Hi esn.
I have done aikido. There exist tournaments and festivals of aikido both in and outide of Japan. I'm unsure where you looked into this, but I'd encourage you to research in different places.
To comment on your original question, I do see growth as a possibility for many different facets and levels of our individual lives. Just as there exist different levels of maturity and emotional intelligence, opportunities exist for growth in every area of your life that you can think of and even for those areas you haven't even discovered yet. The more you learn about yourself, the more you will learn about yoru relationships and other life choices. If you choose, joy and other benefits can be experienced all along the path of self-discovery!
