Why We Volunteer

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Another Kokikai Aikido Winter Camp is over, and afterward I had the inevitable day of rest and a little sadness.
Announcements, Kokikai Aikido Winter Camp 2016


It's quite complex to put together an event like this, and a lot of people worked in beautiful harmony behind the scenes so that Sensei could focus on teaching over 280 participants. As I think about all that effort, there are a few things that come to mind that make it so worth it:


  1. Sensei.
    Sensei is amazing. He shows us the incredible potential power that human beings have. And then he teaches us how to do it! 
  2. The Kokikai Community. Kokikai is a bunch of really amazing people, and as a volunteer, anything we can do to bring them all together in one place, and then practice together, is worthwhile, not just for the volunteers, but for everyone in Kokikai. 
  3. It Feels Good.
    Teachers I know - of various disciplines - have commented that their students are less and less willing to "help out" when asked. I'm sure there are a lot of reasons - life is so complex. But I sense that students tend to see their instructors, including martial arts instructors, as "service providers" and consider themselves to be "customers." Once they've paid for their "service," their obligation is over. Yet, when everyone works together for a common goal, it leaves us with a lasting good feeling that we don't get when we just purchase a service.

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