Once upon a soft-shoed morning in the Practice Garden — a place of koi ponds, origami tents, and a floating stage made of mats — the family arrived for the big event:
The Aikido Demo.
Jack scanned the trails and training rings. “We’ve got a full crowd,” he said. “This is next-level energy. We’ll need all four.”
Lila leaned over the edge of the pond. “Hi, fishies,” she whispered. “You’re about to see something epic.”
The crowd gathered. Cookies were passed out. Sandwiches munched. Nervous kids adjusted their belts. Adults sipped tea and pretended they weren’t nervous too.
Then — SPLASH!
Everyone turned.
Lila had leaned juuuuust a little too far trying to wink at a koi.
Plop. Into the pond.
The water was cold. Her eyes wide. The koi stared back, confused.
Without missing a beat, their mom — Katie, the quiet Witness until now — dropped her tea, turned, and activated.
Driver Energy: Engaged.
“MOVE!” she called. One foot on the rock, one hand extended, one steady breath — she pulled Lila back to land, like a true Aikido lifeguard.
Lila stood up, soaked but smiling. “I’m fine,” she said. “I think I needed that.”
Jack handed her a towel. “You just got pattern-shifted by a fish.”
“Exactly,” she said. “Time to shift back.”
She bowed onto the mat — sopping wet, but committed.
Organizer Energy helped reset the rhythm. Collaborator Energy kept her laughing with Jack as they prepped. Visionary Energy reminded her, This will be a story one day.
And when it was her turn…
Lila stepped forward, locked eyes with the adult sensei, and threw with perfect timing. Smooth. Sharp. Synced.
No hesitation. Just harmony. Just mu. Just meu.
She walked off the mat, drying her hands on her gi, and looked up at her mom.
“Mom,” she said, still catching her breath, “my Sigma Energy regroup just earned me a koi fish, right?”
Her mom smiled. “Two koi. And a cookie.”
—
Moral of the Fable
You can fall in. You can feel shaky. But with all four energies — and a towel — you can regroup, reset, and throw with style.
⛩️🌿
