Aikido and Baseball
Sadaharu Oh has hit more home runs than any baseball player…ever. The reason most most Americans don’t know his name is because he played in Japan. This does not, however, diminish his achievement.
Sadaharu Oh started playing professionally at the age of 18. His his first three years were a disaster. He had no power and a terrible batting average. He struck out a lot. He was so bad that in the evenings, he drowned his sorrows at the local bars. The team’s managers thought long and hard about releasing him but choose to bear with it. Slowly, Sadaharu Oh improved.
He hired a batting coach who ended up his partying ways. He began training religiously but the results he hoped for did not come. Because he had a hitch in his swing making him slow to react to fastballs, pitchers took advantage of him. Then he changed his stance, the way he moved his feet. Still nothing worked. His coach was so frustrated by Sadaharu’s lack of progress that, out of desperation, he took him to an Aikido dojo to get some words of wisdom from the founder himself. The batting coach knew that his charge had tremendous potential but the coach did not know how to unlock it Having seen the power that Aikido practitioners possessed, he wanted to tap into some of that magic for his player..
Morihei Ueshiba was the founder of Aikido. Aikido is synthesis of ju-jistu, wresting, judo, and sword training combined. Ueshiba synthesized the best of each of those disciplines and came up with a whole new way of training. His main takeaway was that all of those disparate arts focused too much on conflict. Ueshiba saw a better way to use an opponent’s energy to one’s advantage. Aikido is about redirecting and harmonizing with your opponent’s force to be used against him. Most of the movements are circular.
If you’ve ever seen a professional shot putter throw a the put, you’ve watched the thrower spin around in ever tighter circles generating so much force that his whole body then launches the steel ball thrown into the air. All of the moves in Aikido are built around the same principal of drawing in the power into a tight circle and then redirecting the energy.
The key is harmonizing the energy of the attacker with your own.
Ueshiba had Sadarahu change his focus from defending against the pitch to, instead, harmonizing with the pitcher’s force such that when the bat struck the ball, the ball would naturally fly off the bat.
Sadarahu started training with swords which helped him strengthen his forearms and simplified his stroke while removing the hitch from his swing. He completely changed his batting style using the principals of Aikido. His stance was so unusual that instead of starting off with both legs planted on the ground as he faced the pitcher, he placed all of his weight on one leg. When the pitch came in, he would thrust his front leg forward to get the power that he needed and cut down on the ball like a master swordsman.
What I loved about that story was that Sadarahu of was so broken that by the time he came to Aikido he was willing to do anything to solve his issues. In Aikido, he learned about using his energy properly. The founder of Aikido knew nothing about baseball; but, he knew motion and knew how to generate power directly from one’s body.
Once Sadarahu fixed his swing he became one of the most extraordinary hitters ever to play baseball. His batting numbers are on par with hitters such as Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds.
Baseball, at its core, is a team sport. But, its filled with individual battles: pitcher vs. batter. Batting averages and earned run averages provide insight into how well players are faring in their individual battles. Yet, Sadarahu Oh became a great hitter once he harmonized his energy with the pitcher’s so that he could hit the ball more frequently and with greater force. His adversary became his source of energy.
I am an Aikido practitioner. Although I train much less frequently than I used to, I still use the principals of Aikido every day. I find the principals to be highly useful in business. Instead of looking at business as a battlefield like many business owners do, I look at ways I can help clients and competitors alike.
Recently, I had a client who was unhappy with the work I did for her. She constantly complained about the lack of progress with her website. So, instead of fighting her for the money that I was owed, I told her she did not have to pay me. I told her I would rather part friends than have battle with her. As soon as I did, all tension melted away between us. She actually paid me double for the work I had done. Then, she shared with me that many providers had tried to rip her off over the years. Once I stopped fighting her she felt she could trust me! Even better, after a bit more time the results for her site came just as I had assured her they would.
Sometimes the lessons we are taught as kids and incorporate as adults are the wrong lessons. Too often the tactics we use in dealing with our problems are outdated or, worse, counterproductive. Aikido and its principals of non-confrontation and proper focus serve me daily in all aspects of my life. The real payoff is that I am happier as a result of a little more self-awareness and, of course, harmony.
Steve