Aiki1

I think you're bringing up several different points, a lot of which I would agree with you about, at least on some levels. I read several different but related topics here:

- the martial effectiveness of Aikido

- the unchecked ego of some sensei/shihans

- the time it takes to become proficient, and the inherent question of training methodologies (and definitions of proficiency...)

- what is aikido anyway…. budo, spiritual etc….

These are the deep questions that many ask, and the answers are very different for different people. To me there is no "one" Aikido but -many- different styles that are sometimes/often completely different arts. I know my version of AIkido is different, and it addresses what I call martial responsibility, but always performed "invisibly" with Ki. For me, the best of both worlds. If one has no background in any other arts, which some Aikidoka lack, it's hard to judge certain things. But if one has no exposure to energetic and spiritual reality, one also can't judge certain things. Having a strong background in BJJ and Hapkido, but also many years of internal Ki training, I personally include as much as I can in my perspective, and I get to enjoy a range of experiences. It's all so personal and varied, I think there is no one answer.