Nick P.

On the one hand, I completely agree with all the points (and reasons) for asking the sensei in advance.

On the other hand, why should anyone really care who has pictures or video of them? With moderate photoshop skills I can paste the face on any sensei I like onto, say, the body of an adult-film star. Does that photo make them a porn star? It does if you choose to believe it. And if you choose to believe it based on a photo (or video), then friend, you are likely to believe almost anything, and there isnt much anyone else can do to stop you.

If you choose to share what you know, and invite people to come and learn, you offer it up fully, knowing there will be those who twist it, bastardize it, and maybe even understand it. Whether they have a note-pad, laptop, still camera, video camera or web-cam, or not, is in my mind, a small detail that makes no real difference in the end.

The loss to the Aikido community at large of having little or no photo or video record of a talented sensei is a far greater tragedy, in my mind.

This weekend will be the 3rd Heiney Sensei seminar I will have attended, and once again I will come away thinking "That was awesome!", and wish, a few days later, there was some video to review later on. Not just for me, but for everyone who is interested.

YMMV.