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Go Back   AikiWeb Aikido Forums > AikiWeb AikiBlogs > RonRagusa's Blog

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RonRagusa's Blog Blog Tools Rate This Blog
Creation Date: 03-21-2005 05:24 AM
RonRagusa
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Status: Public
Entries: 145
Comments: 79
Views: 368,582

In General One Hundred and Five Entry Tools Rate This Entry
  #106 New 12-11-2008 08:43 PM
I said "It's not how I teach Aikido, it's how Aikido affects those who study it."

Joe McParland replied "There may be a semantic loophole here: Does aikido manifest clearly within the student regardless of the instructor; or, will you say that if the student is not affected as you might expect, then the teacher was not teaching aikido?"

Ueshiba said "All the principles of heaven and earth are living inside you" - The Art of Peace translated by John Stevens.

I take this to mean that Aikido exists in everyone and that the study of Aikido is, ultimately, the study of one's self. As an instructor I don't teach Aikido as teaching is commonly thought of. I get out on the mat and do things that folks call Aikido technique and students then try to emulate what I show. That's teaching in a sense, but it isn't teaching Aikido.

I teach Aikido by continuing to learn Aikido. I share my process of learning Aikido with my students. I tell my story and open myself up to them so that they may observe my journey and learn to discover Aikido for themselves. As such, I have no expectations regarding how their Aikido manifests itself.
Views: 2554 | Comments: 10 (1 Private)


RSS Feed 10 Responses to "One Hundred and Five"
#10 12-12-2008 07:57 PM
I respect your answer very much! These are things I'm working on, too, and I'm not certain I know the answers either. Sometimes I'm just lucky to recognize the question! Thank you as always for considering the questions, though, and for the exchange.
#9 12-12-2008 06:47 PM
RonRagusa Says:
In so far as they are based on common core principles they are the same though their forms may differ. In so far as their practice enhances coordination of mind and body they are the same though their methods of practice may differ. Poorly stated but realize I have no answers. One goal of my training is to remain centered in the question.
#7 12-12-2008 01:47 PM
Then are aikido and shodo the same or different?
#6 12-12-2008 12:31 PM
RonRagusa Says:
"All the principles of heaven and earth are living inside you" - The Art of Peace translated by John Stevens. And so the end and the beginning are seen to be the path that connects them.
#5 12-12-2008 10:19 AM
Lots of practices, say aikido and shodo, have mind-body coordination (or, being in the moment, studying one's self, etc.) as an objective. The practice of something tangible points to something intangible, and, simultaneously, that something intangible is supposed to manifest clearly as something tangible. But aikido is aikido, and shodo is shodo. So, what do you mean by "Aikido exists in everyone"?
#4 12-12-2008 09:54 AM
RonRagusa Says:
And a partridge is not a pear tree. Peace.
#3 12-12-2008 09:29 AM
Koan discussion from a zen master: "The great teaching of Buddha and the holy teaching of Jesus, are they the same, or different? If we say, 'same,' we lost Buddha and Jesus. If 'different,' we lost the one truth. So I could say that it is neither different nor the same. But Mountain is mountain, River is river."
#2 12-12-2008 09:17 AM
RonRagusa Says:
If they're doing their thing with mind/body coordination then I suppose it would be. But as they're continually being hit on the head by their partners I wouldn't call it very effective Aikido. Your example does raise a question though. As an instructor, are you only interested in producting a lot of little clones of yourself or are you willing to let your students Aikido manifest itself individually without regard to the form it takes?
#1 12-12-2008 08:58 AM
Suppose you demonstrate what one might call shomenuchi ikkyo. When you give the signal to pair-up and practice, one student stands on his head like a yogi, another spins like a dervish, another takes a seat and chants, and another goes off to make a pot of tea. Is this aikido or not?
 




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