Traveler  Wanderer  Shaman
Hermit

In the late eighties and early nineties Joseph Campbell explained to us how myth and story making has always followed certain themes with archetypal characters.
 

As an instructor of Aikido for over forty years I have noticed that students go through predictable cycles of learning. Often as a result of their desire to move forward in their understanding of Aikido students experience both discouragement and exhilaration in the process.

​

The Buddhist teaching show us how both positive and negative attachments lead to  suffering. This is true for aikido learning as well. When we aspire to grown we often find arrogance, our discouragement in our progress is the other side of  this dualistic dilemma.

​

These processes result in a growth trajectory that is not steady. There are often years of plateau where students can, and often do give up.

​

By identify these stages as archetypes it can assist the student in development of different levels of skills and understandings.