This week, I have spent most of my time writing/rewriting the draft of my overdue book and dealing with rather complicated and delicate issues. Towards the end of the week, I was physically and mentally exhausted. I did not know what to do, as I also felt I was under time pressure and sometimes felt easily irritable.
Then I recalled the way to get out of this frustration. I went to Aikido class sometimes twice a week until the end of May. It required total concentration to learn the movement of Aikido because if you do not, you can easily get hurt or hurt somebody. It also serves as outlet for your energy to throw somebody and get thrown.
I hit golf balls almost every day while in British Columbia, as I had a pass. Hitting golf balls is a great way to release your tension as well. As I realized the need to hit something or throw somebody, I decided to go to the Aikido trial class (my regular Aikido class does not start until next week).
So I went for the trial Aikido class (1.5 hour session). I could not follow some of the instructions as each school has a unique way of teaching and doing things. I could not move naturally, as I have not practiced for three months. In the latter half, however, my body started reacting naturally and I ended up throwing and getting thrown.
After the 1.5 hour class, I was sore and sweating. But I felt much better as I felt that I had an outlet for my frustration. Sometimes it seems you need to do some physically aggressive act.
Yoko Ishikura is a Professor at Hitotsubashi University ICS in the Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy in Japan. She has held positions as a professor at the School of International Politics, Economics and Business of Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, as a consultant at McKinsey and Company Inc. Japan and a visiting professor at Darden School.
Professor Ishikura is a consultant to a number of multinational companies and has been a frequent speaker at management conferences, seminars, and workshops throughout the world. She was a member of the Regulatory Reform Committee for the Japanese government and the International Competitiveness Commission for METI. She is currently a Forum Fellow of the World Economic Forum.
She is the author of Strategic Shift from OR choices to AND paradigm, Building Core Skills of Organization , and the co-author of the following publications: Managing Diversity in the 21st Century, Strategy for Cluster Initiatives in Japan , and Building a Career to the World Class Professionals – all in Japanese. Her books in English include: Asian Advantage, Hitotsubashi on Knowledge Management and Trust and Antitrust in Asian Business Alliances.
Professor Ishikura’s current research interests are focused on global competition, innovation, and knowledge management. She received her BA from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan; MBA from Darden School, University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia; and DBA from Harvard Business School.
