happysod

I find myself thinking this thread sounds increasingly like an argument between proponents of low and high church worship, with those championing the "trappings" of etiquette as necessary to true fulfillment while those of the low finding them often a barrier rather than an aid.

I'll happily put myself in the low church group as for me ritualised manners and behaviour often mask what I see as important, does your technique match your aims, both in effectiveness and harmony with the attack.

While I respect those who do follow tradition and use their aikido practice to provide a link with the past and the history from which aikido originated, I find the concept of no tradition = not aikido frankly insulting. For those who feel that way I do have one question. If, as we are reminded, O sensei wanted aikido to be available to everyone, do you really think imposing barriers of both language and behaviour beyond those need for safe practice really a good starting point?