I trained for over forty years. Forms, repetition, correction. The body accumulating skill.
Then something shifted. Not a better technique. A different ground.
What remains is listening.
Watch how you listen. Someone speaks—immediately you're agreeing, disagreeing, preparing what to say next. That's not listening.
There is another listening. Not through the ears alone. The whole body becomes receptive—the skin, the breath, the weight on the ground.
"Deep listening is the portal to that unconditioned space of being... This deep listening means being fully present without any resistance." Mukesh Gupta
When we listen this way, the sense of separation begins to dissolve. That silence, that stillness is listening—not me and you.
In aikido, learning begins with mental processing—how to move, where to stand, how to react. Through constant practice, this changes into direct knowing.
In iaijutsu too—even solo practice responds to an imagined attacker. You wait for the right moment and act without holding back. No hesitation, no rushing. The response arises from connection, not from thinking.
Whether in aikido through technique, in iaijutsu through kata, or in taijiquan through pushing hands—the forms differ, but underneath it's the same listening.
When thought dominates, my body is tense, defending. When listening happens from the whole being, the body softens. There is just contact. Presence meeting presence.
Tomita Shihan teaches that aikido should be as natural as walking. No special effort. Just the body moving as it knows how to move.
In Japanese tradition this is called mushin (無心)—no mind, thought doesn't interfere with direct action. And fudōshin (不動心)—response arising from stillness, not from preconceived technique.
This is what lies beyond technique.
Walking can bring us back. The contact with the ground, the movement of air, the play of light. When we're not rushing somewhere, the mental chatter quiets—not through force, but through simply being here.
Krishnamurti pointed to this: relationship is the mirror in which we see ourselves. Not just on the mat—in every encounter, every conversation, every moment of friction or ease. Daily life is the real dōjō. The place of awakening is daily living.
These terms—dōjō, mushin, fudōshin—have roots in Buddhist practice. The training hall was always a place for awakening, not just technique.
These questions aren't meant to be answered. They're meant to be lived with. They arise naturally—in conversation, on a walk, when you notice tension in your body.
The question itself creates space. It interrupts the automatic response.
Who is aware right now? What happens when there's no story about "me"? Can I listen without already knowing? What moves when I'm not controlling?
I'm 61. Still training several times a week. Still interested in what keeps the body working.
The same attention that matters on the mat matters here. If there's unnecessary tension, I'm overriding what's actually there.
The body has its own intelligence—its own capacity to heal and maintain balance. Worry and control often create more tension than they solve.
Can you sense what the body is telling you? Or are you running on ideas about what you "should" do? Many health issues are connected to how we live—our relationship with food, rest, movement, stress. Not as problems to fix, but as reality to be understood. When we see this clearly, intelligent action follows naturally.
This doesn't replace medical care. When something's wrong, see a doctor. Awareness complements medical care—it helps you respond to what's actually there, not to anxiety about what might be.
Joost De Wulf. Born 1965, living in Bruges. Married to Kim, daughter Marieken (26), son Andreas (11).
Training under Tomita Seiji Shihan since 1992. 5th dan aikido.
Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu iaijutsu under Benoit de Spoelberch (Getsurinkai 月輪会). 4th dan, 21st generation lineage.
Teaching in Brussels and Lembeke at Ban Sen Juku (万扇塾) & training at Rōgetsudō (朧月堂).
Taijiquan, Liu Wai-sang lineage, with Luc De Smet. Mindfulness training with Edel Maex.
Self-inquiry with Mukesh Gupta since 2012.
Tomita Shihan: maintain your natural balance while guiding your partner's. "If the core is moving correctly, the limbs can manifest the techniques easily."
The body learns in its own time—first through forms, then by dissolving them through play, finally by moving beyond them.
Each new teacher required unlearning what came before. The frustration of abandoning familiar patterns eventually opened something deeper.
Through teaching, I discovered that too much verbal instruction interferes with direct understanding.
With Mukesh, understanding came through dialogue and silence, not through accumulating teachings. Learning happens through letting go.
To all the teachers, students, friends who've been part of this—thank you.
To Kim, Marieken, and Andreas: without you, none of this would be possible. 🙏🏻
If something here speaks to you, reach out. For practice or just to talk.
joost@dojo.be
For written reflections: meditative.be
Aikido — Ban Sen Juku (万扇塾) under Tomita Seiji Shihan: bansenjuku.org
Iaijutsu — Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu under Benoit de Spoelberch (Getsurinkai 月輪会 / FB: MAJ)
Taijiquan — Liu Wai-sang lineage, with Luc De Smet: waisang.be
Mindfulness — Training with Edel Maex: levenindemaalstroom.be
Self-Inquiry — School for Self-Inquiry: schoolforselfinquiry.org