10/06/2026
Nakaima - "In the Middle of Now"...a lesson about life
The Japanese have many philosophical concepts and sayings that can be adapted to living life better. One of them that I have always held onto dearly is Nakaima (中今), which means "In the Middle of Now."
It is a lesson about how the past is gone, the future is unknown, and we should be mindful of and cherish this exact moment in life.
In my journey, I often meet people who are living in their past. They have regrets, or they have experienced great moments, that they simply cannot let go of. Memories are important, but they can't define our lives. In the negative aspects, they can often hold us back from achieving our full potential.
The same can be said about worrying about what the future will bring. Many people seem to be fearful of the future. They allow the fear of "what could happen" to keep them from being mindful of what is happening right now...at this very moment.
Within the martial arts context of this post, we are taught to be mindful of the moment at hand...the one we are dealing with right now. To ponder what could happen can lead to defeat because it develops anxiety, and anxiety creates openings that an attacker can exploit.
The goal is to be in the moment. To allow our body and mind to manifest proper timing, angling, distance and full reaction so we can successfully deal with the encounter.
When we embrace the concept of Nakaima, it builds a strong and immediate awareness of what is happening right now. Becoming mindful, appreciating the moment and pouring our spirit 100% into it removes the noise that comes from past mistakes and the anxiety that comes from worrying about what the future holds.
Living in the past leads to regret and the mental chasing of what we "could have" done. This becomes a barrier to what we are doing at this precise moment and negatively affects our path forward.
Worrying about the future leads to anxiety and causes us to discard what we should be doing in this precise moment in life. In doing so, we hold ourselves back from achieving what we want.
Nakaima gives us absolute focus, a grounded reality and pure action in the moment at hand. It gives us the clarity to appreciate what is happening, deal with the obstacles in front of us and move forward toward the victory we desire in life.
Many people allow their past to cloud their future. When you can develop a Nakaima mentality, you create your future by being completely present in the moment. You remove the stress of worrying about what might happen and stop allowing the past to hold you back from achieving great things.
When we put 100% of our spirit into the moment, the noise of the past disappears and the anxiety about tomorrow evaporates.
I was taught that many times I must simply pause, take a deep breath and let my mind become part of the exact moment I am living.
This has served me so well in so many aspects of my life that I felt the need to share it with you all. The past is gone. The future isn't here yet. All we truly have is Nakaima...the middle of now.
