Poll: How important is knowing step-by-step kihonwaza (basic techniques) for experienced aikido students?

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AikiWeb Poll for the week of September 12, 2004:

How important is knowing step-by-step kihonwaza (basic techniques) for experienced aikido students?

I don't do aikido
Critically important
Very important
Somewhat important
Not very important
Not at all important


Here are the current results (http://www.aikiweb.com/polls/results.html?poll_id=238).

[Chuck Clark]

Seems like a silly question ... if the seniors don't know this, how can they pass it on to their juniors??

Of course they also should be able to be creative and adapt kihon no waza to fit any situation that presents itself.

[CNYMike]

Basics are absolutely critical because they are the foundation for everything that comes later. Don't have the basics, don't have the art. It's that simple.

[Ernest Brown]

As O'Sensei has said, " All of the secrets can be found within the basics."
All of your basics, ( balance,center, blending)
are in your " secrets".

[Hanna B]

Basics are absolutely critical because they are the foundation for everything that comes later. Don't have the basics, don't have the art. It's that simple.

Yes. But what is basics?

Are kihon basics? Yes and no.

IMHO kihon is a way of teaching basics, but it is not basics. The true basics is within and beyond the actual techniques: moving from the center, etc. If you can learn the basics in other ways than through extensive kihon training, that is fine with me.