Race and Aikido

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[James Smithe]

I didn't know black people did Aikido. Anyway heres a page with clips.

http://www.shodokanaikido.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/aikido/videos.html

[Ron Tisdale]

Oh? I didn't know Jun allowed idiots to post. But there ya go...something new everyday.

Ron

I didn't know black people did Aikido. Anyway heres a page with clips.

http://www.shodokanaikido.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/aikido/videos.html

[Charlie]

I didn't know black people did Aikido...

DEEP DEEEP SIGHHHHH....Alas...a chance to practice Aikido principles comes along everyday! If you care to do any research your ignorance shall be relieved - or at least I hope it will.

Charles

[batemanb]

Oh? I didn't know Jun allowed idiots to post. But there ya go...something new everyday.

Ron

Ain't it so my friend

[James Smithe]

How many black people do you have in your dojos?

[batemanb]

there's five at my club, why? Just because you might not have seen any in your extremely limited exposure, doesn't mean in the whole of the US, or the whole wide world there aren't any.

[Derek Gaudet]

I didn't know black people did Aikido. Anyway heres a page with clips.

http://www.shodokanaikido.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/aikido/videos.html

Technically BJJ came from Kosen Judo. JUDO! Not Jujutsu. That gets me thinking why don't we call Aikido American Jujutsu or Shotokan people call it American Karate. Because you and me didn't invent it Gracies. People don't realize the Gracies are badasses you on the other hand are not.
The above from Aikido does not work...."
I won't even say the first thing that comes to mind, but from what I gather in these post is you think Aikido was created by a White American, which is simply wrong. On a personal level I'm with Ron. And by asking how many people of other races study in ones dojo you are showing separation of people. And just because there is not much cultural diversity in one dojo does not give reason for you to make such uneducated statements.

Sorry bout the rant guys, but this is a no go zone with me, for personal reasons. Trying to get back to the original topic may be a difficult thing to do in this case...

[James Smithe]

What is wrong with your reading comprehension? I was being sarcastic how the heck can you miss that. When I started to say you and me didn't invent it Gracies means that I was saying that a Japanese guy created it. Everytime I think I'm being sarcastic I'll type the word sarcasm afterwards from now on.

[Edwin Neal]

delivery is important in all endeavors... practice more james...
as to the Bjj came from judo well judo came from jujutsu... there is really very little to be gained by the "chicken or egg" argument... what dojo do you study at? does it have a web site? where is it located? who is your sensei? just interested as i will be in texas in march...

[SBK_Doug]

I didn't know black people did Aikido. Anyway heres a page with clips.

http://www.shodokanaikido.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/aikido/videos.html

I'm sorry James. I just don't see any sarcasim in the above listed quote. Perhaps offering straight forward comments and thinking instead of sarcasim would be a better communication style for you.
Meditate on this...You should.

[Michael O'Brien]

How many black people do you have in your dojos?

At this time I train with 1 in our dojo who is excellent and dedicated to be at our intermediates class at 6:30 AM; Sensei will tell you that if your technique works with Bob (yes that is his real name) then you know you have good technique because he won't just freely give you anything.

Mike

[James Smithe]

Doug that question is serious. I noticed alot of people look at this page and don't say anything. Proabably because they have zero black people and somehow feel embarrased.

[Derek Gaudet]

Doug that question is serious. I noticed alot of people look at this page and don't say anything. Proabably because they have zero black people and somehow feel embarrased.

Quit before you say anything worse.

[ElizabethCastor]

Doug that question is serious. I noticed alot of people look at this page and don't say anything. Proabably because they have zero black people and somehow feel embarrased.
:rolleyes:
Dude...
You are right, I didn't post anything because I was embarassed

for you. :sorry: :o :(

BTW: I DO train with a black woman with an incredible center and a strong understanding of the movements, I consider myself lucky. But then again, I consider myself lucky no matter who I train with experienced black-belts, brand-newbies, tall, short, strong, soft, willowy/bendy, sturdy/inflexible, green, blue, or polka-dotted people. It doesn't matter one bit! I'm lucky that I get to learn from anyone and everyone who steps onto the mat.

Elizabeth
:ai:

[Edwin Neal]

Hey James how about my questions??? i indeed have studied with many aikidoka of many ethnicities it really depends on where you live as to what type of people you see in the dojo...

[Don_Modesto]

Doug that question is serious. I noticed alot of people look at this page and don't say anything. Proabably because they have zero black people and somehow feel embarrased.

Hey, Ron,

Didn't you start a thread on African-Americans in aikido once?

And to all--

Truth be told, while Mr. Smith's hamfisted comment about not knowing blacks did aikido was certainly ill-advised, haven't many of us discussed the same issue, if somewhat more delicately? I think if we dun him, it ought to be for language, not racism. We haven't looked into his heart yet and what he's said is kind of neutral, if insensitive...in a sensitive area.

[George S. Ledyard]

I didn't know black people did Aikido. Anyway heres a page with clips.

http://www.shodokanaikido.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/aikido/videos.html

You would think that, in this day and age, people would know better... Oh well.

Perhaps Mr Smith is trying to comment, from a position of total ignorance, on the fact that African Americans do not seem to be proportionally represented in the ranks of Aikido students. This I believe is the case and I would not be sure why that was true. I would hazard a guess that it might be the lack of focus on functional self defense in the art and that it takes so long before one can be very functional from a practical standpoint. In my youth, when Aikido was starting to take off, African Americans formed the vast majority of the students, at least in urban areas, in Tae Kwon Do and Kung Fu. I think that they felt themselves to be more likely to encounter some self defense situation than the middle class white folks who flocked to Aikido.

Anyway, in the DC dojo where I trained, there is now a quite substantial African American student base, although given the fact that DC is by far a majoty African American as a population, it is still an under-represented group at the dojo. Perhaps where Mr Smith has trained this is even more the case...

So, rather than castigate Mr Smith for his ignorance, perhaps an attempt should be made to at least partially educate him...

Yes, Mr Smith, there are African Americans in Aikido.

First of all, if you consider the family of closely related aiki arts to be forms of Aikido, or Aikido as a form of one of them, then we have to start with Moses Powell Sensei. He calls his style Sanuces Ryu but there isn't anything in the style which an Aikido person with a bit of background in karate wouldn't recognize. This man is a living legend and ran a school in New York City for many years back in the seventies. His style did not suffer from any "lack of practicality" so to speak. Most of his students were African American so I think he is very significant in that he trained more African Americans in aiki than any other teacher has. Many run schools around the country today.

In Aikido proper, it is an important fact to know that THE senior American in Aikido, on the mainland, ( by rank anyway) is Amos Parker Sensei at 8th Dan in the Yoshinkan System, an African American. It is perhaps telling that 90% of Aikido students if polled wouldn't know that. Steve Miranda, who regularly posts on the forums is a student of Parker Sensei.

Of course, we should mention that one of the senior teachers of Aikido in the states is an African American female, Lorraine DiAnne Sensei. She is a senior student of Chiba Sensei and trained in Japan for a number of years. In fact there is a notice popping up on the homepage of Aikweb advertising one of her seminars...

If one buys Aikido videos it is impossible not to have encounetered Donovan Waite Sensei's video on Ukemi. He is one of Yamada Sensei's senior students.

I have a friend, Teddy Wilson Sensei, whom I met at the first Aiki Expo... he is an African American Sensei who teaches the Japanese martial art of Aikido in Istanbul, Turkey... true globalization at work...

Anf of course, even if you have never heard of any of these prominent African American Aikido pioneers, any Aikido student worth his salt knows of Ron Tisdale... I mean, where have you been? Ron is internationally known through his cogent posts on all Aikido related forums and has, as you may have noted, already contributed one here.

Anyway, no one be offended if I left someone important off the list here (which I am sure I did) I wrote it totally off the top of my head and didn't even look in the Aiki Encyclopedia to refresh my memory...

[Edwin Neal]

Parker shihan is an excellent example as he mostly lives the aikido life... i was fortunate that he was my first sensei... let's have some pity on poor james he is just a little inexperienced and doesn't really have a strong connection between his mouth and his brain yet... or maybe its too strong... anyway... i pity the fool... ya bad Mr. T impression...

[Charlie]

How many black people do you have in your dojos?

Let me guess...I bet you don't have any Asians in your dojo as well...I wonder how many of them practice Aikido.

Absolutely absurd.

Amos Parker Shihan is located in Houston, Texas. Since you are in Texas as well, give him a call. He is a wonderful teacher that that lived and practiced Yoshinkan Aikido in Japan for some 35 years. He is a retired Navy Chief that started both his careers in the mid 1960's (Navy and Aikidoka) well before the majority outside of Japan even knew what what Aikido was. He is the senior ranked foreigner in the world (Yoshinkan) as well as the senior most in the United States (Yoshinkan). He was presented with the title of Shihan by Kiyoyuki Terada sensei and is the only on outside of Yoshinkan Honbu dojo to hold such title.

Terada sensei currently is the senior practioner in the world (Yoshinkan) and is the only other Yoshinkan instructor other than Shioda sensei to have studied with Osensei.

For more info: http://www.seikeikan.com/ayy/index.html

Anyway...since this has gotten way off topic - here are some more videos

http://www.myaa.info/TrainingVideos.html

[Steven]

I didn't know black people did Aikido. Anyway heres a page with clips.

I didn't know that ignorant and racist people do Aikido. Can't help but wonder if you also where a white hood over your head.

[Michael Varin]

James Smith said, "I didn't know black people did Aikido. Anyway heres a page with clips."

I don't know James Smith, but I think this was an attempt at humor. That was my interpretation.

If I were to get offended by things people say, I would be much more offended by George Ledyard's statement:

"I would hazard a guess that it might be the lack of focus on functional self defense in the art and that it takes so long before one can be very functional from a practical standpoint. In my youth, when Aikido was starting to take off, African Americans formed the vast majority of the students, at least in urban areas, in Tae Kwon Do and Kung Fu. I think that they felt themselves to be more likely to encounter some self defense situation than the middle class white folks who flocked to Aikido."

What are you saying George? All black people live in poor, violent neighborhoods? Is that what would require them to use the "practical" art of kung fu?

Maybe a lot of people in those days, black and white, liked Bruce Lee and were attracted to his art. Why can't people do the things that they like doing without their behavior being over-analyzed?

Self-righteousness and politically correct stances only hinder the ability to see the truth.

Two of my closest friends, who happen to be two of the most talented aikidoka I know, are black. So yes, black people do aikido. Where I'm from, they also swim, go to college, are police officers, get PhDs, and own big houses.

Michael

[Edwin Neal]

I didn't say it, but you did Michael... what are you like telepathically spying on me? if so then teach me your technique!!!

[Michael Varin]

It's a highly advanced technique, Edwin. That's all I can say about it here, but when you understand it, all the secrets of aiki will be revealed.

[George S. Ledyard]

What are you saying George? All black people live in poor, violent neighborhoods? Is that what would require them to use the "practical" art of kung fu?

Maybe a lot of people in those days, black and white, liked Bruce Lee and were attracted to his art. Why can't people do the things that they like doing without their behavior being over-analyzed?

Self-righteousness and politically correct stances only hinder the ability to see the truth.

Two of my closest friends, who happen to be two of the most talented aikidoka I know, are black. So yes, black people do aikido. Where I'm from, they also swim, go to college, are police officers, get PhDs, and own big houses.

Michael
Time for decaf, Michael... If you want to contradict my observation that African Americans are not proportionally represented in the ranks of the Aikido population, go ahead. I've been at Summer Camps with 250 people and there were a half dozen African Americans attending. I started my Aikido career training with Saotome Sensei in the Washington DC dojo. DC has an overwhelmingly majority African American population. The dojo is overwhlemingly not African American. It's mostly white with a number of other minorities and a healthy African American presence but nowhere near what the demographics of DC would lead one to expect. As I pointed out, if one goes into the average Tae Kwan Do, Karate, or mixed martial arts school in DC the demographics would more closely match that of the city's population. I can't imagine why you would find such a statement controversial, it's just an observation. I know this to be true because I participated in discussions with some of the seniors at the dojo who, noting this situation, were concerned that they not be doing something which made minority students, and African American students in particular, feel less welcome... But I teach Aikido all over the US and I have seen nothing that would cause me to believe that this is an atypical situation.

Conjecture as to why any student enrolls, stays or leaves is part of running dojos. When you don't have women in the dojo, it should cause you to wonder... If your dojo is completely lacking in diversity when the surrounding community is very diverse, it would normally engender some questions.Thinking about these issues isn't political correctness, it's common sense. (unless you don't give a damn about getting new students... and i don't know of many dojos like that).

I fail to see any value laden assumptions in my conjecture that the fact that Aikido, being extremely complex with a long learning curve, would appeal less to any student whose interest in martial arts was primarily for self defense. People who are concerned for their safety on a daily basis, which is a fact of life in any poor area in the world, generally opt for training in something that seems to more directly address these concerns... This only makes sense. I certainly wouldn't have looked to Aikido as my first choice if I felt I had needed to be able to acquire a reliable self defense capability in as short a time as possible. There are plenty of shorter roads to protecting oneself than Aikido...

Anyway, I could be wrong... it's not like I did some scientific study using statistical analysis... I just made a conjecture...

[Edwin Neal]

thank you michael, maybe one day i will be worthy...

i take issue with the issue that many seem to tacitly support that aikido is "complex" and takes a long time to be used effectively... i don't find this to be true unless one is indoctrinated to believe it is true... is it more complex than say karate? a little in that kicking and punching are intuitive and even kids can do it with no training, while grappling/wrestling is a little less intuitive... so while i am willing to grant some additional time... from my experience with a qualified instructor and with functionality as a primary goal a sincere student can achieve this in a few months to a year depending upon the ability of the student... why does everyone think/believe that functionality only comes after years and years of practice, if ever?

[senshincenter]

thank you michael, maybe one day i will be worthy...

i take issue with the issue that many seem to tacitly support that aikido is "complex" and takes a long time to be used effectively... i don't find this to be true unless one is indoctrinated to believe it is true... is it more complex than say karate? a little in that kicking and punching are intuitive and even kids can do it with no training, while grappling/wrestling is a little less intuitive... so while i am willing to grant some additional time... from my experience with a qualified instructor and with functionality as a primary goal a sincere student can achieve this in a few months to a year depending upon the ability of the student... why does everyone think/believe that functionality only comes after years and years of practice, if ever?

I'm afraid I would go the other way - saying all arts are complex - not easy. Perhaps a child can swing their arms and legs from early on (yet you'd be surprised how few can actually do even this), however punching and kicking is an entirely different matter. This becomes even more true when you consider how many years it truly requires to gain any kind of real (i.e. dependable) practicality concerning power and timing - which are the seeds of all viable strikes and kicks, etc., within real combative situations. Nobody of skill (i.e. skill under real-life combative conditions) comes to obtaining viable punches and kicks via the short and easy route.

However, anyone can indeed "win" a few "contests" (even ones on the street) while flailing their arms around or muscling the hell out of some poor chump's arm via ikkyo. Nevertheless, that doesn't make them skilled - nor does that mean the art was easy to learn. It just makes one lucky and keeps one foolish enough to universalize one's favor in chance.

Oh, and so as not to hijack the thread - here are some more videos on Aikido:

http://www.senshincenter.com/pages/video.html

http://www.aikiweb.com/columns/thegrindstone/2005_11.html

[SBK_Doug]

Doug that question is serious. I noticed alot of people look at this page and don't say anything. Proabably because they have zero black people and somehow feel embarrased.
James, I was a police officer for many many years. During those years, I had the opportunity to work with officers of different races, religions, cultures, languages, and so on and so on. What made all of us officers bond was the fact that we all worked for the same goal, wore the same uniform, and had very similar problems and interests. This is not to say that we gave up our individuality. BUT, we did look past the skin color, accent in the voice, color of the eyes, ect and realized that we were all cops.
I went through all of that to say this. Over the past years in my current dojo, I have had the honor or practicing with both men and women or different ages, colors, races, cultures ect. Wanna know something? When I walk into the dojo, I see only white gis, black hakamas and friendly faces. I see people that are happy that I came to practice. I see people who miss me when I travel and who feel my pain when I have taken some serious nikkyo from our sensei.
MY friend, it makes no difference if your comment was made out of jest, sarcasim, ignorance or anything else. I think you need to look deep inside yourself and ask "Why?"

FOR EVERYONE ELSE...... I began this thread because I wanted to see videos and to show videos of our style of Aikido. Can we get back to the subject of this thread? :ai: :ki: :do:

[neaikikai]

It is so sad that people are not aware of Donovan Waite Shihan of the USAF, who has trained under Yamada Shihan, the man is a BEAST. He is just amazing, and yes he is black.

[mj]

Life isn't as simple as black and white you know :p

In Scotland we're generally a light blue colour because of the cold. Do we get any recognition as a minority? No we do not. It was a black day for us when we were blackballed from the coloured people association. We were green with envy :)

(is it too early to mention that Jesus was an ethnic minority? Even though he's painted as whiter than white ;))

Here's a few wee vids with some nice basic kuzushi and redirection. link (http://homepage2.nifty.com/shodokan/en/kyogi10d.html)

[kohaku]

perhaps all this should be moved to a new thread, as it would appear no one is posting video clips of aikido, which i think was a good idea and has been somewhat sidetracked for a debate about racial issues. anyone who is or has admin control of these forums should perhaps think about moving it or renaming the thread so we can post a new one SPECIFICALLY for vids.

just a thought.

[Dajo251]

How many black people do you have in your dojos?

4 or 5 not sure off the top of my head

[George S. Ledyard]

perhaps all this should be moved to a new thread, as it would appear no one is posting video clips of aikido, which i think was a good idea and has been somewhat sidetracked for a debate about racial issues. anyone who is or has admin control of these forums should perhaps think about moving it or renaming the thread so we can post a new one SPECIFICALLY for vids.

just a thought.
That's an excellent idea... sorry to all about contributing to the topic "drift"..

[Edwin Neal]

David please join the discussion about the complexity/functionality of aikido in the aikido self defense thread... i think we have some common ground, but have to define the terms and playing field...

[Edwin Neal]

Where is James did we scare him away???

[Dajo251]

Lorraine DiAnne Shihan
http://www.budojo.com/images/LDA_shad.jpg

[SBK_Doug]

Where is James did we scare him away???
Mr. Neal, I think that James may not have figured out where this thread has been moved to.

I would like everyone for participating in the vid posting thread. Please come back to visit it and post more vids.

[Chuck Clark]

We should all be hearing from "James" in the near future. His instructors have been "instructing" him appropriately for the last couple of days. He needs guidance. He's getting a chance to learn and mend his ways. Let's all help, if he's willing...

[JAMJTX]

I looked at this thread because I thought it might be something useful. Like someone teaching Aikido as a tool to help a community overcome racism. Boy was I suprised to see such stupidity in the opening post.
it is highly offensive.

[Edwin Neal]

Chuck, i asked him where his dojo was as i will be in texas in march and was hoping to meet him, and possibly work out... do you have some info that could help me... i will be mostly in the Austin, and San Antonio area...

[James Davis]

I didn't know black people did Aikido. Anyway heres a page with clips.

http://www.shodokanaikido.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/aikido/videos.html
James S.,

My sensei, whom I love like an uncle and for whom I have the utmost respect, is a black man. Our senior student, who is starting his own dojo on the other coast of Florida, is a Jamaican guy. These two people were the first to help me on my path as a martial artist, and I am lucky as hell to know them. I sincerely hope that you get the chance to meet them sometime.

[George S. Ledyard]

from my experience with a qualified instructor and with functionality as a primary goal a sincere student can achieve this in a few months to a year depending upon the ability of the student... why does everyone think/believe that functionality only comes after years and years of practice, if ever?

Edwin,
all I can say is that you must be training with instructors the likes of whom I have yet to see and with students of an ability I have yet to encounter. I travel around quite a bit teaching and training, have visited Japan, have trained with many of the top instructors in the world and I haven't seen this... You must be seeing very different folks than I am seeing...

Or, possibly, or you have an unrealistic idea about what is functional. There is a reason that one of the longest running threads on the forum has to do with whether Aikido actually works... As it happens I come firmly down on the side of the argument that it does, indeed, work. But the time frames you are talking about are completely unrealistic in my own experience.

If you are talking about "a few months to a year" under an excellent instructor... well, let's say you have a mixed martial artist, a Jeet Kun Do practitioner, a contact karate student, and a judoka... all with the same amount of experience in terms of hours of training under some hypothetically equal group of instructors... The Aikido fellow would be the VERY LAST one I'd choose to have next to me in a fight. I am sorry, in a year or under of equal intensity training the other guys will all be able to beat the Aikido guy.

Now later on... as the Aikido student understands what he is really going on in his technique, things start to change... but I have never seen this happen in under a year and my own teacher is considered to be one of the more martially oriented of the Aikido teachers around...

[Edwin Neal]

George lets continue this discussion on this thread as i feel the other have some similar feelings:

http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9710

[Huker]

Would you people stop playing his game. Nothing on this thread is worth replying to. We all know that black people do aikido so there's no reason to prove it. Stop wasting your time.

[Mike Fugate]

This is the worse topic I have ever seen on here. This kind of primative topics really do bring down the class of this site. This is worse than all those nuts who waste their time worrying about how Steven Seagal does his Aikido, even though they prolly never will study under him or his students. Listen race isnt a factor in anything, only if you make it.......O'Sensei was Japanese, Shaolin Monks were Chinese, and hell Steven Seagal is American and I dont think anyone is going to say anything degrading about their skills........So lets drop it please. :ki:
p.s. Im sure plenty of you will just love that part about Seagal...Wont you :D LMAO

[Edwin Neal]

WHAT steven seagal is Black??? i'm sorry i'm confused...;-))

[PeterR]

You were all troll food - people.

[Edwin Neal]

hey i miss james, trolls are an opportunity to practice my no touch throws!!!

[Ron Tisdale]

hmmm, been away training for the weekend.

Yes, James is a troll. I'll still speak out even if it feeds the troll if I find it important enough.

Yes, Don (hope you are well), I did open a post about AAs in aikido. Please note however, the extreme differences in tone, objective, and the quality of posts in that thread.

George, thank you for the kind words.

For comparison, here is the thread that Don is referring to:
http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4775

Best,
Ron

[Lyle Bogin]

I hear there are a couple of Jews who are into aikido too.....;)

[Chuck Clark]

Ron,

I just took the time to re-read the thread that you linked to above. That was very good. Thanks for reminding us.

Best Regards,

[aikigirl10]

I didn't know black people did Aikido. Anyway heres a page with clips.

http://www.shodokanaikido.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/aikido/videos.html


wow... all i can say is ... wow :confused:

(shakes head in disbelief)

[Edwin Neal]

i'm just sad he hasn't been back... i miss all of his flopping and twitching... kind of like watching a trainwreck...

[Mark Uttech]

Like the king said: "Don't be cruel."

[Edwin Neal]

"you have to be cruel to be kind in the right measure"... sorry can't remember the source!

[Edwin Neal]

where is james? they must have locked him in the dojo for the endless attutide adjusting randori!

[aikigirl10]

Okay. However, I think it has more to do with your sensitivity than his lack of.


I agree.

Yes I think James' comment about black people in aikido is very stupid to say the least, but i also get the impression that James is pretty young. I could definitely be wrong b/c i have no idea how old he is, but he seems young.

So, while his statement could definitely be portrayed as rude... it may not be his fault if that's all he's ever been taught.

If someone said " I didnt know Catholics did Aikido" (Catholics being somewhat of a minority, at least in my area of the country) Me, being Catholic, would probably just laugh because that person is obviously very sheltered and juvenile.

Ron, I understand how things like that can be irritating and insulting, and to me if it had come from an adult it would be, but sometimes (even with adults) you just have to shrug it off.

[Edwin Neal]

:D (insert various catholic schoolgirl jokes here)... sorry paige... its just TOO easy... please don't beat me up now... :)

[Mato-san]

I couldn`t resist it.
Race in the dojo.
I am the only white guy in our yellow dojo, and I am embraced. I have to admit when I arrived I was concerned that race would be an issue, but I have been accepted with open arms and time has proved itself. Black, white yellow or green for that matter who cares. I have no comment on race in the dojo.We should really think about where the art that we love so much derived from, we should embrace race.Any shape or form. But in saying that no, we have no blacks here in our dojo, but we have only asian aside from myself. Some of my best friends are south african, my wife Japanese, my uncle Indian, race has never been an issue for me. We all live in the same world, and really it aint that large!

[Edwin Neal]

true Mato-san... and getting smaller all the time...

[Will Schutt]

So, is the general consensus here that "James Smith" is a white guy?

[RebeccaM]

I could definitely be wrong b/c i have no idea how old he is, but he seems young.
My impression was that he was ~16, but then I read somewhere that he was 19.

[Ron Tisdale]

The people who attacked me in the incident I referenced above were all between 15 and 19. It can be a dangerous age. I was about 15 myself at the time.

Best,
Ron (parents, start raising your children properly early. It get's to be too late, too soon)

[Don_Modesto]

So, is the general consensus here that "James Smith" is a white guy?

LOL.

Not at all. It's a good point. Hey, I'm willing to learn, I just insist on good teachers... ;)

Best,
Ron

Ha! I'll be stealing that one, for sure.

[akiy]

The general (ie non-aikido) discussion on "Race" has been split off and moved here:

http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9750

The discussion on "Quoting" has been split off and moved here:

http://www.aikiweb.com/forums/showthread.php?t=9751

-- Jun