what do you follow?

[Please visit our sponsor:]

Budo Bear Patterns - Sewing pattern for Women's (and Men's) dogi.

[Paula Lydon]

~~Are you primarily a student of Aikido or aiki?~~
(All salmon are fish but not all fish are salmon...)

[Mark Uttech]

strange question, since 'aikido' translates as 'the way of aiki'.

[Paula Lydon]

~~So it does and that is the name stuck on this art. Yet, I have trained with 'Aikido' practitioners who seem not to understand either the concepts or basic principles of Aikido and are doing something more akin to jujitsu. Conversely, I've felt practitioners from other named arts who exhibited a great understanding of aiki principles :D If you wandered into a dojo that followed more an aiki path than the Aikido dojo where you were presently training...would you change?~~

[SeiserL]

Are you primarily a student of Aikido or aiki?
IMHO, first I am primarily a perpetual student of martial arts and life.
Next, currently I am a student of Aiki as expressed and trained through the art of Aikido. I started in Aikido, but its concepts and principles lead me to Aiki.

[markwalsh]

My interest: Aiki as a way of being, Lent through a martial art.

I use the analogy that we are all mechanics working on our vehicles - but it's where we drive them is the important thing, not the color or go faster stripes :)

[markwalsh]

Re the title, who out there would say they "follow"? Maybe explore would be a better fit? The idea of going after those who have gone before is appealing - but maybe the process is too individual for lemming-like behavior?

[Mark Uttech]

I, for one, would say that I follow. I have been aware for years that I am following something. There is an agenda, there is a path; and it unfolds. I have never thought about it in any other way.

[Kevin Leavitt]

I like the analogy and the logic of your argument. I'd say it is true. you have to be studying a "martial art" to be on the path of aikido, but not all martial arts are budo, or aikido (which is a methodology for studying budo).

I was just having this very discussion on the "dojo storming" thread!

[Martin Ruedas]

I'm still a beginner student of Aikido, but hopefully I would like to learn all the principles of of Aiki through Aikido.