An Unknown and Unseen Audience

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[aikishihan]

Greetings to readers of the Aiki Web, Aikido Journal, Aikido Online, and the other fine online public forum for aikido enthusiasts and anyone who remains interested in the state of progress for the Aikido of Morihei Ueshiba.

Congratulations, and humble thanks to the brave souls who regularly, and irregularly participate by sending in articles of interest and viewpoints worthy of review and response.

My past participation has been minimal, to be sure, but not because of any lack of interest in sharing ideas, nor of any reluctance to utilize public forums for meaningful exchanges of ideas, perspectives and personal reflections. Perhaps, if contributors to the forums mentioned were able to identify those who respond, not with nebulous "call signs" or funny monikers, but with accurate and responsible reverse contact capabiities to ensure that 1) there IS a responsible person to reply to, 2) sincere and researched input can be held to accountability standards that the majority of readers can support and recognize. I remain reluctant to broadcast my views to an unknown and unseen audience, without some assurance that meaningful and responsible feedback will result. it feels sort of like wading in to a street fight not knowing the rules or the players.Such irresponsible behavior is not that of a martial artist or warrior that has true self respect as well as respect for the authentic art forms he admires and wants to learn from.

It is my request that such accountability be researched and agreed to by responsible contributors, making it all the more likely that more meaningful and beneficial contributions will ensue.

All the best,

francis y takahashi
aausa
aawc

[NagaBaba]

Greetings to readers of the Aiki Web, Aikido Journal, Aikido Online, and the other fine online public forum for aikido enthusiasts and anyone who remains interested in the state of progress for the Aikido of Morihei Ueshiba.

Congratulations, and humble thanks to the brave souls who regularly, and irregularly participate by sending in articles of interest and viewpoints worthy of review and response.

My past participation has been minimal, to be sure, but not because of any lack of interest in sharing ideas, nor of any reluctance to utilize public forums for meaningful exchanges of ideas, perspectives and personal reflections. Perhaps, if contributors to the forums mentioned were able to identify those who respond, not with nebulous "call signs" or funny monikers, but with accurate and responsible reverse contact capabiities to ensure that 1) there IS a responsible person to reply to, 2) sincere and researched input can be held to accountability standards that the majority of readers can support and recognize. I remain reluctant to broadcast my views to an unknown and unseen audience, without some assurance that meaningful and responsible feedback will result. it feels sort of like wading in to a street fight not knowing the rules or the players.Such irresponsible behavior is not that of a martial artist or warrior that has true self respect as well as respect for the authentic art forms he admires and wants to learn from.

It is my request that such accountability be researched and agreed to by responsible contributors, making it all the more likely that more meaningful and beneficial contributions will ensue.

All the best,

francis y takahashi
aausa
aawc
Hello Francis,
Me I think the users of this forum in generally discuss with respect and give meaningful and responsible feedback when exchange the information. If the standards of this forum are not high enough for you, don't share anything, I don't have a problem with that.

[Hint]You can always open your own forum with your own rules, I'd be interested if you do better job then the owner of this forum.
:D

[SeiserL]

Osu Sensei Takahashi,

This is truly our loss.

I will always appreciate the instruction, insights, inspiration, and humor I have received from you.

While there will always be those few as you describe, realize there are many of us open and wanting to learn.

I look forward to the next time we can share the mat and conversation.

Rei. Domo.

[Peter Goldsbury]

Hello Francis,

お久し振りでございます。I have fond memories of Aiki Expo 2002 and a visit to your dojo just prior to this.

Unlike Lynn, I took your post as a call for higher standards rather than a announcement that you would stop posting.

For myself, I am following the lead of Ellis Amdur, over at Aikido Journal, and am publishing columns that will eventually become one or several books. The constructive feedback I continue to receive is both a spur to further research and will also be very useful when I come to revise the columns.

Best wishes,

PAG

[akiy]

Hi Francis,

I appreciate your thoughts and I agree to your sentiments.

This is one of the reasons why that from the very first day of opening the AikiWeb forums, I have asked people to have their real names in their profile to be attached to every post that they make. Personal responsibility within communication is, I believe, very important to cultivating openness and honesty.

I look forward to seeing you again sometime soon and wish you and yours well.

Best regards,

-- Jun

[gdandscompserv]

From the first moment I met you Takahashi sensei, I knew I wanted to learn from you. Our time together was brief but I will always remember it. Please share more. The internet is a weird medium to communicate in, I am still learning. I think our friend Dan Harden feels similar to what you said, "I remain reluctant to broadcast my views to an unknown and unseen audience, without some assurance that meaningful and responsible feedback will result."
The internet is what I call the wild, wild, cyber-west. Takes some time to get used to, and communicating via the internet has it's own unique set of challenges. I have a selfish interest in having you contribute so there is no downside for me.
And, if I get out of line just slap me Sensei.
:D

[aikishihan]

Hi gang,

Thank you for your resounding and supportive response to my clumsy attempt to have accountability as a goal. I totally agree with Jun Akiyama, and acknowledge that he has indeed succeeded in maintaining an online forum with the highest degree of integrity and honesty possible. As my friend Ricky Wood expresses, pretty hairy out there, but, nothing ventured, nothing gain.

I also admire both Goldsbury and Ellis Senseis for their huge courage over the years in expressing their unique and stimulating points of view. The idea of using the forum to hone their future articles is a revelation of vision, insight and guts.

Thank you, Seiser Sensei, for your usual kind and gentle thoughts. I too look forward to the day when we can spin yarns freely.

Is it only me, but are there others who are sensing a shift in the winds of Aikido thought, influence and initiative? I mourn the constant loss of key Aikido mentors and leaders from the past, and wonder what legacy has been put in place for such teachings to endure. I also applaud the "coming out" of the next generation(s) of Aikido innovators, wordsmiths, and critically important leaders of all levels. True, our past mentors, mainly from Japan, were technically astonishing, but understandably lacking in verbal skills, writing abilities and, in certain cases, miserable people skills. Yet, for many years, they were the "only game in town". Times have changed, and I for one truly sense the shifts as they occur.

Optimism, along with a pragmatic attitude, guides my thoughts these days, as I try to connect with new energies, and to re-connect with the "old timers", before we lose them also to time and neglect.
God willing, I will "expose" my humble talents to the :slings and arrows of outrageous fortune", and post some comments in Aiki Web and other publications as I feel confident.

Until then, thanks again for the memories, past, present, and to come!

francis takahashi
aausa
aawc

[SeiserL]

God willing, I will "expose" my humble talents to the :slings and arrows of outrageous fortune", and post some comments in Aiki Web and other publications as I feel confident.
Osu Sensei,

God is willing. (Can't you hear her in the background going, "Hey Sensei. Yes you. Please "share". Don't "expose". You remember what happened last time." ;-)

"Posture and position." I was listening and I remember. Share it often.

You have been, and will always continue to be, one of the major influences in my Aikido. Many fond memories of training and conversation.

I support your call for ethics and honor. I empathize with the transition of time. I am also optimistic about the direction and discipline of our art.

The audience is not unknown or unseen. We await the teacher.

Rei, Domo.

[Garth Jones]

Dear Takahashi Sensei,

As one of the 'next' generation (I'm 42 and have been training for about 20 years) I really value all the teaching from senior instructors who are willing to share their knowledge in books or on the web. Since I haven't had the pleasure of taking classes from you, AikiWeb may be the best way for me to understand your perspective on the art we all love.

Just to make the audience a little less unseen - my wife Tara and I have a little dojo in Pittsburgh. We are affiliated with the ASU. In addition to Ikeda Sensei, we also count Mary Heiny Sensei as our teacher. In the last 20 years I have had the privilege to attend seminars and classes with many senior instructors, but there is no way I can meet everybody, sadly.

So, please write, share and teach. Seiser Sensei said it very well....

All the Best,
Garth Jones

[Sy Labthavikul]

Ooh, we're in for a treat. And I'm not just brown-nosing, thats the job of a certain Limey in our dojo. :)

[aikidoc]

Good luck on getting responsible behavior on the net. I don't mean to be pessimitic but sometimes people use the potential anonymity as an out to be less than polite.

I have not trained with you but studied with P. Greenwood sensei and am a friend of Ron West sensei and a student of Kato sensei. All of whom I know you are familiar with. Ron West and I still keep in contact even though I've been out of California since 1995.