Politics in Aikido

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[white rose]

I was at work last night, (studying for my exam) oh and doing a bit of work in between. When a thought come to me. Is there really any politics in Aikido, or is it just people using the term to justify they own pity action by calling it politics. :grr:

Your views please. :confused:

[SeiserL]

Is there really any politics in Aikido, or is it just people using the term to justify they own pity action by calling it politics.
IMHO, yes there does appear to be politics in Aikido with divisions down party lines according to personalities and organizations.

But, for the most part, it doesn't interfere with training.

[ESimmons]

Politics can simply mean "the often internally conflicting interrelationships among people in a society" (American Heritage) or even just "social relations involving authority or power" (WordNet); so, yes.

[Chuck Clark]

Any time there are two or more people together there's a body politic and political interactions will take place. It's a necessary "evil." Interactions concerning aikido are no different.

[pezalinski]

Yup. If there is more than one person involved, you get politics.

[Dajo251]

politics...in aikido...never could that happen *insert rolling eyes*

[crbateman]

Politics are no more than what you make of them. Train with a smile, an open mind, and a joyful heart, and you will be welcome in any dojo.

[senshincenter]

Ever heard of Foucault's rephrasing of Clausewitz' famous line:

"Politics is war by other means."

I think politics are no big deal just like when war is no big deal - WHEN YOU ARE ON THE WINNING SIDE. ;-)

[James Kelly]

Harold Lasswell defined politics as "who gets what, when, where, and how." (shout out to wikipedia for that one.) So there are politics in every human interaction. I think when people say politics re. aikido they're usually talking about conflict between different groups (and their respective Shihan). I used to think this stuff was important. But I've come to the opinion that I can't spend a minute of my precious time here on this great earth worrying about which old man hates which other old man... So far the political fallout has been minimal.

[white rose]

Yes once again my first post on a thread was not right, oh will I every learn. :)

The idea of politics playing a part in my Aikido is a none issue, Before individuals come on the forum and state other wise I would like to say I HAVE NEVER BEING INVOLVED IN POLITICS IN AIKIDO EVER.

Other people may say I have had or within this post and I have always had a political issue in the background, not true. I know my own mind and when I say something people should take it at face value.

In my Aikido training I have only wanted one thing, to improve. To this end I have traveled up and down the country and Europe. The places I have gone and thing I have done have all being done for this end.

But I have heared comments like the reason I don't grade is political, I now ask myself are these people fooling themselves. If you are not liked by the powers that be were you are go somewhere else, if you are not learning anything or being challenged go somewhere else. The other thing that come to me is people look at politics as the problem in they lives, but never look to see the problem may not be politics but themselves, the reason they have not grade may be simple they just not good enough yet.

The other common statement I hear is the one that goes. Why can I not grade other people. Why do people feel the need to have power over other because you have a thin black line around them. I have to be asked to grade and I am not really that keen to truthful, I only use it as a another pair of eyes to help Sensei make the right choice. And before anyone says it my feelings are it is not politics I give information over and someone else uses it.

I have been in three Aikido Org,s and the reason I left two of them was nothing to do with politics. One was to far away and I had work comments, the other simply the training bored me. So I when somewhere I feeled I could learn Aikido and not be bored. See no politics involved.

As for Foucault, POWER KNOWLEDGE DISCOURSE was one of his big ideas. Looking at it from a Aikido angle he has a point. People use discourse to retain power over others comments like "I know more about Aikido than you will ever forget" and the classical one "I was doing that 20 years ago" and last but not lest "your Aikido would be nothing without me". These all demonstrate how people use word to control how people think and feel and its not politics it pity little people trying to make so sense of they miserable little lives. Oh i am so cross :mad: . May the wrong words to use so close to Easter he,he,he

[Ketsan]

Yup, you spend a decade in political wranglings inside your organisation and finally you get control of it. You can now teach Aikido the way it should (you think) be taught. You walk out onto the street outside your HQ dojo and you're a man in a pair of PJs and a skirt. :D :D
.

[Richard Langridge]

you're a man in a pair of PJs and a skirt.
Hehe, yeh but those are some darn cool pjs. :)