Re: Getting very discouraged, need your help.
interesting discussion.
I can certainly understand what Don is saying, as I seem to study for many of the same reasons in MMA that he does and more often than not we are on the same side of the fence. I think moderation and appropriateness is key in every situation for sure. I would offer the following as a reason why it is important to have some ettiquette in an aikido. As an American living overseas, I have gained a greater apprieciation for the importance of understanding other cultures. It helps us better understand the way the world works and helps create a greater sense of awareness and empathy in us. I think that having the cultural aspects (in balance and moderation) in aikido serves of a reminder of the heritage of where aikido came from. It also allows us to enter a different set up habits and practices that serve as a sort of ritual or practice that can remind us that everything is not like the secular world that surrounds us on a daily basis. I think it creates a deeper sense of community, awareness, empathy and bond between people. I would not subscribe that it should be a part of BJJ or a MMA school, as they have a different culture or focus. although, a little bit of it never hurts such as bowing in and bowing out of class. Typically warrior societies are hierachial based and have codes of conduct, rituals, and the like. The anthesis of this has always been the Guerrilla...the undisciplined warrior that has a disdain for authority and breaks down the paradigms of the hierarchial warrior society and exploits his weaknesses in bureacracy, immobility, and adaptability. However, as the guerrilla comes into power, he turns to hierachies in order to replicate and mass produce command and control over a large base. The guerrilla then pops back up to show him all the lessons he failed to remember! so, the cycle goes on. |
Re: Getting very discouraged, need your help.
Michael Gallagher,
It's to late, we have already removed the religion and culture from our Aikido and others will follow. The simple fact is, some people don't want what you want. You can't force people to practice Aikido the Japanese way, it's up to the individual dojo. We love our school, individuals have there our own religion, we want good health, exercise and self defense in our lives. Our instructor has been teaching this way for over 25 years without the bowing, foot protocol and other Japanese culture. We do use the gi, hakama, and the japanese terms for the different movements only. As mention before, our dojo is a mixture of law students, doctors, and engineers. The question about behavior is well established in our professional careers. We work with people all over the world. The basic principles of behavior is not in the equation. We exemplify the same behaviors in the dojo as we would with a business colleague. One can be formal without the need for Japanese protocol. A person can simply say, "excuse me instructor Charles, I would like to ask a question, or I don't quite understand the concept of a movement". |
Re: Getting very discouraged, need your help.
...good points.......
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Re: Getting very discouraged, need your help.
I have always thought that rules and etiquette existed for safety. A good rule is something to be respected, etiquette lends a little bit of ceremony. 'Tenchi nage' still sounds better than 'hamburger throw'...
In gassho, Mark |
Re: Getting very discouraged, need your help.
Respect should not be confused with obeying or following. We respect, but don't necessarily follow every etiquette.
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Re: Getting very discouraged, need your help.
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Re: Getting very discouraged, need your help.
Michael Gallagher,
That's was just an example. Yes we must certainly say, "please excuse me." That's definitely better than sounding like the karate kid, "Oh Mr. Miyagi”. I'm glad there are choices in this world and we don't have to follow the communist manifesto mentality. |
Re: Getting very discouraged, need your help.
I perfer "Name, when you have a second, I could use some help."
And "Thanks" when they are done. |
Re: Getting very discouraged, need your help.
Yeah I prefer 'Name" as well.
However, in ASU, I am completely comfortable calling Saotome Sensei, "Sensei, can you help me with this?" As that is what he is....sensei, seems very normal and natural. Same with stopping and going to seiza when he is demonstrating, heck everyone can see, and why waste an opportunity to learn something when time is so valuable to be with him. That said, I would feel very ridiculous calling my actual dojo instructor sensei...I call him by his first name, he and I both would feel silly doing this. |
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A Vegeterian friend of mine once told me that in order to be a vegeterian, you have to like the food. You don't do yourself any favors by telling yourself, This is good for the animals. This is good for the planet. This is good for my health. But it really tastes like BLEEP! You're better off not doing it. Same applies here. If the only reason you go to Aikido two or three times a month is to hang with the people training there but you like almost nothing else about it and can't stand the rules, maybe you're better off skipping the classes altogether and trying to meet the Aikido people socially outside the dojo. If they don't want to meet you, oh, well. Food for thought. |
Re: Getting very discouraged, need your help.
I know full well what I'm doing and why I do it. If I had a problem with it, I would stop. If you read my posts my problem is 90% with schools I no longer attend, with the remaining 10% an annoyance that I tolerate because I find what's left over fun.
It's just like bjj competitions. I hate the waiting, I hate the drive there, I hate the mass amounts of people, I hate the costs, but once all that is out of the way I usually have a good time. |
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I actually don't wait an arbitrary time, I look both ways to make sure any cars that should have stopped are stopped (or at least are definitely stopping). |
Re: Getting very discouraged, need your help.
My brother and I both run through red lights all the time. I also stop at green lights, as I never know when my brother might be coming the other way...:rolleyes:
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Re: Getting very discouraged, need your help.
Sounds like four way stops around here where I live. No matter how well versed one is in the rules of the road, one's actions must be contingent upon what the idiot in the other car does. The only real rule is Get Home Alive.
Eyes open, prepare to evade.:) |
Re: Getting very discouraged, need your help.
I recall a roadside sign that I glanced at as I drove by, it simply said: "You aren't watching the road."
In gassho Mark |
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