to listen.

Unrelated Stuff and Things

Below you will find groups, projects, organizations, programs, and cabins I am passionate about and involved in. I hope it doesn’t come off as shameless self-promotion. All the same, they are important to me so I thought I would share. Feel free to skip them if you like.

Feeling Generous?

Counseling for the Future Foundation and Grant Halliburton Foundation are two amazing non-profits doing some great work in the field of Mental Health. You can help make a difference by giving your time, empathy, and financial support. Learn more by clicking the logos below.

A few things related to mental health:

Check out our latest mental health post on the TCG blog, and learn more about the Empifany app, the Titus Check-In System, and our newly developed Independently Strong course.

The Independently Strong course is designed specifically for spouses or partners who have experienced trauma or abuse within relationships with individuals struggling with substance use disorder. Covering topics such as trauma bonds, identifying characteristics of healthy relationships, understanding the impacts of unhealthy dynamics, boosting self-esteem to align decisions with personal values, establishing boundaries, engaging in self-awareness exercises, and delving into various other crucial aspects, this comprehensive program offers essential guidance and support for healing and empowerment. Learn more about the course here.

Need a Break?

We love going to Broken Bow. It has been a special place for me for a long time and it has been a dream to share this beautiful place with my kids. If you are interested in treating yourself to some relaxing away time up in the pines of Broken Bow feel free to book one of our cabins. There is no greater retreat than the woods.

Okay! That’s all I got. Feel free to send me an email. Anything I can do for you?